Restaurant manager Cody Ma and art gallery director Misha Sesar both came from Chinese and Iranian parentage. Until they met, they hadn't found anyone else with that precise background. They decided they had to cook together.
In June 2021, they founded Azizam, which means "my dear" in Farsi. The Persian pop-up became a pandemic darling, thanks in part to its #notjustkebabs hashtag. The delicious food also helped.
Los Angeles Times restaurant critic Bill Addison recently took in their spring feast in honor of Nowruz, the ancient observance of the vernal equinox, and the most notable event on the Persian calendar. Although Nowruz has passed, spring is in full effect. So it's the perfect time to check out Azizam's lush, green dishes, filled with creative uses of fresh produce.