Wahed Shawarma (Aurora, On)

Peerless
 
As you may have figured out, I love shawarma. The heavily seasoned, super marinaded, rotating meat of the Middle East. It's really pretty simple, I love meat, bread, sauces, seasonings, spices and ethnic food. Which, when veggies are added, exactly what shawarma is.
It should then come as no surprised that in the Spring of 2012 I was very excited to see a little mom and pop shawarma place open out on the main drag, Yonge St. in the little town where I live. 
 
Wahed Shawarma is a small Iraqi place in the south end of town in a little strip mall. The name translates from Arabic to mean "Unique" or, as the title of this review suggests, "Peerless." In the town of Aurora, if not York Region, that may simply be the case.

Like with all good shawarma places, pretty much all food items are made in house with the exceptions of the breads and are tasty and fresh. While the shawarma itself is not the best I've had it's certainly first rate. The Falafel is another story. It's awesome and flat out my favourite. Opinions bolstered by the many Middle Eastern people I've talked to while waiting in line. All rave about the place so don't just take it from this Canadian. Those who know, know.

One thing that they do as well that I really love is put a bowl of "croutons" on the counter for you to nibble on while you're there. Said croutons are deep fried, seasoned pieces of pita bread that are used in Fattoush. The Middle East’s version of a bread salad.

Wahed's interior is not much to look at but then again, it doesn't need to be. A gaggle of tables and chairs in a dining area that has seen better days. There's the counter/prep station just as you walk in. Requisite religious items and pictures of the homeland decorate the walls. The main kitchen is in the back corner where all the main cooking and prep work are done.
 
But enough with all this, let's get a look at the food. 
 
First off let me say that the pitas they use are rather small. So if you’re a big eater, you may want to order 2. They’re a little more bready than others I’ve had. Most are pretty thin with a crispier shell while these have a bit of fluffiness to them. Inside and out. That said, they’re also among the most inexpensive shawarma.
 They also serve them “clamshell” style, not “tucked and rolled.” I prefer the latter. It doesn’t affect the taste either way. Just a preference in presentation and maneuverability. After assembly they get a quick grilling in a sandwich press. 
 
The Falafel is outstanding. Like any shawarma place worth its salt, they cook it to order. These chick pea dough balls have a nice crispy exterior (because they’re cooked to order and don't sit around steaming and getting gummy) and a fluffy interior. They have a really nice “fried” taste with a good hit of cumin and a bit of cardamom. As I said before,  I’d have to say this is my favourite falafel in the GTA. I don’t do hot sauce on it though. I just don’t like it hot. 
 
The Chicken Shawarma is also quite good. Juicy, chickeny and highly seasoned with overtones of cinnamon.  They have the standard toppings and I get all of them. They have a pretty kick butt hot sauce and aren’t shy with it either. If you ask for it spicy, you get spicy. Not some hint of it that leaves you wanting more.
The Beef Shawarma is even better. Similarly spiced however the beef tends to stand up a little more than the more delicate chicken. Again, with everything and spicy is my order. I simply love it.
I must say though, these days I'm on a "Mix" roll. That is to say, I get a mixture of beef and chicken. Blended together they work well and don't fight with each other.
 
So there you have it folks, some great shawarma and falafel north of the city.
 
You can find Wahed Shawarma at 14810 Yonge St in Aurora, On.

View Larger Map

Oddly enough, this may be the only restaurant on the planet that isn't on the web, facebook or Twitter. It's such a hidden gem that even Urban Spoon doesn't know about it yet.
 
Well that's all for now folks, catch ya next time in the food court.

Samoon Sandwiches

Disclaimer: This is not a political opinion piece. I'm trying to stick to straight facts here. So please, let’s keep this discussion to the food.
 
Unless you've been living on Mars, in a cave and under a rock, you've probably heard that the United States invaded Iraq and deposed Saddam Hussein. Claiming victory several months later and leaving the country in a quagmire. While on the surface, ridding the country of a murderous tyrant seemed like a good idea, if you get a chance to talk to someone from Iraq, a different picture takes shape. One where a delicate balance, held together with Saddam's iron fist, has been upset. One where, clearly, they were better off with the devil they knew. In this case, instead of the many devils they didn't know. I've been lucky enough to converse with some Iraqi people who've left the country because it had simply become too dangerous. As one told me, "Used to be 1 Hussein. Now there's 100."
 
