Assil and her food, whether it’s here at Dyafa or at Reem’s, is unapologetically Palestinian. Sure there is the familiar like hummus. But everything else is Palestinian food and named the way it’s called back in the Middle East. No menu full of the familiar kabob and falafels (with that said, nothing wrong with those food either). No calling the restaurant Mediterranean. Just one Arabic word ‘Dyafa’- which stands for hospitality. Obviously she has the name recognition these days to pull this off versus a much more modest mom and pop Levantine restaurant. And she’s got the Patterson PR machine behind her.
I am not sure how prevalent Palestinian food is in the Bay Area beyond the familiar kabobs. The catering menu of Holyland Santa Clara. Maybe Dish Dash. Would love to hear more if there are other choices.
