Ya Hala Explained

Ya Hala
Chef:Mirna Attar
Street-Address:8005 Southeast Stark Street
City:Portland
County:Multnomah
State:Oregon
Zip:97215
Country:United States
Mapframe:yes
Mapframe-Zoom:13
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Ya Hala Lebanese Cuisine, or simply Ya Hala, is a Lebanese and Middle Eastern restaurant in Portland, Oregon, United States. The business was established as a deli counter in 1999.

Description

Ya Hala ("welcome" in Lebanese)[1] is a Lebanese and Middle Eastern restaurant in the southeast Portland part of the Montavilla neighborhood. Martin Cizmar of Willamette Week has described the restaurant as "cavernous".[2] Lauren Carlos and Michelle DeVona of Eater Portland wrote, "Huge murals grace the walls at this homey... standby, where visitors find homestyle Lebanese food as well as classic street fare".[3]

In 2013, The Astorian said the menu "offers Lebanese food that you might eat in someone's home, rather than the more standard fare".[4] The menu has included falafel,[5] shakshuka[6] pita and hummus,[7] lamb bacon and shanks,[8] meatballs,[9] eggs, sujuk and beef kafta kebabs, and burgers with arugula, eggplant, and tahini-Dijon dressing on a brioche bun.[10] [11] Lamb is also served as shawarma, kabobs, or kofta with shakshuka.[12]

Portland Monthly said: "At its new brunch, this Montavilla standby takes a detour from its Middle East playbook. Instead, the restaurant spice-routes American greasy-spoon dishes alongside pots of fragrant Turkish coffee and traditional Lebanese breakfast fare."[13] Ya Hala uses the Lebanese coffee brand Najjar as of 2001.[14]

In 2003, The Oregonian described the restaurant's exterior as "inviting" and "plant-adorned".[15]

History

The family-owned restaurant was established as a deli counter in 1999.[16] The Attar family also owns Barbur World Foods and International Food Supply.[17] [18] Mirna and John Attar are co-owners;[19] Mirna also serves as chef[20] as of 2020. She is the daughter of Nicholas Restaurant founders Nicholas and Linda Dibe, and the sister of Hoda Khouri, the owner and chef of Hoda's.[21] [22] Pascal Attar is also associated with Ya Hala.[23]

Ya Hala began serving brunch in 2015.[24] [25] [26] The restaurant's exterior was painted in 2016. In 2021, Ya Hala's marquee logo was repainted and the text "Ya Hala Lebanese Plates – Established 1999" was changed to "ya hala" in lowercase.[27] Ya Hala participated in the Portland Bloody Mary Festival, which was hosted by the Bloody Mary Liberation Party at Redd on Salmon Street, in 2019.[28] In 2023, Mirna Attar began serving a new prix fixe menu in a dedicated space called the Fairuz Room. According to Eater Portland, the rotating dishes "meld Attar's memories of Lebanon with Pacific Northwestern ingredients," such as asparagus moussaka, beef shanks with Swiss chard kibbeh, and kishk soup with black garlic toast. The Fairuz Room also has cocktails and wines unavailable to guests in the primary dining area.[29]

Reception

In 2003, The Oregonian called Ya Hala "a Lebanese restaurant also on the top of many critics' lists". The newspaper said in 2004:

In 2008, The Oregonian said, "Every neighborhood should be so lucky to have a family diner like this: loud and bustling, with well-priced, piled-high plates of Lebanese food and a Mideast grocery store next door. Best dishes are found in the meze and grill sections."[30] Michael Russell included the restaurant in the newspaper's 2019 "ultimate guide to Portland's 40 best brunches".[31] In Walking Portland (2019), Becky Ohlsen called Ya Hala "an excellent choice if you're hungry" and said the restaurant was among the first established along a section of Southeast Stark Street.[32]

In 2015, Benjamin Tepler of Portland Monthly said Ya Hala was "widely considered one of the city's best Middle Eastern restaurants".[33] Ya Hala was a runner-up in the Best Mediterranean Restaurant category of Willamette Week annual 'Best of Portland' reader's poll in In 2016,[34] 2017,[35] and 2022.[36] In the newspaper's 2019 list of the 10 "best places to get hummus in Portland", Shannon Gormley described the hummus as "a wholesome treat" with a "rich, nutty flavor and unobtrusive consistency".[37] Alex Frane selected Ya Hala for Montavilla in Thrillist's 2019 list of the "best brunch spots in 17 Portland neighborhoods".[38]

