Los Angeles is lucky to have a wide spectrum of Middle Eastern cuisines. Syria is a war-torn country that’s seen minimal culinary play in L.A., but Aleppo Kitchen, a restaurant from Amad Bazrli on the back side of a northern Burbank strip mall, represents the namesake city well. The space has few flourishes, featuring red and cream colored walls with a huge photo of a mountain lake, perhaps located in Syria, but possibly a stock image. Regardless, my first meal at Aleppo Kitchen delivered nothing but hits, highlighted by Fatteh B. Laban.

Fatteh B. Laban ($9.95) consists of tangy garlic-spiked yogurt (laban) tossed with crispy wedges of toasted pita, toasted pine nuts, and a sizable heap of earthy garbanzo beans. The bowl comes topped with either meat or tahini. I opted for juicy griddled beef, which was a lean, but still hearty, contrast to the brightly flavored yogurt. Eat the fatteh before yogurt soaks the crisp pita chips. My friend Adam and I piled the fatteh into pita with tart pickled turnips and relatively tame pickled cucumbers. This bowl could easily be a meal, but with all the tantalizing options on Aleppo Kitchen’s menu, split it with friends and diversify your order.