Tag Archives: Lebanese

Yalla Yalla Pop-Up, Shoreditch

Posted on by

Yalla Yalla promises delicious and authentic Beirut street food. Their two restaurants in central London are comfortable, warm and always have a great vibe. However I can’t help but believe that serving street food in an established sit down restaurant off Oxford Street rather defeats the point. So, when I was notified about the Yalla Yalla pop-up branch in Shoreditch I was keen to try out this real street eatery.

The informal 40 seat space is under a canopy, shielded from the elements with heaters effectively warming diners. It is a mix of tables with stools and low-level cushioned seating. At the weekends belly dancers and live DJs entertain the crowds. The place is decorated with brightly coloured materials and manages to generate a Middle Eastern feel.

Lebanese food is quick to prepare and easy to eat so works well as an outdoor option. The Yalla Yalla menu is varied and comprises of a range of mezze to share, with Baba Ghanouj, Samboussek Jibne (pastry filed with feta, halloumi and mint), falafel, hummus, tahini and Kibbe Lahme (deep fried lamb parcels). Favourites like lamb and chicken shawarma are available, as well as a selection of wraps with speciality ingredients like Soujoc sausages. All the usual dipping sauces and salads accompany the main dishes. For dessert, a selection of Lebanese pastries are on offer to eat onsite or for takeaway.

The food is just as good as in the indoor restaurants, but somehow tastes fresher and more vibrant. Mezzes are ideal for groups to share but wraps are better for quick takeaway lunches on the go. I loved the completely addictive chicken sharwarma and was particularly impressed with the extra creamy and smooth homemade hummus and the deliciously crunchy falafel. The real beauty of Beirut food is the combination of all the flavours and textures, which you can mix and match in any way you desire. A short but enticing list of cocktails will quench your thirst and prepare you for a night out in Shoreditch. We particularly liked the refreshing Pineapple Mojito and the fruity Berry Dance Martini.

Good news if you work in the area… a lunch-time bicycle delivery service is available to local businesses and residents Monday-Friday from noon-3pm. Orders can be made on 07725 841372.

This cuisine suits the Shoreditch site and the carefree clientele well and I wouldn’t be surprised if Yalla Yalla becomes a ‘permanent pop-up’.

more information: www.yalla-yalla.co.uk

Yalla Yalla, Winsley Street

Posted on by

My love and appetite for Lebanese food was fuelled this year during my two trips to the Middle Eastern city, Beirut. Lean, fresh and full of flavour, it is a cuisine that never fails to satisfy and delight me. Near my work in South Kensington, I have scouted two suitable Lebanese outlets… Comptoir Libanais for meze platters and juice (and my favourite Lebanese chewing gum!) and Beirut Express for dangerously addictive Chicken Sharwarma on hungrier (less healthy) days.

Yalla Yalla has been on my ‘to try’ list for a while, and with the opening of the temporary branch on Southbank it was prompted in my memory. The Beirut style restaurant chain has grown already with three branches around the Oxford Street/Soho area in addition to the Southbank summer pop-up. I love the punchy and fun name, and the ambience and food we discovered inside lived up to expectations.

The Winsley Street branch is moments away from Oxford Street tube station and when we arrived early on an August Friday evening the place was packed. The restaurant is large and eccentric with large wooden benches to sit on communally. We were shown to a light airy space by the window, perfect for street observing and slightly quieter, away from the main buzz of the venue. The menu was overwhelming, all my favourites stared up at me expectantly: grilled halloumi, hummous, tabbouleh… to avoid disappointment we ordered it all as well as chargrilled chicken wings, Barara Harra, Chicken Sharwarma and Kafta Minced Lamb Skewers. Luckily I had only eaten one little chocolate bar all day, so was famished and ready to feast.

The food arrives at Yalla Yalla as it is ready, rather than a strict starter/main routine. Our smaller dishes all arrived first… melt in the mouth chicken wings with the most delicious marinade, crispy skin on the outside and tender chicken meat inside. Tabbouleh salad was a super fresh and vibrant mix of ingredients and the halloumi was delicious though could have been grilled a little more. The obvious favourite though was the homemade hummous (chickpea puree) topped with marinated slices of lamb fillet. We hoovered it up, it was the perfect combination of salty meat and soft creamy hummous… I wondered why on earth I had never tried this speciality before?!

