Presentation of Shiraz Armenian Cuisine’s Losh Kebab was unexpected and not altogether pleasing to the eye. I was expecting skewered shish kebab but instead two large seasoned hamburgers over garlicy yogurt sauce covered flatbread. I was forced to look up the middle eastern definition of kebab and discovered that a kabob is meat can come in many forms – small or large cuts, ground, grilled, baked, stewed… It looked hard to eat and it was, but it was deliciously authentic. Cutting through the whole pita at the bottom was tricky even though the yogurt softened the bread just enough without becoming mushy. I was accustomed to my grandmother preparing this dish in bite-sized pieces with stewed beef and onion, but was pleasantly surprised that with my eyes closed there was a sense of nostalgia there. The losh kebab entrée was a great value, about $12 for a large iceberg side salad with a light lemon-mint dressing, plate of buttery rice pilaf, and main dish with grilled tomato and green pepper garnish. Being of middle eastern decent, I can appreciate the authenticity of dish and look forward to visiting again. The atmosphere of the restaurant is another story. Shiraz is a place I’d go to for lunch on my own, but not for date night out as the décor is outdated and bland. -MO
