Forn Al Hara in Anaheim: Excellent Savory Pastries + Zatar

When I found out I was going to be staying around Anaheim for a few days, I immediately went on turbo research mode. I knew there had to be more to Anaheim than massive amusement parks. I knew we’d be run down by tourists and convention goers alike but that didn’t deter my determination to find some good eats around there. I quickly learned that Anaheim is home to Little Arabia with many bakeries selling delicious shwarmas and baked goods that I couldn’t wait to sample. Then there was Little Saigon nearby. Ah…


The first installment of my OC excursion starts in Forn Al Hara in the heart of Little Arabia on Anaheim Blvd, just a five minute drive from the tourist trap area. It has an array of sweets and variations of baklava (pistachio or cashew, to name a few) and if you’re in for lunch, you can get one of the many zatars offered.

Zatar is like a flatbread or pizza and the traditional one comes with spices and sesame seeds. The helpful woman behind the counter recommended the vegetable zatar that is eaten rolled up. She couldn’t have recommended a better one for me.

I’m no vegetarian (the understatement of the century) but I loved the combination of the warm dough fresh out of the oven (and they have a nice one that would put any serious pizza joints to shame), freshly cut cucumbers and tomatoes that gave it a crunch and the kicker – roughly chopped salty, briny green olives that provide the flavor center of the sandwich. All zatars start off as the traditional one that has oregano, sesame seed and other spices on it.

I also tried some of the baklava that were good but I don't have too much of a sweet tooth so couldn't have more than a bite. Although not my cup of tea, I saw people buy boxes of the tiny baklava so they seem to sell like hot cakes.

Speaking of tea, another thing I liked about this place was the fresh mint it offers by the hot water dispenser for mint tea. It was a fine accompaniment to my zatar.

While not photogenic, here's what a zatar looks like. Delish.

Tanya's Lebanese Cuisine Kabab in Upland: Decent Kuftah but Not Great

I stumbled upon Tanya's Lebanese Cuisine Kabab in Upland while I happened to be there on business. It was just around rush hour, I wanted to beat the traffic going back west and was hungry.

I wasn't sure what to expect from a Lebanese joint in Upland but it looked promising so entered. The chef came out and took my order of Kuftah Kabob, grilled patty of ground beef mixed with a bunch of spices like parsley, etc.

The patty was good and well grilled just the way I like it. However, the sides that came as part of the "plate" were lackluster. The rice was below average. The green salad was just average. The hummus and complimentary flat bread weren't bad. The bright pink pickled radishes were fine.

It's true that I'm biased because I like Sunnin Cafe in Westwood a lot and the style of Lebanese food was a bit different.

While I liked that I could find a Lebanese restaurant in Upland and it was pretty authentic, I still like my Sunnin Cafe or Open Sesame in Long Beach better. But it definitely beats the ubiquitous chain and fast food restaurants in the area.

Open Sesame: Get the Juicy Chicken Kebab, Skip the Fried Potatoes

I had been convinced for the longest time that Sunnin in West LA with an outpost in Long Beach (turns out the LBC one was the OG Sunnin, I later learned) had the best Lebanese food in LA. When I went to Open Sesame in Long Beach (there are two locations right next to each other on Second Street and one other in South Bay), I didn't expect it to be on par with Sunnin but it was.

The chicken kebab (called chicken tawook) was ridiculously juicy, just like at Sunnin, which itself had expanded from a tiny hole-in-the-wall to a larger nicer restaurant across the street on Westwood Blvd.

The romaine lettuce salad with a refreshing lemony dressing and some dill weed? Check, although it went a bit heavy on the feta cheese that I could do without. Baba ghannouj that tastes like garlicky, smoky eggplant that's so creamy that you have to have a dollop of it at every bite? Check. This chicken kabob plate also came with these mild pickled peppers.

The chicken was also perfectly charred despite its uber juiciness on the inside.

I must say, however, that there were things that still made Sunnin better for me. On another visit, I tried the fried potatoes that are deep fried and then smothered in cilantro, garlic, roasted chili and lemon juice. These potatoes were uninspiring. I missed Sunnin's fried potatoes, that are seriously more flavorful than this version.

