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Yasma Pop-Up Restaurant Introduces Rich, Refined Flavours of the Levant to Vancouver

The GOOD from Yasma

Vancouver, BC | Vancouverites can now experience the rich, refined flavours of the Levant with the launch of Yasma, a new pop-up restaurant in Kitsilano that draws on the deep histories and celebrated cuisines of Syria and Lebanon.

Founded by the team behind Dark Table Restaurant, Yasma serves an assortment of traditional Levantine dishes that are made from the finest imported spices and locally sourced, meticulously in-house butchered meats.

These include kibbeh, a bulgur meatball stuffed with a mixture of minced lamb, nuts and fragrant spices that is a specialty of the Syrian city of Aleppo. Like in Aleppo, Yasma prepares kibbeh in a variety of ways, including fried, skewered and grilled. The latter two methods are done over smouldering charcoal, which lend the kibbeh a delicate, smoky flavour.

Yasma’s menu also includes lamb sausages, a warming dish of minced lamb, pine nuts and sweet pomegranate molasses; yalandji, tender grape leaves rolled and filled with rice, vegetables and fresh herbs; and fatteh hummus, a hearty blend of chickpeas, tahini, yogurt, ghee and nuts served with crispy pita.

“These dishes are laced deeply within our culture and tied to memories of family and friends, which we hold close to our hearts,” says Sami Mousattat, general manager of Yasma. “The food of the Levant tells our stories and we want to share our passion for this cuisine with Vancouver in the way it was intended.”

As typical in Levantine cuisine, many of Yasma’s dishes are vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and/or halal. Many of them, like the toshka (grilled pita stuffed with minced lamb and halloumi cheese) and shish burger (grilled chicken, garlic sauce, red cabbage, tomatoes and housemade pickles) are designed to pack away easily as Yasma operates by takeout only.

“Our team has spent much of our lives living and traveling in the Levant and we want to share our knowledge and experiences with Vancouver through the distinct scents and flavours of our home,” Mousattat says. “Many dishes on Yasma’s menu will bring you to a place you have possibly never been, longing for a time that never was. The Germans have a word for this, fernweh, and it’s a feeling we hope to impart on all of our guests.”

In addition, Yasma will be offering take out family set meals via Tock starting December 2nd. Set meals come with six to seven items each, enough for a family of four or five. Options include a meat set featuring freekeh, a dish layered with lamb, rice, roasted wheat, and slivered nuts; a pescatarian set featuring samakeh harra, a herb-crusted fish brushed with tahini and yogurt paste; or a vegetarian set with imam bayildy, roasted eggplants stuffed with goat cheese and walnuts. Starting at $125 and with a minimum of 24-hour’s notice, orders for these family meals will be accepted on Tock.

Yasma has launched at Dark Table Restaurant (2611 West 4th Avenue) and is open for takeout from Tuesday to Saturday, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, or to view the full menu, visit yasma.ca.

Neighbourhood: West End
550 Denman St.
604-566-0493

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