"The story of Toranj, one of Westwood’s most impressive Persian restaurants, starts at a sleepy Torrance strip mall at a place called Chicken Chick that opened in 2015. There, the Pirshirazi family served some of the South Bay’s best Persian cuisine with its rolled marinated “juicy” chicken that retains its flavor well after hitting the table. Unfortunately, Chicken Chick closed in September 2023 due to construction limbo with the landlord, leaving the Pirshirazis to focus on Toranj. The Westwood Village restaurant opened in 2019 serving Chicken Chick’s juicy chicken and a slew of other expertly grilled kebabs, like barramundi, beef koobideh, and filet mignon barg, with almost a half-dozen kinds of fluffy rice seasoned with barbarries (zereshk) and sour cherries (albaloo). The homey stews stick to the ribs like the tangy chicken fesenjoon or the hearty gormeh sabzi with veal, kidney beans, and herbs. To finish, relax into warm cups of black tea and dig into a plate of fragrant baklava. South Bay diners should be excited because Toranj is expanding to Manhattan Beach sometime in early 2025. — Matthew Kang, lead editor" - Eater Staff
