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Los Angeles is home to the largest number of Iranians living outside of Iran. In a city where you can find Iranian restaurants established since the 1980s, there’s Azizam, a casual Persian restaurant in hipster Silver Lake where you might find yourself sitting next to a pet healer.
Cody Ma was a restaurant manager at Silver Lake’s beloved Pine & Crane restaurant, and Misha Sesar was an art gallery director. The two of them are half Iranian and half Chinese! They were introduced by a mutual friend and bonded over their unique cultural backgrounds and recipes that they grew up with. After cooking at home together and experimenting with Iranian recipes during the pandemic, they realized they had something special, and wanted to bring their comforting seasonal dishes to the public.
Azizam started in June 2021 as a pop-up and became an instant hit. When Cody and Misha were doing pop-ups, they used the hashtag #notjustkebabs. The word Azizam translates to “dear” in Farsi.
Cody was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. His family is from Tehran. In the mid-90s, his mother opened a Persian restaurant, which is still in operation. Every summer, his grandmother would visit from Iran. He said to the LA Times: “My grandma speaks English pretty well, but not that well, and I think for her, this was the way to connect with us. Because I don’t speak Farsi, it’s hard for us to talk to each other as much.”
When Cody left Nebraska for California, he found himself recreating the recipes he grew up with, oftentimes calling his family for tips. The stars aligned when he met his partner Misha.
Misha grew up in Orange County. Her family hails from Iran and Azerbaijan. Although she doesn’t have a restaurant background, Misha grew up cooking at home with her family.
Azizam opened in June 2024, offering an array of dishes for a flavorful culinary experience: comforting stews, vibrant appetizers, hearty sandwiches, refreshing yogurt dips and delectable desserts! I love how they’re constantly switching up the menu.
Cody said to the LATimes: “At the end of the day it’s not just a Persian restaurant, it’s an Iranian restaurant. There’s so many different cultures in Iran, so many ethnicities, and we’re kind of a testament to that.”
The Koofteh Tabrizi is a very elaborated stuffed meatball named after the city of Tabriz in Azerbaijan. However, I really wanted to try their seasonal yogurt, so I decided to save the Koofteh Tabrizi for my second trip! I went back to Azizam the day before this post went live with my friend Myrrh.
Misha said: “There are lots of ingredients in it: five to six herbs, rice, split peas– and the thing is you have to do a lot of preparation to make it all. Then you stuff it with fruit, then we braise it and we cook it for two to three hours.”
If you’re looking for something refreshing to beat the summer heat, their yogurt dips are a must-have! They have a seasonal one and a permanent one.
The white yogurt dip is called ‘Moosir’, and it’s usually made with garlic and onions, whereas their seasonal vegetable yogurt is garnished with a variety of vegetables and seasonings that change every month.
When I saw it for the first time, the seasonal yogurt had a bright pink color because it was made with beets. It looked delicious and I was set on ordering it. Unfortunately, the cashier told me that they didn’t have it on the menu anymore. I was slightly disappointed, but I ordered their new one.
For the main dish, I ordered the Turmeric Braised Jidori Chicken. Of course, I couldn’t leave without ordering their best-selling dessert, the Shirini Napoleon cake, which was alluringly displayed on a pastry case next to the checkout counter.
Before being seated, you first order at the counter. The interior had a lot of light and was tastefully decorated. Cody and Misha really wanted to make people feel at home by adding a few personal touches to the restaurant, like the portrait of a family, a Persian clock, and records from Iranian artists.
The interior had a few seats, but the kitchen took up half the space. The outdoor seating area was ample and faced Sunset Blvd. which made it ideal for people-watching. At night, Azizam turns into the perfect date spot. I drove by the day after around 8pm and many outdoor seats were taken by parties of two. The patio was lit up with a string of lights, making it more cozy and intimate.
After I ordered my meal, a middle-aged woman of Middle Eastern descent oscillated between indoor and outdoor seats. She sat outside, but it was too hot, so she went back indoors. Halfway through my meal, she was joined by two other women who wore beautiful, short-sleeved summer dresses.
They looked at the menu and spoke a foreign language. When the two women walked up to the counter, they fought over who was going to pay. “I’m sorry, I already charged her,” said Cody.
