Aleppo's Kitchen: A Taste of Aleppo in Anaheim
Behind the food at Aleppo's Kitchen is a family story that began thousands of miles from Anaheim.
After leaving Aleppo, Syria, during the civil war, the family arrived in Orange County in 2012. Missing the food and sense of community they had left behind, they set out to create a place centered around the flavors and traditions of home.
Aleppo's Kitchen opened in Anaheim in August 2013.
BEHIND THE PLATE
As the family built the original restaurant, they spent hours on the phone each day with their grandmother back home, talking through recipes and cooking techniques. Those conversations helped shape a menu rooted in the food they remembered from Syria.
Aleppian cuisine reflects the city's long history as a crossroads of cultures, with dishes built around grilled meats, vegetables, grains, spices, and other ingredients common throughout the region.
The menu gave us a chance to experience both familiar Mediterranean favorites and dishes more closely tied to Syrian cuisine. The Shish Barak was especially interesting, with meat-filled dumplings served in a warm yogurt sauce, while the mixed kabob platter brought several of the restaurant's grilled specialties together on one plate.
From our table: Mediterranean Dip Trio · Persian Chopped Salad · Chicken Kabob Bowl · Shish Barak (Syrian Ravioli) · Gyro Lavash Wrap · Chicken Shawarma Wrap · Mixed Kabob Platter
BEHIND THE EXPERIENCE
Food is only part of the story at Aleppo's Kitchen. The restaurant was created as a way to rebuild the feeling of gathering around a table and sharing a meal after the family left Syria.
What began as an effort to recreate the food and sense of home they missed has grown into a restaurant where those traditions can be shared with the Orange County community.