The restaurant has been included in multiple lists published by Eater Portland, including Chad Walsh's 2016 list of "Portland restaurants with killer delivery options",[39] Nick Woo's 2020 overview of "where to find saucy shakshuka in Portland",[6] and Lauren Carlos and Michelle DeVona's 2020 overview of "where to find next-level hummus in Portland".[3] In the website's 2022 overview of recommended eateries in Montavilla, Alex Frane and Nathan Williams wrote: "A stucco wall painted with faux windows adds an immersive charm to Ya Hala, one of the city's best Lebanese restaurants. Most nights of the week, families and couples on dates fill its dining room, with tables covered in baba ghanoush, shawarma, lamb sausages, rice-stuffed grape leaves, and much more."[40]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Wolf, Laurie . Portland, Oregon Chef's Table: Extraordinary Recipes from the City of Roses . 2012-07-17 . Rowman & Littlefield . 978-0-7627-8711-1 . en . 2023-01-17 . 2023-01-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230118001448/https://books.google.com/books?id=rRY8Uqjen8kC&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA115&dq=%22Ya+Hala%22+portland&hl=en . live .
  2. Web site: Eye of the Shawarm . 2023-01-18 . . September 25, 2013 . en . 2020-11-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201112031950/https://www.wweek.com/portland/article-21182-eye-of-the-shawarm.html . live .
  3. Web site: Carlos . Lauren . 2019-01-16 . Where to Find Next-Level Hummus in Portland . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210816214249/https://pdx.eater.com/maps/hummus-portland . 2021-08-16 . 2022-03-10 . Eater Portland . en.
  4. News: May 6, 2013 . Ya Hala's Chef Shares Favorite Lebanese Recipes . . Mirna Attar is the chef and owner of the Montavilla neighborhood restaurant Ya Hala. Her menu offers Lebanese food that you might eat in someone's home, rather than the more standard fare..
  5. Web site: Brunch Outside the Box . 2023-01-18 . . en . 2022-07-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220709232101/https://www.portlandmercury.com/eat-and-drink-guide-fall-2017/2017/10/10/19382268/brunch-outside-the-box . live .
  6. Web site: Woo . Nick . 2020-02-12 . Where to Find Saucy Shakshuka in Portland . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210329201216/https://pdx.eater.com/maps/shakshuka-portland . 2021-03-29 . 2022-03-10 . Eater Portland . en.
  7. Book: Dawn . Eden . The Portland Book of Dates: Adventures, Escapes, and Secret Spots . Simonian . Ashod . 2021-01-05 . Sasquatch Books . 978-1-63217-326-3 . en . 2023-01-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230118001454/https://books.google.com/books?id=PDLbDwAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA159&dq=%22Ya+Hala%22+portland&hl=en . 2023-01-18 . live.
  8. Book: Wolf, Laurie . Portland, Oregon Chef's Table: Extraordinary Recipes from the City of Roses . 2012-07-17 . Rowman & Littlefield . 978-0-7627-8711-1 . en . 2023-01-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230118001448/https://books.google.com/books?id=rRY8Uqjen8kC&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA115&dq=%22Ya+Hala%22+portland&hl=en . 2023-01-18 . live.
  9. Web site: Lebanese Lamb Meatballs with Tangy Pomegranate Sauce . 2023-01-18 . The Oregonian . January 26, 2015 . 2022-09-29 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220929152409/https://recipes.oregonlive.com/recipes/lebanese-lamb-meatballs-with-tangy-pomegranate-sauce . live .
  10. Ya Hala . live . . https://web.archive.org/web/20180208021651/https://www.pdxmonthly.com/restaurants/ya-hala . February 8, 2018 . March 10, 2022.
  11. Book: Stevenson, Jen . Portland Family Adventures: City Escapades, Day Trips, Weekend Getaways, and Itineraries for Fun-Loving Families . 2017-04-18 . Sasquatch Books . 978-1-63217-100-9 . en . 2023-03-23 . 2023-03-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230323172428/https://books.google.com/books?id=U6a5DAAAQBAJ&dq=%22Ya+Hala%22+portland&pg=PT253 . live .
  12. Web site: Jackson-Glidden . Brooke . 2023-03-23 . An Eater's Guide to Halal Dining in Portland, Oregon . 2023-03-23 . Eater Portland . en . 2023-03-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230323172410/https://pdx.eater.com/maps/halal-food-portland-oregon . live .
  13. Web site: Portland's Best Brunches 2015 . 2023-01-18 . Portland Monthly . en-US . 2022-05-29 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220529081353/https://www.pdxmonthly.com/eat-and-drink/2015/04/the-10-best-brunches-in-portland-right-now-may-2015 . live .
