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Los Angeles, CA

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Vala Kitchen

4.8 (391 reviews)
Open • 11:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)
Updated 1 week ago

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Chicken kabob

Went for lunch with coworkers and we all enjoyed our food. Service was good and it was clean and modern.

Vanilla pudding
Akriti M.

Perfect dinner with friends! We walked in with no reservation and were immediately seated by the host. We all were starving and placed our order right away! Cucumber yogurt Juicy chicken kebob - lived up to its name! It really was juicy Chicken thigh kebob - fav one for me! Chicken was tender and felt so healthy and light. Lamb shank - lamb was cooked to perfection and the curry on the side enhanced the flavor, this one is a must have! Gourmet sabzi stew - Mr ordered it, i did not try but everyone seemed to enjoy this one as well. We ended with chef recommended vanilly pudding! The portion size was quite generous and was truly value for money. Highly recommend this place . We see ourselves going there often in future :)

Lyla D.

I've often seen fellow SoCal Yelp friends' posts about mouthwatering Persian cuisine, but living in Honolulu, we have only seen one Persian restaurant/bar open in the past decade. However, since we visit Los Angeles routinely, I've bookmarked many Persian restaurants in the West LA neighborhood and consulted Yelp's Top 10 Best Persian Restaurants List dated November 2025 to try. This time, I convinced my relatives to adopt a healthier Mediterranean diet, since our recent discussions have focused on aging gracefully or managing health conditions. Last night's rainy weather cleared temporarily, so we took the opportunity to drive out to one of our favorite Thai noodle soup restaurants when my Yelp bookmark for Vala Kitchen popped up. I only needed to mention the availability of "lamb shanks and chops" on Vala Kitchen's menu to my brother-in-law when he asked for navigation. All I needed to say was "Gower Gulch," and he immediately said he knew the location. We were about 20 minutes from the restaurant when I managed to book a reservation on the OpenTable dining reservation app. We found a parking stall almost directly in front of Vala Kitchen, even though the parking lot at the Gower Gulch strip mall was quite full. A tall host graciously checked us in, seated us with menus, while another male worker came to take our water service request and beer order. When the server returned, he asked if we had any questions about any of the menu items, but we were hangry and ready to place our orders. FOOD: -Appetizer Feast Platter: We selected this platter because it highlighted Mediterranean and Iranian appetizers. There were four dolmas, three falafels, a small dish of tahini for dipping the falafels, a bowl of hummus, and a bowl of Shirazi salad. I wasn't sure whether my husband or my brother-in-law would like the falafel, since neither had said they had tried it before. My husband surprised me by saying he enjoyed the texture and flavor as he ate two of the three falafel, leaving me with one. My brother-in-law ate most of the dolma, but compared them with the Greek dolmathes we had earlier in the week. We all enjoyed the refreshing, bright, and zesty Shirazi (Persian) salad of chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, and mint, tossed in olive oil and lime juice and seasoned with salt and pepper. $18 -Koobideh 2 Skewers (Beef, Chicken): I described the kabob differences of Koobideh, Soltani, Barg, and Shish to my husband and brother-in-law, from what I remembered from fellow Yelp Friends' reviews. The Koobideh (seasoned ground meat and grilled) appealed to my husband. Between the two kabobs, one chicken and one beef, my husband preferred the lighter chicken as he liked the chicken's flavor, amount of seasoning, and texture. He enjoyed the fluffy basmati rice and ate it all. $23 -Adas Polo Plate (choice of Koobideh): I was attracted to the Adas Polo plate and chose the chicken Koobideh to complement the rice flavorings. Adas Polo (Polow) is a mixture of basmati rice, lentils, raisins, and caramelized onions, with warm spices like cinnamon or saffron, which appeals to my taste for sweet-and-savory flavors. To me, the natural choice of meat to eat with the sweet-savory flavors would be the chicken Koobideh. I think I was right since I tried a piece of the beef Koobideh with the Adas Polo and didn't enjoy it as much as with the chicken Koobideh. $22 -Saffron Ice Cream: We shared the creamy disc of saffron bastani, which tasted citrusy-honeyed-earthy-floral, with a subtle bitterness, and smelled fragrant. Its creaminess was offset by crunchy, nutty pistachio bits and topped with cherry sauce. The ice cream closed out our Middle Eastern meal in luxurious style. $8 We're looking forward to returning to Vala Kitchen on future visits whenever we're in this area of Los Angeles.

