#armenian-cuisine

#armenian-cuisine

Don't let Mini Kabob's demure size and Americana-adjacent location fool you - the pint-sized Glendale restaurant serves Los Angeles's best smoky, flame-kissed Armenian kebabs. Operated by two generations of the Martirosyan family, Mini Kabob blends Armenian and Egyptian flavors in fully loaded kebab and falafel plates served out of a makeshift takeout window. The younger Martirosyan, Armen, greets regulars by name at the window between flipping skewers of tender marinated beef and plating piles of bulgur-dotted tabbouleh.

It starts with a spark of sugary nostalgia, a cake you haven't thought about in years, crossing your mind in a random moment. Lost in memories all this time, it's surprising how much impact it still holds. The passing of time, as it turns out, only elevates forgotten desserts' magic. After that, it won't be long before the cravings come knocking and demand a revival. Such is the case with perok cake, as aptly demonstrated by large baking communities on Reddit.

Perhaps no cuisine is as frustratingly scarce in the Bay Area as the one I was born into - Armenian food. While San Francisco once boasted a world-famous Armenian restaurant, you can't find so much as a food truck now with an officially Armenian menu. As if taunting me, Los Angeles with its larger diaspora population has a thriving Armenian food scene, including one restaurant in the Michelin Guide.