Authentic Lebanese Shawarma In LA - Dining on a Dime

This week on Dining on a Dime, host Lucas Peterson heads to the Granada Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles to visit Saj Bakery, a Lebanese cafe specializing in shawarma meats, flatbreads, and house-made za’atar. Watch the video above for an inside look.
Follow Lucas Peterson on Twitter: @LucasPeterson
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[@ooseevip]

Lebanese food is the freshest food ever I see Lebanese families eating while their table is filled with vegetables

[@adam100a8]

Yousef Ibrahim lmfao what

[@redtski]

Thats Levantine food in general 😄

[@hassankhatib1156]

I'm lebanese and I can tell you our food never disappoints :)

[@my_food6639]

So give me your recipe white sauce for kebab.. 😊😊😊😊🙏🙏🙏

[@gabrielleandres8581]

Lucas is THE best at coming up with adjectives to the food that he eats. Thanks Eater & Lucas for giving us the insight scoop on these mom & pop type food spots.

[@Tipper1941]

I know right? You get a good idea of the flavour of each dish and what herbs or spices come through. Not just "beefy, juicy fill my mouth with love" bullshit. I've been watching too many you tubers eating lately.

[@December19971]

Pretty sure Nick is better with adjectives :s

[@Nizanator]

Wouldnt have been surprised if Lucas had bust out some Arabic to the waitress lol

[@tosht2515]

Ha! So funny.

[@HarperNguyen]

They say he can speak every language, even dead ones.

[@tosht2515]

+Lucas Peterson He's calling you a multilingual badass, mate.

[@orionbassmaster666]

Armenian took impressive xd

[@orangemoonglows2692]

y is it so impressive that he speaks spanish? a lot of people are bilingual, esp. spanish and english. no big deal.

[@zkd5731727]

I like Lucas,his style remind me of a mixture of Anthony Bourdain and Eddie Huang. Authentic, respectful,and not pretentious. I'm glad I found him

[@liquidpersuasion]

lol dude Antony bourdain is pretentious. Eddie Huang is not respectful at times

[@zkd5731727]

+liquidpersuasion Okay.

[@Mario-by2xc]

Jeff Zheng Eddie Huang pissed outside some dudes barber shop in Detroit.

[@zkd5731727]

Mario Melgarejo George Washington owned slaves, but he's still the greatest American known to all Americans,right? So I encourage you to have a open mind and learn people for who they are but not a thing he did. But yeah.. That pissing part was fucking weird and disrespectful, I'd be furious too

[@Mario-by2xc]

Jeff Zheng lol chill dude I didn't say he's a bad person because of it, he's just really dumb sometimes and not the most respectful. I agree he is authentic and upretentious most of the time.

[@FolsomBluesPrison]

Lucas is such a nice guy, so likeable and informative, not like most; "The Crust is crusty, the Cheese is cheesy." Eater is better than Munchies, no pretence about this channel or Lucas himself. Keep it up Eater!

[@eater]

Thanks for watching!

[@RLU1223]

too bad lucas is the only good host on this channel.

[@RayfilWong]

Lucas is a master at describing food

[@alliemollie]

I so agree. He doesn't bore his audience for sure. Learn something new in each episode based on his deceptions of food and history of the cuisine. I used to watch a lot of Mark Wiens but just got tired of the same old descriptions he used over and over again.... i.e. melt in your mouth tender, oily, juicy, soft, spicy, salty, etc.

[@alliemollie]

*descriptions of food

[@mjazar12]

Lucas you are simply the best man. I am Lebanese and I loved your take on our food. I can't believe you found this valley gem!

[@Killua131312]

Hey Lucas, I don't mind if the episodes are even longer. I love your interaction with the restaurant folks!

[@NitroNigNog]

Holy shit this is literally a couple blocks from where I live...

[@Brandon-ob9rg]

Lucky!

[@HarperNguyen]

Matt Chong Have you been yet?

[@LameGeneration91]

Is that the one in Northridge?

[@alex.tortue]

@@mr0040 same... im a picky eater though so i only like hummus in my shawarma.

[@naels91]

Lebanon...what an amazing country

[@thehinhon]

Love the historical bit at the beginning! And how genuinely interested lucas looks in listening to the chef talk about cooking and his mom :)

[@ChibiQilin]

Saj? Ain't nobody got Thyme for that.

[@notsolegalciv2761]

Good One😂

[@ibrahimalhosani9826]

literally the best food in the world

[@AltarenGalil]

What a cute cashier!

