Khachapuri, a cheese bread that takes many forms in its native Republic of Georgia, is primarily boat-shaped in Los Angeles. The savory delicacy is baked to order, and cheeses and toppings vary, but you’ll typically find fresh-cracked eggs, which cook in the oven, and a finishing spice shower. Khachapuri producers in L.A. are often Armenian or Syrian, but they draw on baking traditions established by the diaspora from people in the region. Learn about four of the best khachapuri in Los Angeles.
Numbered establishments on the map correspond to information below for easy reference. Establishments also appear in alphabetical order instead of in order of preference.
1. Adana Bakery & Deli Adjarakan Khachapuri ($3.99 small) [CLOSED]
This multi-faceted Northridge establishment sells dry goods, sandwiches and kebabs, deli meats and cheese, including a choice of Bulgarian, Greek or French feta. Adana, named for a city in southern Turkey, also houses a counter and case full of beoregs (spinach, cheese, beef or potato). Their Adjarakan Khachapuri is a football shaped Georgian bread filled with molten mozzarella and a fresh cracked egg, with yolk that washes over the savory cheese filling. This version is great for breakfast, and far different from their flaky cheese khachapuri, which looks like a turnover.
When I first started frequenting Mush Bakery in 2010, owner Serop Agadzhanyan’s menu was fairly mainstream. The counter space featured staple items like lahmajun, spinach, meat and cheese boerek, tahini bread and maneishe. Ajarakan is a football shaped pastry topped with gobs of salty cheese. They crack two eggs, which cook minimally in the oven before they dust this beast of a baked good with black pepper and spicy Aleppo pepper.
Blog Comments
Krystal
June 30, 2014 at 11:57 AM
Alon got so obsessed with this post that we took the whole family +Tannaz out to Rico’s yesterday. Khachapuri was a big hit with the Ziv family. Now we’ll have to try the other restaurants for comparison.
Joshua Lurie
June 30, 2014 at 5:55 PM
Krystal, that’s amazing! Glad the Zivs enjoyed Rico’s Pizza. I suspect you may enjoy the other options even better.
Randy Clemens
June 25, 2014 at 5:07 PM
Excited to try these places. Lucky 7 Pizza in Glendale has been my fix for ajarski… cracked egg and cheese with butter, and I always ask for fresh garlic on it. Available all day. http://www.lucky7pizzeria.com
Joshua Lurie
June 25, 2014 at 9:53 PM
Randy, thanks for the ajarski tip. Fresh garlic sounds like a great addition.