As opposed to the SGV where every other free-standing building is a Temple of Eatin' and every strip mall is overstacked n overstocked with every imaginable gastronomic panoply of asian specialties, apparently Armenian Glendale rolls to a different rhythm...
i mean, here i am smack dab in Ararat Central and fucking starving, cruising down colorado, glendale ave, and all points in between, and-- i shit you not--- 95% of the storefronts i see--bakery/pastry, gift shop, drycleaner, meat market, grocery/deli...tire shop...AAAAANNND...repeat.
sometimes i saw two or three pastry shops within one tiny strip mall!
and what few restaurants there are, it's more often then not some kinda overcrowded overdressed luxury car parking lot tailgaiting party...geepers mcgreepers! i know it's sat nite but fuggin' what the pho?
Kilikia, you are an oasis in my sea of clusterfuckedness.
my maiden voyage leads me into a deserted dining room--dimly lit from the waning sunshine only, i am quickly greeted by a kindly owner who prompty switches on the lights for my small party--ha, good to see we're all green and enviro friendly here.
Typical decor--clean tile floors, the obligatory drapes, a sound system and lcd wall tv. A door to the kitchen is diligently stamped with a stick-on 'Employees Only' sign to dissuade folks from mistaking it for the restroom.
it's unmistakable.
Atypical, i suspect, is the faux-leather office chair behind the counter, a fax machine (ha, the owner has his office at the cashier desk!), and a two-way mirror which helps the folks in the kitchen monitor what's going on in the dining room with hooligan guests such as us.
Diggin' the 4 table dining room, and not minding the surveillance, we plop down at one of 'em, and are greeted by our server, the owner's wife, an adorable older lady whose limited Engrish prompts a series of pointing and broken langage and some random charades-like pantomiming as we struggle thru the order. luckily, my 7 years of formal training at Pictionary University FINALLY paid off, Jubilation!!!
$31.00 (incl tip) and lotsa grub later, we're pushing back from the table rubbing our bellies,
Hommous appetizer is creamy and oily and cumin-ny, yet somehow lacking in much flavor.
Which was fine once we began mixing it in with the Kilikia Combo Entree and all its meats, sides, and other goodies, which included choice of three kabob meats (we got the chicken, pork, and beef lula kabobs), the mixed cabbage, carrot, and picked cucumber salad (delicious!), lightly buttery rice (but in a kinda vegetable shortening kinda way, not my preferred but not bad), juicy tomato slices with the green gook inside-- the Tomato Monster approves!!!---and some effin' addictive Armenian 'Salsa' that was very very savory.
A side of Eggplant 'Caviar' Ikra rounded out the feast.
Meats were all tasty and tender, especially the chicken, tho all of 'em were slightly oversalted.
And what Armenofeast would be complete without the obligatory salty-ass Tahn yogurt drink--normally i detest that salt mine of a wallop, like you're chugging down the remants of a bag of rold gold pretzels--but this one was not too salty and had a nice balance of tapioca starchiness to it!
You also get a huge complimentary basket of Armenian Bread and Lavash that contributes to your blissful Bloat and self-satisfaciton knowing you're also headed home with a full box o' tomorrow's lunchfest munchfest!
Did i mention the Armenian couple who run this place are an adorable match?
They must be, i NEVER use 'adorable' in a review. you can check me on that one. all ya gotz to do is review me 142 preceding blabbrfests. ummm...yeah.
p.s.--the place is empty with tumbleweeds blowin' by b/c they do 80-90% of their biz from takeout and delivery. yes. delivery.
still, the interior is cozy n chill, and the outdoor patio is qwhyate and pryvate.
DONE YO! read more