One of your reviewer’s favourite dining experiences of 2022 was a visit to the original Bubala, located on the Commercial Road in Shoreditch. I noted then that stepping inside was “almost as if one were in Tel Aviv.” Sadly Bubala’s second outlet, in Soho, did not quite replicate the same vibe. Like an upstart cheeky younger brother, Bubala Soho felt almost as if it was trying too hard. Sure, the food was once again lovely, the attitude less so.
By way of rewind, ‘bubala’ is a Yiddish term of endearment, roughly translated as darling and the restaurant hence offers a homage to Levantine food. The same formula is applied in Soho as in Shoreditch. There’s no meat on the menu, so it’s ether vegetarian or vegan, with diners encouraged to go for a tasting menu of multiple mini dishes, priced at a competitive £40/head. So far, so cool, a bit like the distressed furnishings and neon lighting. It’s hard also not to swoon at many of the dishes. Just like last time, Bubala’s hummus with burnt butter remains one of the interpretations of the humble chickpea that has impressed most. The venue’s baba ganoush, served with curry leaf oil and pine nuts, was another favourite from our first round of dishes. For the second round, Bubala really went to town with its emphasis on smoke and umami – in a good way. Both skewer sets (mushroom and Chinese cabbage) were highly memorable. Across the menu, the team at Bubala seem not to be afraid of taking culinary risks, pairing perhaps unconventional ingredients, with generally successful effect. Take the smashed cucumber, hailing original from the Xi’an province of China. At Bubala, it’s elevated by the judicious addition of some tahini. Were I to choose a favourite, then it would a dish new to the Soho outlet; a wonderful roasted kohlrabi offering, served with arak and cardamom.
Readers will naturally be waiting for the ‘but’ – and here it comes. The overall experience was somewhat undermined by the service, perhaps typified by a too-cool-for-school attitude. There was a complacent nonchalance that bordered almost on not caring enough about the customer. Dishes were plonked on the table. Others were whisked away when we hadn’t quite finished. We needed to ask to have plates replaced between courses, but were not offered the option of new cutlery. There was a very long wait for a second bottle of wine, even with new glasses already placed on the table. I could go on, but a final indictment might be when we were asked for our opinion on dessert, a somewhat novel take on baklava served semifreddo. We remarked to the server that it did not taste at all of baklava. His response was simply to assert that, “well, it was semifreddo.” The irony of the venue’s tasting menu – called ‘Bubala knows best’ – was not lost on us. As has been remarked often before, bad service trumps good food.