I also tried kabssa, a lamb rice dish recommended by our server, but this one also disappointed. The lamb was bland and didn't taste that fresh. The rice had a lot going on with green bell peppers, onions, carrots, raisins, spices, as well as sprinkled with pine nuts and almonds. I liked the varied textures of crunchy and soft, but ultimately the flavors didn't blend well together for me.

Next time, I'll stick to the chicken tawook. I haven't tried kafta, ground meat patties mixed with herbs and spices that is one of favorite dishes at Sunnin. I'm a bit apprehensive to go outside of the chicken zone here but I'll give it a shot.

It's definitely healthier eating although it also seemed a bit pricier than I remembered Sunnin to be. Ah, time to pay good ol' Sunnin a visit.

From Beirut with Love: Care for a Kefta?

I've never had Lebanese food until as luck would have it, I ended up living very close to a Lebanese restaurant -- and a good one at that. Sunnin Cafe is a great neighborhood haunt -- it's affordable, has reasonably healthy and good-tasting food and is a family-run hole in the wall.

Walk in to Sunnin on a Saturday morning and you'll see delectably plumb eggplants crowded onto the grill, getting prepared to let out all their great smoky flavors.

My favorite appetizers are rekakat, which are rolls made out of filo dough stuffed with feta cheese, onions and parsley; spicy potatoes flavored with cilantro, garlic and spices; and babaganouj, the always-popular grilled eggplant dip.



The falafels aren't bad but what I really like is the refreshing "Lebanese salad" that comes with most entrees. The salad, consisting of chopped romaine lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes, is dressed with a super light combination of oil, lemon and parsley. There may well be some other secret ingredient that I don't know about, but these are the ingredients I can taste.

The salad almost makes the other deep-fried appetizers guilt-free. Bite into a rekakat and the crispy filo dough comes crumbling down, only to find a burst of creamy feta goodness inside. Because it is rather strong, I wouldn't want to have more than one rekakat. One is enough to awaken your appetite and have you look forward to the main dish.



I am partial to the spicy kefta, which is grilled skewers of ground beef with chopped onions, parsley and spices, baked in a spicy tomato sauce. Despite its moniker, it's not overly spicy and the fluffy rice mixed with short strands of brown noodle-like garnishes is the perfect accompaniment. If you fancy some balance to the tomato-y sauce, top it off with some yogurt salad, which is a mix of yogurt and cucumber slices seasoned with garlic and mint.

If I'm feeling like something a tad healthier, I get the chicken kebab, a plate of grilled chicken skewers that comes with the Lebanese salad and the same rice. I generally avoid chicken skewers for fear of being disappointed by dry blobs of chicken breast, but Sunnin's are moist and juicy with just the right hint of the burnt grilled flavor on the edges of the chicken cubes.



I consider the spicy potatoes to be a side more than an appetizer, as I like to have the cilantro-tinged potatoes -- that have been deep-fried and smothered in garlic and other spices -- in between bites of the spicy kefta, rather than before. The potatoes could be a little less oily, but the chopped fresh cilantro adds a slightly citrus-like flavor that make the potatoes taste less heavy.

As for the babaganouj, what's not to like? I will say, however, that I prefer the mutabbal, the Armenian equivalent, at Zankou from my previous posting.

My companion is a fan of sfiha, baked dumplings stuffed with ground beef, tomatoes, onions and pine nuts, but I find the dough of the dumplings, well, too doughy. If you must try one of these, I recommend fatayer, which is a vegetarian one with spinach, onions and pine nuts that is a bit less doughy. The tabouleh salad, burgul with tomatoes, onions, parsley and lemon juice, is another favorite of my usual dinner companion because of its refreshing qualities. I can live without it.



I didn't care for the various sausage varieties touted by the friendly owner, the mousakaa despite my love of eggplant, or that Mediterranean favorite, grape leaves stuffed with rice and vegetables, which are called warak enab.

For on-the-go lunch-seekers, most of the entrees can be had in a pita as a sandwich with the notable exception of the spicy kefta.

There is also a Long Beach branch.

Sunnin Cafe
1779 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 477-2358