FALAFEL REVIEW: Operation: Falafel

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

My mission, which I chose to accept, has been to find the best falafel in NYC. It’s a fool’s errand, of course, because places keep coming and going. And the term best is terribly subjective. But I hold steady and keep on with the mission.

This, of course, is what brings me to the first NYC location of a Dubai-based chain called Operation: Falafel.

I was surprised at how spacious this Chelsea location is and there were a few diners lingering throughout. There also was a corporate feel to the place, which, I guess, it couldn’t help considering it’s corporate. I imagine the hope is this is the first store of many to come in the US. That being said, I could also see attempts at trying to give it an urban hipster feel. Not sure it fully worked.

The staff were very helpful and speedy – not always as I expect at a typical fast food establishment.

Looking at the electronic menu, I saw they have both a classic falafel and a stuffed falafel. Since both were pretty cheap for a straight up order (as opposed to a pita or bowl), I decided to try both.

The stuffed falafel featured a shower of sesame seeds and some caramelized onions and sumac in the midst of the usual chickpea orb.

Texture was a bit lacking with these falafel. The exterior was soft and chewy but did not exhibit any crunch. I quite liked the sweet onion filling and felt it added a lot to the flavor, but the texture wasn’t quite up to par.

I thought the regular ones fared much better. They didn’t have sesame seeds on top, but they did have that fresh crunch and while they were a bit greasy, they had a good deal of peppery and garlicky flavor which was tamed by the tangy tahini sauce provided on the side.

Perhaps the regular ones I received were a bit fresher than the stuffed ones. Not sure. But both were worthy additions to the falafel scene. My mission (for now) is complete, but I imagine Operation: Falafel’s mission is just getting started. Wouldn’t be surprised to see more of these shops open up soon.

Is Operation: Falafel the best falafel in NY? I preferred the regular ones to the fancy stuffed option, but both were mighty tasty. This seemingly generic chain seems to mostly know what they are doing, so they get an 8 out of 10.