Gallery: Exploring Persian Square
Persian Square, located at the intersection of Westwood Boulevard and Wilkins Avenue, is a hub for the Persian community on the Westside. Advertisements and storefronts with Farsi signs are a common sight on the block.
(Tanmay Shankar/Daily Bruin)
Tochal Market, founded in 1981, is one of the oldest family-owned Persian markets in Los Angeles.
(Tanmay Shankar/Daily Bruin)
The market sells a variety of packaged goods and produce, as well as cheese, meat, and prepared foods at the deli section by the counter.
(Niveda Tennety/Daily Bruin)
Many spices found at Tochal Market, such as senjed, are used extensively in Persian cooking and are not readily available at American grocery stores.
(Tanmay Shankar/Daily Bruin)
Todd Khodadadi, one of the owners of Tochal Market, said in the past most of the Iranian products were imported from Iran. However, after 2010 sanctions placed on Iranian products, Tochal Market sources many of its products from Iranian manufacturers based in the United States.
(Niveda Tennety/Daily Bruin)
Tochal Market also sells many homemade products prepared by Khodadadi’s mother. Khodadadi said that one of his primary goals was to bring the taste of Iranian food to the States. “We want to keep the old, original recipes, and we can with my mom’s experience,” Khodadadi said.
(Niveda Tennety/Daily Bruin)
Across the street from Tochal Market is Saffron & Rose, which has been serving Persian-style ice cream to Westwood residents since the 1970s.
(Niveda Tennety/Daily Bruin)
Ali Kashani-Rafye first experimented with original ice cream recipes in Tehran before founding Saffron & Rose in the United States. Over 75 years later, his family continues to come up with new and seasonal flavors.
(Niveda Tennety/Daily Bruin)
The ice cream shop incorporates Persian flavors into its ice cream by using spices such as saffron and floral waters. Some of its flavors include white rose, jasmine, lavender and orange blossom. Its signature ice cream flavor is saffron and pistachio.
(Niveda Tennety/Daily Bruin)
Employee Masoud Mohammadi grabs a cup to serve a customer. He said that Saffron & Rose is frequented by UCLA students and locals alike. “Most of the regulars, you see their face and you know what they want. It’s a business but also a friendship,” Mohammadi said.
(Niveda Tennety/Daily Bruin)
Besides housing a number of food establishments, Persian Square also features several Persian art galleries, jewellers and bookstores. Bahman Bennett founded Gallery Eshgh in 1992. Bennett displays and sells pottery, clothing, Persian textiles and other accessories, all of which are made by hand.
(Niveda Tennety/Daily Bruin)
Bennett said that his handiwork, which is inspired by Sufi culture, takes anywhere from two to 600 hours to create.
(Niveda Tennety/Daily Bruin)
Many of Bennett’s art pieces are inscribed with Farsi calligraphy symbolizing love and positivity. Bennett said that spirituality is very important in his work, and that Gallery Eshgh is “a world of love.”
(Tanmay Shankar/Daily Bruin)
