my first time going to Carmel and i absolutely LOVED it. my friend took me out to Carmel on…read moreSaturday and made reservations same day on their website. Carmel is on the streets of melrose with valet parking and street parking. When walking in it was CRAZZYY packed. i had no idea how popular this place is. when checking in at the front, our reservations was set for 1015pm & it did take a few minutes to get seated at our table but it is okay because the hosts was really nice to reassure us about our table. i loved the ambiance, the decoration, & the music that was playing that night. our waiter i think his name was quinn was absolutely wonderful and friendly. he really made our first time experience memorable. i love when waiters offer their suggestions on what their favorites are on the menu. i most definitely had to try their moroccan pita bread and ooommmgggg absolutely delicious bread ever!! It was so fluffy and well seasoned on top!! i need like 10 of them to take home! ahah! i got myself to try their red snapper schnitzel with dill cucumber salad & their Calabrian chili aioli and it was 10/10!!!! sooo good omg! my friend got their short ribbed pappardelle pasta and i also tried it myself and it was really good! shoutout to whoever was the chef that night absolutely amazing food! our drinks were really good too. it took the bar awhile to make our drinks but once our drinks came to our table it was well worth it. My friend & myself we always order each a shot of tequila whenever we go out to eat & this place has some really good tequila!! We ordered the jaffa breeze cocktail and wow that drink was absolutely deliciously refreshing. it's like a cucumber drink & we could've had like 5 of those drinks! i think i got myself the watermelon gimlet which was good but not as good as the jaffa breeze. to end our night, we got dessert. they have really yummy dessert options. we got the malabi sundae, seems like it was really popular that night. it was absolutely creamy and delicious. 10/10 most definitely recommend to try this dessert! our overall experience was absolutely wonderful & i most definitely want to come back and try their brunch menu!

Went to Carmel on Saturday night and had an amazing experience! The vibes were great, and the food…read morewas even better. We started with the San Diego Bluefin Tuna Tartare, which had an incredible burst of flavors. Then we had the Moroccan bread, which was fresh, warm, and delicious. Next came the Japanese sweet potatoes, and they were so good I honestly couldn't stop eating them. We also had the Red Snapper Schnitzel, which was probably one of the best fish dishes I've ever had. We finished with the Hanger Steak Kebab, which was really good as well. Overall, we had a great experience. Carmel is definitely becoming a new favorite spot for my wife and me, and we'll absolutely be back. Next time, we're definitely trying the kosher steak! Highly recommend making a reservation, especially on the weekends because it gets very busy. Amazing food, great vibes, and definitely a place we'll be coming back to!

We just got home from dinner here and my wife and I loved it. The food was absolutely top notch. We…read morestarted with the potatoes in garlic sauce and an order of the haroumi and watermelon. What a great kick off! As for our mains, we both ordered a variation of the combo plates. I had the chicken tawook and beef. The Mrs. had the chicken and lamb. All good. Based on the food alone, we would recommend this place to anyone with a beating heart and more importantly, a mouth. This is quality food at a quality price. The atmosphere? Really great. It's a little dark and twinkly inside which sets a nice tone. There is cool artwork adorning every piece of wall, the place is very easy on the eyes...including the restrooms. Very clean. Our sever, didn't catch his name, but what a nice dude. Was super helpful without being "too much" he should teach a server class. He's pretty much who you want taking care of your table. He knew the menu well and made great suggestions. It was actually refreshing. We will come back, most likely with the family. Our waiter told us that they can accommodate larger groups which is great. I recently ate food at Saffy's and I didn't enjoy it one bit. The servings there are too small, too pretentious and too overpriced. Open Sesame is the exact opposite and that's why it rules. A wonderful experience in Beverly Boulevard.

How Do I Start This Rationally ? Atmosphere Is A 5/5. Service Is 5/5. Food was 2.5/5. I Will…read moreExplain. If You A Charging $145 For A Group Platter, Then Everything Must Me PERFECT ! The Chicken Shawarma Was Inedible Because Is Was Obviously Dry And Lying Around For The Next Customer. The Beef Was Good. The Beef Shawarma Was AMAZING ! Probably The Best Thing. On The Menu. Tabouli Was Great. $260 With Tip Divided By Three Is Too Expensive For My First Experience Here. I Told The Manager That They Shouldn't Have Served The Chicken Shawarma If It Was Dry. Anyways.