  14. News: March 2, 2001 . Shedding Some Light on Turkish Coffee . The Oregonian . Ya Hala restaurant serves Najjar, a brand of coffee from Lebanon that they also carry in their attached store..
  15. News: December 28, 2003 . CULTIVATING SECOND-GROWTH . The Oregonian . Efforts to renew Today, Montavillans are especially proud of their restaurants, which include ... Ya Hala, a Lebanese restaurant also on the top of many critics' lists. Ya Hala owner John Attar immigrated to Portland from Beirut, Lebanon, and set up his restaurant and adjoining international market across from Dickson Drugs. He sees opportunity to increase foot traffic in the area. 'We've done our part, planting outside,' he says, gesturing to Ya Hala's inviting, plant-adorned exterior. If more businesses did the same, he says, the area would be more enticing..
  16. Web site: April 12, 2019 . 8 things to do in the Portland area this weekend: April 12–14 . 2023-01-18 . . en-US . 2019-04-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190414155859/https://www.kgw.com/article/life/8-things-to-do-in-the-portland-area-this-weekend-april-12-14/283-d70a5dab-fe80-4e0f-95b3-3f86bdbfc1d6 . live .
  17. Book: Salloum, Habeeb . The Arabian Nights Cookbook: From Lamb Kebabs to Baba Ghanouj, Delicious Homestyle Arabian Cooking . 2012-02-28 . Tuttle Publishing . 978-1-4629-0524-9 . en . 2023-01-17 . 2023-01-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230118001449/https://books.google.com/books?id=v5TTAgAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA156&dq=%22Ya+Hala%22+portland&hl=en . live .
  18. Book: Crain, Liz . Food Lover's Guide to Portland . 2014-09-02 . Hawthorne Books . 978-0-9904370-1-7 . en . 2023-01-17 . 2023-01-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230118001449/https://books.google.com/books?id=c8SECgAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PT55&dq=%22Ya+Hala%22+portland&hl=en . live .
  19. Book: Wolf, Laurie . Food Lovers' Guide to® Portland, Oregon: The Best Restaurants, Markets & Local Culinary Offerings . 2014-01-14 . Rowman & Littlefield . 978-1-4930-0670-0 . en . 2023-01-17 . 2023-01-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230118001450/https://books.google.com/books?id=BrOsAgAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA69&dq=%22Ya+Hala%22+portland&hl=en . live .
  20. Web site: Lackey . Kayo . Sadowsky . Dan . Bernert . Jason . 2013-10-04 . Cook It At Home: Mirna Attar's Roasted Eggplant And Brown Rice Tabouli . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210514062047/https://www.opb.org/artsandlife/series/cookitathome/cook-it-at-home-mirna-attars-roasted-roasted-eggplant-brown-rice-tabouli/ . 2021-05-14 . 2022-03-10 . . en.
  21. News: Manning . Ivy . July 21, 2009 . Mezze table . The Oregonian . January 17, 2023 . At first glance, it looks like any suburban family getting together for a barbecue, but this is no ordinary family. Mirna Attar is chef of Ya Hala restaurant and daughter of Nicholas and Linda Dibe, founders of Nicholas Restaurant. Following her with platters of hummus and baba ghanouj is her sister, Hoda Khouri, the owner/chef of Hoda's restaurant. . October 21, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211021024014/https://www.oregonlive.com/foodday/2009/07/mezze_table.html . live .
  22. Web site: Wong . Janey . Cocktail To-Go Club: Nicholas Restaurant Starts New Chapter of Storied Legacy . 2023-01-18 . Portland Mercury . en . 2022-12-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221206184554/https://www.portlandmercury.com/food-and-drink/2021/04/21/32803255/cocktail-to-go-club-nicholas-restaurant-starts-new-chapter-of-storied-legacy . live .
  23. Book: Marianella . Vincenzo . The New Bloody Mary: More Than 75 Classics, Riffs & Contemporary Recipes for the Modern Bar . Fraioli . James O. . 2017-04-04 . Simon and Schuster . 978-1-5107-1669-8 . en . 2023-01-17 . 2023-01-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230118001454/https://books.google.com/books?id=2WSCDwAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PT115&dq=%22Ya+Hala%22+portland&hl=en . live .
  24. Web site: Three Reasons To Try Ya Hala's New Lebanese Brunch . 2023-01-18 . . en-US . 2021-07-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210726052116/https://www.pdxmonthly.com/eat-and-drink/2015/03/three-reasons-to-try-ya-hala-s-new-lebanese-brunch-march-2015 . live .
  25. Web site: Centoni . Danielle . 2015-03-20 . Eaterwire: Ya Hala Launches Brunch; Maryhill NW Winery of the Year . 2023-01-18 . Eater Portland . en . 2022-08-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220818193039/https://pdx.eater.com/2015/3/20/8267589/eaterwire-ya-hala-launches-brunch-maryhill-nw-winery-of-the-year . live .
