Yalla Mediterranean, a Northern California health-conscious chain has made its way down the coast.

I was given an opportunity to invite and try their new location in Culver City. I pulled a few close friends/bloggers to enjoy this delicious occasion.

The first element I noticed upon entering was the locally-sourced informational chalkboard affixed to the wall on your immediate right.

This is not an all-vegan restaurant, but they cater plenty to vegans. By providing a chalkboard of references to clue in their clientele about the importance of knowing where our food comes from allows for transparency in a time where some restaurants are not.

I can appreciate that.

When you enter you are greeted with a selection of favorites or a choice to build-your-own plate, wrap or salad. A concept that bodes well for our fast-paced lifestyles. A time where quick lunches does not have to mean McDonalds and Burger Kings. Where you can obtain quality and efficiency without compromise.

Everything is labeled, including all ingredients. Very helpful for those with allergies or special dietary needs. The menu was well crafted with vegetarians and vegans in mind. It definitely played to the designer in me. Well executed and incredibly legible.

How often do you see an icon specifically for honey in a mainstream establishment? Rarely or never! Yalla was thorough in providing enough information to make the process of ordering easy. The only problem I had was my confusion with the fries. On the menu they state not vegan, but I came to find out they are. The Yalla Fries (contains dairy sauce) is not. Phew! A distinction should be made on the menu. I know many a vegan friends who appreciate their fries, including yours truly.

For my order: fries (of course) and a falafel plate with rice, potato salad, tabouli, baba ganoush and grilled vegetables.

Everything was delicious and the potato salad surprisingly my favorite item. The falafels were good, not great, but you have to think mainstream. I'm also pretty picky with my falafels. They could be greener, less dense and slightly more moist. With that being said, the dish was plenty hearty and undeniably tasty. I would order it again anytime.

For later that evening, I also ordered a Lebanese wrap to-go and WOW it was so delicious! The textures went from creamy to crunchy, the tangy pickled vegetables added acidity and the falafels added the right amount of heartiness to balance the wrap. The slathering of tahini sauce made the denseness of the falafels less noticeable.