Persian Eggplant
Keat K.

We walked in without a reservation as a group of four on a Saturday evening around 8:30, we were warmly greeted and sat immediately. The Persian eggplant was creamy and flavorful. A great small bite to start off the meal, I would gladly order this again. The family platter was larger than expected! Generous portions of steak, chicken, beef koobideh, and chicken koobideh served along side with plenty of charred tomatoes, onions, bell pepper, and peppers. The meats were juicy and incredibly savory, the best Persian food I have ever tried. Basmati rice was light and fluffy. The side of hummus we ordered was delicious as well, I wish there was more of it though. We finished the meal with ice cream, I have never tried saffron ice cream before and was pleasantly surprised. It had a mild sweetness with a floral taste. Vala Kitchen is serving up quality Persian food at a reasonable price. I would definitely recommend stopping and trying out their platters.

Persian salad
Laura C.

Very kind staff from the moment my boyfriend and I walked in. Sam the owner, and his wife were both present. My Tahdig dish and the eggplant was delectable. I had a yellow rice I've never had before, with green beans and caramelized onions, very flavorful and hit my palate perfectly. My favorite dish was the fried potato samosas. Boyfriend had beef and chicken kabob and we ate so much but still got to walk out with leftovers which I enjoy. Perfect restaurant for a date, beautiful clean atmosphere.

Beef Barg and Koobedeh with Barberry Rice
Chris S.

Been here a month or so ago and had to return with my wife. We started with the Dolmas (grape leaves). They were excellent. Next came the Fried Potato pastry wrap. It too was very good. Our main dishes came out. I had the Barg and Beef Koobedeh. My wife had the dark meat Chicken Kabob and the Chicken Koobedeh. The meats were flavorful and moist. We had enough for a take home meal. We also got the barberry rice. This is a must have. The restaurant hosts were very nice and checked in with us a number of times. All in all this is a great Persian restaurant.

Chicken Koobideh
Leslie S.

Food was fabulous, my husband had a falafel sandwich and I had a chicken kabob Plate. Everything was flavorful and on point. The staff were very friendly and helpful. I'm gonna put it on my rotation. Check it out!!

Maki-chan d.

Food was delicious, and serving was generous. Love the eggplant appetizer! My favorite so far! Service was good, attentive and friendly staff. Ambience was chill. Would go back here :) Hopefully next time the buttercake is available. I really wanted to try it.

Beef Koobideh Sandwich with side of fries.
Joan W.

First time here for lunch. A very pleasant dining room with comfortable fabric upholstered chairs. Their menu offers the greatest hits from the Mediterranean and features Persian Kabobs. I got the Chicken Koobideh Kebob Sandwich and it was delicious. The bread had a little crunch in the crust and the ground chicken was tender and juicy. The special sauce came on the side and featured a nice kick of creamy garlic. Service was attentive and earnest. Loved that their check system allows for online payment and splitting of the bill among members of your party.

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Reviews are largely positive. People praise the fresh, flavorful food, friendly, attentive service, and inviting atmosphere.

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4 months ago

The staff & service were great. The salad was fresh & tasty. The kabobs were good too.

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5 months ago

Very fresh and delicious. Great service! The meat kabobs are too die for and huge plates.

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1 year ago

I really loved the food. My partner thought it was okay. So together, it gets 4 stars. Edited: Wish they served wine, and they do!

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Vala K.

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Vala Kitchen Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Vala Kitchen

Do u deliver to Beverly hills?

I know for big orders they can make accommodations. I am in Van Nuys and we order from them all the time.

What vegetables are on your veggie plate?

It was roasted zukini and tomato.

Is there any halal options?

Hello, currently all meat is Halal except for the filet.

Do you have vegan options?

Yes, we do offer vegan options! Our menu includes a variety of delicious vegan dishes such as: • Appetizers: Dolma, falafel, and green olives.… 

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Azizam - Potato, turmeric chicken, eggplant dip,

Azizam

4.6(202 reviews)
3.0 mi•Silver Lake
•$$

What beautiful energy and amazing food. It feels like homemade food, which is very hard to find…read morethese days. Just the right amount of everything. A true hidden gem. Will definitely come back!

