Aya Kitchen

Covid is synonymous with the downfall of many businesses that straddled the fence between “past prowess” and “future relevance”. As you enter #PhiladelphiaMills AKA #FranklinMills through the Food Court it is pretty obvious that this mall is trailing far behind in its race against time. That being said…eating food from a mall where 80% of its food court options have “opted out” was not on the forefront of my mental menu. Until Zara Halal Grill came into view … Hmmm…It seemed to have taken over what used to be an old diner type place. And I’m an old diner type o’ guy… Aesthetics of the place were fair but not confidence inspiring. The menu shined bright above the counter on TV screens with a wide array of semi sexy offerings. I went with the Falafel and Hummus Platter with a side of hot sauce just in case I needed to take it to the moon. However the chicken, the shrimp and the fish all sounded like the right thing to do as well. I sat feeling like I was on a blind date waiting for her (the food) to show up. What will she look like? Will she smell good? Will she be “a lot” to take down? Well…she arrived soon thereafter and slid across my table….looked me in the face….and opened up quickly. The Falafel was crispy and crunchy with a soft center. The hummus tasted pleasant and the pita bread had a nice grilled flavor and texture to it. Salad ingredients were fresh and masterfully moist:). I’d give it a 3.5/5 until I made use of the hot sauce which took it nearly to the moon (4/5). Not bad at all for a mediocre mall eh? Zara is probably the only place I’d recommend visiting in that food court if you wanna leave satisfied and feeling like you can walk the rest of the mall without multiple visits to a bathroom stall. As always thanks for reading along and I hope this review makes someone’s decision a lil easier. Follow along as I continue my journey across the states reviewing damn near everything. There’s no review like a Real Review! -ReaL @realreviewseverything