Middle Eastern food is having a serious culinary moment and, in my opinion, the dramatic jump in Turkish, Persian and Lebanese restaurants, in particular, are going nowhere. And why would they? Sociable mezze platters cater for meat eaters and veggies alike with both hot and cold dishes and encourage casual sharing and chatter, while the grilled meats often featured on the main menu are tender and served simply; uncomplicated food as an antithesis to complicated times.
One such hot spot is Beirut street food specialists Yalla Yalla; my sister Jess and I attended its Winsley Street venue prior to heading to the theatre and we figured that this genre of food would be both tasty yet speedy. The restaurant itself is very shabby chic with a stylish nod to homespun Middle Eastern tones, such as the yellow and teal painted tiles, mismatching furniture and rainbow array of colours coating every surface and item. 
Feeling like the home of an experienced and well-loved grandmother, Yalla Yalla is bright and welcoming, and we were looking forward to getting stuck into some grub.
I started by ordering a Beirut sangria; as a huge fan of the Spanish version, I couldn’t not try this twist, which used Lebanese red wine, triple sec, strawberry liqueur and orange Fanta. Served with bobbing strawberries and orange slices, this was punchy beverage full of fruity flavour and booze, a great combo when you’ve just escaped the office. We were also given a small dish of pickled items to munch on; I believe these were a couple of gherkins potentially and a sweet pepper, however I have no idea in all honesty and all of the nibbles had the same sweet yet acidic pickled flavour. One was a wonderfully lurid shade of hot pink that was both suspicious and enticing all at the same time.
For my main meal, I ordered the lamb kofta kebab, basically a spiced minced lamb skewer; this was served a side salad and rice. Jess opted for the lamb shish kebab, so her meat would be served in chunks rather than minced. We also ordered the halloumi, feta and za’atar man’ousha as a side dish; this is fundamentally a flatbread, topped with shredded halloumi, crumbled feta, olive oil and za’atar.
The flatbread was delicious and definitely a good choice. The halloumi had completely melted, while the feta 
remained in roughly strewn chunks, creating a completely cheese drenched soft bread. The olive oil cut through the cheese tones to lighten up the dish and I have to say this was wonderfully moreish.
I also thoroughly enjoyed my kofta kebab. I received two long skewers alongside a mountain of traditional rice and a mixed salad featuring tomatoes, red onion, finely sliced leaves and yet more of the oddly coloured pickled goods. Everything was really tasty and I thought the kofta had good flavour, was juicy and a good portion size. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for Jess’ shish kebab. Although her meat was succulent and undoubtedly divine, she was served just five very small cubes of meat, haphazardly scattered on her rice bed to try and make it look more enticing. It was clearly a case of bulking up the dish with the cheap rice and salad while scrimping on the good quality meat. Clearly my portion was better because it was minced and therefore, I suppose, of lesser value than the lamb in a more raw form. Comparing our two plates, hers looked so paltry, I shared mine 
immediately so we could both actually have a filling dinner.
We also felt that the service was incredibly slow. We went at 5.30pm, so before the typical dinner crowd had truly hit, yet were waiting an age for two main courses and one mezze dish, which we had asked to all come at the same time, so effectively, we were only having the one course. It too far longer than it should, especially as the food itself is quick to cook and should have already been prepared by the kitchen ready for evening service.
Despite these undoubted niggles, the food itself was delicious and we couldn’t really fault the quality at all. The meat was not over-spiced but well flavoured, tender and well cooked. The side dishes were also lovely and the perfect accompaniments for the meal. The sangria, with its extra strawberry hit, also hit the nail on the head for me. So, in all honesty, I’m in two minds about this one. Whether you are satisfied depends very much on what you and your dining guests order and also if you actually have the time to spare to spend longer than normal waiting for food. If you order well and aren’t 
in a rush, then try it out, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.
The Discount Deal Menu 