Wholesome Choice

Orange County’s International Markets, a Culinary Haven in Southern California | Eater LA

"For many UC Irvine students a first visit to this international specialty grocer is a rite of passage: the large near-campus market houses a head-spinning food court with Arab, Persian, Indian, Italian, Mexican, Chinese, and Thai vendors as well as take-home groceries. The Persian hot-food counter often has the longest line for dishes like Baghali polo with lamb shank and Fesenjan stew with pomegranate and chicken; hearty kebabs and beef koobideh are staples, and the braised lamb shank arrives with a small container of its red-hued braising liquid meant for dipping, concentrating onion, lemon, and saffron flavors. The market’s signature sangak—a four-foot-long, sesame-dotted sourdough flatbread with a spongy, chewy interior and crisp charred edges—emerges from a stone oven at the entrance and is ideal for dipping into hummus or baba ghanoush or for packing up for a picnic at nearby parks." - Jenn Tanaka