Los Angeles : Sunnin Lebanese Café [Pics]

As I mentioned earlier in my recent post on Marouch Lebanese Restaurant in East Hollywood, the Los Angeles area has a substantial population of people of Arab and Middle Eastern descent, and, as a result, there are a number of top-rate Arab and Middle Eastern-style restaurants to choose from. Another one of my old favourites in this genre, and one which also happens to be Lebanese-owned and oriented, is Sunnin Lebanese Café in the largely-Persian populated Westwood neighbourhood, or "Tehrangeles," as it is affectionately known. Within easy walking distance of the UCLA campus, and virtually next door to a number of other Arab and Middle Eastern-style restaurants like Attari Sandwich Shop, Shahrezad, The Falafel King, and Shamshiri Grill, Sunnin Lebanese Café is a very popular destination for students and non-students alike, in an area rich with worthy competition...




chef/owner em-toni (center)


hommos, bread, and tabouleh


ma'anek*


vegetarian combo feat. fatayer, rekakat, falafel, and warak enab**


beef shawarma sandwich


ela al-lekhaa!

This café has been owned and managed by the highly-regarded Lebanese chef, Em-Toni, and her children for a period of eleven years. And, even though chef Em-Toni is now semi-retired, she maintains an active presence in the restaurant, ensuring that everything served still meets her exceedingly high standards. This means that virtually all of the menu items are made by hand, right down to the various pastry doughs and cheeses.

If you love Lebanese food, I strongly recommend a visit to Sunnin Lebanese Café.

Not shown, but enjoyed on previous visits:

Kebbe Makliyeh
Sanbousek
Kefta Kabab
Pickled Eggplant

Sunnin Lebanese Café Review [Low End Theory]

Sunnin Lebanese Café Review [LATimes calendarlive.com]

"Inexpensive, goods eats near Westwood & Santa Monica?" [Chowhound]

Sunnin Lebanese Café [Official Site]
1779 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
312.477.2358

NB There is another Sunnin Lebanese Café located in Long Beach, CA.

E.M.

* Ma'anek: Fried Lebanese allspice-seasoned sausages, glazed with lemon juice.

** Fatayer: homemade dough filled with spinach, onions, and pine nuts. Rekakat: filo dough filled with homemade cheese, onions, parsley, and za'atar. Warak Enab: grape leaves filled with rice and vegetables.

E.,

Wow, all that stuff looks great but I especially am interested in those sausages...

All of my time in LA has been business related and so almost all of it spent at or near UCLA, in Westwood or else an in adjoining area. I'm looking forward to getting the chance to go back some time, armed with this recommendation and with others for side-trips across the city.

A

Antonius wrote:Wow, all that stuff looks great but I especially am interested in those sausages...

A., I know of several places in the Los Angeles area which serve ma'anek, but after trying Sunnin's version recently, I think that they are my favourite of the form. Sunnin is perhaps more widely known for their take on Armernian soujouk sausages, but I have never tried them. Besides, the ma'anek came more highly-recommended by one of chef Em-Toni's sons. Anyway, the meat--lamb, I beleive--in the ma'anek was very, very moist and juicy (i.e., fatty), and the flavour of allspice was quite pronounced. They were tiny little things, about the size of cocktail wieners, with natural casings, I am sure. I know that this type of sausage is ocassionally glazed with red wine, in addition to lemon juice, but if Sunnin did the same I could not tell. Anyway, I hope that you get to try them sometime.

Antonius wrote:I'm looking forward to getting the chance to go back some time, armed with this recommendation and with others for side-trips across the city.

I have already offered you my services as a tour guide.

E.M.