Restaurant: Flame International
Location: 11330 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025. (310) 444-0045
Date: September 30, 2021
Cuisine: Persian
Rating: amusing and vast place, solid food
This was a peculiar dinner. Jeffrey Merihue organized it, set the menu and then was suddenly out of town on the day of so Yarom picked up the organization (such that it was).
I’ve passed by Flame about 1000 times (on Santa Monica Blvd) and even eaten next door at Nanbankan. I’ve long wondered about Flame.
Turns out it’s one of those Persian large scale “event space” restaurants. Probably it’s used for weddings and other similar functions. I forgot to take good pictures of the inside so I have to use some (bad ones) from the web.
It has that Persian “overbuilt” look. Lots of marble and curtains and chandeliers, but really cheap (looking) construction.
Big space though.
And outside they had this HUGE patio/tent which was even odder. Initially they tried to put us here even though we were the only people in the entire restaurant but the problem was that the floor slanted quite considerably so one side of your chair would be about 2 inches lower than the other. We moved inside (took a bit of convincing to get them to do it though).
Hummus. I find Persian style hummus too thin.
Yogurt with cucumber (and some herbs).
Plain yogurt. Cucumber one was much better.
Shirazi Salad. The classic.
Lavash bread.
Roast Eggplant with crispy onions and tahini. Warm and delicious. This stuff was totally crack. I probably ate 1.5 plates of it myself.
A different salad, same basic ingredient except this one had lettuce.
Trout and salmon. Trout was nice and crispy.
Three kinds of rice.
Crispy rice with lamb. I liked this.
Lamb chops and koobideh.
Succulent game bird.
Fessenjoon given reluctantly at the last minute and with no protein — just the sauce. It was on our menu, but despite (or perhaps because?) we were the only guests they seemed in hurry to move us on threw. We had to request this, even though it was on our menu, and then they just brought a minuscule portion of the sauce alone (no chicken). It was tasty though.
Ghormeh Sabzi with nothing in it — just the stew. Same deal as above.
Blood Peach and Ume Sorbetto — Blood Peaches from Avignon with a bit of Joto Umeshu “Ume” (Japanese plum) Sake! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #sorbetto #BloodPeach #Ume #peach #plum #sake
Sweet Milk Signature Flavor — Italian Lemon Cookie Meringue Pie — Limoncello Zabaione base with lemon cookie flavor mixed with Italian Lemon Creme Cookies and Sicilian Candied Lemon and topped with house-made toasted Meringue — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #lemon #LemonCookie #cookie #Sorento #Limoncello #Meringue #LemonMeringuePie
Mint tea.
Food was actually pretty good, and if one wanted to do a cheap banquet with solid Persian food this place might be interesting. Service sucked though and the space was giant but odd. I found it had it’s particular charms.
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We had lots of wines, but I don’t bother to photo them (except for my own) at this kind of casual dinner anymore.
