Two-country friendship inspires K-Town Persian restaurant

from LC Section One 05 2023

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On a commercial street at the western boundary of Koreatown, the area’s first Persian restaurant sits on the same block as a Korean corn dog spot, a Chinese lamb restaurant, a boba shop, a T-shirt printing company, an Italian furniture store and a dental chain.

The TehranRo Grill opened in August 2021 when the pandemic restrictions were beginning to loosen. Friends

Pasha Tootoonchi and Hassan Mohammadyar recognized that residents of Koreatown, Greater Wilshire and Miracle Mile needed to travel to Glendale or Westwood for authentic Persian food, and the two friends decided to fill the void.

Tootoonchi and Mohammadyar specifically wanted to locate TehranRo Grill in K-Town as an homage to the close relationship Korea (later, after the split, just South Korea) and Iran (formerly Persia) have enjoyed for more than 1,600 years. First, the countries established cultural exchanges, then, in 1962, they formed an economic partnership.

In 1977, the then mayor of Tehran visited Seoul, and the cities agreed to each name

On the Menu

Helene Seifer

a street after the other as a token of friendship. Tehran renamed a street Seoul Boulevard and later developed Seoul Park and filled it with pine trees that are very common in Korea and rare in the Middle East. Seoul turned a formerly dull street into Teheran-ro or Tehran Boulevard, which is now in one of the wealthiest areas in Seoul, filled with skyscrapers and rolling in venture capital and IT entrepreneurs, earning it the nickname “Teheran Valley” in deference to Silicon Valley. Note that “Tehran” has many English spellings, and different ones find their ways into different uses.

Back here in Los Angeles one enters the TehranRo Grill off cacophonous Western Avenue into a small, enclosed patio with an enormous fountain. Most people head indoors to either order take out or take a seat in the simple room with colorful accents and tables separated by rough-hewn wooden dividers. The biggest decorative elements are inset squares of brick on the wall and a large screen with a travel video on a loop. Nicer than a fast-food joint; not quite on par with a charming café.

The food, however, is quite good. The gluten-free menu features what kabob lovers have come to expect from a Persian grill restaurant, plus several interesting sides and mains.

Diners are served squares of flat bread with sliced onions and mint. To amp up the bread course, we ordered creamy $7 hummus and a side salad. The $8 refreshing Shirazi salad presented a crunchy mix of cucumbers, tomatoes and onions tossed in an olive oil, lime juice and mint dressing.

There are nine different choices of kabob plates, $19$29, and each comes with two skewers, basmati rice with saffron and a charbroiled tomato. Selections include juicy, well-seasoned koobideh (ground beef and lamb), chicken or filet mignon shish kabobs, salmon, jumbo shrimp and Cornish game hen. We ordered the koobideh and chicken skewers. The flavorful ground meat skewers were our favorites. The chicken was beautifully grilled but bland and benefited from the garlicky mayonnaise that came with our $9 order of grilled eggplant, zucchini, peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes.

We also tried one of their special dishes: the marinated lamb shank, $19. Fall-off-thebone tender and not gamey, this plate was also enhanced by a hit of TehranRo’s garlic

Heidi Duckler

Dance at The Ebell luncheon May 1

The Ebell of Los Angeles, 743 S. Lucerne Blvd., will feature Heidi Duckler Dance (HDD) on Mon., May 1, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. as part of its Speaker Series. “Everyday is Different,” an interdisciplinary presentation of film, music and dance, will include a live performance featuring musician Jeonghyeon Joo and dancer Nadia Maryam and a film highlighting moments from HDD’s 2022 season. Ms. Duckler will also participate in a discussion about her creative process. For tickets visit tinyurl.com/5enyuv8h.

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Overall, it’s worth hazarding the fiasco that is K-Town parking to enjoy some very good kabobs. You just might want to reward yourself with some beer, wine or soju after your ordeal.

TehranRo Grill, 414 S. Western Ave., Unit D. 213-529-4111.

‘Godfather’ dinners on menu at the Academy Museum

To coincide with the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures exhibit, “The Art of Moviemaking: The Godfather,” which celebrates the 50th anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola’s acclaimed film, Fanny’s is offering weekly themed family-style Sunday suppers.

Rotating Italian dishes are inspired by famous lines from the film, such as A Pasta You Can’t Refuse, Sonny’s “Bada Bing” ribs and Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli.

Four-course “Godfather” dinners are $85 per person excluding drinks.