Zankou Chicken

mmmm!

Never had it but a friend was just talking about how they've gotten stingy with their portions. Much smaller chickens than they used to have, etc.

Also wasn't there some news on the family a few years ago? Some sort of strange murder?

Found it.

Makes me think of this song...

This right here is enough to make this a DL favorite thread for discussion:

The Zankou Chicken Murders When the patriarch of the hugely popular fast-food chain killed his mother and sister, then himself, he left behind a family wrestling with fate—and each other

Mom & Sis's remains were subsequently served as Rotisserie Chicken Plate #7.

^^ Oh, LA Armenians.. always involved in some shady going-ons.

But they make great chicken! 😜

♫ Zankou for being a hen ♫ ♫

I'm planning a trip to LA sometime this week. I've never gone and was thinking of a good place to eat. What would you recommend for a first timer?

Also, R9 is husband material.

When I say I've never gone, I meant I've never gone to Zankou... been to LA plenty.

Get #11, the "chicken tarna" plate. Comes with rotisserie shawarma style chicken, veggies, hummus, tahini sauce and their infamous garlic sauce.

Just have breath mints handy after. The garlic sauce is potent.

My husband won't let me eat the garlic paste, but it is divine.

I would not make Zankou a food destination if you're visiting LA--there are many other, better places--but it is dependable. My usual is a chicken tarna wrap and tahini salad.

They also just reformulated their falafel and it is outstanding.

Thank you r4 for posting that article. I loved the way it was written almost like a novel. The whole story could make a great movie or even fictionalized mini series in the right hands. I live in NY and now I have a terrible craving for the garlic sauce after the description.

You have to try it at least once, like In n' Out.

I remember hearing they were looking to expand to NYC, but it never seemed to have materialized...

bump

Used to be when I worked around the normandie location. Loved the garlic butter. WTH were those dyed red white things anyway? Jicama with beet juice?

Those are pickled turnips, R17. Funny wasn't there just a thread sbout turnips here the other day?

Thanks for the rec, r12!

This place has almost gotten too popular for its own good. Long waits on the weekend, but well, the quality is still there. Love the tahini sauce. And if you're not fond of hummus, you can switch it out for muttabal (?), roasted eggplant dip. You can also switch out the standard veggies for tabbouleh.

bump

How much are the items? Yes, I'm too lazy to look.

Zankou doesn't list prices on their website-menu, R22, so you're off the hook. ;-)

The Chicken Tarna (shawerma) plate pictured at R12, as well as the Tri-Tip Shawerma Plate, are $11.99 (all plates come with 2 pitas). The half-chicken plate is $11.49. Quarter chicken plates are $7.99-$8.49 (depending white or dark meat). Falafel plate is $8.99. Kabob plates (with rice) range from $10.99 - $12.99, depending number of skewers.

A half chicken, no sides (garlic sauce & pita, only) is $7.49. Whole roasted chicken (no sides, pita/garlic only) is $11.49

Wraps range from $4.99-$7.99, depending whether it's plain chicken, shawerma, falafel, or kabobs. They come with a small side of pickled turnips & peppers.

Thanks, R23. I was hoping you had a menu and didn't know that off the top of your head!

This must be the place that Larry David based an episode on---Palestinian Chicken-- in Curb Your Enthusiasm? But they were Palestinians, not Armenians, obviously.

You realize that the main ingredient of their garlic sauce is mashed potatoes, right?

I knew something good had to come from this administration!

The only day of the year they're closed is the one commemorating the Turkish genocide of the Armenians.

R26, my friend saw the garlic paste being made and there were no potatoes, are you high?

Oh, well if your friend saw them making it, then that ends the discussion. [rolls eyes]

You are eating mashed potatoes infused with roasted garlic cloves.

R27, Zankou Chicken has been around for over 50 years.

I used to love their chicken for years. Then, I did a health binge, went back and got sick because their chicken is rife with grease and salt.

Their hummus and falafel are great!

Ro Ro's Chicken on Sunset in Hollywood is much better!

Hah, R24, no! The only price I knew off the top of my head was the Tarna plate, since that's what I get most often.

Beware.... not Zankous are created equal. There is a Zankou in Tarzana , which is not listed among the locations on their official website. Apparently, it's one of locations opened/operated by another member of the family (cousin?), after the whole murder/suicide drama. I do not recommend it. It sucks, compared to other Zankou locations (not to mention about a dozen other middle eastern places in Encino/Tarzana).

