Restaurant Review: Shish Shawarma
SHISH SHAWARMA 10106 118th Street ~ myshawarma.ca Instagram: @shishshawarma ~ Twitter: @shish_shawarma Co-Diners: The E.A.T Crew
SHAWARMA! The concept of shawarma certainly gets overshadowed by donair in Edmonton. Donair is king in this city. However, if you're a shawarma-lover (and everyone should be) there are still options for you, namely Edmonton's #1 Best Lebanese 2018 as voted by VUE Weekly. This likely isn't going to be an accurate definition, but this is the difference between shawarma and donair in my opinion: It's the type of meat. They both spin around on vertical spits and are shaved off, however shawarma is chicken and donair is usually a lamb/beef mixture. I know that this isn't quite right but I do think that this has largely been adopted as the general understanding in Canada. Shish Shawarma has been around for a long time and they have two locations in the city. I was a little bit confused at first because they used to be called La Shish Taouk and at some point they decided to simplify and clarified their name to Shish Shawarma. However, as far as I can tell, everything else about the restaurant has remained exactly the same. I really enjoy their new logo of a leaf coming out of a falafel. I visited their Oliver location (just west of downtown) on a Saturday evening and was curious to see if it was the same as I had remembered it. The outside of the building is lit up like a Christmas disco, which is especially apparent in the evening darkness. I love it! The white pillars and facade are very distinct, while the entire vibe of the place feels lively. I can actually picture this spot as a tiny slice of Lebanon. It's quick and casual with just the right amount of attitude attached to it. I loved the big sign inside which reads "we are not a donair shop." This is literally necessary due to the aforementioned dominance of donair in this city. I excitedly entered the restaurant and placed my order with the busy staff at the counter. (They were making orders constantly. Many of them were take-out.) Despite being hard at work, the staff was happy to answer my questions and whipped up my order after a short wait. We seated ourselves at a table and anticipated the amount of garlic sauce to come. Lebanese food is many things and shawarma is only one of them. In fact, the idea that shawarma is only presented in "wrap form" isn't exactly accurate either. It is often eaten as a plate of food, but again, in Canada we've sort of attached ourselves to the idea that shawarma should be served as a wrap. The main dish that I decided to order was the Shish Taouk Plate ($18.95) because this used to be the restaurant's name, after all. The word "taouk" refers to the shish kebab preparation of the meat.
This plate looked great and I was excited to dig in! Of course the chicken was the first thing that I tasted and right away I could appreciate the tender and juicy meat. The true charbroiled flavour was extremely apparent and it added so much authenticity to the dish. I dunked my pieces of chicken into the garlic spread (known as thoom), liberally coating them as one does. This sauce is deliciously dangerous and it is highly recommended that you stay away from other humans after consuming it. I found the two types of rice to be very interesting and I really loved the one that had a bit of a cinnamon spice flavour to it. The salad and pickles were delightfully fresh. The seasoned salad vegetables added an entire life to the plate and the bright neon pink pickled turnips are literally one of my favourite food items ever. This dish is very well-rounded and certainly gives you a great sampling of what it is that they do at Shish Shawarma. To say that I was intrigued by the Malak Taouk Pita Wrap ($9.95 for regular) is an understatement. I wanted to try something in wrap form and this had to be it.
I'm sure that this has got to be the "weirdest" thing on the menu, which is why I wanted to try it the most. The ingredients listed did not include shawarma chicken, however my wrap definitely contained it. A very welcome addition for me, but maybe not ideal if you're attempting to order a meat-free item. I LOVED THIS! This wrap was my favourite thing of the entire visit. I liked that I got to enjoy a more shawarma-style preparation (by my definition) and the contents of this wrap were really doing it for me. Unlike anything that I've ever tried before, this thing was ultra saucy and very messy. Mayo + ketchup = fancy sauce. Plus there are fries in there?! This wrap was crazy, super flavourful, owned its wackiness, and I super loved it. Lastly, I couldn't pass up the Chicken Shawarmatine ($8.95 for regular). Think poutine... But shawarma.
What I wanted this to be and what it was were two different things. I was hoping for a traditional poutine (fries, cheese curds, gravy) with shawarma chicken and the veggies and garlic sauce on top. I'm pretty sure that would have been epic and wonderful. Unfortunately, this dish didn't include any kind of cheese or gravy at all. There were dry crinkle-cut (definitely frozen from a bag) fries with chicken and the other toppings on top. It wasn't terrible but I really think that there is a missed opportunity happening here where this dish could be something way better. I love the idea but it needs to go to the next level. I was happy to see that Shish Shawarma is just as good as I remembered and I can certainly appreciate the fact that in a donair-dominated city, other options do exist. It may not be the best shawarma that I've ever had but it's pretty legit nonetheless. I'm glad that they're still around and I'll absolutely return the next time that a shawarma craving comes on.
Comments