The plain exterior greatly contrasts the great taste at one of the best Armenian restaurants in Fresno.

Marat?s Restaurant, located at Cedar and Shepherd, has little been noticed by locals until now. This small family-owned restaurant provides great homemade Armenian food to customers.

When I first entered this small restaurant, ?hole-in-the-wall? came to mind. Some tables line the hall, and a Bible verse hangs over the cash register. A couple William Saroyan posters are pinned to the wall. Customers eat quietly as they enjoy their food.

The waiter promptly seated me and handed me a menu. The menu ranges from lamb kabob to yalanchi, grape leaves stuffed with rice, onions, tomatoes, and spices. Prices for entrees range from $6 to $14. The sides can be ordered by quantity, so you only get the amount wanted.

The specialty plate of the restaurant is their lamb shank. This meal takes a little longer to cook, but the amount of food is tremendous.

I ordered the lamb kabob specialty plate. It came with a salad, three yalanchi, and a cheese borack, philo dough filled with cheese and herbs.

The service was awesome. The food came out quickly and was very enjoyable. Everything was homemade from family recipes.

Finally for dessert, their menu has exotic Armenian sweets including Napoleon and Baklava. I ordered Baklava.

The Baklava was very sweet, some of the best I have ever tasted. The philo dough was very sticky, but the syrup added to the flavor.

Then came the bill. I would have expected a huge price after all the food I had just eaten. I was wrong; the price was easy on my wallet compared to the wonderful food at Marat?s.

After I ate, I had a chance to talk to the owner?s son, Johnny.

Marat Oganesyan and his wife Gayane and son Johnny opened their restaurant five years ago. They immigrated to America from Armenian in 1993.

?I think my parents opened the restaurant because our friends always greatly enjoy the food when they come over,? Johnny Oganesyan said. ?My father also wanted to open his own business.?

Johnny, who is a chemistry major at CSU, Fresno, describes Armenian food as ?addictive. Once you try it, you?ll want more.?

Marat?s is open every day for lunch and dinner except Sundays. For more information, call Marat?s Restaurant at (559) 439-2400.