Armav Opens on Monument Street

By MAGNOLIA LAFLEUR | Reporter

Armav, the long-awaited Armenian restaurant by chef and restaurateur Kim Kedeshian, opened its Monument Street doors November 12.

The restaurant, a Mediterranean-inspired, formal dining space with a name that means “date” in Armenian, is the newest venture for Kedeshian, who operates K Bakery Eatery + Bakeshop in The Highlands.

Kedeshian’s family comes from a line of date farmers, making the name of the restaurant one that is nostalgic while paying homage to her history.

With three children, her mother and husband on board, Kedeshian shared she feels grateful to have a family who stepped in to assist in manifesting her vision, from peeling apples to doing holiday deliveries and helping tie up any loose ends needed.

“I have the vision and I have the drive, but I can’t do it all by myself,” she explained. “I’m very mindful of that. My family has been there every step of the way. It’s truly a team effort, and I’m so incredibly fortunate to have my family on my team.”

Kedeshian shared on her website: “Growing up in an American-Armenian family meant that food was an important part of my life … whether it was my grandmother’s oatmeal date bars or Armenian Choreg (sweet bread), my mother’s Christmas thumbprint cookies with gumdrops or lemon bundt cake, or my great-grandmother’s Armenian pilaf, it all brings back amazing memories that I have continued to share with my family.”

The announcement to expand her footprint in the Palisades with the opening of Armav came in 2018 when Kedeshian first planned for her 2,500-square-foot restaurant to be a staple in the neighborhood at 970 Monument Street, offering breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Like many small businesses that experienced set-backs due to the pandemic, Armav too, had to work through the storm to open.

“It’s really been a journey,” Kedeshian shared with the Post. “We weathered the pandemic. We’ve had supply chain issues, so many different obstacles, but I’m never shy to meet a challenge. I knew it was going to open, I just didn’t know when. It started as a dream. I’m Armenian and it’s something that I’ve always been thinking about.”

While she has been in the restaurant business since 2008, Kedeshian was originally an appellate lawyer with a degree from Pepperdine. She told the Post in 2018 that having a law degree comes in handy for more than just being able to negotiate her own contracts.

“One of the reasons I can do this is because of my background,” she said. “My legal background is a fabulous extension of a liberal arts education—it promotes thinking critically.”

With shareable plates and an interior design created by Kedeshian, she shared hopes for people to leave the restaurant with a taste of her Armenian culture.

“I want people to come and really experience the cuisine, so what I’ve done is I’ve created dishes and presentations that are very approachable,” Kedeshian explained. “Even our wines are regional. We have Armenian wines, Lebanese wines and Spanish wines. We really want people to try this food and enjoy it. There will be things they’ve never tasted before but we’ve done it in a very elegant and contemporary way, so that it’s approachable.

“We simply want people to feel the warmth of Mediterranean culture.”

For more information, call Armav at 424-322-8589.