I came by with a couple of friends because we wanted to see what the hype was all about. We got the…read moreMirza Ghasemi w/ Barbari bread, Kotlet Plate, Turmeric Braised Chicken, Lamb Gheimeh, Kofteh Tabrizi, and the Sholezard for dessert. Turmeric Braised Chicken - The dish was a bit on the basic end, not a lot of seasoning but you could taste the tumeric. Chicken was tender but slightly on the drier side which was a bit surprising considering it was dark meat (6.5/10) Kofteh Tabrizi - The tomato taste was prominent in the broth but the meatball itself was overly salty. The flavor was one note, I can't see myself ordering this again as I've heard this dish should have more complex flavors so I was disappointed (5.5/10) Kotlet Plate - As you can see from my picture, the kotlet was burnt beyond repair and I could taste the bitterness from the overused oil they used to fry it. I did like the yogurt spread and the pickles that came with it but I did not like the kotlet at all. We didn't bother asking them to replace it (4/10) Mirza Ghasemi w/ Barbari bread - The star of this whole experience was the Mirza Ghasemi, the roasted eggplant and tomato spread came cold and it was the most delicious thing we had. One of my friends vacuumed it right up before the rest of us could have seconds. Bread was a bit dry but it was a great vehicle for the Mirza (8.5/10) Lamb Gheimeh - Lamb was tender and it had some nice spices infused in there but it didn't wow me in any way (7/10) Sholezard - Our waitress brought over some complimentary Ceylon tea with the Sholezard which was kind. This rice dessert was not too sweet. The warmth and saffron ended our meal in a comforting way. It wasn't bad but I wouldn't get it again (7/10) +1 star for the service

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Azizam - Outside

Outside

Azizam - Shirazi

Shirazi

Azizam - Street view

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Street view

TehranRo Grill - TehranRo Grill

TehranRo Grill

4.8(413 reviews)
2.3 mi•Koreatown, Wilshire Center
•$$

I've never been to TehranRo Grill, but it's become part of my family's delivery rotation, a…read moreparticular favorite of my father Steve C.'s. It's a great place to order for a crowd, say two senior citizens, their three adult children, and their partners and kids, or some combination thereof. I see the place offers catering, and that makes sense to me. Everything is delicious and easy to share. TehranRo is in Koreatown and is in fact named for a street in Seoul, a street named for Tehran, Iran (there is a corresponding Seoul Street in Tehran). The owner is a Persian guy with evident fondness for Koreans, or at least for my dad, who is a regular at the brick and mortar (my dad goes to like ten restaurants, and TehranRo is one of them). I hope to meet him sometime, as I keep hearing about this cross-cultural bromance. In the meantime, I have very much enjoyed the food at home. The hummus is great, as are the must o khiar and must o mouseir--homemade yogurt mixed with shredded cucumbers and mint (khiar) and shallot (mouseir). The shirazi salad is fresh and zippy, with cucumber, tomato, red onion, scallion, dried mint, and olive oil lime juice dressing. The grilled meats, of course, are the main attraction, and I'd really recommend any and all of the skewers, which you can get a la carte or in various combinations. I love the koobideh, both the beef and lamb and the chicken. Liberally seasoned, with a firm but yielding texture. If ground meat isn't your thing, both the beef and chicken shish kabob are excellent. The beef is marinated filet mignon, the chicken either marinated chicken breast tenderloin or boneless chicken thigh--I definitely prefer the thigh. You can get shishlik too, rack of lamb marinated with a spice blend. I'd also highly recommend the mahicheh, a stewy dish of lamb shank slow-cooked for several hours until it almost slips off the bone, served with white basmati rice topped with saffron. All of the entrées come with rice, naan, and charbroiled jalapeño and tomato. You can upgrade your rice for an extra charge, and I think this is worth doing, especially if you're putting in a bunch of orders. I'm partial to the albalo polo, or cherry rice, and also enjoy the baghali polo, a green rice laced with herbs. If you're craving Persian food near Koreatown, check out TehranRo for dine-in, takeout, or delivery. The food is high quality, and I kind of love the Korean connection.

