Jonathan Gold Tries Civilization-Sustaining Dishes at a Syrian Restaurant in Van Nuys

This week Jonathan Gold sheds light on the lesser-known dishes of Syrian cuisine at Kobee Factory & Syrian Kitchen in Van Nuys. While the simple menu is not conducive to the “lavish, meze-oriented feasts you find at places like Niroj, Carnival or Adana” and the “dry, heavyish shawarma and kebabs are of the sort you can find on almost any street corner in Glendale,” it is worth a visit to the restaurant for its namesake dish:

Still, those kobee — they’re fairly extraordinary, juicier and looser textured than what you might be used to, gently spiced, seasoned with citrus and pine nuts. The barbecued kobee, black grill lines neatly bisecting the round capsules, are unique to Kobee Factory, at least in this area, and the crackly edges have a textural resemblance to the corners of well-baked cornbread — it’s the experience without the grease. You may slightly prefer the fried kobee, which give a compelling illusion of lightness when the thin, supple crust all but dissolves under your teeth. [LAT]

The Times critic also lauds the mjadara, a dish of bulgar and lentils, that he describes as “alive with the fragrance of onion and as satisfying as any plate of hoppin’ john or red beans and rice you’ve ever tasted. It is a plate that could sustain a civilization. And it has.”

Kobee Factory & Syrian Kitchen
14110 Oxnard St
Van Nuys, CA 91401