Taste of Tehran Restaurant

"You’ll find the minced meat kabob known as koobideh on the menu at almost every single spot on this guide, but the best ones are served at Taste of Tehran. This tiny, order-at-the-counter Westwood shop seasons their kabobs to perfection, making sure they’re plump and tender while maintaining that slight snappy texture. While the meats are a priority here (the citrusy cornish hen kabob is another standout), we also recommend getting involved with their dips. The tangy, thick mast-o-musir—strained yogurt mixed with chopped shallots—improves anything it touches. In fact, we usually get two orders: one for the meal itself and another to spread on everything we eat the rest of the week." - brant cox, arden shore, garrett snyder, sylvio martins

"Opened in 2013 by chef Saghar Fanisalek, Taste of Tehran has mastered the art of Persian kebabs. Skewers of marinated kebabs are charbroiled to perfection and served with saffron-drizzled rice and charred tomato. Vegetarian options include ash reshteh (bean soup with noodles and fresh herbs topped with caramelized onions, yogurt, and dried mint) and maust o khiar (yogurt mixed with chopped Persian cucumber and mint)." - Melody Barooni

"This tiny, order-at-the-counter shop makes our favorite kabobs in the neighborhood. They’re juicy and tender, while still maintaining a light crunch, courtesy of the grated onion inside. And at $15 for a full plate with rice and tomatoes, it's a solid quick lunch option that also isn't going to put a hole through your debit card. While the meats are a priority here (their citrusy cornish hen kabob is another standout), we recommend getting involved with the dips, too. The mast-o-mousir, which is strained yogurt mixed with chopped shallots, is tangy, sour, and thick. We usually order one for the meal itself and then another for the road to spread on everything else we eat throughout the week." - nikko duren, brant cox

"This place is very small and very casual, but it offers some of the very best of the kind of food this neighborhood is known for: Persian Food! LA is home to the largest community of Iranians living outside of Iran, and the northernmost corner of our neighborhood is often affectionately referred to as Tehrangeles, deriving from the combination of “Tehran,” the capital of Iran, and “Los Angeles.” There’s tons of great Persian food in this area, but we love Taste of Tehran in particular because the staff is very friendly, the portions are very generous, and their food is praised even by the local Persians as being incredibly authentic. It’s the kind of food most Americans are very unfamiliar with, but it’s delicious and definitely worth a visit. Lots of kababs, lots of hummus, and some of the best rice you’ve ever had." - Clever Creative

"Located in the heart of Westwood’s Little Tehran neighborhood, this tiny, order-at-the-counter spot is our favorite option in the area for quick, affordable Iranian food. They have an excellent array of kebabs and wraps, plus a daily specials board that you should definitely pay attention to. Perhaps most importantly though, its central location makes it convenient to writers’ rooms in both Santa Monica and Culver City." - brant cox, brett keating