Their slogan is we serve the food we eat, and they hold true to that…read more The food is authentic and the owners are very friendly and kind. It's nice to walk into a restaurant in Hollywood and have a conversation with real hard working individuals as you have great Mediterranean food. Definitely recommended. Try the Shawerma ... the real hero of the menu

Nothing special. Tried three breads and all were lacking something. Wish I could recommend more…read moreenthusiastically

What a fantastic meal we had here!…read more Felt like Mediterranean so decided to check out this place. First of all service was absolutely phenomenal. They want to ensure that you're having a great food experience. As for the food everything hit it out of the park! The Cretan Feta was potentially the most tasty appetizer I've ever had in all my life. The pita that came with it was freshly made when we ordered it and it was so soft and tasty. The feta itself was whipped perfection! They recommended drizzling their olive oil on it and what a game changer that was! Side note: they make their own olive oil! Apparently you can buy it on Amazon but we took some home direct from the restaurant. Back to the food - had their lamb chops (that came with perfectly cooked potatoes and veggies) and their meatballs. Both were outstanding. Finished it off with their baklava which was the perfect consistency and level of sweetness. The perfect end to our night. This is a small cute and perfect place to go with your girlfriends or on a date. Plenty of street parking (and we went at 6pm on a Wednesday). Will absolutely come back for their breakfast! Apparently they do brunch on Saturdays and Sundays!

Came here to snack and it's a nice gem in the area! We sat at the bar and tried the veggie platter…read moreand eggplant dip and it was such a great deal - perfect for sharing! The service here was wonderful allowing us to ask any questions we had and helping us with recs.

We caught Vala Kitchen on Instagram after seeing their ABC7 feature on instagram and it exceeded…read moreevery expectation from start to finish! The customer service was warm, attentive, and phenomenal. Every single dish was packed with authentic flavor - the Kashke Bademjan appetizer was top-notch, the Koobideh and chicken kebabs were tender and perfectly seasoned, and the Tahdig and stews were absolute perfection. We finished with their magical desserts including homemade baklava which capped off an incredible meal. The atmosphere was also warm and inviting and very clean. We had a professional chef in our party, and even he gave Vala Kitchen his highest praise for the culinary technique, service, and flavor profiles. Hands down one of the best (Persian) dining experiences in LA/OC hands down and we'll definitely be back!!!

We tried the shish kebab with salad and the chicken kebab with the Vala salad, and everything was…read moredelicious! The chicken was incredibly tender, juicy, and full of flavor. The Vala salad was one of my favorites--it had the perfect tangy flavor that complemented the meal really well. We also ordered a side of hummus, and it was so flavorful and creamy. It paired perfectly with the complimentary pita bread they served, making it a great starter before our entrées arrived. The restaurant is located in a shared parking lot, and the space was clean and inviting. The servers were extremely nice and made us feel welcome from the moment we walked in.

So we eat here every chance we get. The food is delicious. Lentil soup is the best and the roasted…read morechicken is low salt so it is better for our diets. The hummus is very delicious with a lemony flavor. It's a cute little place where you can eat outside on their tables but normally we are in a rush so we just order to-go all the time. Highly recommended.

My friend had been raving about this place for a while and finally convinced me to go for lunch. I…read moreused to walk by it all the time when I worked nearby but had never stopped in before. My friend ordered for both of us and we got: *Chicken Shawarma Wrap-broiled, marinated chicken breast shaved and rolled in a pita with garlic and pickles *Garlic Fries *Baklava Everything was very flavorful and clearly made fresh, although it was a little heavier than what I normally go for at lunch. The standout for me was definitely the baklava as you could really taste the honey and walnuts, and it tasted freshly made rather than overly sweet or stale like some places. Parking was also surprisingly easy since it is located in a larger shopping center with 90 minutes of free validated parking and most places there seemed to validate. I would definitely come back, especially to try one of their lunch chicken plates or check out their happy hour menu.

I dropped by with a friend before heading to a show at the Groundlings. The staff was incredibly…read morefriendly and super helpful with recommendations and accommodations (my friend doesn't like onion and they prepared her food without). The lentil soup was really, really good! Highly recommended. I had the chicken kabob plate with hummus, and everything was delightful. The dining room is bigger than you'd think looking at the place from the outside. Definitely recommended!