  26. Web site: Bakall . Samantha . 2016-05-18 . Ya Hala's brunch goes beyond bacon and eggs: Cheap eats . 2023-01-18 . The Oregonian . en . 2016-08-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160823152021/http://www.oregonlive.com/portland_cheap_eats/2016/05/ya_hala_brunch_southeast_portl.html . live .
  27. Web site: 2021-03-14 . Ya Hala Repaints Logo . 2022-03-10 . Montavilla News . en . 2021-10-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211009224328/https://montavilla.net/2021/03/14/ya-hala-repaints-logo/ . live .
  28. Web site: Graves . Mark . 2019-09-30 . Portland Bloody Mary Festival ends in a hail of horseradish (PHOTOS) . 2023-01-18 . The Oregonian . en . 2022-12-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221201024124/https://www.oregonlive.com/life-and-culture/g66l-2019/09/595bc213699432/-portland-bloody-mary-festival-wraps-up-in-a-hail-of-horseradish-photos.html . live .
  29. Web site: Wong . Janey . 2023-08-22 . Ya Hala Owner Mirna Attar Is Revisiting Her Memories of Lebanon in a Prix Fixe Menu . 2023-08-23 . Eater Portland . en . August 23, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230823022732/https://pdx.eater.com/2023/8/22/23840491/ya-hala-owner-mirna-attar-lebanese-prix-fixe . live .
  30. News: Think globally . The Oregonian . June 13, 2008.
  31. Web site: Russell . Michael . 2019-04-11 . The ultimate guide to Portland's 40 best brunches . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20191214071524/https://www.oregonlive.com/life-and-culture/g66l-2019/04/d239d52fc09018/the-ultimate-guide-to-portlands-40-best-brunches.html . 2019-12-14 . 2022-03-10 . . en.
  32. Book: Ohlsen, Becky . Walking Portland: 33 Tours of Stumptown's Funky Neighborhoods, Historic Landmarks, Park Trails, Farmers Markets, and Brewpubs . 2019-02-12 . Wilderness Press . 978-0-89997-893-2 . en . 2023-01-18 . 2023-01-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230118024945/https://books.google.com/books?id=nvqKDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT157&lpg=PT157&dq=%22ya+hala%22+restaurant+portland&source=bl&ots=beGjbZGGXk&sig=ACfU3U33GmdDy1DaagH43PmLf67w4-rNQw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj22sqhhdD8AhXVIn0KHa_8Chg4RhDoAXoECAMQAw . live .
  33. Web site: Portland News to Chew . 2023-01-18 . Portland Monthly . en-US . 2022-05-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220528070011/https://www.pdxmonthly.com/eat-and-drink/2015/03/portland-news-to-chew-march-2015 . live .
  34. Web site: 2016-07-18 . Best of Portland Reader's Poll 2016: The Complete List of Winners . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20190106055341/https://www.wweek.com/promotions/2016/07/18/bop2016/ . 2019-01-06 . 2022-03-10 . Willamette Week . en.
  35. Web site: Kilts . Allie . 2017-07-12 . Here are the Winners of the Best of Portland Readers' Poll 2017 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20190106055250/https://www.wweek.com/promotions/2017/02/16/best-of-portland-readers-poll-2017/ . 2019-01-06 . 2022-03-10 . Willamette Week . en.
  36. Web site: Food Winners . 2023-01-18 . Willamette Week . July 13, 2022 . en . 2022-07-15 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220715144318/https://www.wweek.com/promotions/2022/07/13/food-winners/ . live .
  37. Web site: Gormley . Shannon . 2019-11-05 . These Are the 10 Best Places to Get Hummus in Portland . 2022-03-10 . Willamette Week . en . 2021-04-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210417064803/https://www.wweek.com/restaurants/2019/11/05/hummus/ . live .
  38. Web site: Frane . Alex . 2019-08-19 . The Best Brunch Spots in 17 Portland Neighborhoods . 2022-03-10 . Thrillist . en . 2022-01-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220120025553/https://www.thrillist.com/eat/portland/best-brunch-in-portland . live .
  39. Web site: Walsh . Chad . 2016-02-01 . Super Bowl Food PSA: Portland Restaurants With Killer Delivery Options . 2023-01-18 . Eater Portland . en . 2022-12-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221203233941/https://pdx.eater.com/maps/super-bowl-food-portland-delivery-wings . live .
  40. Web site: Frane . Alex . 2018-07-25 . Where to Drink and Dine in Historic Montavilla . 2022-03-10 . Eater Portland . en . 2022-03-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220306164416/https://pdx.eater.com/maps/montavilla-portland-restaurants-bars-cafes-bakeries . live .

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