Yalla Yalla

It’s been a while but lets’ give it a go……..

Yalla Yalla Beirut Street Food.
1 Green’s Court,
London
W1F 0HA
020 7287 7663
info@yalla-yalla.co.uk

This is a little gem of a place currently getting plenty of hits on the blogsphere in general, fitting into the category of Soho’s current shi-shi trend ‘Street Food’. If you’re concerned to be scene this season you really must take a spin around Koya, Mooli’s, Rosa’s, El Camino et al…..daahling. Having heard many a good thing myself, it was with real anticipation that I levered myself into some spray on jeans and a cheque shirt, (sleeves rolled up to optimal elbow level) and headed over as part of a birfday celebration.

Arriving some time before 7pm, our party somehow managed to avoid the (almost) block long queues which formed less than a micro second after we took our stools. (Hard topped. Cushion less.) Obviously ‘street food’ = eat & leave I premised. I plumped for a starter of SAWDA DJEJ (sautéed chicken livers with garlic and pomegranate molasses) followed by the MOUSSAKAA for mains, the Sawda Djej prompting a smattering of raised eyebrows from my fellow diners. ‘Ta Haa’, I thought. Just wait until you taste my pomegranate molasses (must pick up a bottle from the local Turkish superstore,) infused chicken livers. Food arrived shortly but certainly not in the nick of street food time; punctuality in this respect being certainly more favourable than many a larger establishment – our conversation had begun to slow but we weren’t so far along as to be considering  whether they were collecting from the Lebanon. Accompanying were large baskets of piping hot breads, fluffy to the touch and ready to soak up anything our forks left behind. Livers were perfectly cooked with their creamy richness acting as the perfect balance to the sweetness of the molasses. Needless to say the bread fulfilled its part. Other dishes ordered included the HOMMOS SHAWARMA (Chickpea purée topped with marinated thin slices of lamb fillet) and a dish of mixed seafood deep fried in batter whose name escapes me. Hommos was thick and perfectly garlic-ed. Seafood expertly fried in a light crisp batter, though there could have been a dip of some sort. We ended up sharing everything, our green-eyed natures getting the best of us (the livers were indeed a hit).

Plates cleared, (bread left – well done) mains arrived soon after, the small size of the room prompting an inter-diner game of ‘whose food is it anyway’ as dishes appear from below decks via the dumb-waiter. The Moussakaa was thick and tangy, the cumin cutting through the rich tomato sauce. Vermicelli rice and lashings more bread made an excellent accompaniment. Other featured dishes included KAFTA MESHOUÉ (Charcoal grilled spiced minced lamb and parsley skewers, grilled tomato, sumac onion salad and vermicelli rice) and CHICKEN SHAWARMA (Charcoal grilled slices of marinated chicken, grilled tomato, pickles, sumac onion salad and vermicelli rice). All were mouth wateringly delicious and left the party gratifyingly satiated.

We’d all experienced a pretty heavy night previously, to quench our thirst the FRESH MINT TEA was just that and the APPLE, GINGER & MINT LEMONADE tasted like pure anti-oxidants though I’m sure my dentist would advise against it. All of this for £15 per head including a hefty tip for the pair of rather attractive and perfectly attentive waitresses.

It certainly wasn’t street food in pace, but that was certainly fine by us. As culinary revolutions go, the latest is fine by me.
BoF