Carousel Carousel
Hye Plaza
5112 Hollywood Blvd. (Normandie Ave.)
Los Angeles, CA 90027
323-660-8060
Map
Cuisine: Lebanese
Family-run Lebanese kebab house boasting vibrant Mediterranean flavors.
Openings: Lunch & Dinner Tues.-Sun., Brunch Sat.-Sun.

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Carousel, Los Angeles, CA


Carousel Restaurant Review:


Greg and Rose Cholakian opened their Lebanese kebab house in the back corner of Hye Plaza in 1983. Greg runs the front of the house, while Rose presides over the kitchen, producing well-balanced Mediterranean dishes like hammos soujuk, silky hummus piled with pan-fried Armenian sausage chunks. Golden fried fatayer are feather-light turnovers filled with a blend of sweet Lebanese, feta and jack cheeses. Don’t hesitate to order the Merry-Go-Round Khash Khash-style, which offers a choice of three kebabs, highlighted by chicken breast, lamb and lule (ground beef), served on a bed of cracked pita, topped with yogurt, garlic and pine nuts. Possible accompaniments include buttery bulgur with garbanzo beans, tangy shredded cabbage salad doused with vinaigrette and muhammara (a dip combining spicy red pepper paste, crushed walnuts and pomegranate juice). Other winners on the sprawling menu include arayes, grilled pita sandwiches with minced beef, tomatoes, parsley, onion and spices; and kebbeh maklieh, football-shaped spheres of ground beef and cracked wheat stuffed with minced beef, onions and pine nuts and fried. For dessert, Carousel offers several intriguing concoctions, almost all involving cream, ice cream, pastry and crushed nuts. The wine list is eclectic, with selections from Lebanon and California and high-end Champagnes from France.