I was surprised to find an older generation of people dining there. In an interview with the LA Times, Cody and Misha said that they loved that the restaurant was frequented by older and younger people.
Cody said: “I think the main goal of this restaurant is to show people a different side of Persian cuisine. It’s very heartwarming when you have older generations coming out and trying everything, and also it’s really cool that the younger people, like our age, are like, ‘We’re gonna bring our parents and grandparents.’”
Turmeric Braised Jidori Chicken
For this dish, the chicken thigh is simmered for a few hours. The result? A tender chicken thigh coated in a thick and deeply flavored broth that melts in your mouth. It was so tender, juicy, and it gently pulled apart when I cut it with the fork.
The turmeric rice is called Dampokhtak and it’s topped with shallots and fava beans. Azizam also adds a handful of pickled vegetables. The rice was fluffy but on the dry side. I’m half Dominican and I’ve been eating rice for as long as I can remember. I like my rice fluffy but slightly moist. I did not eat all of it, but I liked how well the texture of the rice paired with the crunchy shallots.
When I went back with my friend Myrrh, she ordered the Eggplant Khoresht, which also included rice. She’s from Ethiopian descent and was also not impressed with the rice. She said that it lacked moisture and that it was slightly overcooked. Azizam’s food is incredible, but rice is not their strong suit.
Seasonal Yogurt dip
For the month of July, Azizam’s seasonal yogurt dip, also known as Borani Esfenaj, was filled with cucumber, prunes, and studded with crushed walnuts. Truly, I didn’t know how good this was going to be. It was love at first bite.
The sweet prunes are what elevated this dish to the next level. There was a delightful blend of sweet and savory, different textures and refreshing bits of cucumber that were covered in thick, creamy and cool yogurt. It was a heavenly side dish, perfect for a hot summer day in Silver Lake.
The bread was nothing to write home about, but that dip… Oh my God, I’m still thinking about it.
Kofteh Tabrizi
I ordered the Kofteh Tabrizi on my second trip there. The meatball was made with beef, rice, split peas, different herbs and stuffed with walnuts. It was another winner on my list! Every bite was bursting with flavor: the moist beef, the rich tomato broth, the tartness of the dried barberries, and the nutty notes from the walnut inside. The savory tomato broth had hints of lime, and it was so good I could have drank it. If you’re looking for a dish with a unique combination of flavors and textures, you can’t go wrong with this one!
Shrini Napoleon
Originally from France, Shirini Napoleon is a multi-layered flaky cake with thin layers of puff pastry and filled with cream. The original name is Mille-Feulle.
In Latin America, this cake is known as milhojas (Thousand sheets). In Iran, it’s called Shirini Napoleon. Shirini translates to “sweets”.
Azizam’s version of the Shirini Napoleon cake had layers of flaky puff pastry, filled with fluffy cream, rose jam and Meyer lemons (the best lemons). It was topped with crushed pistachios and powdered sugar. The flavor of the jam is also seasonal. When I went back there on Aug. 1, there was an orange jam.
Look at it! Yes, it was as good as it looked. The filling was moist, creamy and cool. The Shirini Napoleon was the perfect summer dessert, and it completely blew me away. It was a solid 10.
The cake is big enough to split between two people and since it’s served cold, it holds up pretty well the next day.
Once you start eating it, it’ll be very hard to stop. Because of this, I advise against ordering too many things, as tempting as it may be. Truly, this was one of the best desserts I’ve had in Los Angeles!
There are many traditional Persian restaurants in LA, but I find them daunting to go on my own. Whenever I see white tablecloths in a restaurant, I think of big families and large parties. Additionally, most Persian establishments in LA advertise Kebab plates to attract American customers.
This is why, I really liked Azizam’s casual concept, and how Cody and Misha are moving the needle and educating people on Persian culture through food. Prior to going to Azizam, I’d have never thought of ordering a yogurt dip as an appetizer.
After our meal, my friend Myrrh said that she felt as if she had just traveled to a different country. Indeed, Azizam offers a unique culinary experience that will transport you to a family’s house in Iran.
Azizam is open Thursdays to Sundays from 12pm to 10 pm and Mondays from 5pm – 10pm.
No reservations
Address: 2943 W Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, California 90026
