Visiting an ethnic bakery is an adventure. If they have been in existence for any length of time, they are bound to have tasty offerings. While I prefer savory over sweet, I sometimes find something interesting to satisfy my savory tooth. Recently I visited Sipan Bakery in Glendale.
On the northernmost side of Glendale resides an unassuming Armenian bakery named Sipan Bakery. It is located in a strip mall on Glenoaks Blvd. This is a family-run operation that has been in existence for a number of years.
Despite my visit during the height of the epidemic, I was surprised to see the number of customers coming inside their establishment. Everyone had masks on and socially distanced themselves. All orders were prepared for take-out.
They are best known for their lahmajoun, a round thin piece of dough topped with minced meat and minced vegetables. It is commonly referred to as Armenian pizza. Since the base isn’t crisp like pizza crust, it can easily be frozen and reheated in a microwave. Because it’s light, it makes for a great snack. Alternate spellings for this are lahmacun and lahmajun.
The best way to describe a beorek is that they are a Turkish version of an empanada. They are filled with savory fillings such as spicy cheese, mushrooms, spinach and green olives. Most of their beoreks are vegan friendly.
According to a Lebanese former co-worker of mine, the best tabbouleh is primarily made with fresh parsley. Until I experienced an authentic tabbouleh, I didn’t care for it because of the amount of bulgar wheat most offered. The tabbouleh provided by Sipan Bakery was bright green in color and topped with fresh chopped tomatoes.
The biggest surprise was their Beef Shawarma Lavash Wrap. When I bit into this sandwich, I felt like it was one of the best Middle Eastern sandwiches I ever had. The beef was marinated and sliced thin so that it was easy to chew. Tomatoes and tahini sauce added moisture and the onions and fresh parsley nicely complemented the marinated beef.
If you live in the Glendale area, Sipan Bakery is a place that you would want to frequent often. Otherwise, you can make the trip (in my case from the South Bay) to pick up items with the intent to freeze some of them to enjoy later.
Sipan Bakery, 1250 W Glenoaks Blvd. Ste C, Glendale, CA 91201;818.240.0699
sipanbakery.com