Bala Baya

Israeli

Arch 25 Old Union Yard Arches, 229 Union St, SE1 0LR

££

Two floor, Tel Aviv style restaurant Bala Baya is open from 12 midday to midnight and serves delicious Israeli cuisine. Housed under railway arches in Southwark, and serving small plates - Bala Baya can't help but feel a bit too 'trendy', even if it isn't trying. Recommended by not one but TWO people, I thought I must go and see what all the fuss is about.

Set over two floors, Bala Baya can either be a casual counter-dining spot downstairs or upscale restaurant on the first floor. We were sat on a high table with stools, next to the counter, which was perfect: in on the action without being sat in front of the immense heat from the kitchen. A total of 4 chefs were working when we visited, and all seemed busy but incredibly controlled, despite how busy the restaurant was at the time and the complexity of dishes to prepare.

To drink, we ordered a bottle of red wine (the cheapest) which came in at £26 - not too bad. For food, you could either order a selection of 'feasts' or a collection of small plates, which were half the size. Due to the fact we wanted pretty much everything on the menu, we opted to get a selection of small plates, to try as much as possible. The waitress recommended getting 3/4 plates per person, however, staff at restaurants are always keen to make you over order - the more food, the higher the bill, the higher the bill, the bigger the tip...

We ignored this advice and ordered 5 plates between us. First were the Kebab Dumplings, which contained slow roast lamb, enveloped in semolina pockets and dipped in yogurt. The pockets were perfectly crisp which complimented the melt in your mouth lamb in the centre. Secondly, we ordered the Sweet Potato and Lamb; braised lamb shoulder and pine nuts placed on top of a portion of sweet potato hummus. Similarly, this lamb was also incredibly tender and the interesting addition of sweet potato hummus was a treat - we mopped it up with the freshly baked flatbread they gave us (and ended up getting 4 more pieces - they're free).

Thirdly, we opted for the Pork Cheeks with plum and lemon thyme salsa. Similarly to the lamb, the pork literally fell apart when you touched it. Pork cheeks are naturally tender but these were something else, and combined with the pairings of plum and lemon it was like no pork cheek I have ever tasted before. Following this we went for a consistent favourite, the Squidelicious; spiced squid with sweetcorn mayo and a chilli & grape relish. Squid can so often be cooked just a little too much, making it tough and rubbery, however, this was just the right side of tender, and had a fantastic thin layer of crunch surrounding it, which beat any heavily battered, deep fried calamari I've had elsewhere.

Aside from all the meat and odd bit of shellfish, we thought we ought to get something veggie, even if it's just the one. The one we went for happened to be the Thirty One; a combination of pistachio & tahini puree, freekeh & porcini tagine topped with oyster mushroom nut crunch. I love a mushroom and I love a nut so this was an absolute dream and was just as tasty as it's meaty pairings. The textures in it were so varied - from soft, meaty mushroom to crunchy nut and smooth tahini, it was not only a flavour sensation but a texture adventure too.

After these 5 dishes we were so full we could hardly move. Granted, we'd really cashed in on the free flatbread because there was so much taste left to be had on the plates, but even so, we REALLY didn't need 3-4 dishes each like the waitress suggested. After a little digestion break, we decided we really did have to share a desert, for if the main event was this fantastic, who knew what hidden wonders were waiting for us on the sweet side of things.

Disappointed to not find any chocolate on the menu, we went for The Filthy, because, if that isn't a desert you want to devour I don't know what is. The Filthy consisted of mascarpone, tahini, tonka cream, milk caramel, sesame crumble & banana compote. I have to say, it didn't do the rest of the menu justice; the banana and dried petals on top were on the wrong side of sour, whilst the mascarpone, tahini, cream and caramel all blended into one unidentifiable whole. Don't get me wrong, it was still very tasty, but I guess we just expected to be a bit more blown away.

Overall, Bala Baya is an experience everyone must have at least once: friendly staff, cool venue and sublime food. I rarely go into this much detail about every single dish I have, but for this place I simply had to; for they were all just as good as the next. The place had a chilled out atmosphere, despite the clientele being mainly dressed in suits, and the service was the perfect balance of quick but relaxed. The bill came to a rather painful £94 (including a £10 tip), but I must say that I felt the food was completely worth it.