Ah, the simplicity of it all. Tender sliced strips of meats, roughly placed on a pita bread, loaded with pickled vegetables and a generous drizzle of sauce. Roll up that bad boy, and you’re good to go.
As an expat in the UAE, whether you arrive in Economy or Business class, your first introduction to Arabic food is the shawarma. You may have had some variation of this street side staple, depending on where you’re from, but no one does it quite like the UAE.
Now we could use Google for some research and trace the origins of shawarma, but we don’t want to start a regional war here, so we’ll just stick with the present.
Don’t be fooled by the simplistic description above. Shawarma’s are flavour-packed, and you’ll be hard pressed to find someone who does not like it. In fact, for many a blue-collared worked in the UAE, shawarma is a daily meal. You can find it in the hidden corners of the Emirates, some versions starting at just AED 6, while luxury hotels easily bill you AED 30 for the same dish.
Like any other dish though, over time, the shawarma has taken in flavours and influences for other cuisines.
The type of bread that holds all that juicy goodness together can vary form place to place. While most cafeterias and street eateries use the readymade Arabic khaboos, some places go a step further with a saj bread option. The saj shawarma is bigger, and toasted crisp, which is quite satisfying. Vegetarians need not fret, as falafel shawarmas are definitely a thing, and scrumptious at that.
Some restaurants serve shawarmas by plate, piling on the filling so you can choose what goes into each mouthful. There are shawarma nachos, tacos, quesadillas, and even a sweet variety, where milk and white chocolate replace the meats on the grill.
Some places to try:
Belad Al Sham is a popular joint, and offers a Mexican shawarma plate that takes fusion flavours to a different level.
Mr Shawarma – This place believes that the proof is in the filling, so they are happy to offer you French, Iranian, Lebanese and many other types of bread for your shawarma filing.
Falafel and Shawarma – This place offers shawarma in flavours of the world, so take your pick from Indian, Egyptian, Mexican, or Lebanese.
Some other places to try:
Hallab
Al Mallah
Al Ijaza Cafeteria
Laffah
On the Wood
Allo Beirut
Al Safadi in Al Rigga
Shiraz Nights
My Shawarma Al Barsha
Shawerme
Zaroob Dubai Marina
Shawerma & Furun
Beirut Restaurant & Grill
Operation: Falafel
Manoushe Street
Call it whatever you want – roll, wrap, sandwich – as long as it has the heart of a shawarma, you’re good. And the first bite will reveal all.
Written By: Umaima Tinwala
The good
Hearty, delicious, and pocket friendly.
The bad
Every place has a different flavour and you’ll never be able to decide which one’s the best, so you’ll have to keep eating…
The trendy
Inspiring creativity in commercial and private kitchens alike, we all have our favourite version, and you’ll never be able to change anyone’s mind, so just don’t try.