Dear Yalla Yalla,
Firstly, I’m sorry for that weird post title. I don’t know what it means, but it sounded right at the time. Secondly, I’m also sorry for screwing up your 100% “I like it” hit rate on Urbanspoon. I was the first person, the first! to say “I don’t like it”. I felt a little mean doing it but hey, nobody’s perfect, so don’t sweat it.
Right.
So last week we finally hit you up for a meal. Right across from the British Sex Shop, one way to describe your location is interesting. Another way is um, really hard to find.
Anyway, everyone’s been raving about how amazing you are… so when I finally got around to making a reservation, I was honestly beside myself with excitement.
… but *sigh* dis.ap.point.ment.
It’s not you though. It’s me. Really.
I’m not gonna go into detail because I don’t really think you’re a bad restaurant. I can’t say your food was bad because I don’t normally eat Lebanese food, so what do I know? A big load of fattoush is what I know, yes ha ha, I’m being funny. Not.
I do know though that the service was really slow. It’s not like you’re a big place, right? There are what, eight tables? And three waitresses? And yet we waited (for a long time) to be seated, waited for our menus, the food came out all right, but then we waited for the bill. It’s not a hard thing, running eight tables.
Out of all the stuff we ordered, I really did like the labne bil thum (greek yoghurt with garlic & spring onions). That was divine and I wanted to lap it up from the plate. The hommos was also nice but y’know, hommos from Marks & Spencers is nice.
I expected the lahem meshoue (grilled lamb) to be crazy soft, but actually it was chewy. Maybe that’s how you’re meant to do it, like I said, I don’t know. But I didn’t like it much. The rice was nice, it tasted like lamb. Mmmm lamb flavoured rice!
All in all, Yalla Yalla, I thought the food was a little underwhelming. You know what though? I don’t like parsley. That could be the problem right there because it seems to me like parsley is a staple in Lebanese dishes. If that’s the case, it is not your fault at all.
The desserts were ok. Backlawa is always delicious, right? I wasn’t so hot on the Yalla Coco though ~ that’s one of those pre-packaged ice cream desserts that’s served mainly at Italian restaurants. The mousse was still frozen solid, but the mango sorbet, that was good.
So, Yalla Yalla, I think this is where our relationship ends, but I hope it’s not on bad terms. It’s totally me and my dislike for parsley, which is right up there with coriander. Yuck.
But you know, you’ll be ok because believe me when I say everyone loves you. They do. And I’m sure it’s because your food really is very good, or maybe because your waitresses are pretty. But who cares, they love you way more than they love me.
See you around,
catty
Yalla Yalla
1 Greens Court
London, W1F 0HA
