Zam Zam Market serves Pakistani favorites in Hawthorne

Zam Zam Market was a local favorite in Culver City for years, serving Pakistani favorites like chicken biriyani and kebabs down the street from the King Fahad Mosque on Washington Boulevard.

Rising costs forced owner Fozia Siddiqui to close the restaurant in 2014, but it reopened a couple of years later, albeit several miles south in Hawthorne. The location is different but the biriyani is thankfully unchanged: spicy and redolent, tasting of clove, cinnamon, and cumin.

Siddiqui, who learned to cook as a child, says her restaurant is a hub for many Pakistanis in Los Angeles who crave a taste of home. She’s more than happy to provide it, and hopes to do so for years to come.

lucas.peterson@latimes.com

@lucaspeterson