[@serionhelbert]

i really like how you review food

[@TheCashmanianDevil]

I loved this show - Scoffed it in one sitting. For me, the best food is the honest, filling grub, made with love and presented simply which you showcased in this series. More please!

[@wissamosseyli6801]

this is the best episode of DoaD so far. hope you had a great time trying our cuisine and culture !

[@MaryamaFarah]

I like how much you try to explain what your mouth is feeling, Lebanese is one of my favs!

[@MalakianM2S]

I'm really liking this last series of DoaD. The food looks nice as always, but the places chosen are just great.

[@MalakianM2S]

I mean; a restaurant focused on "infusing life" to a neighbourhood. A lebanese place when the "trend" is being the most anti-islamic you can. Looks like you want to feed our brains and souls too.

[@m.d.8315]

LOVE the way he describes all the dishes. Perfect.

[@jbmarine0612]

lucas, spot on the review. been going to that place for 2 years now and the owners, the whole family are ao friendly and courteous. when it was my first time they even gave me samples. both chix and beef are just utterly delicious. try out skafs grill next time on oxnard and laurel canyon. different version, both lebanese

[@ZeProcrastinatorz]

I can't stop watching Eater episodes with Lucas! I feel like I'm learning a lot and he's so descriptive with his foods! :) MORE MORE!

[@jonheezay]

As someone from LA you are killing it this season with the spots you're hitting up, I'm curious how many more gems you'll find. The fact you're at Saj tells me you've got some good sourcing. 😁

[@azizalaliq8]

i have this food on a DAILY over here in Kuwait.

[@moe6048]

+aziz alali is there lots of lebanese restaurants and cuisines in Kuwait?

[@azizalaliq8]

+LebKing45 yeahh man there are literally hundreds of them here. There are also quite a large number of Lebanese people living in Kuwait.

[@moe6048]

+aziz alali that's good to know I have some cousins living there too

[@yadhu4878]

Even i live in kuwait!

[@lukasobel8820]

lui marco is that you???

[@religypoggs2822]

Fabulous video, & this guy's such a legend. Great interviewer & food descriptions. Love it

[@xhmcsx]

I love Lebanese food so much. So fresh and delicious and pretty much impossible to stop eating it once you've started your meal.

[@fdama]

Lebanese food - my favourite cuisine

[@bosman24]

I am lebanese and I'm so glad u enjoy our cuisine!❤️

[@vmphunter]

I love this series!! Keep up the good work. Thanks. :)

[@Morabeza]

Yes, my weekly dose of Lucas to boost my mental and physical health! Keep up the good work!

[@wslandry]

Excellent food for just any kind of affair! Not all Lebanese food is the same and when you find one that does it right it makes your tummy smile! Just like when I found my favorite Cuban restaurant it made me love Cuban food just like Saj Bakery makes me love Lebanese food. Keep up the great work Chef!!!

[@elioazar5103]

He ordered pretty weird combos :P Us lebanese never mix Zaatar and Cheese together, it all gets too salty. Zaatar and Labneh however: heavenly combo. Manakish are usually eaten without any cutting, as it is, folded over into a semi-circle. It's on-the-go food afterall. Sujok and Cheese mankoushe, hmm.... these are not exactly traditional combos, but I am guilty of occasionally ordering that. It does not look like a pepperoni pizza, again, cause we eat it folded over. The cheese is salty usually, but not too noticeably. Thing is it's a very soft cheese, much like mascarpone, and so the Lebanese solution is to cure it with lots of salt so it lasts up in storage. Before using, it's usually soaked in water for a whole day, butttt busy bakers don't always wait out that long to get the right amount of salt out, oh well! Chicken and beef shawarmas taste quite different! The chicken dressing is usually garlic paste (yes, garlic not yoghurt, eater!), and the beef dressing is tahini sauce same as that used for falafel. This is all well-loved lebanese streetfood that is always unavoidably missed and craved while abroad :) Thanks eater!

[@eater]

Thanks for watching!

[@leefedz1087]

+Eater Ha like a boss

[@gaslightingsquidward9258]

Elio Azar I eat cheese and zaatar it's pretty good

[@karmasauce6288]

I need to eat with a Lebanese buddy.

[@gxmanas2758]

Lucas is the GOAT. God bless Eater and Lucas. thanks!

[@Shokupan982]

Another great video with Lucas! I almost went to Saj for the first time last weekend, but I ended up at Sarig's. I'll definitely make a trip to Saj; the labneh man'ousheh is calling my name. Thanks.