For young Sahar and her extended family, the opportunity to leave the homeland and come to Canada has been life changing. Now here 7 years, they've opened a small restaurant serving some of the tastes that they brought with them. Popular Middle Eastern specialties such as Shawarma, Falafel and Baklava, (popular here too) are on the menu but what really makes Al Tanoor so much more than just another in a line of Shawarma places is the tandoor they have in their kitchen. Breads like Samoon, a bun like device and Tanoor, similar to Laffa and simply know as "bread" are baked daily on site and bring a taste of Iraqi to the GTA.
 
Al Tanoor sits in a strip mall in Toronto's Wexford neighbourhood. A growing Muslim community. Logically, it's in the best area in the city to secure yourself a Shawarma. Either of Iraqi, Lebanese or Turkish decent.
Inside there's a handful of tables with chairs and a counter at the back of the dining room. That's where the Shawarma does it's magical dance and things are grilled. There's a hot bar with rice and other dishes as well as the condiment station where sandwiches and the like are fitted out.
The main kitchen, where the tandoor resides, is in back. 
 
So let's get a look at these Iraqi delights.


Being cooked in house (and their specialty), the Samoon bread was beautifully fresh and tasty. It makes me think of what the offspring of a pita and Italian roll would be. Quite conducive to stuffing as it seems the interior is a bit more airy. The house special (shawarma) comes on one of these buns instead of  a pita.
 
Kibbe (meaning Ball) is a bulger wheat croquette native to the Middle East. This version has highly seasoned ground beef stuffed into the dough and is then deep fried. This particular specimen is very tasty but, (I guess me being a sauce guy) I thought it could use some sort of dipping sauce. Traditionally they’re either eaten with or without a condiment. Your choice. Sahar suggested concocting a sauce for next time.
 
The Chicken Shawarma special (here in a Samoon)  is some of the best in the city. Terrifically flavourful, I was able to get it cooked a little more well done. It may seem counter intuitive to cook the chicken to well done but there’s enough fat to keep it moist while the shaggy bits of meat get beautifully crispy. A terrific contrast in tastes and textures. All in all, this is a fantastic sandwich and a steal at $2.99.
The Ayran yogurt drink, in my mind, is kinda meh. It’s quite popular but I didn’t care for it. It tastes like salty yogurt. I sometimes think I need to try it again but bring some juice mix.
 
Also fantastic is the Beef Shawarma. Nicely seasoned and very tender. On a pita is my favourite way to have Shawarma and this is no exception. The condiments are fresh and they have one of the better hot sauces for these sandwiches there. Good flavour and plenty of kick for such a little amount. The condiments are pretty much your usual suspects. Toum (Garlic sauce), lettuce, tahini, onions, etc. One of the best Shawarma in the city. Ask for a beef and chicken mix for something a little different.
 
Shish Tawook, meaning “skewered chicken” in English is just that. Marinated cubes of breast meat, skewered and grilled. AT's version is simply fantastic. Heavily season it came perfectly grilled. The meat was very tender, had a nice exterior while remaining very moist and flavourful inside. There was a pretty ample amount as well. The Tahini and hot sauce make it even better. Full marks here to Sahar as she absolutely nailed the cooking on this. Shown above with salad it made for a full and healthy lunch. I subbed out the rice for Tabbouleh.
 
Al Tanoor make easily my favourtie Baklava as well. This traditional Iraqi style baklava uses simple sugar instead of honey. It’s used a bit more sparingly and allows the top layers of phyllo to puff up nicely and stay crispy. The whole thing is much more reserved in the sweetness department. As such, it’s much, much more appealing.
 
Well there you have it folks, a taste of Iraq without ever having to jump in an up armoured  Humvee and risk life and limb.
 
You can find Al Tanoor at 1993 Lawrence Ave E. in Toronto, On.

View Larger Map
 
You can also find them on facebook.

 
Well that's all for now folks, see ya next time in the food court.

Experience the Different Taste

In 1951 Fooad Haba did an Aliyah. That is to say, his father Sason packed up the family and moved them from their native Iraq to the holy land, Israel. A baker by trade, Sason brought his taboon and established the first Iraqi bakery near Mahane Yehudah Market (referred to as The Shuk) in Jerusalem. Sason also brought with him generations of experience as a baker. Which he would pass on to Fooad. The bakery specialized in the popular Iraqi bread, Laffa. 

