THE LUGG XPERIENCE: FOODIE REVIEW: YAH’S CUISINE

Nadirah’s Perspective:

It’s about that time to reveal another hidden gem restaurant within our beautiful city of Chicago. Located at 2347 E. 75^th Street (between Yates & Oglesby), this vegetarian restaurant provides soul food/middle eastern food with a flair. Although Soul Vegetarian is popularly known by us locals, I will challenge anyone to please visit this restaurant and not be won over by her delicious menu. Hubby and I was feeling adventurous one Sunday evening and decided to go vegan/vegetarian for our dinner. After finally locating a neighborhood based business and reading the online reviews, we decided to try our luck… and so glad we did!!!

Once we arrived in the place, all we could hear was the sound of great music and someone singing from the back. We were graciously greeted by Yah herself and I immediately explained that we were virgins to her eatery. Although Yah provides you with a specific daily dinner and lunch menu, you are more than welcome to get whatever you want. I asked her to suggest her best sellers but was promptly told that everything was a best seller because everyone has a favorite. I scanned the menu and was torn between the Eggplant Lasagna and the BBQ Roast. I was soooo glad so offered me a sample of the two because I would still be there to this day trying to figure out what to order. Troy placed his order and she disappeared into the kitchen in the back. Five minutes later, Yah returned with the sampler and I was floored. Both items tasted incredible. I never felt like I was denying myself of meat. The BBQ sauce and the texture of the roast were divine but I was sold on the Eggplant Lasagna. For my other sides, I ordered the Mixed Smoked Greens, Candied Yams, Kale Salad (on a later date)... FYI: the hot water cornbread automatically came with it. I must warn you that we forgot to take pictures of our meal when we arrived home but fortunately, there was so much food that I had leftovers... hubby killed his. So the following photos at the bottom will be the next day shots and it tasted better than the night before. Now let’s get started!!!

The Eggplant Lasagna:

Without exaggerating, this dish was amazing. With it creamy consistency, multitude of herbs and spices, this hefty-proportioned lasagna literally makes you forget that it is meatless.

Mixed Smoked Greens:

Bursting with vibrant red and yellow peppers, the greens were definitely flavorful. Seasoned with a hint of something vinegary and oily, these greens didn’t taste smoky but it still packed a tasty punch.

Candied Yams:

Buttery tasting and filled with every spice that reminds you of a sweet potato pie, these delightful sweet potatoes are orange bursts of heaven. Reminiscent of grandma’s southern recipe, you cannot go wrong with this gratifying side dish.

Hot Water Cornbread:

Every foodie knows that is hard to run across some good hot water cornbread. However, I am here to tell you people that I have found just that. It has the size and look of a buttery pancake and is both sweet and savory. Fluffy and golden yellow, the cornbread was griddled to a perfect beautiful brown. Although I ate some of bread with the greens, this cornbread is delicious enough to eat by itself. So I’ll end with this disclaimer: EAT RESPONSIBLY PEOPLE!!!

Kale Salad:

Huge leafy pieces of kale marinated in some sort of soy sauce-colored mixture of oil and garlic gave the salad a taste of sweet and tangy. Very delicious but just make sure you carry breath mints after this one.

Whether you choose to dine in or carry out, the portions are plentiful, the service is friendly (Kevin, Yah's wonderful significant other, offered us water and hospitality while we waited), it’s reasonably price (three sides was $8.00), and the menu is very extensive http://www.yahscuisine.com/Menu.html. However, I will warn you that is does not carry the speed of a fast food chain. You will wait for your food but I promise you that it will be worth the wait. Besides, true foodies want quality and quantity and I can promise you both at Yah’s Cuisine.

TELL YAH THE LUGGS SENT YOU!!!

Troy’s Perspective:

Yah’s Cusine is a vegetarian restaurant that my wife and I stumbled upon after research on the internet. I was skeptical as I am with all restaurants, but was pleasantly surprised by this hidden gem. Upon entering the restaurant I was greeted by Yah herself with a delightful smile and warm charisma. Unsure of what I wanted, it was offered to me to make up my own customized order. That immediately sparked my interest. That was never offered at the most upscale restaurant, so I decided to start small since it was my first time ordering. I decided to order BBQ Mushrooms with Tomatoes & Onions, (2) Veggie Patties: (1) Lentil and (1) Black Bean, fresh homemade Salsa and Hummus. After conversing with Yah, she mentioned that all entrees were cooked daily and made to order. This is usually not the case in a lot of American restaurants, but often the case in European eateries. The food was amazing! My meal contained fresh/ delectable vegetables, jam-packed with flavor and pleasing to the pallet. I could not ask for anything more. Yah’s is a restaurant that I thoroughly enjoyed and will be frequently patronizing. Yah’s Cuisine receives two thumbs up in my book and is a must go to spot on the South Side of Chicago.