Yasma is serving up Syrian-Lebanese cuisine in Downtown Vancouver in Coal Harbour. They previously had a ghost kitchen concept operating out of Dark Table in Kitsilano. However, they now have a brick and mortar location smack in the middle of Coal Harbour. Yasma is serving up authentic dishes with locally sourced ingredients and halal, in-house butchered meats. I do not have a lot of experience in Middle Eastern food, so I didn’t know what to expect. However, I came away absolutely blown away by the flavours in every dish. So many dishes here are such a labour of love and you can taste the passion the team has. Check out my full review of the Yasma tasting menu below!
Yasma Vancouver Tasting Menu
The Yasma Tasting menu features seasonal favourites of eight to ten rotating items and is $89 per person. For my particular meal I had:
- Labneh ball with Aleppo zataar
- Aged and strained yogurt , Aleppo zaatar, Syrian olives
- Hummus with fresh housemade bread
- Tabouleh Salad
- Parsley, tomato, onion, cracked wheat, lemon juice
- Kibbeh Niyah and Muhammara
- Lamb tartare, pomegranate molasses, pepper, walnuts
- A selection of warm mezzez
- Eggplant 2 ways
- Yalandji – rice, tomatoes, pepper, onion, mint rolled in grape leaves
- Sambousak – half moon shaped dough, cheese, parsley
- Fried kibbeh – stuffed shell, minced lamb, bulgur, onions, nuts, yogurt sauce
- Shish Tawouk from the grill
- Yogurt marinated chicken breast
- Smoke 2 ways
- Lamb chop on charcoal on babba ganouch (smoked eggplant, diced vegetables, herbs, pomegranate molasses, walnuts)
- Cherry kebab
- Charcoaled lamb meatballs, black sour cherry sauce, pita, parsley, pine nuts
- Baklawa
- Filo pastry, chopped nuts
Most of these dishes are unfamiliar to me aside from the typical hummus, tabouleh salad and Shish Tawouk (grilled chicken). But I truly loved each and every item on this menu!
Yasma Vancouver Tasting Menu – Cold Mezzez & Salads
The Labneh ball with Aleppo zataar was fantastic. I have never had anything like it before. The yogurt is aged for a year! A server will come by to drizzle the most fantastic olive oil over this dish. It is so lovely when you pair it with the fresh housemade bread.
The Hummus was the smoothest hummus I have ever had. I would even describe it as airy! It was light and unlike any other hummus I have had. Usually I find hummus to be much grainer and garlicky – but this was much lighter in taste and it takes Chef Kristina two days to make this lovely hummus. The house bread was so fluffy and came to the table steaming hot. It was perfect for eating the hummus and Labneh ball.
To follow we had Tabouleh Salad, which was very light and refreshing. The squeeze of lemon really brightens up the whole dish.
The Kibbeh Niyah and Muhammara was my first time trying raw lamb! I didn’t know what to expect but it was so flavourful and smooth without any gaminess. Together with the Muhammara (roasted red pepper dip) it was like a flavourful symphony explosion. I am absolutely blown away by the Muhammara – it was so tasty and I devoured mine in no time with the fresh bread.
Yasma Vancouver Tasting Menu – Hot Mezzez
Following the cold starters we had a tasting plate of Hot Mezzez which includes:
- Eggplant 2 ways
- Yalandji – rice, tomatoes, pepper, onion, mint rolled in grape leaves
- Sambousak – half moon shaped dough, cheese, parsley
- Fried kibbeh – stuffed shell, minced lamb, bulgur, onions, nuts, yogurt sauce
The grilled eggplant roll was lovely, the smokey flavour works so well with the filling. The Fried Kibbeh was very interesting. The crispy shell works well with the aromatic lamb filling. Overall a great plate of various textures and flavours.
Yasma Vancouver Tasting Menu – From the Grill
Moving on the main part of the menu, we first had Shish Tawouk from the grill. The chicken breast was so moist and flavourful and I love the little turnip pickle accompaniment. I covered my serving liberally in the amazing Toum (Lebanese garlic sauce).
Next we had ‘Smoke 2 Ways’. This dish consists of a lamb chop on babba ganouch (smoked eggplant dip) – hence smoke 2 ways. The lamb chop I got was quite fatty, but the lamb meat was tender and had a good charcoal flavour.
To finish off the meat component we had a Cherry Kebab. This item is not available on the regular menu. The lamb meatball went really well with the black cherry sauce! The tartness really balances out the gamey lamb meat.
Yasma Vancouver Tasting Menu – Dessert
To finish off the night we had a lovely little bite of Baklawa. The pastry was so flakey and I really enjoy the pistachios in this dish. It wasn’t too sweet, so it was really a great way to end a very filling meal!
Yasma Vancouver Cocktail Menu
Yasma has a great cocktail program inspired by flavours of the Levant. They also will be serving fine Lebanese wine. The cocktails were created in collaboration with Sam Thornton, a well-respected cocktail connoisseur.
For our tasting we sampled:
- Yasma Mule
- Vodka, lime, apricot, ginger
- Courtyard Garden Martini
- House gin blend, house vermouth blend, flower tincture, arak
- Spindrift Fizz
- Fino, London dry, yoghurt, lemon, elderflower, rose, saffron, egg white
- Cedar of Lebanon
- Bourbon, bitters, cedar, demerara
- Harbour Spritz
- Campari, pomegranate, lemon, gin, mint
All the cocktails were absolutely lovely but my two favourites are the Yasma Mule and the Harbour Spritz. Both cocktails were incredibly light and refreshing and I really enjoyed them with my meal.
Worth a Try?
Yes! I really had a lovely time discovering all the wonderful and exciting flavours of the Levant at Yasma. If you are new to Syrian-Lebanese cuisine like myself the tasting menu is a perfect introduction to Middle Eastern cuisine. The restaurant is right by the water and it’s so serene to enjoy a leisurely meal right by the moving waves.
