Time Out has teamed up with tastelondon to offer you a fantastic one month free trial
-
Yalla Yalla
-
-
© Rob Greig
-
By Charmaine Mok
Soho may be saturated with dozens of places for eating – be it for a quick bite, a long coffee or a noisy dinner sitting elbow-to-elbow – but the area’s many small cafés are rarely seen as destinations in themselves. Not so when it comes to Yalla Yalla which, within weeks of opening, already has door queues at lunchtimes.
The attractions are obvious. Owners Jad Youssef (chef) and Agnieska Ilska (waitress) have clearly thought everything through. The pair (he from Beirut, she from Poland) have taken over a neglected site just around the corner from Soho stalwart Lina Stores, and have turned it into a perfect little hideaway for friends and fans of solidly good Lebanese cooking.
Seating less than two dozen people, it’s a sweet little place that’s perfect for either collecting some on-the-hoof tucker or for a sit-down meal. It’s no hole-in-the-wall joint though– the facade is a striking combination of black and yellow, while the interior mixes moody black and white photographs with bright paintings and white walls that reflect the light.
The food is cheap, delicious and fast (‘yalla yalla’ in Arabic means ‘hurry up!’).Youssef used to work in Piccadilly’s Fakhreldine restaurant before moving onto Kenza in the City, but one can’t help feeling that he’s finally at home here, where he fashions honest, fresh food from a surprisingly extensive menu for an appreciative Soho crowd.
Lebanese cooking has rich mixture of influences, owing to its geographical position – it was the home of the Ancient Phoenicians, who were traders – and historical invasions. Influences from the Ottoman, Persian and Greek empires mingle together on the table, but the flavours remain fresh and distinct.
Our baba ghannouj (or moutabel) with pomegranate seeds, the juicy tang of lemon and a little pool of nutty (and almost mustardy) olive oil came together perfectly. The aubergine had been chargrilled before, imbuing a deep, smokey depth. Fattoush, a salad of chopped ripe tomatoes, crisp pieces of pitta bread, parsley, mint and the crunch of radish and cucumber was a triumph – intensely flavoured and balanced in its piquancy (which came from sour sumac). Most curiously, the savoury flavours faded away between each mouthful, leaving us wanting more with each bite.
Less successful were the sautéed chicken livers with garlic and pomegranate molasses – the livers slightly too overdone for our liking, almost gummy in texture. The special of the night, jawaneh (chicken wings with garlic and pomegranate molasses) were also cooked just a smidgin too long.
One of Lebanon’s most famous dishes, kibbé (kibbeh) is a seasoned mixture of minced lamb, cracked burghul wheat and chopped onion (and sometimes fresh herbs such as basil or mint). We opted for the kibbé nayyé (with raw lamb), which was well rendered, the lamb pounded until it resembled a smooth paste.
The mains were exceptional. Our chargrilled lamb skewers (lahém meshoué) served with a buttery vermicelli rice was only bettered by Ilska’s offerings of a creamy garlic-yoghurt dip and hot harissa, while a hearty lamb shoulder stew with seven-spiced rice (which they simply call a lahém casserole) was long-flavoured and fragrant.
Desserts and sweets, from rosewater ice cream to sticky baklava, are the perfect way to end the meal. If you haven’t taken to the streets with your food, relish the opportunity to linger over these, with a copper pot of fresh mint tea.Time Out London August 2009
Book now
Time Out reviews restaurants anonymously and pays for meals. Of course, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or independence of user reviews.
|
|
Advertisement
Details
- 1 Green's Court, Soho, W1F 0HA
- Area: Soho
- Tel: 020 7287 7663
- www.yalla-yalla.co.uk
- Book online
- Category: Lebanese
- Travel: Piccadilly Circus tube
- Times: 8am-midnight Mon-Fri; 10am-midnight Sat (last orders 11pm); 10am-10pm Sun
- Price: Meal for two with wine and service: around £40
Map
Most viewed restaurants
Date of the day
ThisGuyInSW6
Well. I recently arrived in London chasing a dream. I'm fun, good natured and full of energy. I'm looking for that chemistry that seems hard to...
|
|
More ways to enjoy Time Out
-
Weekly London newsletter
The best of London in your inbox
-
Time Out Widgets
|
|
Called them and tried to ask how early do I have to book if I want a table for two on a Friday. On the other end of the line they just told me they are fully booked this Friday and then they hung up while I was in the middle of a sentence. Probably should take my money somewhere else.
I went to this place as a result of reading the rave reviews on Time Out website. It is really not as good as they make it out, my friend had a lamb shwarma and the meat was really fatty, i had a chicken wrap and it was so dry, they basically just microwave it. The ice mint tea is yummy but literally they give you the smallest cup for one serving.
Friday night i had at Yalla yalla with couple of my friends was fantastic, we enjoyed the food as it was fresh and full of flavour, the mixed grill was amazing tender meat and that fluffy vermicelli rice was the best aswell the meze was great.
the service was great and warm,very nice waitreses and very helpfull.
the place is always packed so it is better to book in advence.
Great food, however the ambience and atmosphere wasn't the best. It was more like a cafe than a restaurant. Only things that bothered me was that the wine was served warm and we had to wait 25 mins even though we had booked we had booked ahead. I'll try the other recommendations from the reviewers below!
Delecious food, YALLA YALLA has the best lebanese food ive ever had so far in London.warm service, friendly waitresses and cosy place.
Good quality and cheap prices.
Well done Yalla Yalla
Discovered this restaurant in timeout and thought it was a really great place to eat. The place is slightly on the small side but it makes it quite intimate. Decided to have various starters and the most enjoyable were the potatoes with chilli called brata herra. The chicken shawarma was amazing as well as it was well seasoned and really juicy.
From reading such great reviews 2 friends and I tried out Yalla Yalla on Friday. Firstly, the place is teeny weeny - it seats about 25 diners on little stools. We also had to wait 15 mins for the table, despite booking ahead. A group of 7 had the same problem - they were still outside 20 mins after we'd been seated. Luckily we were all in good spirits and the weather was mild enough to allow us to loiter outside. Secondly, the service was OK - quite prompt but the waitresses could probably do with smiling a little more. Perhaps they were stressed with the number of people waiting? But the main pull is the food - DELICIOUS. Cannot fault it. Full of flavours. Succulent, tender meat. My friend also had the sea bass which was just divine. I would go again for the food, but its definitely more a lunch or a midweek dinner spot.
Small place but fabulous and cosy.
Great food and wram service with cheap prices.
i think i will be a regaular at Yalla Yalla very soon
I love the food here and I had a great time! The food was a bit salty to me but the lamb Samboussek was heavenly.. If the food was less salty, it would be the best food I've had!
This is a really nice 'cafe', with nice little treats. As a lebanese person myself, i often get the craving for food from home, while 'yalla yalla' doesnt really fit the bill in the same way as Orjowan or Noura, it is still an ideal place for a quick snack.