I've eaten there several times and was always disappointed (but kept giving them another chance, because it was the closest Zankou, when I moved a few years ago). The roasted chicken & shawerma were often dry; the hummus, mutabbal & tabbouleh were terrible, compared to their other locations. I went once with a Zankou-lover, and he also agreed -- not nearly as good as other locations we'd frequented in the past (Sunset/Normandie, Toluca Lake, Van Nuys)

Then, I learned that the only thing the Tarzana Zankou had in common with the others, was the sign/logo. (and the garlic paste; that always tasted the same)

Now I drive the three extra miles to the Van Nuys location, when I need my Zankou-fix.

The Zankou in Pasadena is the best. Friendliest staff, largest portions.

I've never been to that one, R34. I don't get to Pasadena too often.

Sunset/Normandie, Van Nuys & Toluca Lake were the locations I've visited most frequently, depending upon where I lived, and when they all opened. I was totally unaware of the Toluca Lake location, for the first 9-12 months that it was open..... although I lived in Studio City. I was still schlepping to Van Nuys (on auto-pilot). I've been to the Glendale & West L.A. shops, a couple times, while in those areas. They were good..... but I still think the original Sunset/Normandie location is the best, of the all the ones I've tried.

I stopped by there a couple months ago, while in the area. Hadn't been there in about 5 years. I don't know if it was the nostalgia factor (started going there in '85-'86) or what.....but EVERYTHING tasted better. And the Tarna plate was HUGE, they could barely close the container. (Toluca was always the stingiest, in terms of portions, in my experience.....and charged for extra garlic paste/sauce, for a while).

What a horrible name. Sounds like a fake restaurant name from a TV show.

R36 probably loves Chick-Fil-A, KFC, and DJT.

R36 loves Runza :-P

The infamous Zankou garlic sauce.

bump

Armenians are very violent

Open quite late for Los Angeles, too. Sunset/Normandie is open to midnite, a cultural treasure. I don't even eat the chicken, a vegetarian can take a king's feast out of this place what with the hummous, muttabl, babaganoush, falafel, etc. Oh, and stuffed grape leaves, apparently available only at Sunset/Normandie.

Pretty damn good stuff.

I has never seen this chain before.

Only in Southern California, R44.. although they were supposed to expand to NYC.

R45 before or after the murder?

Before the murder. I think the murder put a damper on the NYC expansion plans.

Downtown needs a Zankou, badly. And a "Curry in a Hurry" type delicious, huge-portion, cheap Indian joint. DTLA is currently lousy with horrid overpriced, valet-parking, curated-food-experience rat-traps.

Damn this thread. I miss Zankou from my LA days. Really good stuff. Oh, and, whoever mentioned Curb, yes, this chain was the inspiration for that Curb Your Enthusiasm episode.

I hate to tell you this, but it's really not chicken.

Is that the lady who starred with Gale Storm in Oh Susana?

The patriarch seemed like a nightmare. Families, eh?

Remember when he fought Piper, Phoebe and Paige?

The Curb Your Enthusiasm episode about the delicious chicken. I never heard of the place until this thread and I live in LA (in the suburbs).

bump

I love this place, but every middle eastern person I've ever met said it is just so-so.. I guess it's their version of Olive Garden?

Zanjón Chicken is one of my faves. I usually order the rolled grape leaves. I can eat ten of those in one sitting.

I’m obsessed with Zankou.

So delicious.

I want Fank You chicken!

Damn, I probably shouldn’t tell you guys about this place because it’s wayy fucking better than Zanz. “Gabby’s Mediterranean Grill”........THE FUCKING BEST!!! & Their garlic fluff is way better. I’m not telling you guys where the locations are. Use google. Lol

[quote]Thank you [R4] for posting that article. I loved the way it was written almost like a novel. The whole story could make a great movie or even fictionalized mini series in the right hands.

I'm emailing Ryan Murphy right now.

Should it be "Armenian Horror Story - Poultry" or "American Crime Story: The Chicken Murders?"

Found the restaurant on Yelp, R60. Has good reviews!

r26 - no potato in it at all... just garlic, salt, lemon juice and oil. it's like making mayonnaise

^^^oh shit wrong link, that recipe does use potato but Zabcou's does not

I have heard that is all garlic, salt and vegetable oil, emulsified very slowly in a food processor?

here's the correct one:

Place raw garlic in a heavy duty blender with the salt and lemon juice. Pour a light layer of oil onto garlic. Puree the garlic, salt lemon juice on high and begin pouring a slow steady stream of the rest of the oil through the blender's handle hole until everything has mixed.

I loooove the chicken shawarma at Zankou. There are three Zankous in the vicinity, but they're all 4 miles from my house.

Funny how you mention Ryan Murphy and AHS. In the first season, there was an Armenian character named Joe Eskandarian. Eskandarian is a variant of Iskenderian, the name of the founder of Zankou.

I need some Zankou today.

bump