• A dive into a hidden spot for Lebanese cuisine

Middle Eastern cuisine has captured our hearts and palates for generations. Yet, Colombo often does not boast many well-known restaurants that offer affordable Middle Eastern food.

Yallah Habibi, a cloud kitchen specialising in authentic Lebanese cuisine, treated The Daily Morning Brunch to a spread of their finest food. The restaurant, which opened its doors in 2022, serves customers through their takeaway service, as well as Uber and Pickme Foods. In addition to accepting the more traditional payments of cash, card, and bank transfers, Yallah Habibi also offers special discounts for those who use the Slash App and also accepts payments through Mint Pay.

Curated cuisine

What caught our attention was how authentic yet creative Yallah Habibi was with its food. When we scanned the menu, we were instantly surprised by the nod to celebrities and athletes with Middle Eastern heritage.

One popular example was their bestseller Mo Salah’s Chicken Shawarma, which is a nod to Egyptian football player and right-winger for Liverpool, Mohamed Salah. Another nod to a celebrity was Gigi’s Beef Shawarma, which pays homage to half-Palestinian model Gigi Hadid.

We were also impressed with how Yallah Habibi has managed to seamlessly integrate crowd-pleasing beverages for the Lankan with their Lebanese cuisine. We tried their Habibi’s Iced Milo, which is a local favourite and is a pleasant surprise in the Colombo heat. It comes bedecked with powdered Milo and chocolate sauce and was one of the creamiest Milo drinks we have ever tasted. Yallah Habibi also serves virgin mango and black currant mojitos, which would tempt any mocktail lover looking to quench their thirst on a busy day. 

For starters

Hummus is a widely found food item in any Middle Eastern platter. To honour the authenticity of our experience, our dive into Yallah Habibi began with a bowl of rich hummus, made with blended chickpeas, tahini sauce, garlic, and a generous portion of olive oil, served with Middle Eastern Saj bread. The hummus was creamy and a perfect tease for our taste buds. 

We were also treated to falafels, deep-fried fritters made with chickpeas and Mediterranean herbs and served with earthy tahini sauce. The falafels were bite-sized and easy to eat and enjoy, piquing our curiosity about Middle Eastern street food and culture. 

Yalla Habibi also offered us a selection of their fusion starters.  A standout was the Zidane’s Spicy Chicken Wings – deep-fried chicken wings served with a spicy Lebanese sauce and thick-cut fries sprinkled with spices. 

For mains

With mains, Yalla Habibi’s focus is on shawarma wraps.  We first sampled the famous Mo Salah’s Chicken Shawarma, which is an authentic Arabic shawarma filled with grilled chicken, Lebanese pickles, and garlicky toum sauce. The shawarma was both delicious and healthy too, making it the perfect meal for someone looking for a good and authentic meal while sticking to their health goals.

We also tried their Gigi’s beef Shawarma; a mouthwatering shawarma filled to the brim with grilled beef, Lebanese pickle, and toum sauce, making it perfect for all the beef lovers. Their No-Meat Habibi – filled with chickpeas, Lebanese pickle, and toum sauce, gives all vegetarians out there a taste of Lebanese cuisine that is strong on both flavour and spirit.

While the dishes remain authentic, Yallah Habibi has not forgotten the Sri Lankan craving for spice. Menu options such as Seylani Chicken Shawarma and the Seylani Beef Shawarma feature spicier options with chilli sauce in order to satisfy those of us who need a few local flavours and bold spices in our food. 

Outside of wraps, the menu also featured delicious-looking kebabs served with Saj bread, hummus and a sauce of your choice. These charcoal-grilled meals will be a delight to any meat lover looking to experience the magic of Middle Eastern cuisine. Other meals, such as Kabsa Rice and Roasted Vermicelli Rice, are also featured in their menu and continue to be popular with their patrons.

An inclusive experience

Many of us often feel overburdened by the cost of exploring new restaurants and trying new cuisines. Economic factors and sometimes health and dietary concerns often cause many potential diners to limit themselves to familiar flavours and cuisines. 

However, Yallah Habibi makes sure their meals are both affordable and inclusive. While all of their meals are below Rs. 1,700, the majority of their starters are priced below Rs. 1,000, making Arabic food an affordable option for all to enjoy. Their menu is also inclusive in terms of providing healthy options with a high level of protein, and all the food served is halal.

In addition to delivering food for our meals, Yallah Habibi also caters for large-scale events such as birthday parties, mehndi functions, and bachelor and bachelorette parties for up to 250 guests, making event-catering interesting, inclusive, and affordable. 

Perhaps what makes Yallah Habibi so special is the way the restaurant combines authentic Lebanese recipes with the inclusivity and understanding of the local market, allowing Sri Lankans of all backgrounds to experience authentic Arabian cuisine.