Or in other words....okay the ONE word; food.
J. & W. had a burning desire for some Lebanese.
Normally I would head to Maroush, but I wanted to try something different, and heard that Yalla Yalla's second, and more spacious branch had recently opened in Oxford Street.
Amidst all the shops and offices in Oxford Circus stands Yalla Yalla.
It's hard to miss the black and yellow exterior of Yalla Yalla, nor the buzzing young crowd of people normally queuing out the door.
The interior is cosy, and is set out in a cafe style, with long high tables.
Ideal for groups, but sitting on the stools at the high tables can feel abit uncomfortable if you're 5ft 3 like me, but after a few cocktails and good company you won't really care. (Just be careful not to lean back, lose your balance and fall head first on the floor.)
Mixed Grill: Charcoal mixed grill of a chicken skewer, lamb and kafta with grilled tomato, sumac, parsley, and red pepper salad on vermicelli basmati rice.
Chicken Shawarma: Grilled thin slices of marinated chicken, grilled tomato, sumac, parsley, red pepper salad on vermicelli basmati rice.
Lamb Shawarma: Grilled thin slices of marinated lamb, grilled tomato, sumac, parsley and red pepper salad on vermicelli basmati rice.
Not in the mood for dainty sharing of mezzes, we all went for a main each.
For ~£10 each we ordered the chicken, lamb shawarma and a mixed grill.
The chicken and lamb was tender, juicy, well marinated and as an added bonus was piled up high on our plate on top of a nest of basmati rice.
The rustic, and homey presentation of the food just added to the relaxed atmosphere.
Great for lunch, a quick casual dinner, or a snack :P
It's always buzzing, unpretentious and is so inexpensive for such quality food.
So grab some friends and head on down for a chilled night out.
7.5/10 Yummei's (because of my near death experience)
Where?12 Winsley Street,London,W1W 8HQ