YaYa

Ya Ya has to be the best kept gourmet secret in town! In a city with good food at every corner at every price range, Ya Ya is my new favorite restaurant, hands down! The food, best categorized as somewhere between Middle Eastern and Mediterranean with many dishes similar to Moroccan, is amazingly flavorful! Ya Ya is the only place that I've ever had hummus I like! Their phyllos, a savory pastry filled with meat or veggie, is the best I've had in the city?so much better than that other pretentious place - whose name begins with ""A"" - that claims it as their specialty! The staff and owner, Ya Ya, are so much nicer and attentive too! The best surprise is the bill - you'll be shocked at how reasonable it is! Worried about parking? No problem, you can park in front of the restaurant in their loading zone, or if it's taken, they have free validated parking a few blocks away! Atmosphere? This is no ?hole in the wall!? It?s tastefully decorated in warm hues with paintings of Mesopotamian. With it?s great food, romantic atmosphere, and friendly staff, Ya Ya is the perfect place to impress your date without going into debt! Pros: Every dish is amazingly delicious! Great Value, friendly service, romantic atmosphere, FREE validated parking! Cons: exotic creative flavors; don't come here if you're not ready to broaden your culinary horizon! more

I celebrated my birthday with 14 friends a few weeks ago. We were scrambling to find a restaurant near Harry Denton's Rouge, where we all attended a tea dance. None of us knew the area, but I came across the listing for YaYa and decided to give them a try.\r \r I'm very glad we did! We arrived on the day, and instead of working our way through the menu one at a time, we asked the chef to pick out what he thought we'd like. The phyllo dough dishes were light - the dough didn't overwhelm the other tastes. The fish was tart and delicious. The dolmas were exceptional. The cuisine was familiar, but with new twists (at least one that were new to me). The Bedouin-style dishes were nice to share family-style (especially so we could all try out the various dishes).\r \r It was especially nice because it wasn't as loud as most places you might go for a group dinner. The atmosphere was quiet and elegant, and the owner very hospitable and welcoming. Pros: Inventive food; good wines; good for a group Cons: I wouldn't go here for a quick dinner; it's set up to have you savor the evening & the table more

the food is definitely good value and different. It's modified middle eastern. The service was attentive. The wine list was short but effective! more

This place is great and unfortunately for the location (Van Ness) and lack of advertising probably goes less noticed. A friend recommended this place to me and it was fantastic. For a city with so much good food, it takes more to stand out and yet this place is certainly unique in it's dishes and flavors. Never thought about eating Iraquie food. It is marvelous. The people who work there are so friendly and knowledgeable. The ambience is exotic and serene. I can't wait to go back! more

This place is located at a quiet corner. It is a small place with a romantic feel and dim lights. The ambience felt great. However the best of it all was the food. The value was worth every bite. We ordered the 'trout dish' and 'kebabs'. I was relishing every bite of the fish dish. The server was extremely helpful and 'Yaya'- the owner actually comes and meets every guest. Excellent service and food. All thumbs up for this great place. Pros: Great service and excellent food Cons: Parking more

Dont like this place at all.....\r The food is weird and the atmosphere isnt great either.\r My daughter took me and we didnt enjoy ourselves at all.\r BAD wine list & NO BAR. This combination is nothing\r but a disaster. Lots of scary looking people eating in there\r felt like I was out of place. \r Never had Iraqi food before and dont want to either - pass \r on this one.\r *The owner must write his own reviews!!!!!! Pros: Empty Cons: Boring, Bland, rip off more

The ambiance was lovely ... soft and pretty and welcoming. The food was beautifully presented and the tastes remarkable ... intense, flavorful, unusual and special. This is definitely a restaurant to visit whenever you have a special occasion or want to be treated to a special meal. The chef/owner, YaYa, came out to make sure everything was good and we were happy with it. Overall, a wonderful experience. Pros: great food, wonderful ambiance Cons: hard parking more

Outstanding savors (that were new to me). Very professional and friendly service. The inside is more on the ""standard"" side in terms of decor, but it is definitely nice, warm and clean. more

