A Name to Remember
When Pasha was Vatchez, it had Mediterranean flair and a certain lack of confidence in the kitchen. Now that the owner (who’s also a renowned Armenian singer) has changed the name and concept of his restaurant, it has suddenly become a compelling destination.
The place, in Universal City, has a pleasantly postmodern look (though the colors are a bit garish), and much of the food is glorious.
Cold mezze include cumin-spiked eggplant salad and a creamy hummus, which is even better when ordered topped with toasted pine nuts and shredded beef. There’s also a good, smoky version of the eggplant dip mutabbal (also known as baba ghannouj).
The heavily spiced Armenian cured beef basturma may be an acquired taste, but the thick, creamy yogurt-cucumber salad jajek has universal appeal. Pasha makes delicious, densely packed stuffed grape leaves (sarma). The hot mezze are even better. I’ll long remember the sujuk sausage bathed in a smoky tomato sauce. The beef sausage already has a smoky taste and the combination of flavors will really linger on your palate. The lemony, pungent Lebanese sausage maqaniq (here spelled ma-aneh) is rather heavily scented with cloves. Sometimes there is a nice dish of sauteed quail, three to an order, the Middle East’s answer to pan-fried chicken.
As for arayes, it might be the region’s answer to hamburger: two layers of flatbread grilled with a thin filling of minced meat blended with red pepper flakes, garlic and enough chopped parsley to make it greenish. Substitute white cheese for the meat in that one and you’ve got the wonderful snack khebzeh b-jebneh (literally, “bread with cheese”).
Kibbeh, the Lebanese paste of meat and bulgur wheat, is available raw as a sort of steak tartare (kibbeh nayyeh) or in grilled meatballs with a meat and pine nut filling (kibbeh saj).
After the mezze, try a refreshing Armenian salad before your kebabs. It’s like a Greek salad without the cheese but generously flavored with mint.
The kebab selection is fairly standard, and I wouldn’t complain that the portions aren’t huge because by this time I’m practically full anyway. My favorite is Aleppo kebab--skewers of ground beef served on a bed of onions, parsley and tomatoes. The lamb shish kebab is lean and tender. All kebabs come with an absolutely terrific rice pilaf. Think about how hard it is to get halfway decent rice in the average restaurant, and give thanks you’re at Pasha.
BE THERE
Pasha, 3975 Cahuenga Blvd. W., Universal City, (818) 255-4787. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 11:30-2 a.m. Full bar. Parking in adjacent structure. All major cards. Dinner for two, $33-$49. Suggested dishes: mutabbal, $3.95; hot sujuk, $5.95; sauteed quail, $13.95; khebzeh b-jebneh, $3.95; Aleppo kebab, $12.95.