With the owners of Lebanese Grocer opening a new restaurant, Yola, in Ponsonby this week, Emma Gleason went along to see whether this ‘fun little sister’ can compete with its popular sibling.
New and approved is our series highlighting fresh hospo offerings. Read more here.
What is it?
Auckland’s newest restaurant with a woman’s name, Yola is billed as a “modern Lebanese bistro”. The kind of place where you can order natural wine alongside your house-made baba ganoush, its arrival bolsters Ponsonby Road’s rather scant offering of Middle Eastern food.
Where is it?
In the heart of Auckland’s all-day dining precinct Ponsonby Central, on the Brown Street side. Head through the front doors on Ponsonby Road and go straight until you hit the Chop Chop Noodle House, then hook a right. See the reeded glass door? That’s Yola.
What’s new about it?
Everything! This restaurant is brand new. It opened officially September 29, following a series of soft-launch seatings. The paint’s dry, furniture installed and kitchen ready to go. Yola’s fit-out was extensive and documented on social media ahead of the opening. That was a smart move, inviting future clientele to feel invested in the project while also communicating the work involved in bringing an eatery to life.
Who’s behind it?
Elie Assaf and Keelan Bowkett Assaf, the couple behind the popular Pitt Street spot Lebanese Grocer. With that business humming alongside its new commercial kitchen (thanks to a $25,000 small-business grant from American Express) and the influx of visitors to Karangahape Road with the CRL opening, they had ambitions for a new project so took the plunge on another lease. Yola, which has no outside investors, is part of the pair’s expanding Grocer-verse of Lebanese food.
Assaf grew up in Lebanon before moving to Aotearoa with his family at the age of 10, but it was the return visits to Beirut as an adult that ignited his passion for the cuisine. He opened Lebanese Grocer in 2023, serving shawarma and other specialties that have people queuing out the door. It was there that menu testing and dining pop-ups paved the way for Yola.
The restaurant’s named after Elie’s mother, Yolanda, who runs the legendary Wellington eatery Phoenician Falafel alongside his father Tony.
What are the vibes?
Yola is warm and cool. The atmosphere is welcoming and this is a family restaurant in more ways than one; I observed children at several tables and you could easily bring diners of all ages here. The cool factor Assaf and his team cultivated up on Pitt Street is here too. Yola’s staff wear boxy, faded lavender T-shirts and look like they know their way around skin-contact wine – they do, it’s on the menu.
The space is stylish with nods to nostalgia. Pendant lights are enclosed in ornate glass tiles, tabletops are sky blue with wooden trim, banquette seats are upholstered in cinnamon fabric and some walls are olive green. Such a liberal use of colour is a welcome palate cleanser amid Auckland’s glut of stark eateries.
What should I order?
A bit of everything! The mezze-style menu is full of picky bits. Nibble on hand-roasted nuts, marinated olives and the house pickle plate before diving into the muhammara, hummus bi lahmeh (with jerked oxtail) and Lebanese Grocer dips.
Yolanda isn’t the only Assaf parent honoured with a shoutout: “Tony’s chicken” is a must-try. Breaded, fried and served with three sauces, it’s so good you’ll be fighting with your companion over who gets the last scoop of sublimely jammy red-pepper caramel.
There’s more meat to be had. Meatballs made from wagyu beef are served with date syrup and pine nuts, while the shish skewers present two options. We ordered both: the chicken tawook which comes nestled on a creamy bed of toum (a moreish emulsion of garlic and oil) and the surprisingly tender dry-aged ribeye, coated with spices and served with pickled onion and cucumber.
To balance out the protein, there’s Lebanese rice, twice-cooked potatoes and flavour-packed “not tabbouleh”. Pescatarians should be pleased by the kibbeh nayeh (minced tuna with burghul wheat) and vegetarians have a skewer option of wild mushrooms.
Save some room for the ba’alawa ice cream sandwich. It’s a revelation: pistachio ice cream comes wedged between crisp, flaky layers of ba’alawa. Although shareable (we did) this is a mistake. It’s too delicious, so order one each.
Wines come from New Zealand, France and Lebanon. So does the Beirut Beer, offered alongside Kiwi options (Hallertau, Sawmill) and Mexican brand Modelo. The negroni seemed to be the most popular beverage when I visited, with staff ferrying tumblers of the rich red cocktail from the bar at a brisk pace.
What’ll it set me back?
Less than you might expect. We ordered six dishes (all under $25) which totalled $106, not including drinks. For daytime diners, they also offer an $18 lunch bowl special.
Yola
Ponsonby Central, 4 Brown Street, Ponsonby, Auckland
Tues-Sun, 12pm-10pm
