bavel, arts district.
the space exudes casual elegance, feeling both timeless and new. our meal was excellent and we really enjoyed both the cocktail and wine programs.
nebuchadnezzar (old fashioned): lamb fat bourbon, blue plum brandy, smoked ice, grapefruit peel.
baba ghanoush: smoked eggplant, mushroom & eggplant salad, tahini, thai basil.
fried pita that comes with baba ghanoush.
heirloom okra, tempura batter, fermented mango, cremem fraiche.
fried kibbeh: spicy goat, saffron rice, fresh coriander seed, yogurt.
while the baba ghanoush and the fried pita it comes with are divine, my absolute favorite dish of the night (and a standout from 2019 in general) was the oyster mushroom kebab. it is brought still skewered and plated before you. it’s the type of dish that makes a meat lover like myself think (for just a second) maybe i could survive as a vegan.
oyster mushroom kebab, spinach & lovage puree, sumac.
kebab plating.
tarik (sour crushed ice): tequila, cachaca, lime, red bell pepper, manzanilla, habanero, olive.
slow roasted lamb neck shawarma, tahini, green amba, pickled vegetables, laffa.
it’s definitely the type or restaurant you want to go with a group so you can try and share everything. as usual, we ordered more than we could comfortably finish (but we still finished, and got dessert) so getting through the last big, fatty lamb neck shawarma was a bit of a chore despite how good it was.
strawberry sumac & sweet cheese pastry, pistachio ice cream, sheep’s milk ricotta, cured sumac.
greenery everywhere.
500 Mateo St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
