Yasmeen – Review

Levantine Heaven in St John’s Wood with Yasmeen:

Apparently fish and chips is the latest trend in the Parisian gastro scene which got me thinking about transplanted food cultures and influences. Would a Parisian fish supper be acceptable to the average Brit? What did this gastro invasion mean for French culinary culture which is globalising faster than Donald Trump changes his mind on…just about everything. I was considering these weighty issues when invited to review Yasmeen, a Lebanese restaurant in St John’s Wood who just won the Time Out Love London Awards for best restaurant in St John’s Wood. It’s also the restaurant’s first anniversary so it seemed like a good time to see how it has bedded in.

Lebanese food is rooted in its Levantine heritage. It’s that area of the Middle East that also encompasses Egypt, Palestine and. Syria. But because of the country’s location, there is also a strong Mediterranean influence as well as elements from the cuisines of erstwhile invaders, the Turkish and the French. It’s one of those food cultures rooted in tradition so I’m fascinated to see how the chef at Yasmeen approaches the classic Lebanese dishes.

 The table is laden with pickles and salad and I order a bottle of 2012 Chateau Ksara Blanc de Blanc (£25) which was crisp with a hint of oak and assertive enough to stand up to the chillies! It is was a great match with our fantastic mezze.

We started with a delicious Hummus (£5.75), brought to life with sesame oil and lemon, and a dish of Moutabel (£6.75)-puréed smoked aubergine with sesame seed oil, yoghurt & lemon juice. It’s one of my favourite dips and this was a great example. Alongside were Tabouleh and Fatoush (both £6.75)-the two classic Lebanese salads. Tabouleh is a blend of Parsley, crushed wheat, tomatoes, onion, lemon juice, olive oil whereas Fatoush is greener with lettuce, tomatoes, mint, the Levantine spice sumac, olive oil, lemon and croutons to give it some crunch. Both were very textural but with distinct flavours and great to eat.

And then came a dish laden with savoury pastries and more! The Falafel (£6.25) was the lightest I have ever had and beautifully spiced. Fatayer (£6.25) are tasty pastry parcels with baked spinach, onion and pine kernels. Meat and cheese Sambousek (both £6.25) are little pasties which come deep-fried, stuffed with meat, onions and pine nuts or cheese & parsley.

Grilled Sea Bass (£21.00) came Mediterranean style  and I slathered it with olive oil for maximum effect.

With a Greek grandmother, I grew up on baklava (£6.00). Despite having eaten lots somehow these were hard to resist!
Mouhalabia (£6.00) is a Lebanese milk pudding with rose water flavouring – a bit like a rose water blancmange. I’m not a huge rose water fan but this was subtle enough to work for me.

Occasionally local restaurants offer something beyond the expected. There is an unexpected care and precision to the cooking at Yasmeen that was  that makes the restaurant stand out. It’s also the sort of place you could return to on many occasions as there is fairly large and interesting menu and that’s what I plan to do. It’s well worth a visit.

 

Yasmeen

1 Blenheim Terrace St Johns Wood London NW8 0EH

020 7624 2921