Armenian Food Tour of LA
On our most recent trip to LA, we stayed in Glendale, which has the largest population of Armenians outside of Armenia! A few years ago, my family and I watched an episode of Marcus Samuelsson’s show, “No Passport Required,” about the Armenian population in Los Angeles, and more specifically Glendale. Ever since we watched the show, we have wanted to visit all of the restaurants!
Because of the Armenian genocide, Armenians moved to many different countries including Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt. Armenians in Los Angeles come from the many different areas of the diaspora, as well as the former Soviet Armenia. This mix of cultures leads to an interesting mix of culinary influences and traditions. My maternal grandfather is an Armenian from Lebanon, which makes me 1/4 Armenian. Having grown up eating Armenian food, I was so excited to eat my way through Glendale!
Mini Kabob
These were by far the best kabobs we ate on our trip! They were so flavorful and succulent, pairing well with the buttery rice underneath. While eating any of these kabobs, make sure to try a wrap with lavash (the flatbread), some meat, onions, and hummus! It was also fun to meet the friendly owner, Armen Martirosyan.
Zankou Chicken
We have been going to Zankou Chicken for as long as I can remember. The chain was established in 1983 by Lebanese Armenian immigrants, and it now has 12 locations! We usually go to the Anaheim location on our way to Disneyland, but for our Armenian food tour we went to the flagship location in Burbank.
The chicken and lule are incredibly flavorful, and I like how each plate comes with shirazi (cucumber, tomato, onion) salad. The hummus has a great texture that compliments the savoriness of the kabobs.
Monta Factory
At the Monta Factory, we ordered monta, a small dumpling filled with meat and topped with yogurt and tomato sauce (not pictured). These were crisp on the outside, which complimented the juicy, savory filling. The two sauces added textural contrast and more flavor. These were delicious!
Sipan Bakery
At Sipan Bakery, we had lahmajun, an Armenian flatbread topped with spiced meat, and fatayer, a hand pie filled with spinach. The lahmajun had a thin, crisp crust and a flavorful topping. The ratio between meat and bread was perfect! We love eating these rolled up with a dollop of yogurt- yum!
While we liked the filling for the fatayer, there was a bit too much bread relative to the amount of spinach. All in all, this was a great bakery!
Zhengyalov Hatz
My family and I had never heard of Zhengyalov Hatz, which is a flatbread stuffed with 15 types of herbs. This was absolutely delicious! The medley of herbs were fresh and provided many different flavors to go with the soft exterior. We liked it so much we went twice!