Eventually Fooad's son, Sasi would settle in Canada. First in Montreal and eventually, Toronto. Having turned his back on his baking heritage Sasi worked many different jobs. In the fall of 2008, while working for a pool company, the jobs ran out. At the urging of his father, he decided to get into the bread business. He brought the taboon with him and his father would teach him the ropes. With his business partner, Yoram Gaby (a baker as well) they opened Dr. Laffa. Serving some of the most authentic Israeli food in the GTA. In fact some say the best anywhere outside Israel.

Dr. Laffa sits in an industrial area just inside Toronto’s northern boundry.
There’s a fairly small dining room and plenty of room for those there to get take away. The star of the show though is the taboon that's in the open kitchen. So let's get a look at what's cooking.

Laffa, for those who don't know about his unique and rare bread, is of Iraqi heritage and is cooked on a taboon. It's a fair bit larger than a regular pita, is quite light and fluffy on the A side and crisp and golden brown on the B side. It doesn't tear easily and is, if flattened, rather thin. It puffs or blisters, up quite a bit when baked and doesn't have much flavour. It really doesn't need much though, it's more or less a canvas on which other things shine. Seeing as how bread is my favourite food, I still love it.

Your greeted at the table with a selection of pickles. Cucumbers, carrots and cabbage. The slaw is fine as are the carrots. The pickles are quite nice though. They’re half sour and have some nice crunch.

Shakshuka is a dish that's North African in origin and very common for breakfast in the Middle East. It's name is derived from a common last name in Tunisia, Chakchouk. That said, Turkey and Yemen also lay claim. Given that it reminded me of the Merguese sausage dish I had at a Tunisian restaurant, I'll go with the former.
Basically, it's eggs poached in a mildly seasoned (with harrisa) tomato broth that's loaded with chilies (mild ones), onions and roasted garlic. Quite frankly, there's a ton going on in this dish.
The Shakshuka Special, which is what I had is the basic dish with the addition of Merges sausage. This Middle Eastern lamb sausage is highly seasoned and incredibly tasty. Pretty much every bite with this dish is different. A deep, rich tomato flavour permeates, sometimes a bit garlicky, other times rich from the egg yolk. A hint of spice once in a while or sweet from a different chili. Just an incredible dish that's comfort food at it's best. Mostly served in the winter months in Israel.

The Shawarma meat was something I've never seen. Instead of the usual chicken, Dr. Laffa was using turkey. The turkey was embedded with lamb fat as it's basting agent. The meat wasn't heavily seasoned but more left to stand on it's own merits. The sandwich was stuffed into a laffa with a nice mixture of sauces and vegetation. I think my bread of choice for shawarma is still pita but this was a nice change. All in all, this was a great sandwich. And big too. No, not big, HUGE!!

In the run up to, and during Chanukah, Jews will often eat things deep fried.
Commemorating the miracle of the temple oil. Sufganiyah (SOOF-gone-ee-AH) are traditional jelly filled donuts that fit this bill nicely. Dough balls are fried, filled with jelly and topped with powdered sugar. These specimens are good but I think could be better. For me, there wasn’t enough jelly in them. Outside of that, I really liked them. I found them a bit more savoury than most donuts and to a degree, a bit more like bread than donut. These are totally not like the light, airy Krispy Kreme Original Glaze donuts. They’re denser and savoury balanced out the powdered sugar nicely. I rather enjoyed the chewiness.

Baklava is a traditional dessert all over the Middle East. Chopped pistachios are sandwiched between layers of phyllo or, as in the case here, dressed up a bit more nicely. There’s plenty of sugar, usually in the form of honey to sweeten these up. While I really like baklava, I don’t love it. These specimens here are among the best I’ve had though.

Well there you have it folks, a little taste of Israel right here in TO.

You can find Dr. Laffa at 401 Magnetic Dr in Toronto.

View Larger Map

You can also find them on the web, facebook and Twitter.


Well that’s all for now folks, see ya next time in the food court.

