The quiet brown facade of Yasi's Place peeks unassumingly from around the corner of a good friend's house. On a quiet & overlooked block it is much-loved by its regulars, a frequent stop for the artists inhabiting the many studio spaces nearby.
This venue has played host to many crucial hours of bonding over coffee in amusing, mismatched mugs. Their jumble of icons mirrors the non-sequiturs of our lives, and make this cozy little cafe feel very much like home (if your kitchen cupboard looks anything like mine).
A small cluster of contrasting table-tops is fun to choose from during the weekdays, fun to stare at longingly while waiting your turn to get a piece of their busy weekend brunch. In its quieter moments, the aforementioned tete-a-tetes can transition into announcements of your personal business to the staff and fellow customers, who you suddenly realize are very much within earshot.
Yasi's menu offers a very decent selection of sandwiches, wraps and Turkish-inspired breakfast items, all made with uber fresh and organic ingredients, and is very vegetarian-friendly (also offering a few tasty vegan options).
Worth noting: the heavy emphasis on cheese; a whole section of the menu devoted to grilled cheese sandwiches ("the Cheesy Grill", as they call it), and consequently a wealth of options in adding/substituting the stuff in other dishes. The choice of bread is also borderline overwhelming (in a good way), all of it delicious, healthy and hearty.
When nearby, I always do what I can to (at least) pick up a coffee and pumpernickel bagel smeared with labne (the middle-eastern, yogurty relation of cream cheese) for the road (or otherwise). But be warned: the laid-back vibe does not a hurried, late-for-work & starving, pit stop make.