Cherylynn N.
Yelp
4.5 STARS
$20 for a veggie wrap?
That PA cost of living tho!
While perusing The Ma'lawah Bar's menu, I thought $20 for a veggie wrap was kinda wild.
BUT, this isn't your ordinary veggie wrap...
I was handed this girthy baby PACKED with ingredients. I had to nearly unhinge my jaw like a snake to bite into this bad boy.
The wrap was enough for two of us to share for a small meal so don't let the $20 price tag deter you. It's totally worth it!
Opening in the former Jimmy's Café/Subway is The Ma'lawah Bar, a Yemenite-Israeli café. They're open for takeout, delivery, and indoor dining. No outdoor seating but there's benches outside where we ate.
M E N U
Yemenite-Israeli Specialties: Jachnun (sweet bread), malawach (flaky flatbread), and lachuch (spongey flatbread). Available as savory or sweet wraps. Vegetarian, dairy-free, kosher, and vegan friendly.
For drinks, there's tahini date shake and bottled drinks. Self-serve water available.
F O O D
* Ma'lawah Sabich w/ sliced hardboiled egg, roasted eggplant, hummus, cabbage, schug, tahini, and amba sauce ($20) // 4 stars: https://tinyurl.com/e54f3ema
--Includes choice of two sides: chopped salad, beet salad, pickles, red cabbage, hummus, babaganough, tahini, etc.
Like Indian paratha or Chinese scallion pancake (w/o the scallions), the malawach is hot, golden, and flaky. A bit greasy but I don't mind. It's jam packed with soft eggplant, creamy hummus, slices of hardboiled egg, shredded cabbage, and sauces. Savory, hearty, and satisfying but IMO, missing something in the flavor department.
The amba (Israeli pickled mango sauce) and schug (Yemeni hot sauce) seemed toned down from other versions I've had. With more acid and heat, I think it would have created a more harmonious, well-balanced veggie wrap.
For our sides, we choose the babaganoush (creamy and smoky) and red cabbage (crisp). In hindsight, I regret not choosing the pickles as one of the sides for a fresh, acidic counterpart.
S E R V I C E
Humble, super friendly owner.
Fast food service - the owner assembles your wrap on the line (like Subway) so you can get in/out and on with your day.
A M B I A N C E
Lowkey café with a handful of indoor tables.
P A R K I N G
Limited parking spaces in the lot shared with TeAmo.
Overall, Ma'lawah Bar is a great addition to PA. While there's Oren's Hummus for Israeli eats, I believe this is the first Yemeni eatery in the area (otherwise, you have to venture to SF and Oakland). If they can make a second schug for legit spicy food lovers, it would be 5 stars perfect!