‘Middle-Eastern’

« Older Entries

Rocking Falafel at Falafel Arax

March 20th, 2012 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Strip mall eating!

As an unvegan, I usually shy away from falafel. It’s not veggie-based, but it’s also not meat and I would typically rather fill my stomach with schwarma when I have the opportunity. Yet, in heading out to Falafel Arax, I had heard they had the best falafel in the land of Los Angeles and I knew I would end up getting some. The place resides in a little corner strip mall in a strange part of town east of Hollywood that I usually wouldn’t find myself in, but the temptation of having amazing Lebanese falafel was enough to get me there. Oh, and before I go any further, I should mention they are cash only. With that said, let’s get on to the food. Continue Reading»

No Comments

, , , , , , ,

Mantee, not Manatee

December 5th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Yes, I would like meat in my hummos.

When my buddy recommended heading to a place called Mantee in Studio City, I was really excited to eat a sea cow and hoped the manatees were farm-raised (because we all know they are endangered in the wild).  But he quickly corrected me, saying that the restaurant was lacking that all-important second “a” and was actually Mediterranean.  And one look at the menu showed this was not your typical Mediterranean.  There were no schwarma wraps to be seen here and instead items like that were replaced by unique Lebanese, Turkish and Armenian delights. Continue Reading»

No Comments

, , , , , , , ,

Steak and Fries at Cayenne

April 26th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Get those verts off of me.

On Friday night, I was lucky enough to be invited to an all-expenses-paid dinner courtesy of the Chulews.  We headed to a place in a strange part of town that isn’t quite West Hollywood and isn’t quite Beverly Hills called Cayenne Cafe.  Not to be confused with the pepper or vehicle, Cayenne was a sort of upscale Middle Eastern restaurant with a side of steakhouse.  Being Passover, I was a little bit limited by the menu, because I couldn’t get anything with pita.  Fortunately, there was that whole steakhouse thing going on and I could take advantage of that. Continue Reading»

5 Comments

, , , , , ,

A Sad Rain Forest Cafe

April 19th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Uhhh...what?

Occupying the courtyard that formerly contained NoHo Royal Garden is a place called Rain Forest Cafe.  While I’m not sure how they were able to get away with using that name, I do know that the rain forest referred to is that of Brazil, so it should definitely not be confused with the more mainstream Rainforest Cafe.  Claiming to be a Brazilian Churrascaria, I was certainly interested in what would be offered. Continue Reading»

No Comments

, , , , ,

Getting Stuffed at Spice Market Buffet

January 13th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Not understanding the relation.

In my continuing quest to find the greatest buffet in Las Vegas (and eventually the world!), I may have found one to stand toe to toe with Rio’s Carnival World Buffet.  Situated in Planet Hollywood, the Spice Market Buffet doesn’t fit into the Hollywood theme, at least in name.  It also doesn’t bear any resemblance to a Spice Market.  Nonetheless, it does use spices and the walls are adorned with food-related movie posters like Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! and Breakfast at Tiffany’s (two very similar movies).  The lunch buffet cost 25 bucks, but as soon as I looked around, I knew it was going to be well worth the price. Continue Reading»

No Comments

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A Little Bonus at Hy Mart

January 11th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

No veggies here.

Those who question the culture of LA have never been to a place like Hy Mart.  Although it sits in a strange strip mall in the middle of North Hollywood, the place has just the right culture for the city.  Their specialty is sandwiches, but although some are more refined deli-style sandwiches, they also serve Middle-Eastern food.  The decorum is pretty basic, with wooden chairs and simple tables, but the colorful walls, images of the Middle East and random pictures of signs in Thailand give the place a comfortable feeling like you’re in someone’s home.  And in fact, you kind of are in someone’s home.  Run by a husband, wife and son, there really is a certain comfort in the place.  So even though the service isn’t fast, it’s not because you’re being forgotten, but for the same reason service isn’t fast when you go visit your family friend for dinner. Continue Reading»

No Comments

, , , , ,

Surprisingly Persian at Noho Royal Garden

July 16th, 2010 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

At the Noho, Noho Cabana.

Heading into Noho Royal Garden in North Hollywood, I kind of expected to find myself in a typical Middle-Eastern style restaurant.  But no, there were no rugs on the wall, no decorative lamps or beads.  Instead, it felt like I had just walked into a Mexican cabana.  Part outside, part inside, with umbrellas, trees and stones, this was a perfect place to escape from work…well as long as the food was any good. Continue Reading»

No Comments

, , , , , , , , , ,

Going Mediterranean at Mezza

June 10th, 2010 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Who thought onions were a good idea?

Since my buddy wanted to eat something healthy (foolish, I know), we thought we would try out some Mediterranean food nearby.  Since I’ve already hit up a few of the local places, we looked to Yelp to find something new and discovered a place called Mezza Grill in Culver City.  We sat down inside and were greeted by a mildly friendly waitress with bells hanging by her waist that must have some Mediterranean significance.  But considering she was blond and likely of some sort of Germanic or Scandinavian descent, the bell thingies came off as somewhat gimmicky.  Oh well, gimmick or not, I was ready to eat. Continue Reading»

No Comments

, , , , , ,

A Little Local at Casita Taco al Carbon

April 23rd, 2010 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

What's the deal with this lettuce?

Well I needed something in walking distance and I wanted something good.  Not knowing what I would find, I took a walk down Magnolia Boulevard and stopped at the first Mexican place I found.  It was called Casita Taco al Carbon and had the look of something awesome.  I took a while deciding what to order, as I often do when visiting a Mexican place for the first time.  I never know what’s going to be the best, whether it be a burrito, taco or something more interesting.  Since the name of the place had “taco” in it, I figured that would be a good place to start. Continue Reading»

No Comments

, , , , , , , , ,

Turkish to go at Sofra Kabab Express

December 11th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
No veggies in this doner.

No veggies in this doner.

About a year ago, a new Turkish restaurant opened down the street from me in Palms.  I was overjoyed at this and especially happy when I saw that they were open late on weekends.  Unfortunately, I went pretty soon after they opened and was kind of disappointed with the results.  Lucky for them, this was before I started a meat blog, so when I finally got around to paying them another visit recently, it was my first chance to give them an unvegan review.  The restaurant is called Sofra Kabab Express and although “express” is typically applied to fast food restaurants in airports, this is nothing like one of those, even encouraging people to hang around and smoke hookah (nargile in Turkish). Continue Reading»

No Comments

, , , , , , , , , , ,

« Older Entries

UNVEGAN FANS: HELP STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT DELICIOUS FOOD!

Future Foodies!

HYPE is a non-profit organization that works directly with low-income middle schoolers and their teachers to provide students with the guidance and resources needed to qualify for admission and succeed at top private schools in the Los Angeles area. We provide our students with engaging and unfamiliar experiences to broaden their horizons. A large part of building this cultural capital is by having our students try a wide variety of new foods. This pushes our students outside of their comfort zones and encourages them to take risks in a fun (and tasty!) way. Last summer, our students tried Ethiopian food, sushi, Korean BBQ, deli, and schwarma, just to provide some examples.

We want your help, Unvegan fans, to increase our students’ knowledge about the world around them by enhancing their culinary experiences. We greatly appreciate your support to provide a meal to our group of 15. With your donation, you will be opening delicious doors for an amazing group of students! Please click on the link below to contribute to your favorite cuisine to a great group of kids!

Ethiopian Food
Sushi
Korean BBQ
Deli
Schwarma
Seafood
Indian Food

Mmm marbly.

What is this?»

Unvegan Friends