Chicken shawarma wrap at Yalla Yalla
On first glance it seems my food photography has hit a new low. Yes, this is a filled tortilla on a sheet of paper with nothing but the faintest print on the opposite side to identify it. Although the title of this blog post claims it to be a chicken shawarma from Yalla Yalla, it could, in fact be anything.
There is a very good reason for this terrible photo.
Since discovering the takeaway counter at the Fitzrovia branch of Yalla Yalla, I have made frequent lunchtime visits. They have a number of wraps on their menu including shawarma, kofte and Lebanese sausage, and vegetarian options of falafel and halloumi. Each wrap is served with a pot of sour cream and one of a medium-hot tomato-chilli sauce. All of them cost less than £5, which is a bargain for this part of London.
The wraps are all delicious, but they are not photogenic. Every time I have attempted to photograph a cross-section it looks so mangled that it is almost impossible to decipher the individual components. This is common of other wraps too – you should see some of the shocking burrito pictures I have saved in my phone. Sadly they look completely unappetising, hence why I have photographed this wrap untouched.
This particular wrap is a chicken shawarma, which I usually only eat in the small hours of the morning from a small takeaway on Lordship Lane. I have convinced myself that the more genteel surroundings of a central London restaurant makes it a viable option for lunch as well as late-night booze fodder, which is just as well as the shawarma from Yalla Yalla is so good. Smoky pieces of tender chicken with some tomato, pickles and a pinch of sumac, toasted until the flatbread goes crispy. There is no lack of flavour, and the ingredients work well, especially when the pots of chilli and sour cream are added, but I do have one small bugbear: the wraps are pre-prepared. I understand the pressures of a lunch service means that assembling individual kebabs is not the most practical approach, however I do feel a bit sad seeing all of the pre-made wraps stacked up behind the glass display.
Despite this, the wraps always taste fresh and I keep going back for more. The lamb shawarma is also very good.
Yalla Yalla, 12 Winsley Street, London W1W 8HQ.
Six Hundred and Seven Square Miles 