The OG Soup Dumpling: Why Khinkali House is Glendale's Best Kept Secret…read more Let's get one thing straight: if you think the "soup dumpling" started with a two-hour wait outside a Din Tai Fung, you're about 600 years late to the party. While the culinary world is currently obsessed with the delicate, bite-sized Xiao Long Bao--which didn't even show up until the 1870s in Shanghai--the Georgians have been perfecting this craft since the 13th-century Mongol invasions. Khinkali is the OG. It's the rugged, fist-sized ancestor that doesn't need a bamboo steamer basket or a delicate, nervous touch. It's a meal that requires soul, a bit of primitive technique, and a complete disregard for your clean shirt. Tucked away on Artsakh Avenue, Khinkali House is where you go to pay your respects to this ancient culinary titan. Atmosphere and the Art of the Rainy Day I happened to drop in on a rare, miserable rainy day in Glendale, and let me tell you, sitting out in their roomy, covered patio area while the water drummed against the roof was pure atmospheric gold. It's the kind of setting that demands heavy, unapologetic comfort food. The service here is sharp, warm, and attentive--the kind of old-school hospitality that makes you feel like a regular before you've even opened the menu. The Opening Act: Borscht with Soul You don't just jump into a pile of massive dumplings. You have to prepare the palate. I started with a bowl of their Borscht, and it was exquisite. It arrived as a deep, vibrant crimson pool of beet-infused soul, swimming with tender beef, cabbage, carrots, and potatoes. It was earthy, slightly sweet, and served at a temperature that could ward off any chill in your bones. It's the kind of bowl that tells you immediately that this kitchen isn't just following a recipe; they're honoring a bloodline. The Main Event: The Four Pillars of Khinkali Then came the heavy hitters. Unlike the thin-skinned, elegant Xiao Long Bao, Khinkali is built for battle. It's a massive, boiled parcel with a thick, satisfyingly chewy dough gathered at the top into a sturdy little knot or "handle" (the kudi). You don't eat the handle--you use it to hoist the beast, bite a small hole in the side, aggressively slurp out the liquid gold trapped inside, and then devour the rest. I worked my way through all four flavors, and each was a masterclass in balance: Ground Beef & Pork: The classic heavyweight. The moment you pierce the dough, a rich, heavily spiced, aggressively savory broth floods your spoon. The meat is fatty in all the right ways, laced with herbs that cut through the richness. It is purely addictive. Lamb: A masterclass in bold, unapologetic flavor. The lamb adds a deeply gamey, sophisticated depth that grounds the entire dish. As it boils, the rendered fat mixes with the internal cooking liquids inside that thick doughy cavern to create a broth that is darker, earthier, and aggressively flavorful. It's a heavy, soulful revelation that hits you right in the chest. Mushroom: Often treated as a vegetarian afterthought in other places, here it's a star. It hits you with a massive wave of umami. The mushrooms are tender and earthy, producing a fragrant, woodsy liqueur inside the dumpling that makes you realize you don't need meat to create a complex masterpiece. Georgian Cheese (The Undisputed Champion): I'm just going to say it--this was my absolute favorite. It is an exercise in pure, primal decadence. Instead of a meat broth, biting into this unleashes a molten, gooey river of tangy, salty Georgian cheese. It pulls, it stretches, and the sharp, slightly funky bite of the cheese against the warm, thick dough is a spiritual experience. I could eat ten of these and die happy. The Return Trip The tragedy of Khinkali House is that the dumplings are so filling, you have to leave the rest of the menu unexplored. But I am already plotting my return. Next time, I'm coming back for the Adjarskiy Khachapuri--that famous Georgian boat-shaped bread loaded with melted cheese and crowned with a fresh egg yolk and a pat of butter. I also have my eye on the Zhengyalov Hatz (a traditional Armenian herb-filled flatbread), and the wildly intriguing Osetrina (Sturgeon) Skewer, which you just don't see every day. The Verdict: Respect the Elders Let's cut the noise. Xiao Long Bao is great for a polite, light lunch, but Khinkali is for when you want to feel something real. Khinkali House has managed to bring a 13th-century mountain staple to a Glendale patio and make it feel like the most relevant thing on the street. It's bold, it's historical, and it's flat-out delicious. If you want to experience the true evolution of the dumpling, get yourself to Khinkali House. Grab a handle, watch the rain, and eat like a Georgian highlander. You can thank me later.

Food was good and our server was nice, but I was honestly confused and disappointed with the way…read moregratuity/tips were handled. We were 4 adults and 1 child, and an automatic 18% gratuity was already included in the bill. However, on the receipt the section saying "tips not included" was circled, which made it seem like gratuity had NOT been added yet. Because of that confusion, I ended up leaving an additional cash tip. I understand restaurants may add gratuity automatically for larger groups, but if gratuity is already included, the receipt and staff should make that clear instead of circling "tips not included." It creates unnecessary confusion for customers. Also, automatically adding gratuity regardless of service feels questionable. Thankfully our server was kind, but if service had been poor, customers should still feel they have a choice regarding tipping.

