“We close at 7, so if you want food, get here in ten minutes.” It was 6:45, so I placed my order, hit the gas and raced up the 101 to reach It’s All Good House of Kebab in time… As you can tell, I reached Medhi Ghasemil’s Persian restaurant in time, The weekend-only biryani features a heap of cinnamon-dusted ground lamb, which is luscious and completely devastating when encased in buttery, pull-apart wheat flatbread.

Priyani’s Sri Lankan menu was a jumble that didn’t provide much direction, but since I was eating at the tail end of a forgotten Northridge strip mall, I didn’t mind. Co-owner Nihal Dissanayake recommended lampreis, a banana leaf-wrapped mound of rice topped with distinct heaps of paprika, well-seasoned onion-rich chicken and intensely-flavored caramelized eggplant. The flavors were uniquely delicious, and when combined, created culinary fireworks.

Sako’s Mediterranean Cuisine is one of the only restaurants recognized as Turkish in Los Angeles, and based on my lunch, that’s a shame. Sako’s Special (aka Iskender) combines cuts of pita that are piled with browned döner kebab shavings and spicy tomato sauce. A sweetened, tangy yogurt surrounds the meat. Sensational.