It was down the street & I really wanted to like the place but the food was just too salty. We got…read morechicken shawarma plate, beef shawarma wrap, kibbeh, & lentil soup. Chicken was too salty, beef was too greasy and I'm an oil lover btw, but I couldn't take it as it had an odd flavor too. Kibbeh was just too hard to down given the oiliness as well. The dude serving us was somewhat forgetful despite us being the only customers dining in that day! Environment was spacious so that was nice. Sadly I'd have to recommend skipping this place.

This place so delicious 10/10 the food is so fresh and savory . Live at least 40 min away and will…read moretake the drive to eat there again.

The food is amazing! There seems to be only one worker during the time we went so it does take a…read morewhile for you to get your food but it was worth the wait. I really needed to use the restroom but there isnt a restroom there. There is a hookah lounge next door that seems to be connected, so if you need the restroom you can use that one!

My first time coming to Soom Soom - I'm going to give it a 4 out of 5 stars this time around…read morebecause I was extremely hungry and I ate the food almost too quick to enjoy it fully. I plan to come back again to try it a few more times and update my review accordingly. This place reminds me of a fast food/Chipotle-style eatery, but serves Mediterranean food instead. You order the type on entree you want (Shawarma, kabob, schnitzel, koobideh - pita, plate or wrap style) or a la carte with the sides. Each Pita/Wrap/Plate comes with your choice of rice or couscous, 4 sides, and 2 half pitas. 1. Beef Shawarma Plate (4.5/5) The beef is cooked on the famously known Middle Eastern vertical rotisserie for well-balanced roasting. I can taste a bit of the Middle Eastern spices used in the seasoning of the meat. The beef was sliced very thinly, was not dry, and portions were reasonable. It was delicious to eat on its own, when mixed with couscous, and when used as filling in the pita wrap. Comes with 2 sides of dressing. The white color dressing (not sure what it is) was bitter, which I was not a fan of. However, the spice tahini sauce was very good and very mild in heat. It had a light tartness to it that gave additional flavor to the dish. *Tabouli salad (5/5) This is a traditional Middle Eastern salad consisting of fresh finely chopped parsley, mint, tomatoes, and green onions, with bulgur wheat and mixed with lemon-olive oil dressing. The parsley flavor was robust and the salad overall was fresh and refreshing. *Side of Beets (5/5) - fresh and crunchy. I hate preparing beets on my own at home due to their staining effects, so when I can get it fresh at a restaurant, it's my go-to. It is packed with fiber, micronutrients and nitrates, which helps to lower blood pressure, inflammation and improve athletic endurance by improving blood flow. Beets pair well with hummus and Tabouli salad. *Hummus (5/5) - I personally found their house-made hummus to be quite good. It was creamy, very smooth in texture (no grainy-ness at all), and had a strong chickpea nutty flavor profile. It has the perfect consistency to eat on its own, to mix with your meat and couscous, or to use as a base for your pita wrap. Minus half a star only because staff were not very friendly. They spoke very softly, which required me to ask them several times to repeat, so that was a bit annoying.

Stopped in for shawarma in a pita and it actually hit way better than expected. Meat was juicy, not…read moredry, and they didn't go cheap on it either. Every bite had flavor. The hummus was kinda the surprise though... like actually unreal. Super smooth, creamy, tasted fresh, not that bland kind you get sometimes. Place itself is pretty simple but the food is what matters. Would go again for sure.

Tomahawk steak was delicious! Love a good steak on the bone, falls off easy when you cut through…read moreit. I will be back for more tomahawk steak

This has to be the worst experience I've had at a restaurant. To spend $1500 for 4 people and the…read moremanagement acting like clowns is wild. We weren't finished and they kept bringing my check. I asked why, and he said it was time to go. Mind you, I was taking one of my employees and his wife to a "nice" restaurant to celebrate them. There wasn't even a reason. It almost felt as if they were afraid we weren't going to pay or something. Security stood next to us as we ate until the time we paid. Judging from other reviews, I'm starting to think that might not be too far off. Then the manager tried to act tough when I called him on his nonsense. On my way out, he was hassling an African American man on the way he was dressed. Out of pocket type of stuff. As a business owner, this place doesn't deserve to succeed. Their food is garbage too. Packaged guacamole. Prefrozen shrimp. They need to fail. I read a review from 4 months ago about the bald guy with the beard. Same disrespectful and rude person. He's bad for business.