Over the Queens Birthday long weekend I finally had the chance to give New Jaffa a try for lunch. It’s been on my list since it opened, so when my family asked me to pick somewhere for us to go it was an easy choice. I love Middle Eastern food so knew this would be right up my alley, and it’s safe to say I wasn’t disappointed!
We started our meal at New Jaffa with some mint tea. It was simple, and it was delicious. We decided to sit in the back courtyard and despite being a sunny day, the mint tea was an excellent way to warm us up that little bit more!
We decided to share some dishes so we could try more of the menu – my favourite way to eat. First up, the Hummus Plate. It was exactly as it sounds – a plate full of hummus, topped with more chickpeas. The hummus was smooth, creamy and delicious and the pita breads were warm, soft and fluffy. It’s simple but perfectly done.
Next up we ordered the Sabich Plate which consisted of eggplant, hummus, tahini, salad and a boiled egg. The eggplant was creamy and delicious, and worked so well with the lemony, tart salad and the dollops of mustard. The eggplant literally fell apart as you cut it which was seriously good. If we weren’t sharing then I would have got this in a pita and I think it would have been outstanding that way!
Our next dish was the Falafel Plate. As the name suggests, it consisted of falafels, hummus, salad, red onion, tahini and pickled chilli. The falafels were crunchy and full of flavour, and I still wasn’t over the hummus! The dish was simple, but allowed all the ingredients to shine through. And shine they did! I have had some very average falafels in my time, but these were fantastic. Nothing dry and boring about them, that’s for sure!
Last but not least we ordered a side of chips because, why not. They were crunchy, crispy and delicious, and the dipping sauce had an excellent kick to it. I do love some chips, and these were good’uns!
Overall we had an excellent lunch at New Jaffa, and left feeling very happy with our choices. The menu has plenty of vegan and gluten free options, and I’m keen to go back and try the dinner options as well. Roast cauliflower – yes please!