[@xMicDizzy]

In general, Lebanese food is just awesome

[@GaryJibilian]

Thank you, Lucas! I watched your video of SAJ last week, and went there today. I ordered the shawerma plate, which was not only amazing, but the amount of food they provided made me ask them, "Are you guys trying to kill me??!!" HAAA!! I WILL be a regular of this jem of the SFV!

[@lucaskwanpeterson2010]

thanks for watching!

[@sorkrot]

that was an incredible presentation well done!!

[@safetyoussouf1725]

the Arabic Shawarma the Turkish Döner and the Greek giros are basically the same thing but the spices and the meat is what differs them from each other. I as a Turk love both the shawarma and the giros as much as döner. sudjuk, dolma, lahmadjun, pastırma, köfte/kofta, baklawa and a lot of other foods and dishes are a common value in East Mediterranean region. I don't care if it's a Greek turkish kurdish Lebanese or Armenian who cooks the food as long as it's OUR food. peace to you all.

[@lamb4lifexox]

Safet Youssouf as a Greek I say amen to that 🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@jackwongen6671]

Again Thank you Lucas for a great post. Keep brining the World into my corner of the "World/Midwest".

[@aigoochamnaa]

Omg you were in my neck of town!! If I saw you, I would have screamed like a fangirl!! But I will def give Saj Bakery a try, now that you visited it ;)

[@antiven0mYT]

Love the way you describe food, Lucas. Cheers!

[@scotthart2]

Lebanese food is the absolute best, I gained many great friends from Lebanon, and Armenia when I lived in Cyprus, one of whom is an amazing chef specializing in Lebanese food......Amazing food, wonderful people.

[@CookingwithJulia]

Lebanese food is so amazingly tasty! This episode is making me hungry for Lebanese food!

[@sbalchan]

I keep remembering that Shawarma scene in the Avengers :D

[@hannahlee152]

LOOKS SO YUM! I just might have to do a Dining on a Dime food crawl when I visit LA. Really, any of the cities will do. Keep up the deliciousness!

[@jrt2394]

@eater the videos you guys produce always make me happy :) awesome content! keep going strong! Really love seeing lucas host! Hope to see more videos! let me know how I can support~

[@reydez84]

i want to watch a movie but i cant stop watching these videos

[@ruddinnasir]

great episode lucas! 😊

[@katyaallnutt693]

This all looks so delicious!! Watching this show makes me want to do a food trip through the U.S. but multicultural food is readily available where I currently live so now I want to find a Lebanese place and see if they have the manouche with zaatar and labneh.

[@are8880]

love your vid! 💘

[@alfonsorosas2587]

I love these videos! Keep it on! :D

[@10ashagirl]

Lucas, you do an excellent job at this. So wanna jump on a plane and go eat from the many locations you have showcased..

[@foodie6043]

The food looks delish! You have the best job!

[@kee360]

looks amazing!!

[@denisepina3223]

I miss working here !!! Seeing this video and all my old coworkers 😭💔

[@mchoppy7778]

chick behind the counter.... marry me

[@JonasRosenven]

She is absolutely gorgeous.

[@JonasRosenven]

e.i mccool I just went to your Google+ page and read some of the things you post. It's got to be one of the biggest cries for help I have ever seen. I hope you get some help to get better, buddy.

[@esaw7067]

^ LMAO xD

[@peshmerge44]

arab girls are hot. so beatiful

[@esaw7067]

Ikr, she's such a babe

[@ValariusXT]

I love this guy!

[@chefyota]

Awesome video!!!

[@louzer2566]

Could there be a nicer host than Lucas? Keep it up bruh !

[@MarkAzali]

thanks for covering the San Fernando Valley!

[@asabra69]

man its nearly midnight here in Sydney Australia an i came across your video cause i am Lebanese an am having cravings of Lebanese food hahahaah great video keep it up

[@AhmedIbrahim-yf6ek]

lucasss , making me drool here . missing my lebanese food from home :(

[@Annick080]

soooo homesick for our food... great review, I have to go shopping and get cooking ♡

[@seoulstice85]

damn..Granada Hills?! That's hella far from LA on the 101.. gonna have to make a trek out there..

[@novaharahap2500]

Lucas, love your Dining on dime! You should visit Dearborn MI to have an authentic and delicious middle eastern feast!

[@andrewt248]

Lebanese food may be the GOAT.

