Sadaf Restaurant

"If you’ve spent much time at Westwood Persian spots Shamshiri and Darya, this big, banquet-friendly restaurant in Encino will feel immediately familiar—and that’s not a coincidence. The founder of Darya originally worked at Shamshiri decades ago, and now his daughter operates Sadaf. And while we’re not sure if we could tell their food apart blindfolded, the traditional Persian staples at Sadaf are reliably delicious and built to be shared with a crowd. On weekends you’ll families passing around gigantic koobideh platters, stew combos, and creamy eggplant appetizers in glassed-in private rooms.  There’s also a full bar, so don’t be surprised to find entire tables crushing house margaritas and Persian mules gin as instrumental covers of Bryan Adams’ songs play on the sound system. photo credit: Brant Cox Food Rundown photo credit: Brant Cox Eggplant Delight Our favorite of Sadaf’s appetizers. The sauteed eggplant-yogurt mixture is smooth and smoky with little bits of fried onions for crunch. But what takes this dish to another level is the fragrant sauteed mint leaves on top. photo credit: Brant Cox Stew Combinations All three of Sadaf’s stews are excellent, so you might as well get them all. There’s the sour ghormeh sabzi, pomegranate-based fesenjan, and the best of the bunch , tangy gheimen bademjan made with sauteed eggplants, yellow split peas, and dried limes. photo credit: Brant Cox Juicy Chicken No false advertising here, this chicken is juicy. So much so, we prefer it over the koobideh and various skewers. Be sure to swap out the saffron rice for zereshk polo mixed with slightly tart barberries (for an additional fee)." - Brant Cox

"Given that Los Angeles is home to the largest Iranian population outside of Iran, it’s no surprise that the city is rich with incredible Persian restaurants. With another location in Thousand Oaks, Sadaf in Encino is arguably the best Iranian spot the Valley has to offer. The kashke bademjan, or eggplant delight as it’s called on the menu, and ghormeh sabzi are top-tier, as are all the other stews. There’s also live music; a guitar player serenades evening crowds on weekend evenings." - Mona Holmes, Virali_Dave

"Persian cuisine has made inroads in various locales in LA, from Glendale to the Valley and Tehrangeles in West Los Angeles thanks to intrepid restaurateurs like Ali and Shawn Salout, who opened Darya in Orange and eventually debuted Sadaf in Encino. With four restaurants now operated by Ali’s daughters Darya and Sadaf, the comforting flavors of Iran are on full display with fire-kissed kebabs, walnut-studded fesenjan, and earthy ghormeh sabzi topped with fall-apart veal. Sadaf’s Encino location offers a white tablecloth-filled dining room with plush banquettes and enough seating for big groups. — Matthew Kang, lead editor" - Eater Staff

"Given that Los Angeles is home to the largest Iranian population outside of Iran, it’s no surprise that the city is rich with incredible Persian restaurants. With another location in Thousand Oaks, Sadaf in Encino is arguably the best Iranian spot the Valley has to offer. The kashke bademjan, or eggplant delight as it’s called on the menu, and ghormeh sabzi are top-tier." - Rebecca Roland, Eater Staff

"Find three different types of khoreshts on Sadaf’s menu: gheimeh bademjan (a tomato-based stew with sauteed whole eggplants, yellow split peas, dried limes, and beef), ghormeh sabzi (a stew of sauteed fresh herbs, dried limes, kidney beans, and veal), and the signature fesenjan (made of finely ground walnuts, pomegranate molasses, and chicken breast). The Salout family’s treasured recipes are the key to the trio of stews; all are prepared until every element has fallen into place or ja oftadeh. Order the combination platter to sample all three khoresht served atop crispy tahdig or saffron-laced basmati rice. Dishes are served in generous portions and are meant to be shared family style, as is tradition." - Melody Barooni