Mediterranean option in the world of Korean Food…read more... Had KBBQ the night before so we're looking for variety when in Ktown. Landed here due to the high reviews. Spot gives sports bar, and the server came up immediately. We ordered koobideh, rack of lamb and hummus. Koobideh was moist (sorry hate the word) and good flavor. Lamb chops were well done, which isn't my fav (prefer medium to medium rare) but had a nice char. Salad dressing that came with the salads was unique. The acidity was needed. Hummus was probably my favorite thing. Not sure if we would be back, but solid option in ktown if you do want variety.

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TehranRo Grill - Interior

Interior

TehranRo Grill
TehranRo Grill - Eggplant

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Eggplant

Javan Restaurant

Javan Restaurant

4.3(1.5k reviews)
8.2 mi•Sawtelle
•$$
Catering service
Large group friendly

I rarely write long/ detailed Yelp reviews, but this experience deserved every detail, especially…read morebecause I truly appreciated the time Ali (the owner and professional chef), spent at our table explaining the food, the ingredients, and where their meats come from(including Nebraska and New Zealand). That personal interaction reminded me of the philosophy behind places like The French Laundry in Yountville, where dining is not simply dining and its more about serving a plate of food the chef, ingredients, story, and hospitality are all part of the unique experience. Of course, this is Persian dining, but that same level of pride and personal attention made our evening feel special. The koobideh was outstanding (eventhough we ordered All Javan Combo to try most of the kababs in menu) for someone who knows the flavors of Tehran, it is very difficult for me to find koobideh in the States that gives me that familiar taste of home. This one did. The meat quality was exceptional, and everything was beautifully prepared. We ended up to ordering some to go koobideh. The torshi was beyond this world, and their homemade mast o moosir and doogh (yogurt drink) were excellent. Everyone was professional and welcoming, but Ali's presentation was what made the experience memorable. If you miss Iran, or simply want to experience genuine Persian food and hospitality, this is the kind of place that brings back that feeling. It wasn't just dinner. It was an experience.

oh hello chef's kiss!! I am currently in a serious relationship with vegan koobideh so I was so…read moreexcited when a friend recommended Javan! We stopped in for an early Sunday dinner and had such a great experience. Service was LOVELY! Food was AMAZING! Got the Koobideh plate to share and they split the rice up in two plates for us. The Shirazi salad was so fresh, the bread was perfect. Omg I'm getting hungry again Vibe was relaxed yet nice- loved the Persian music! Street parking was surprisingly easy to find. Fr tho- this is a new staple in my fave spots

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Javan Restaurant - Javan

Javan

Javan Restaurant
Javan Restaurant

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Shekarchi Bar & Grill - Outdoor dining

Shekarchi Bar & Grill

4.3(903 reviews)
5.3 mi•Downtown
•$$

We were looking for a great DTLA restaurant to celebrate my bday recently that could accommodate a…read morelarge party and our search kept coming back to Shekarchi (and I'm glad it did!). The owner was incredibly responsive, helpful, and accommodating with a large party especially with the last min total guest number changes even up to the day of. The staff the night of were all very friendly and checked in often (including the owner). Food was incredible -- my fave is always beef koobideh and theirs did not disappoint! They served it family style given the larger party and included an incredible amount of food: appetizers (hummus, pita, delicious seasoned fries, Mediterranean salad, tzatziki) and falafel, chicken kabob, beef koobideh, grilled veggies, basmati rice. Everyone enjoyed their food/experience and left full and happy which is all I could have asked for! Parking can be a bit difficult, but that's DTLA for ya.

LOVE Shekarchi. Said it before, saying it again- best kabobs in town. You know when food is so good…read morethat you can't help but make audible noises as you take each back? This happens to me every single time I have a meal here, be it dine-in or takeout. The space is ample and gorgeous, the staff, manager, etc., are excellent, always so sweet, and as a local neighbor, keeps me returning over the course of all these years. Only drawback is that sometimes their hours can be sporadic and not consistent with what's posted. But I'll still keep coming back.

