I grew up a suburban conservative Jew; a third generation American from Ukrainian immigrants who secularized and assimilated. Israel was a concept in prayer and after 1946 a vacation spot, but New York had more to offer east coast Jews than making aliyah (good bagels and a shorter flight). Therefore it came as quite a change to find myself in Los Angeles and meeting Israelis, Jews who made aliyah (the act of going up – used to describe settlement in Israel or approaching the dais in the synagogue), Arabs, Palestinian Christians, and all the other cast of characters who define and belong to the tangible reality of Israel. Los Angeles’ climate has a lot in common with Israel so it is chock full of Israeli immigrants, and if you asked random Angelenos on the street they would probably miscategorize Israelis as being a bunch of very loud Jews. Israelis are proud to nickname themselves Sabras, a prickly desert cactus. Keep this in mind when you visit Aroma, an Israeli bakery catering to expats and valley Jews. Aroma is dairy/vegetarian in order to maintain a glatt (pure) kosher kitchen, but that doesn’t prevent them from having a huge menu of salads, sandwiches, pizzas, and Israeli bakery specialties which are the best reason to go. First, I had the best cup of coffee I’d tasted in the many months since I was in Greece. Then, our table shared a Jachnun, only available on the weekends, an unbelievable pastry dish of layers of dough baked for ten hours and served with tomato dip and tahini. The flavor of the Jachnun is sublime, with every bite like walking into a bakery and taking in the smell of freshly baked bread. I ordered a Malawach roll, a flaky pastry stuffed with hummus and hard boiled egg. The Ziva, also a classic dish baked in their clay oven, is perfect when stuffed with cheese and olives. Already jammed full of bread, we had to order desserts, which were just as incredible as their baked goods. Even though it’s way the hell up in Encino, Aroma is worth the field trip. Plan on dropping thirty bucks for two.
18047 Ventura Blvd, Encino, (818) 757-0477