Where to find ponchik, lule kebab, manti, and more
Armenians from all over the world have settled in Southern California, centered around the cities of Glendale and Los Angeles. In LA, the diaspora of Armenians come from about 80 different regions around the globe, leading to an incredible diversity not only within the community but in the Armenian food scene as well. Sharing meals with chefs, academics, and others from the community, and learning to cook dishes in No Passport Required’s “Los Angeles” episode, host Marcus Samuelsson learns more about the history of the Armenian diaspora and how the food draws inspirations from myriad culinary traditions.
In addition to the restaurants mapped below, Samuelsson makes Armenian-inspired Texas barbecue — like basturma-smoked beef short ribs — with III Mas BBQ’s Arthur Grigoryan; shares bowls of khash at a Zorthian Ranch feast; and eats duck lule kebab, octopus shawarma, and chi kofte at a party with chefs Michael Kay Keshishian and S.T. Takvoryan.
Find all the restaurants visited in the episode in this map, and stream the full “Los Angeles” episode here.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
At Sahag’s Basturma, inside a Los Angeles strip mall, there’s a cured-meat master craftsman: Harry Tashyan. His family, originally from Kayseri, in modern-day Turkey, has been in the basturma business for over 300 years.
Glendale, CA 91206
Owner Andy Kozanian goes back to Armenia a couple times a year to make sure his Glendale market has the best ingredients stocked for Southern California’s Armenian community. Find shelf-stable products as well as fresh, prepared dishes like lahmajun, tabbouleh, and lavash.
Glendale, CA 91204
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Jack Trosian, owner of Papillon International Bakery, says his business serves comfort food made modern and personal. The signature order at Papillon is the ponchik — a pastry fried with the stuffing already inside it — which, at the bakery, can be filled with traditional fillings or stuffed with things like Ferrero Rocher chocolates.
Glendale, CA 91204
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Mini Kabob co-owner Ovakim Martirosyan has been making pipe-like lule kebab for over 50 years. He honed his craft while in the Soviet Army; the shop’s kebabs are served in lavash wraps or over rice with a garlic cream called toum.
Glendale, CA 91203
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This restaurant is a hub for Glendale’s diasporic Armenian community. Over a meal with Armenians from Ethiopia, Syria, Armenia, and Lebanon, Samuelsson eats dishes including mujaddara and muhammara.
Glendale, CA 91203
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Alissa Asmarian’s restaurant, Heritage Eatery, highlights recipes inspired by Armenian mothers and grandmothers, plated and served in a gourmet setting. The menu at Heritage Eatery includes dishes like eggplant caviar and ghapama, a beautiful whole pumpkin stuffed with fragrant rice that Asmarian teaches Samuelsson to make.
Pasadena, CA 91104
At Su-Beoreg & Monta Factory, boat-like dumplings called manti (or monta) are stuffed with ground beef, pinched into shape, cooked, and coated with tomato sauce and garlic cream. Together, Evelina Yegiazaryan and her son Sarges Yegiazaryan cook about 10,000 manti by hand every day.
Los Angeles, CA 90042
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Armen Martirosyan’s Mid East Tacos offers up Armenian-influenced kebab and falafel tacos and kebab burritos inside LA’s Smorgasburg market. Martirosyan — the son of Mini Kabob co-owners Ovakim and Alvard Martirosyan — hopes to make his family proud. He also shows Samuelsson his favorite off-menu move: Serving kebabs wrapped in lavash in lieu of tortillas.