A selection of dips and sides from Bubie and the main event - the laffa sandwich.
So what do we need to know about Bubie?
It's the new delivery-only restaurant from the folk who brought us Bubala (Hot Dinners readers' best new restaurant in 2019). This, like the original, has a menu of vegetarian, Middle Eastern dishes. And while it's a standalone concept, there are plenty of dishes you'll recognise if you liked the Spitalfields original. The key difference is that here, the focus is around their amazing Iraqi laffa bread.
It's a pretty tight menu - a handful of laffa sandwiches, bowls (without the laffa), sides and one dessert. Here's what we tried:
Hummus with burnt butter and parsley (£6) - we've eaten a lot of good hummus in London this year, but the Bubie/Bubala version is right up with the best of them.
Yemeni falafel sandwich (£10) - a mammoth sarnie wrap stuffed with the crispy aubergine you might remember from Bubala along with pickled red cabbage, salad, tahini and toum.
Caramelised onion rice (£5) - you'll have to imagine the heavenly waft of fried onion as you lift the lid. Spiked with parsley, chilli and lemon zest, it's a next-level rice dish.
Bubie mini latkes (£5) - miniature versions of the Bubala classic served with super garlicky toum topped with Aleppo pepper.
Salted caramel truffles (£3) - a trio of the softest, squishiest truffles topped with rose petals. Gorgeous and pretty much all you need after a feast here.
Overall thoughts:
We were big fans of Bubala, so the arrival of their new delivery option in the middle of a then-Tier 3 hospitality lockdown was always going to be welcome. They've deftly switched their menu to concentrate on works well on delivery and the food would work well whether you wanted just to order a laffa sarnie or go big on the bowls and sides for more of a dinner feast.
Right now it's North London only, but expect that to change pretty quickly as more kitchens come on track.
More about Bubie
When? The first kitchen launched in Kentish Town on 10 December, with more venues to follow around London in 2021.
How to order: Order on Deliveroo - deliveries are within a two mile radius of Kentish Town.
Find out more: Follow them on Instagram @bubie_london
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