Armenian And Mexican Flavors Blend Perfectly At This Exciting New Taco Spot
Chef Armen Martirosyan has taken his family business, Mini Kabob, to legendary heights in Los Angeles, navigating the restaurant to accolades such as being recognized in the LA Times’ 101 Best Restaurants list multiple times. Operating the legendary spot, which I wholeheartedly co-sign as the best kabob joint in the city, has brought on tremendous exposure to Martirosyan and his family’s incredible food, capturing Foodbeast’s attention back in 2017.
We first highlighted Chef Armen’s ‘Ali Baba Burrito’ then, which took the familiar flavors of Mini Kabob and wrapped it in lavash bread to create an Armenian/Mexican fusion that served as the catalyst to his latest venture, MidEast Tacos. This offshoot would then create a home at LA’s popular food marketplace, Smorgasburg, where he would continue to build towards his vision of opening a brick and mortar spot for this concept.
Fast forward to January 29, 2024 and that vision comes to fruition in the hip Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles, where MidEast Tacos has settled in on a bustling corner adjacent to popular shopping boutiques and hotspot eateries. This next level for MidEast Tacos was achieved through partnerships Martirosyan made with Aram Kavoukjian, Tina Yeretsian, and Vahe Mikhail, all of whom influenced the current menu of not just tacos, but burritos, quesadillas, and salsas. Protein options range from shrimp, falafel, steak, or chicken and will be paired with a range of fiery and unique salsas that reflect MidEast Taco’s homage to Los Angeles’ tapestry of cultures.
The Ali Baba Burrito of the past now lives as a tortilla-wrapped type of wonderful filled with juicy meat, basmati rice, salsa roja, garlicky toum sauce, cilantro, and aleppo pepper, perfectly paying homage to the city’s melting pot of cultures and served up as a full circle moment for Chef Martirosyan.
Only in Los Angeles can this unlikely concept of Armenian and Mexican fusion make all the sense in the world — and thrive.
