Message: | After reading Thi's enthusiastic post (and having not eaten in 30hrs), I decided to give Helena's a try. Anyhow, I can confirm the address is infact 1000 Glendale Blvd, Glendale, incase some of you rely on Mapquest for directions. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a website or phone number through the internet or 411, so you might have to drive there.
Ok, on to the food. Unfortunately, since I went there by myself, I couldn't order too much food. I took the advice of Thi, and likewise ordered the combo plate. It cost a very reasonable US$8.00, which consisted of 1 piece of Lulu kebab, 3 pieces of shish kebab, and 2 pieces of lamb chop. There was also rice, onions, radish, a bundle pita bread, and a choice of lentil soup or salad. I wanted to order "grape leaf thingies" as well, but I did not have enough money.
I thought the soup was nice, but it wasn't anything to write home about either. The soup portion is quite generous, plus it's also rather thick and filling. To me, this is a good thing since I'm on a limited budget.
The radish was nothing special IMO.
I thought the combo dish was very good, and much better than Carousel's kebabs. All the meats were very tasty, and very well prepared, albeit I probably wasn't as exited as Thi about it. I actually enjoyed the lamb chops the most, and I thought the yellowish rice was also very good. It was soft, tasty, and went very well with the onions and meat.
For $8.00, I think this place is a very good value. I will definetely return, and perhaps try another dish, such as the roasted quail (also for 7 or 8 bucks). I skipped the dessert, because there was nothing interesting (was it baklava & rice pudding?).
I was slightly dissapointed with the service. Most of the time, there were no service people to be found. My water was filled only twice during the whole meal (At one time, the waiter forgot to refill my water after I asked him to). I also had to go inside the kitchen to get someone to give me the cheque. Otherwise, the service was friendly when it was available. As long as service isn't rude (like in Soot-Bull-Jeep or Lawry's prime rib), I don't mind too much.
Ambience was also lacking, but that's not an issue for me. If anything, it usually tells me that I will be spending money on the food, not the ambience. But this might be something to consider, if you plan on taking your boss out, or a first date, etc.
Overall, I feel Thi's has offered a good recommendation. I think it's a very good restaurant, albeit I'm not quite as exited about it as Thi was. I would go back, and I would recommend other chowhounders to also give this place a try. Hey, if you don't like it, it will only cost you a mere $8 and 30mins.
On a side note, at the time I was there (4-5pm on Fri), parking was also plentiful on the street located behind the restuarant. |