I came here for dinner last week with a group of friends and had an amazing time. The food was excellent and we enjoyed a great variety of dishes with various flavors. The service was also great, our waiter answered all of our questions and was very attentive. For anyone who enjoys trying unique food, I highly recommend YaYa. more

I love Mediterreanean and Middle Eastern food, and YaYa's is some of the best I've had. Our waiter was super friendly and made excellent recommendations. The decor is inviting. But the food is what really impressed me with this restaurant. The owner/chef takes Mesopotamian classics and adds a little California twist. The combination of flavors was wonderful, and it was one of the better - and most unique - meals I've had in a while. Highly recommended. Pros: Unique, Great food, Great atmosphere more

Recently went here (1/10/2006) for a small birthday dinner and really enjoyed it. Not many people were there (maybe it was just a slow Tuesday night), so please go there and bring all your friends. It would be a shame not to experience this extremely delicious and unique food. Apparently the menu changes frequently, but I had the dish with lamb and chicken in phyllo dough (the combination plates allow you to sample many flavors). For an appetizer we had the ""ravioli"" which was served cold and was sweet, not savory. Delicious! The wine list was good and reasonably priced. The chef/owner himself came out to see how we liked the food. We had a vegetarian in the group and there were plenty of choices for veg's. Pros: Great food, Nice ambiance, Not crowded Cons: Can't think of any more

First off, we would like say that the food and ambience was wonderful. The mood was relaxing. The appetizer with the ravioli was excellent, and the chefs treatment of both the beef and fish dishes was delicious- a definite recommendation. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for the service. She was stoic and cold. If she had bad day, we could understand. But this was not the case. The mere fact that there was a couple sitting next to us who she treated so warmly, then conversely, served us tight lipped, purposely looking away as she served us not only put a dent in our otherwise good first experience, but made it apparent she had an issue serving us. Let me emphasize that the rest of the staff was not this way. The host greeted us very warmly and the bus person was very friendly. It was simply her. Pros: Food, Atmosphere, Value Cons: Service more

I've been to YaYa twice now and have really enjoyed the food/atmosphere both times! I have tried the dolmas entree and the kuzi entree -- both were absolutely delicious! My husband and I eat out a lot in the city and have discovered that so many restaurants are the same with big windows and white tablecloths. YaYa is truly a truly different & wonderful dining experience. We'll definitely be back! more

I have not been pleased with middle eastern restaurants in the city until I stumbled upon YAYA. The food was delicious and the service was great. The owner made recommendations and personally took our order. If you're a fish lover, try the trout...very tasty. Will eat here as much as possible Pros: food, inexpensive more

We happened to stumble across this wonderful place and found a menu that was exciting, diverse and at times bewildering, but from the dishes we tasted it all comes togther perfectly. We did not go there looking to write a review so i apologise for not remembering the names of dishes but i would reccomend the iraqi appetiser made up of many spices, raviolli and a creamy sauce. For a main meal, try the lamb shank in pastry and if you can manage a desert do so with the arabic tea. In short, go to this restaurant if you want something to wake up your taste buds and somewhere to really get excited about recieving your next course. excellent! Pros: menu, atmosphere, value more

Honestly, i've never walked into such an engaging restaurant. The paintings on the wall are very capturing. The dining tables are set up elegantly and nicely as you await for you meal. The food and presentation are very tasty and visible. The Chef uses such flavors in the food that makes you want to indulge all night long! The colors are very breathe taking and the prices are very reasonable. He specializes in Middle eastern cooking with a touch of his own creations. I recommend this restaurant and believe me you will be coming soon again! Pros: atmosphere, food presentation, flavorful food more

We had the Mezza appetizer and it was wonderful. The turnip with date sauce was excellent. I'd never had anything like it. We had the grilled fish and the chicken pasterie with the rasberry sauce. The fish was excellent, but the chicken pasterie lacked a little flavor and the rasberry sauce was a bit much. Overall, great service and great food. Pros: service, food, quiet more