Marilynn and I are definitely not foodies, so I was surprised when she wanted to dine at a particular Israeli restaurant in London. I had no idea what Israeli cooking entailed and no expectations whatsoever when we arrived at Bala Baya, located south of the Thames and a 10-minute walk from the Tate Modern and the Southwark Underground station.
But what a meal we had!
Bala Baya is tucked under a railway arch, and we walked past the alley entrance once before backtracking. After the hostess checked our reservation, we were directed upstairs to an expansive dining area that overlooks a spacious alcove where al fresco diners gathered.
I have an unusual allergy: onions and their cousins cause so much intestinal distress (no, you don’t want the specifics) that I have to declare them as an allergy. The staff was extremely helpful, conferring with the chef and producing a menu tailored to my needs. Unfortunately, all of the meats were marinated in vegetable stock that contained onions, so we had to limit ourselves to vegetable plates. But that was perfectly OK by us.
The highlight of the meal was a dish called aubergine mess that consisted of blackened aubergine (that’s eggplant, to us), oregano, tahini, pomegranate molasses, and lychee. It’s a dish best served cold, with explosive flavor combinations I’ve never experienced before. We devoured the dish, then soaked up the juices on the platter and our plates with soft, warm pita.
We also enjoyed the shawarma-rubbed Jerusalem artichoke, with labneh, harissa and rose, and chervil. Don’t ask me what any of these ingredients are besides the Jerusalem artichoke (which was HUGE, and nothing like what we had previously known as artichokes), but the combination was delicious. We also had fire-roasted cabbage and a selection of olives. Marilynn capped off her meal with a lemon and rose Israeli soda, while I had my first-ever glass of Israeli red wine.
Working together, three female waiters provided impeccable service, constantly running up and down the stairs, keeping us informed of any waits, and apologizing profusely when a dish deemed safe when we ordered it was later declared out of bounds for me. The service was every bit as good as the food.
We visited London twice this May. Two days of touristy pursuits in London early on was followed more than a week later by another night near the end of the trip when we met friends. We made sure to catch an early train from Oxfordshire to London so we could eat at Bala Baya a second time. We had aubergine mess (of course) and a round of hummus, delicious memories we will have to content ourselves with because we don’t get to London that often.
To Europe ... and Back 