[@juzersj]

love ur videos

[@fupathegreat8318]

You should do an episode on The Italia Bakery and deli! Only a few units down from Saj Bakery, best place for sandwiches and other Italian foods. Fresh baked bread every day, and an over great place for a little taste if Italy in Granada Hills

[@beatnix99]

Mmmmm... Looks so good

[@KMurderful]

how has no one remarked on how cute the girl at the counter is

[@barrecc5716]

the monoush is like the turkish pide and the soujouk is the same in turkish sucuk and the shwarma is the same as turkish doner kebap its amazing that its a lebanese food also.

[@mmmmmmm3931]

Nice Video :-) I really look forward to visit Lebanon again, even though I am vegetarian lol but luckily we have many plant based dishes

[@Phil-yx4qe]

Wow, really authentik !!

[@msjinabina]

I hope u also stopped by the Italian deli known as Italia a few doors down!

[@Philosophy15125]

We have the vegetables with satar here in Dammam but we call it kharbota.

[@sergiomendez2353]

Lebanese and middle eastern food looks delicious and seeing these video I want to try there food. Lebanon is beautiful crossroad country mix many cultures people.

[@EframeGadsby]

I could watch Lucas review cheap eats all day. Love his work! We're lucky to have good shawarma here in UK. Surprised to see the red meat used here is beef rather than lamb / goat. Is that to do with US market and availability / price of lamb?

[@MrAwsomenoob]

i wonder where i can find shawarma in iowa this stuff looks good

[@01kikibear]

Arabic yogurt is the greatest thing in this planet it's so good💕

[@TheLittledikkins]

To make labneh you hang freshly made yogurt in cheesecloth overnight and let most of the liquid drain off.

[@alex.tortue]

@@TheLittledikkins or just buy some taanayel labneh lol

[@gevoaber]

Absolutely love Saj bakery would always make the trip from Hollywood to eat! Thumbs up! Also Lucas you should an episode on Armenian food, since we have many delicious restaurants in LA! Let me know if I may help suggest any. Keep up the good work.

[@Ri9e9e9]

Arabic food is incredibly healthy

[@user-yl8jj4sx5e]

Shawarma is very unhealthy

[@stoopidvideo]

Amazing place to eat in LA. Lebanese food is the best.

[@TheJohanBjorkman]

One of the top channels on KZbin!

[@worldbase]

Nice video, I love Lebanese food

[@khaledbaderuk]

Thousands of years ago in the mountains of lebanon a man and his wife made saj lol

[@WanieB]

aww man another place to far away to try!

[@MrEliazar27]

The spin move doe

[@iggyGOGO1]

COME TO HOUSTON!!!!!

[@karmickoala101]

Whatever it is.. I just love the way he review it PROPERLY. I can actually imagined the look, feel, and taste the different in all the featured food. Love. Food.

[@lucaskwanpeterson2010]

thanks!

[@Mario-by2xc]

Ahmad Hafizudin Azmi I don't know man. I wanted him to talk to me about the maillard reactions of cooking on a spit lmao

[@Mario-by2xc]

Lucas Peterson By the way, I have family a couple blocks away from this place so I took advantage of my visit this weekendto try out this place. Did you notice a kind of lemon flavor in the zataar? I don't know what I was expecting but that kinda threw me off.

[@thaincrediblemaier]

This reminds me of the turkish-german food we get here. Shawarma looks like Döner Kebab and also Sucuk is a sausage the turkish eat a lot here.

[@jllovit]

Damn... missing these saj pastries like lahm ajin, zaatar, salads like fattoush, etc. ESPECIALLY authentic Lebanese chicken shawarmas and kebab platters!

[@WhiteThunderBBQ]

i want to learn hour to make all of this!

[@saracornejo2361]

Looks Delicious Lucas!! Wow U sure Can Eat!!😀

[@saracornejo2361]

Plus Ure Lucky U don't Gain Weight😜 --->unless u work out afterwards👍Either Way Ure A Hottie👍👍

[@mgmunoz88]

Looks good .... I'm hungry😋

[@allisoncampbell8263]

Omg he's such a good host.

[@jessechavez89]

Lucas is the man

[@DavidBallouz0425]

hey lucas, thanks for making me crave lebanese food again!!fyi sojouk is armenian.:)

[@emperorehryn2370]

I want to know, Lucas, have you ever gone to a place to film but the food just turned out pretty bad? Or do you go and test things out before deciding to come back and film?

[@HarisankarPS]

Why can't there be a Google Map link? or exact name of the place.