saffy’s | east hollywood
fork + knife rating: 4.5
neighborhood: east hollywood
cuisine: middle-eastern
highlights: spot-on spices + flavors // great cocktails
menu must-haves: hummus // green falafel // wood-fire schawarma
Saffy’s is a pleasant, pretty little place, with touches of pink everywhere and the most adorable bar. But she’s not all looks — this is some of the best Middle-Eastern food I’ve had in LA.
The spot in East Hollywood is sister to downtown’s Bestia and Bavel, two absolute knockouts, so I went in with high expectations. And my girl Saffy delivered.
I could eat Middle-Eastern food pretty much all day every day, so I’m always in search of this cuisine. And honestly, there’s not a ton of options outside of the go-to fast-casual spots. Enter: Saffy’s. Yes, it’s quite the hike for a westsider, but worth every mile driven. Even with these gas prices.
This a communal, eat-with-your-hands type of restaurant. The type where you beg your waiter not to take away any plates because you fully plan on scooping up every possible morsel of delectable dips and spreads. Each dish was perfectly executed, abounding with those quintessential Middle-Eastern spices and flavor profiles — all with an extra zing or twist — that keep you coming back for one more bite, dip, or dunk.
Here’s what it all looked like before we wiped every dish clean.
*Note: Sadly I did not get a photo, but their Clarified Milk Punch (COGNAC & CALVADOS, sommerfield apple, lemon, cinnamon 3 ways) was truly one of the best cocktails I’ve ever had. So balanced and so perfect for a cold night. If you’re getting a cocktail here, it’s a must-order.
hummus ful
slow cooked fava beans // cumin // lemon // fermented serrano // soft egg // challah
There are two hummus dishes on the menu; we opted for the one with a bit more going on, and this hummus ful was full of flavor. The combination of unexpected ingredients made this delightfully different, but still everything you love about hummus. And it’s served with toasty, warm, fluffy challah bread…so I think I’ve said more than enough.
grilled onion + endive salad
walnuts // pomegranate molasses // chervil // meyer lemon zest
Again, can I tell you what chervil is or what a pomegranate molasses entails? I cannot. But can I tell you this salad worked in every way? I sure can. Definitely other salads on the menu I need to go back and try, but this one was pleasantly and surprisingly tasty.
skewers
pork shishlik // lamb kebab // chicken shishlik // beef shishlik
Eat at your own risk because these skewers show up on scary-looking spears that you have to figure out how to safely remove on your own. But once you do, these meats are juicy and perfect for dipping in all of their fixings (and whatever else is still on the table). We went with a double order and tried four different meats, some of them packing a punch. These come with laffa, tahini “chopped salad” (which is not at all a chopped salad, but still a nice accompaniment), chili crunch, and more of that mysterious amba (spoiler alert: it’s tangy pickled mango condiment).
green falafel
tahini // beet zhoug // amba // hearts on fire // dill
I’m going to be honest with you, I had never heard of amba or hearts on fire before, but I’m glad they were included in this falafel party. This was one of my favorite dishes of the night — the falafel itself was perfectly fried and crisp without being dry and so very flavorful. I only wish there were more of them, because they were some teeny tiny little suckers.
roasted carrots
harissa jam // meyer lemon labneh // crispy coriander + shallots // sumac // cilantro
Another dish that gets an A+ for spice and flavor, and another that was sopped up for all it was worth thanks to that extremely dippable meyer lemon labneh.
wood-fire shawarma
lamb + beef // lettuce // tomato // sumac onions // tahini // red ajika // laffa
Saffy’s signature shawarma dish was simple yet excellently done and was definitely the crowd favorite when it came to the meats. Super tender, and perfect for wrapping up in a torn piece of laffa with a drizzle of tahini.
bergamot chocolate cake + salted date soft serve
I told myself I wasn’t very interested in the desserts and wouldn’t partake…and then these were both ordered and I most certainly partook. The salted date ice cream was great, but at $10 a pop maybe not worth it. The cake was the star of this combo — rich chocolate perfectly balanced with subtle flavors of bergamot and rose, and so light and airy in texture that you don’t even feel bad eating it.
