Yaffa Shawarma and Falafel is a casual Middle Eastern restaurant, located just across the street from the Yonge Eglinton Centre.

Easily identifiable thanks to its bright orange logo, this bustling takeout spot has been open since June of 2024.

The restaurant was founded by a group of friends, all with a personal or cultural connection to Middle Eastern cuisine.

Nader Arafat and Arie Dimant tell blogTO that they and their partners — the team behind Ossington's Haifa Room — used the foods they ate growing up as the basis for the restaurant’s menu.

Arab, Israeli, Lebanese and Iraqi cooking are just some of the cuisines they used to create their house style.

The restaurant takes its name from the port city of Jaffa, which is known for its busy markets and vibrant orchards.

Photos of the city can be found throughout the dining area, alongside advertisements for one of their biggest exports: oranges!

Yaffa's menu is displayed in a grid pattern on a brightly coloured sign. One side displays different dishes, while the other shows different ways that they can be prepared.

Additionally, you can choose from a wide array of toppings, giving your meal a more personal touch. Possible toppings include parboiled carrots, roasted eggplant and pickled turnips, as well as Middle Eastern staples such as hummus and baba ganoush.

The Chicken Shawarma Pita ($11.95) is Yaffa’s most popular item.

Shaved, spit-roasted chicken is stuffed into a fluffy pita and seasoned with a variety of fragrant spices: cumin, coriander, garlic and onions, to name just a few.The Chicken Shawarma Laffa ($18.95) is a similar dish, made with laffa instead of pita. This thinner bread makes the sandwich much more compact, while also giving the meat and vegetables a different texture.The Eggplant and Egg Sabich Pita ($10.95) is an Israeli classic, made with fried eggplant and boiled eggs.

Though the filling is a bit runny, the pita absorbs most of the moisture, ensuring that every bit is soft and flavourful.Like all of Yaffa's bowls, the Falafel Bowl ($15.95) can be assembled with either saffron rice or mixed vegetables. Crunchy, chickpea-filled falafel are a must, though. The Grilled Chicken Bowl ($17.95) is one of Yaffa's healthier options. Grilled chicken rests on a bed of rice, with chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, red cabbage and seasoned carrots giving it a fun texture.The Beef Kebab Bowl ($18.95) consists of two big beef skewers, drizzled with creamy sauce, with a pile of fresh greens serving as the base.Lentil Soup ($3.95) can be ordered on its own or added to any meal to make it a combo. This bright yellow dish is thick and hearty, with a strong, savoury taste.Fries ($4.95) are another tasty add-on. Though not overtly connected to Middle Eastern cuisine, these thick, crispy potatoes can still be punched up with a dollop of hummus or amba.Don't leave without a cup of Freshly Squeezed Yaffa OJ ($4.95), made in-house with an industrial grade juice press.

This juice makes use of many different oranges, including the Jaffa orange. As its name might suggest, this cultivar is specifically grown in the Middle East.

It has a distinctive, tangy flavour that pairs well with savoury dishes and sets it apart from other fruits.

Yaffa Shawarma and Falafel is located at 2313 Yonge St.