Sunin: Lebanese Food in West Los Angeles

It was a hot night in LA, and my mom and I decided to go out for a quick dinner.  I love Greek, Persian and Lebanese food, so we settled on Sunin on Westwood Blvd.  The area on Westwood Blvd between Wilshire and Santa Monica Boulevards is called "Little Persia.  There must be a dozen Middle Eastern restaurants in the area, and many bakeries, grocery stores and small shops that cater to a Middle Eastern clientel.

Sunin has been around for over 20 years.  For many years it was across the street from its current location, and was just a little hole in the wall.  Now it is a nice, casual restaurant, with probably 20 tables.  We decided to have a dinner of appetizers.  We picked out several of our favorites, and feasted on a variety of salads.  Here's what we had:  Yogurt salad- Greek yogurt, mint, parsley, and sliced Persian cucumbers.  It's so delicious, so fresh and cool, dipped in pita or eaten plain.  Labneh-  a tart cheese, similar in consistency to cream cheese.  We ate it all with the pita and my mom can't wait to buy it and eat at home.  Sanbousek-  A Lebanese specialty, made from ground beef, onions, and pine nuts, stuffed in a flaky pastry dough and deep fried.  Very good.  Babaganouj-  one of my favorites, an eggplant dip with herbs and spices.  We were so full that we couldn't finish, and took a lot of food home for the next day.

The menu has lots more to offer, like falafel, fried cauliflower, beef, lamb and chicken kabobs, and mousakaa.  There are more expensive restaurants on Westwood Blvd, but you won't find food and better or fresher than Sunin.  It's a great place to stop for a quick lunch or dinner.