Davwud

Sha-WAR-ma

With political and religious tension over the years many Lebanese have felt the need to leave the home land and migrate to safer havens. One such immigrant destination is Canada where a growing population of expats is awaiting them in Toronto. Specifically in the Lawrence Ave. E area between Victoria Park and Warden. It’s along this 1 mile (or so) strip you’ll find some of the best shawarma in the city. With several places competing for your food dollar the quality is high and so is the value. I perused the Chowhound Ontario board and came up with what are considered the 3 best in the area.

Shawarma is to Lebanese what gyros are to Greek and döner are to Turks. Layers of meat and fat stacked on a spit and roasted vertically. This fast food meat is shaved from the spit and stuffed into a pita. A variety of vegetables and sauces are added and (in most cases) the pita is folded and rolled.
 
So here they are from least favourite to my #1 shawarma place in the afore mentioned area. All places were visited at lunch. A beef and chicken shawarma with “Everything” and “Hot” (spicy) were the standard.

~Empire Shawarma~

This hole in the wall place in a strip mall near the corner of Pharmacy does a humming business. The faint smell of curry permeated the place and the din of (what I can only assume is) Lebanese filled the air. There are a few basic tables and chairs and a ledge along the front window.

The volume meant that all the meats were cut fresh from the rotisserie. There was a nice bit of crunch in the meat from the little nubs that get a bit well done. A very nice textural and taste point. The meats had a very faint curry taste but were otherwise simple. The shell is a little smaller than most but the meat content was about the same. They don’t have nearly the same amount of  condiments. The meats dominated the veggies as a result and the tahini and hot sauces added some nice flavour and some requisite messiness. At first I thought the beef was only just okay but the more I ate the more I really enjoyed it. Ditto for the chicken although I “Loved” the beef I only “Really liked” the chicken. I rather enjoyed the meat to veggie ratio.
The drawbacks would be the pita is served clam shell style where I prefer the wrapped style. They don’t grill press their sandwiches either.

~Ibrahim's Shawarma and Halal Pizza~

You would expect the place that has a butcher shop attached to it would have great meat and so it is. Ibrahim’s restaurant arm is renown for their shawarma and other favourites. Home made garlic and hot sauces compliment the meats perfectly. The tiny space has only a few tables and reminds me a bit of a burger joint in it’s appearance.

The meats are the juciest and most flavourful. The crunch from the cabbage and the power of the garlic sauce are all perfect. The heat level is outstanding with their clearly best hot sauce. It’s well rounded out by the hummus and tahini. The actual beef it’s self may be a close second in flavour to Nasib’s but the chicken is superior and the over all package is better than most.

Their shortcoming is that their pitas are so big they end up with a little too much condiment. Not a deal breaker but not exactly the perfect balance of meat to stuffing.

~Nasib’s~

Clearly the best IMHO. The friendly family run establishment has been around since 1962 so they oughta know a thing or two. Everything is made in house and fresh. Emad the owner is all about keeping the customer happy. It also had a brighter cleaner feel than most places.

The pitas are just the right size to allow a perfect balance of meat and toppings. I liked that the chicken and beef were seasoned differently. The chicken was simply seasoned and allowed for a good chicken taste. The beef was the tastiest with it’s Lebanese spicing and slight char. Nasib’s veggie options had an unbelievably fresh taste and equaled only by Ibrahim’s in terms of variety. The garlic sauce was a clear winner here. Mrs. Sippi claims their pickled turnips are the best she’s had.
The only drawback was the hot sauce wasn’t nearly as hot or good as Ibrahim’s. It needs to be ordered extra hot IMHO.
The bottom line here really is that choose any of them and you can’t go wrong. All make a fabulous product but there are subtle differences between them. I will point out a couple of tips. First of all, if you see condiments that look like they belong on a burger or in a sub you’re probably in the wrong place. You want to see cabbage, pickled turnips, tahini and such. Secondly, while still good otherwise, people believe that shawarma is at it’s peak when enough meat has been trimmed from the spit it’s close to half it’s original size. Earlier slices haven’t had enough fat drip on them and later slices have been around a little too long. While it’s all good, that middle third is the sweet spot. Another good tip is to frequent places that as much as possible shave from the spit as it’s ordered. Stay away from the steam tray as it can make the meat very dry.

So there you have it. 

You can find this shawarma lovers heaven on Lawrence Ave. E. in Toronto between Victoria Park Ave and Warden Ave.

View Larger Map
Well that’s all from the food court today folks. I’ll see you again next time.

Davwud