Tun Lahmajo
Restaurant · Vega ·
Traditional Armenian flatbreads, cheese boats, and lamb ribs
Traditional Armenian flatbreads, cheese boats, and lamb ribs
"A Yerevan kitchen straight from Armenia that landed at the far end of Burbank, this hideaway greets you with a fire licking the edges of a towering stone hearth as discs of dough slide in and out on peels, and groups fill the dining room to tear into thin, blistered lahmajune topped with spiced meat sauce and cheese; less than a year in, it has earned its name as the definitive home of lahmajune in Los Angeles. At least one lahmajune — preferably a few — should be on each table: an oblong, fire-cooked sheet with a delicately browned, crispy crust and a thin spread of meat and tomato sauce where dough bubbles peek through like rising sand dunes; add cheese even if it feels like gilding the lily, because the salty, fatty flavor makes it all the better. Dolma arrive as grape leaves tightly wrapped around seasoned rice and ground beef, plated around a shallow dish of tangy yogurt sauce, with one order (eight dolma) plenty to share, and the unfussy lentil soup holds its own with a soul-warming broth dotted with soft, saucer-shaped brown lentils. The room feels like a grandmother’s kitchen, with well-worn wood seating and a volume that never quite reaches quiet; larger groups gravitate inside while the verdant patio suits tables of two to four. Insider tip: the lahmajune is just as good the next day — order an extra and reheat it like pizza in an oven or air fryer rather than the microwave to keep the crust from going soggy." - Rebecca Roland
"Even mid-week, the place was bustling: a group pushed together tables for at least 12, the patio was packed, and up front a fire licked the edges of a towering stone oven while loosely wrapped dolmas emerged from the back. I zeroed in on the lahmajune (lahmajoon) topped with spiced ground meat, tomato sauce, and melted cheese; it’s thinner and softer than at other shops like the Lahmajune Factory, more like a roti or flaky tortilla. Plates landed within minutes—shawarma cradled in flatbread with sliced tomatoes, a still-steaming bowl of lentil soup, and meat-and-rice dolmas with yogurt sauce—and the service was casual and warm, like being welcomed into the staff’s own expansive kitchen." - Eater Staff
"This family-owned Armenian restaurant in Burbank bakes all of its bread dishes to order in two blazing ovens commanded by a person in a white hat. The adjarian with orange yolks peeking through salty cheese is good to share, but meat-heavy lahmajo is so light that tearing into one solo with a tiny but potent Armenian coffee is the perfect snack. The menu doesn’t provide any dish descriptions, so if you aren’t as familiar with Armenian food, just trust us when we say everything that leaves their twin kilns is delicious." - brant cox, sylvio martins
"Tun Lahmajo, a family-owned Armenian spot in Burbank—and the second location of a restaurant in Yerevan—is an ideal place to slip into bread-induced hypnosis. It’s small, cozy, and resembles a log cabin with its gas lamp sconces and wooden beams. Most evenings you’ll see families sharing hot tea and tearing into things hot and fresh from the kitchen’s big dome ovens. Follow their lead. We love the cheesy adjarian (a.k.a khachapuri) crowned with a runny golden egg yolk, the crispy foot-wide lamajun spackled with spiced beef, and the pan-fried blinchik with a fat dollop of sour cream. If you need something to balance all the spectacular carbs, get the generously salted lamb ribs, seared on a ripping hot grill until pink and juicy in the center." - brant cox, sylvio martins, cathy park, garrett snyder, brant cox, sylvio martins, garrett snyder, sylvio martins, cathy park, cathy park, garrett snyder, sylvio martins, brant cox, cathy park, cathy park, brant cox, sylvio martins, sylvio martins, sylvio
"The lahmajo at this casual Armenian restaurant in Burbank are so light they might blow away from a gentle breeze on the outdoor patio. OK, maybe not, but these 12-inch flatbreads are delicate enough to inhale before you finish a tiny Armenian coffee. They arrive still warm from the oven, and the finely minced beef is juicy and full of tomato-y tartness, hugging the crust’s big air bubbles. Most people order a lahmajo for themselves, but we like it as the centerpiece to a big family-style lunch." - sylvio martins, andrew ryce, brant cox, cathy park