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Shekarchi Bar & Grill - Open for Delivery, Takeout & Pickup

Open for Delivery, Takeout & Pickup

Shekarchi Bar & Grill - Rack of lamb

Rack of lamb

Shekarchi Bar & Grill - Our signature dish- Ground Beef Kabob (Koobideh)

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Our signature dish- Ground Beef Kabob (Koobideh)

Toranj - Toranj Restaurant Indoor

Toranj

4.2(793 reviews)
7.3 mi•Westwood, UCLA
•$$
Pet friendly
Vegan friendly

Sepideh is truly an amazing server! She is always so kind, welcoming, and attentive, and she makes…read moreevery visit such a wonderful experience. She always takes our order, works incredibly fast, and checks on our table regularly to make sure everything is perfect. Her warm personality, professionalism, and genuine care for her customers really stand out. It is such a pleasure to be served by someone who is consistently thoughtful and hardworking. Sepideh is a real asset to the restaurant, and we always look forward to seeing her whenever we come back. Thank you, Sepideh, for your excellent service and for always making us feel so welcome!

The food was really good! I especially enjoyed the kabobs and fresh bread. They didn't have tahdig,…read moreso the waiter offered me tahchin instead, which I was fine with. However, when I received the bill, I noticed I was charged $24 for the small sides of gheymeh and ghormeh. The waitress never informed me about the additional cost. If I had known, I would have just ordered the full plate instead of paying that much for two small sides. She also didn't have much knowledge of the drinks menu like cocktails and wine. Wish they had some more knowledgeable staff about the whole menu instead of just taking food order which is so simple to do. I asked her where is this Chardonnay from, she said "I don't know." Instead of being proactive and find out and help us choose the right wine for our meal. Overall, the food was great, but I wish the pricing had been communicated more clearly and some knowledgeable staff who can help us throughout the menu.

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Toranj - Beef Koobideh

Beef Koobideh

Toranj - Toranj Restaurant Indoor

Toranj Restaurant Indoor

Toranj - Beef Koobideh

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Beef Koobideh

Taste of Tehran - Boneless chicken kabob wrap and house salad

Taste of Tehran

4.2(1.3k reviews)
7.3 mi•West Los Angeles
•$$

Oh my God this is the first time I ate at Taste of Tehran, and as you know I am a connoisseur in…read morePersian food, since also it is my very favorite cuisine, but truly the quality, the copious portions of the tasty of beef koubideh, the chicken kebabs and the very special lentils rice is out of this world‼ If I could give six stars, I would! I highly recommend that you tried this Westwood restaurant ASAP

The food itself was delicious…read more We didn't experience the ambiance since we placed a delivery order. However, I have to give this two stars because we ordered two items specifically for several vegetarians in our party: the ghormeh sabzi and the gheimeh. Based on the descriptions provided on Uber Eats, there was no indication whatsoever that either dish contained meat. We had never had Persian food before, so naturally, we relied on the restaurant's own menu descriptions when ordering. What makes this especially frustrating is that the descriptions listed multiple ingredients in each dish while completely omitting the meat. Meat is not a minor garnish or an ingredient customers should be expected to infer--it is a fundamental part of a dish and something customers need to know before ordering, particularly those with dietary restrictions. Worse, one of the vegetarians in our party actually ate some of the food before realizing there was meat in it. They have deliberately maintained a vegetarian diet and would never have knowingly chosen to eat meat, so realizing afterward that they had unknowingly broken that commitment was genuinely upsetting. This could have been avoided by simply including the word "beef" or "meat" in an accurate description of the dish. Everyone had been looking forward to trying the food, but a significant portion of our large order ended up going to waste. Since we ordered late in the evening, the vegetarians in our party were left with essentially nothing to eat and had to settle for chips. The food was genuinely good, which makes this even more disappointing. Accurate menu descriptions are a very basic expectation. Customers should not need prior knowledge of Persian cuisine or have to Google every unfamiliar dish to discover that the restaurant left a major ingredient out of its own description.

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Taste of Tehran
Taste of Tehran - Sampler trio: Mast o Khiar, Addas Polo, and hummus

Sampler trio: Mast o Khiar, Addas Polo, and hummus

Taste of Tehran - Salmon Kabob, Lamb Kabob, Hummus

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Salmon Kabob, Lamb Kabob, Hummus

Vala Kitchen - persian - Updated October 2026

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