this is my dad and he has no idea I'm making this video

This is my dad and he has no idea I'm making this video, but I need you to know about his restaurant because he would never ask himself. His name is Hameed. He arrived in the US on Valentine's Day 1978 from Iran. Like many others chasing the American dream, he came for a better life. He ended up staying and building a whole life here. But what I think he did not realize until decades later is that he always brought a piece of his dad with him. His dad opened a restaurant in his 50s in Esfahan, just like my dad, and the kebab recipes my dad still makes to this day, they come from my grandfather's chef. Those recipes have crossed an ocean, they have survived an entire immigration. In 2008 my mom and dad opened Turquoise in Redondo Beach with a dream to bring healthy, fresh food because this was way before seed oils were a thing, before clean eating was a trend. Turquoise was making everything from scratch, organic, no food coloring, nothing processed. And it's because my dad believed food is medicine, even when that concept wasn't super mainstream. The menu has so many family stories woven in it, my mom's recipes, my dad's own creations, the little things that make mom and pop restaurants so special in my opinion. And of course 100% saffron because that is the thread that ties it all back to Iran. But the real reason I'm making this isn't because it's some of the best food I've tasted, which it is and I know I'm so biased, it's because of my dad. The way he loves this restaurant and its customers is truly unlike anything I've ever seen. He goes up to every single table, wants to know what you thought, what you liked, where you're from. 18 years later, he still walks in every day like it's opening night. He still screenshots every single five star review and sends it to our family group chat. So if you ever need a reason to drive through Redondo Beach, this is it. Go in, tell him his daughter sent you. He'll probably come to your table and explain how saffron is a happiness spice and why his lamb is the best in SoCal and you'll be reminded why mom and pop restaurants are the best thing about the LA food scene.