Yasar Food Market

What a lovely little shop!!

I popped in here on the way home as my friend told me that they do amazing homemade baklava. I was really impressed by their fruit and veg. I bought some lovely aubergines, courgettes, peppers and tomatoes (for ratatouille -nom) they were all gorgeous and reasonably priced. I also tried some of their plums and pears - the pears are easily the nicest I've had in London.

I looove baklava so I chose a few different types and wandered home all excited! You can tell they are home-made...and they are bigger than the baklava I am used to from most Turkish shops in London (yay!) ...BUT I wasn't that keen (nooo!) They were just a little bit too gooey for me - they seemed more like the baklava I've tried in Greece. They have so much syrup that the pastry goes a little soggy and can't retain its flakiness.

Anyway, despite the baklava disappointment, I still really like this shop. I'll need to come back for their homemade hummus and other delicatessen items.

If you live near here, you should come and try them too!

Normally I'd stay far away from this section of Caledonia Road but a little birdie told me that this little food shop is widely known for having the best hummus in London, so I thought, why the hell not? I slipped on my trainers, put on my sunglasses and set off on foot to Yasar Food Market. I arrived a few minutes later and was pleasantly surprised by the shop. In all honestly, I wasn't expecting much from a food shop off Caledonia Road.

The shop is clean and tidy and didn't have that awful smell that seemingly all food shops in London have. There's a fair amount of stuff stocked in this tiny shop but it didn't feel messy or crowded or should be features on an episode of Hoarders. It felt homey and warm and welcoming and I loved it!

Running down the right-hand side of the shop is a deli counter with homemade foodstuffs - hummus, falafal, turkish pizza, tzatziki, olives, and loads of other stuff. The other 2/3rds of the shop was filed with various juices (some of which I've only ever seen in Whole Foods for double the price), homemade breads, and then an unusual assortment of typical fare you'd expect in a corner shop like Haagen-Dazs, Tampax, cleaning products, and Green & Blacks chocolate. The organic produce out front looked amazing. I think this may just be where I buy all my produce going forward. The tomatoes were red and didn't look like they'd been frozen like they are at all the big supermarket chains in the UK.

The service was friendly (presumably a mother and son team, I've read the father passed away a few years back). The prices were tolerable and, hey, the shop is much closer to my flat than any of the three supermarkets in the neighborhood, so, again, why not?

Yasar food market, 319 Caledonian Road
The best hand made pesto, humus, borek etc, all fresh seasonal vegetables and fruit. Organic produce available, the customer servce is exceptional. Ask to taste items at the deli counter and you will be amazed at how delicious everything tastes as it is all home made. The Baba Ganoush takes two days to prepare. It is a little diamond of a shop in the cabbage patch of Caledonian Road. Everything is very resonably priced considering it is all fresh

Very friendly little place, with a surprising range of foods. Some home made food as well. Run by a warm and friendly family. Try the stuffed peppers

Rudest shop owners I have ever encountered, shows no respect for their customers and some of the fruit and veg are not fresh, cabbages with rotten bottom? If I can give it a -5 I honestly would.