FALAFEL REVIEW: Zyara NY

My search for the best falafel in New York continues….

I’ve seen falafel come in all shapes and sizes. One was shaped like a log, others were bright green or fiery orange, one was even shaped around a hard boiled egg. But I had never seen ones that looked like the ones served at Zyara NY.

This Lower East Side nook has built up quite a following since it opened earlier this year. As far as I can tell it is unrelated to the Astoria restaurant of the same name.

Ordering here was a bit frustrating. The menu lists both Falafel and something called Stuffed Falafel. The guy at the counter didn’t really seem to know the difference. He explained that the stuffed version had garlic but the regular didn’t. Then when I pressed him again, they both had garlic. I was at a bit of a crossroads as to what to order. What else is new?

I figured I should stick with the original falafel. What I received surprised me. The sesame garnished orbs more closely resembled something at a Chinese bakery and less like the Middle Eastern falafel I am used to. I’ve never seen so many white seeds stuck to the top of a falafel patty. Often seeds are mixed up inside the fritter but this striking presentation was something different.

Putting looks aside, I didn’t find it much beyond ordinary. Sesame certainly adds an appropriate flavor to falafel but other than that (and perhaps some striking IG opportunities), not sure the presentation helped much. These were rather bland. Maybe the guy was right originally and garlic is only in the stuffed variety.

They found greater success in the texture department with deftly fried crisp exteriors giving way to a soft and chewy center. The innards were barely green and that could have explained the very muted flavors here.

I stopped by again a few weeks later to try the Stuffed Falafel. I certainly see the difference now and why garlic is the buzzword when it comes to these. A side of this falafel consisted of two softball sized balls. They too featured a showering of seeds. It was the insides that were different.

Stuffed with onions, tomatoes, olives, and an overwhelming amount of garlic, these certainly had more flavor than the previous non-stuffed variety. I’m actually amazed I’ve never seen this type of falafel before. It’s kind of brilliant – using the falafel as a dumpling of sorts.

Both were adequate falafels but I preferred the ingenuity and the experimentation more than the actual falafel. Certainly worth trying something new and if they keep forming the chickpeas into different shapes and incorporating new ingredients into them, I’ll be there to try it.

Is Zyara NY the best falafel in NY? They are perfectly fine falafel with a nice contrasting texture. But since one was a bit too bland and the other overpowering with garlic, I have to keep it at a worthy.7 out of 10.