This review is for Gev's khinkali. Wow. First off this location is absolutely stunning, inviting,…read morefunctional, well thought out. The customer service was amazing, I felt supported and welcomed. Now, there is some limited English spoken, but please don't let that be a sign of bad customer service, rather it is just a small language barrier. There's an app by Google called translate and while it's not always 100% accurate it's pretty helpful and easy to use. Armenian and Russian is spoken here and trust me, they are making a genuine effort to speak English. Gev's KHINKALI is simply incredible. I can't wait to share some with my Armenian neighbors. Khinkali is a beloved Georgian (the country not the state) giant dumpling. It's kind of a variation of xiao long bao, the Chinese soup dumpling. Khinkali has its own delicate flavors and I love it boiled for 8-10 minutes, served with a little butter and black pepper. Let it cool for 3 minutes and then go for it. I like to bite a little bit off making sure the soupy inside gets in my mouth and some meat. Hard to only eat one. Gev's Kitchen is ready for you!! Gev's has a freezer waiting for you stocked with tons of frozen khinkali in different flavors ready to be purchased and taken home boiled or fried. $26 before tax for the beef and there are ten giant pieces in the bag. So after tax it's about $3.50 per each dumpling. In my opinion it is so worth it. Even though you can make this at home, it's a rather simple recipe, but to get the dough perfected to this degree is something else. The meat seasoning and quality itself is also perfection. Glad I took a chance and tried Gev's despite the few negative reviews. I will 100% be coming back specifically for the frozen beef khinkali. Parking lot is limited however they have two spots conveniently designated for Gev's. Ps: as someone who is sensitive and who takes customer service to heart, I must say they are very much in tune with making sure everyone is happy. This is top notch service, presentation, experience. You'll never find a place this clean, detailed, professional with such incredible Khinkali. They are smart for offering this incredibly special khinkali in such a convenient manner. Lastly, a kind request to the owners, please, I beg you please try to do your best to not raise the prices. I wish to be a regular and frequent customer but we are on a tight budget as many people are right now. I understand there are bills to pay and greedy landlords to keep up with, but please try your best to accommodate this request, thank you.

I think this place has the best pelmeni and khinkali in the world! I always stock up on about five…read morefrozen packages of each to make at home. The packaging is excellent--easy to open, clean, and visually appealing. My favorite way to prepare them is by first boiling, then lightly frying them in butter. That way, the outside turns buttery and golden, while the inside stays juicy and full of flavor. I highly recommend this place!

Just a really fantastic breakfast experience. It's a local favorite and parking is legitimately…read morechallenging at times (uhhhhh, I can usually get street parking), but there's a reason I stop by this place so many mornings on my way out of Los Angeles. You order at the counter. I usually end up getting one of the breakfast meals - and all of them have managed to be both flavorful and fresh - in many ways the opposite of the typical American breakfast. The "bowl of foul", which apparently rhymes if you pronounce foul the Armenian way, is something they advertise a lot on their menu - and for good reason. It's actually one of the least foul breakfasts I've ever had in my life. It's a delicious flavorful bean dip with generous breads on the side to eat with it - as well as a platter of fresh vegetables. Still my favorite food to get here. Also decent was their fatteh, which is cream, yogurt, chickpeas, and a lot of assorted nuts, all dolloped over fried pita bread. Also very good, but I'm just honestly not a huge fan of nuts. It also comes with the vegetable platter which is the perfect combo with the creamy chickpea thing. The food usually takes 10-15 minutes to come out, but that's because they're clearly preparing everything fresh in the back (you can kind of see them do this.) They also have a fountain machine, which is a huge plus to ice addicts like me. Everything is casual, but also very clean and neat. Honestly, it's also a very nice cafe to relax in, do work, talk with friends, etc. etc. This is very much close to the "optimal" place to me when it comes to taking friends out somewhere to reconnect. Anyways, this place is highly recommended for both a wonderful dine-in and dine-out experience. I try to stop by it as often as possible for their breakfast to the point where I can count on my fingers the amount of times I've had breakfast at a place that WASN'T the Old Sassoon Bakery. Honestly, this place stands as a towering achievement of mastering everything that "new hip trendy" food often isn't. It's super affordable, generous portions, super clean, fast service (but you can stay around as long as you want), and the main draw is just the delicious, flavorful, authentic food that very much lives up to all of the hype and more.

I've been craving for a good "egg and cheese bread" aka Kachapuri and it turns out there's a…read morewell-rated one by my friend's place, and she's never had that nor Lahmajoun, so we went to visit The Old Sasoon Bakery. The place is nice enough, and it wasn't too busy, so we were able to get our order in right away. As it's always is with these two items, it's made-to-order. It took roughly 15 minutes. The Lahmajoun is tasty with mix of Tomato paste, ground beef, garlic, and parsley on thin lavash-style flatbread that's folded over and crispy. The Aleppo Pepper, paprika, and cumin elevate the taste, and it's just delicious. The Kachapuri is pretty good, but I do feel it's missing something I've had before, this extra savoriness. It's still good, especially if you love goat cheese. If anything though, it's more salty than savory. All in all a pretty darn good experience with generous portions and I do want to come to try their Shakshouka.

