How to Make Laffa (Israeli Flatbread)

Wrap It Up

Laffa is an a thin flatbread of Iraqi origins prominent in Israeli cuisine. Charlotte chef, Shai Farigan, churns out thousands of these filled with falafel, beef kofta, spiced salmon, and more at his Mediterranean street food restaurants, YAFO Kitchen, in Charlotte. Farigan has one of the more interesting backstories, starting with growing up in Israel where he served in the Israeli army and learned to cook traditional Persian meals alongside his grandmother. He began his culinary career under celebrity chef Avi Britton before moving to New York with his now wife Sharon where he worked under renowned restaurateur David Burke. The couple eventually moved to Charlotte where YAFO Kitchen was born. It’s named after the ancient Israeli port city, and it’s where Farigan combines his native recipes and global knowledge to put out Mediterranean fare with Middle Eastern flavors at three locations around Charlotte. Here, Farigan shares with us his guide to making laffa. Try it with his chicken souvlaki for a next level wrap.