Description
Arax, which has been feeding the Little Armenia neighborhood for almost 25 years, is not a large place, just three tomato-red Formica booths and an ATM machine, the owner's TV set tuned to the Colts game, and a line of takeout customers stretching out the door. The crisp, dripping, lovely shwarma here is so far from the pressed-gristle shwarma served at your local kebab hut that it is practically another dish. This is shwarma of integrity, shwarma that tastes of beast. There are chicken kebabs at Arax, and shish kebabs, and oozing, garlic-laden sandwiches stuffed with the Armenian sausage called soujok. The hummus and tabbouleh are rather fine. And Arax's falafel is with good reason considered the best in Hollywood - falafel that is crisped in the cleanest frying oil this side of an Osaka tempura bar. What may not be obvious is that the real specialty of Arax may be the tongue sandwich: thick slices of stewed lamb's tongue stuffed into a length of French bread and grilled crisp in a battered metal sandwich press. See full review.