The main dishes were huge and mounted high on plates. My initial thought was “wow this smells good” followed closely by “how on earth are we going to finish all that food?” Chicken Sharwarma was as delicious as always but in Yalla Yalla it’s not as greasy or unhealthy feeling as I have previously experienced. Piled onto an open pitta bread with rice and salad the only thing it lacked was a big dollop of garlic sauce. The Minced Lamb was richer in flavour, grilled lightly with sweet onion and fragrant parsley and served with rice and Sumac onion salad. Both utterly yummy, so good we agreed to take the remains away with us in a doggy bag… something I never normally feel like burdening myself with!

Full of delicious savoury food, we declined dessert, though the options were varied and attractive sounding. Instead we had a final sweet kick from our sugary drinks. Yalla Yalla offers an extensive list of tempting cocktails, classics that have been adapted using Middle Eastern ingredients. I would recommend ordering the Beiruti, a lovely refreshing gin-based cocktail with fresh strawberry, lime, cane sugar, pomegranate juice and topped with Prosecco, it is not too overpowering and will complement your meal.

Yalla Yalla is perfect for take-away treats or a casual sit down meal… the restaurant has a joyful atmosphere and the best Lebanese food in town.

Visit the Yalla Yalla website here for more information.

Comptoir Libanais, South Kensington

Posted on by

Comptoir Libanais radiates onto the street, the bright cheerful sign and joie de vivre lures you in to experience the Lebanese food and join the fun. The restaurant, which now has three branches in London is a canteen / delicatessen, a kind of Middle Eastern version of Carluccio’s! It is an expansive space, and gloriously lively inside. Shelves are lined with imported goods – boxes of food and delicacies to try and buy.

When I visited on a Thursday evening every colourful table was filled, the staff were efficiently clearing to enable second, third and fourth sittings, avoiding what could have become a shambolic scenario. There is plenty to choose from but when we ate there, due to menu revamps, much of the main dishes were unavailable. More disappointingly the desserts on offer were sparse. We chose a selection of dishes for starter and main as the plates are ideal for sharing and this way you can get a proper feel for the cuisine.

I adore fresh lemonade, Comptoir offer several interesting varieties, we tried Pomegranate & orange blossom and Rosewater, lemon & lime flavour. Both were very strongly perfumed and a bit overwhelming with the intensely flavoured food, but I can imagine these drinks would be lovely and refreshing on a summer’s afternoon.

To start we tried a selection of falafel and kibbeh, warm and deliciously flavoursome. The lamb kibbeh was my favourite, seasoned minced lamb mixed with spices, crunchy pine nuts and onion, the parcels were accompanied by an organic yoghurt sauce, a cooling dip with the spiciness of the kibbeh. The Mezze Platter is a great way to experience all the Lebanese ingredients: Baba ghanuj, hommos, tabbouleh, falafel, organic lentil salad, cheese sambousek, pickles and warm pitta. Many of these recipes are familiar to me from my childhood when we would often munch on Lebanese snacks. The Comptoir delivered a platter of colour and aroma, all the elements tasted homemade, made with love, expertise and attention.

For mains we ordered a Mixed Grill of lamb kofta, chicken kofta, chicken shish taouk and organic rice. The meat was succulent, marinated in a herby piquant sauce, the lamb was particularly good. Then came the Halloumi Salad, with grilled cheese, baby gem, cherry tomatoes, olives, radish, olive oil and lemon juice. I am an expert halloumi eater, and will admit this was the best I have ever tried, soft and creamy and incredibly moreish. I couldn’t visit a Lebanese restaurant without trying a Tagine… but with enough meat on the table to feed a small family we opted for the Baked Aubergine with rich tomato and chickpea sauce. This was extremely comforting, I find tagines quite heavy, definitely more of a winter option. The tangy tomato sauce and aubergine are a great pairing, however the aubergine had a slightly bitter aftertaste.

I have never liked Baklawa, the popular Lebanese pastries, finding them unbearably sweet… my dad always bought them as an excuse for pudding. Determined to try the Comptoir variety we ordered a selection… and, dare I say it, they were delicious, light and nutty and very fresh. Accompanied by vanilla ice cream and fresh mint tea, it was a lovely conclusion to the meal.

Comptoir Libanais is the perfect place to get a quick bite to eat in a relaxed environment… the food is lean and light, quick to arrive and very fresh. I am visiting Beirut in Lebanon later this month and I can’t wait to eat delicious Lebanese food in its natural habitat!

Visit the Comptoir Libanais website here.