The Baklava Factory

My only exposure to Baklava were the ones I used to get from Harry & David. My friend Alma brought me a 2 boxes with a variety of baklavas.

I was not aware that they could be so much more exciting. These were super flaky with a million layers of phyllo dough and lots of air in between; by that I mean very light! I tried the Burma,which had the chocolate, the Traditional Baklava with walnuts, Burma Pistachio (shredded wheat dough filled with pistachios, fried in vegetable oil, butter drizzled with caramelized sugar). Eat one after a meal and it satisfies your craving for dessert. Actually, you could eat another one as a snack as you walk by the kitchen counter. I am now down to a few.....

Essentially, baklava is made with phyllo dough alternated with sugary spiced nut mixture. The whole thing is drenched in sweet syrup made with honey, lemon and cinnamon. I loved all of them but disliked the Turkish Delight (the square ones) also known as Lokum, which is gummy and has chopped dates. I liked the gummy part but disliked the flavor of rose water.  It felt like I was eating this gummy substance that was marinated in perfume.

The Baklava Factory has 3 locations: 1415 E.Colorado St. in Glendale, 12909 Sherman Way, North Hollywood, and 17540 Ventura Blvd. in Encino, California.