On the surface, Yemma looks like any other trendy Parisian canteen – red brick walls, industrial lighting, mismatched formica tables – but luckily this spot doesn’t forego good quality food in its bid to be hip. Here Moroccan cuisine is on the menu, created and cooked by reputed TV chef Abdel Alaoui, so it’s no surprise that it’s pretty near perfect.
The counter is piled high with sweet-smelling breads, msemens (a cross between a crêpe and a flatbread) and bowls filled with colourful salads and different varieties of couscous. The latter include the zaalouk (with cooked aubergine and raw tomatoes) and the méchouia (similar, but with onions and peppers too.)
It’s also worth sampling the sandwiches, on either msemen or bread, filled with your choice of chicken marinated in black cumin, grilled méchouia, kefta (meat balls), merguez (spicy sausage) or merkouda (potato pancakes). But the real winner is the barbecued veal sandwich, served with cucumber, Ras El Hanout (mixed spice) and red onions, all of its flavours blending seamlessly together. To drink, opt for a refreshing mint lemonade, a jasminade or a mint tea.
TRANSLATION: FLORA HUDSON