Very good food and atmosphere best Russian and Armenian cuisine we need go back againread more

Food is amazing! My Russian husband and I loved the food, set up and hospitality. He says modern…read moreRussian music played throughout the entire time at a pleasant sound level. I think prices are about the same as any other Russian restaurant. We also ordered vareniki and beef shoulder.

Restaurant is called Elysee now. (I do not see on yelp)…read more Hrach was fabulous. Vip super secret and private dining room perfrct for intimate parties, dates, or planning murder of your ex. Literally my friend and I were talking about anything and everything in the comfort of our own private room, with our own private air conditioning unit Food and service A+

Ate Armenian food for the 1st time. Got the Oxtail Khashlava, Eggplant dip, and Ground beef kebab…read more(my finger covered up the picture). I'm no Armenian food expert, but I felt All three were delicious and well seasoned. Reminds me of Persian food & some Mediterranean food, but even better ! Service was great. Louisa was very attentive and helpful for answering our questions. Ambiance: This place is definitely geared towards hardcore old world immigrants. Decor is super extra. Folks drive black Mercedes. They started doing live music at one point, and I felt like we were in another country. I love it.

We've been visiting Traktir's West Hollywood location for years, so we were already big fans of…read moretheir food and hospitality. But our experience at the Tarzana location was truly exceptional! The setting is absolutely beautiful, with a gorgeous private back room and a lovely yard that makes the restaurant feel warm, elegant, and inviting. And, of course, the food was over-the-top delicious -- everything was flavorful, fresh, and beautifully prepared. It's wonderful to see a place we've loved for years bring the same incredible food and hospitality to Tarzana. This location is truly special, and we can't wait to come back! Five stars all the way!

Really nice spot! The place is clean and well-maintained, which made for a comfortable experience…read more For food, we started with the Chicken Tabaka. It's a pretty basic comfort food dish, but it's a solid choice if you're trying this place out for the first time. We also ordered the Grilled French Cut Pork Chop, and it was surprisingly moist, the potatoes and mushrooms on the side tasted great too. My only minor complaint is that there were a bit too many caramelized onions for my taste. The staff was friendly throughout the meal. We'll definitely be back to try the lamb chops, which the lady working there recommended to us.

Carousel is hands down the best Mediterranean spot. I've been coming here for years and it never…read moredisappoints. Their arayes are a must -- it's basically like a lahmajun with two pieces pressed together, and it's insanely good. I usually go all in and order the tabbouleh, babaganoush, a pound of lula kebab, and shish kebab. Honestly, if you're with 2+ people (or even just really hungry), ordering by the pound with sides is way better value than getting individual plates. You get more variety and it just feels like the right way to eat here. Every now and then I'll switch it up and get the liver plate -- it comes with tons of greens and onions, and when you wrap everything in their fresh pita, it's incredible. Not an everyday order, but when you're in the mood for it, it hits. If you dine in, the indoor decor is super nice and really gives that authentic Mediterranean vibe. They also play a lot of 90s music, which somehow fits perfectly and adds to the whole experience. I've dined in plenty of times and the service is always solid -- staff is friendly and attentive. Just a heads up, food can take a little longer sometimes, but that's because they're always busy and everything is made fresh, so it's worth the wait. I've also done takeout here more times than I can count -- probably over 100 orders at this point -- which says everything. This is easily one of my go-to spots and I keep coming back for a reason.

I've been enjoying this restaurant for many years and always like to pop in occasionally for an…read moreitem or two. While I usually enjoy the chicken sandwich toasted, today I decided to try the chicken Shawarma plate. It came with a nice side of hummus, garlic spread, tahini, and a few other tidbits to layer your flavors. The people here are always very friendly, although they did miss one of the items on my over the phone order, even though when they read it back to me all my items were there... I really like the carnival vibe on the exterior of the building and you will be surprised that the interior of the restaurant is nicer than you would expect. The location is a little out of the way and the parking lot always seems too full, but this is a great place to check out if you've never been here, highly recommend the chicken wrap sandwich, make sure you get it toasted!

A definite must try. The food is amazing. I got the beef Lulah plate, it came with 2 sides and a…read morebed of rice. The beef was perfectly seasoned, the red cabbage salad was fresh and crunchy, the rice was fluffy and tasty, and the hummus was delish. I was given a basket of pita and lavash bread to enjoy with my meal. Tereza is such a beautiful angel; she was very sweet and welcoming)) The place is beautifully decorated, the ambiance is calm and relaxed, they have great music playing. The parking lot is quismall but there's plenty of space on the major streets.

When you're ready to have a delicious and quality Russian/Armenian meal in Sherman Oaks, then…read moreshowing up at Restaurant Areni is the right way to go! Owner Teresa greets you here with a smile and is diligent in getting your order so you can start your delicious journey! We started with being adventurous and asked her for some suggestions. Whatever she said, we said "Yes" to! The journey began with the Cherry Plum juice, Borcht, Georgian Khinkali, Beef Xashlama, Chicken Pagarske Cutlet, Kievske Cutlet and we finished off lunch with some strong thick Armenian Coffee and some Napoleon Cake for dessert! After everything was said and done, we were full, content and very happy that we came! See you here!