Erika G.
Yelp
Whether you're someone who has loved shawarma forever or who first tried it after seeing 2012's The Avengers movie, you know how delicious this handheld wrap situation can be. Especially when it's a good one. So what is a shawarma? It's a dish from Middle Eastern cuisine that consists of seasoned meat cut into thin slices, stacked in a cone-like shape, and roasted on a slowly-turning vertical spit. Originally made of lamb (so look for lamb if you want the orig), today's shawarma may also be made with chicken, beef, or other meats. Thin slices of meat are shaved off the cooked surface as the spit continuously rotates. The word "shawarma" refers to the turning spit itself. Commonly served as a wrap, there are usually an array of additional toppings to choose from; diced tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, pickled vegetables, and tahini sauce, among others.
Most people have their favourite shawarma place, I know I do. It's called Barakat and is located in London, Ontario. But when I heard that blogTO had named Shawarma Empire as the #1 Best Shawarma in Toronto, I naturally had to try them for myself.
You'll find Shawarma Empire in Scarborough, so be prepared to go on a little journey. They're located in a strip mall that is filled with other Middle Eastern businesses which was my first clue that this place is actually legit. Going inside, it's a very fast food-style operation, which is to be expected. The walls are sky blue and there isn't very much going on for decor. But who needs atmosphere when all you need to feast your eyes upon are the three rotating spits, packed tall with chicken and beef.
The menu offers sandwiches (they're calling them "sandwiches" but these are essentially the wraps), plates, salads, and side orders. I've never been much into the plates at these places because I always just want a shawarma - and to me that translates to a wrap in my hands. Another thing that I should clarify is that while I am well aware that shawarma can involve any type of meat, to me the ubiquitous choice is chicken. Therefore, when I say "shawarma," I am referring to a chicken wrap 100% of the time. In addition to offering chicken or beef they also do falafel and it's always nice to see a veggie option.
First, I grabbed a canned Pop from the fridge on the side. I instantly grabbed a Vimto, which appeared to be the most appropriate beverage available. This drink originated in England but is now the dominating beverage of choice in the Middle East. The flavour is made up of grape, raspberry and blackcurrant. Although it pretty much tastes exactly like a cream soda. It's really good!
To eat, I ordered 1 Chicken Shawarma ($5.99). (You can also order 2 Shawarma for $9.99, so that's a nice little deal.) I was asked what I wanted on it, to which I replied "everything" and if I wanted it to be spicy, I said "yes." It didn't take long until my hot pocket of goodness was in my hands. The first thing that I noticed to be uniquely different about Shawarma Empire is the bread. Instead of using a wrap (like every other place that I've ever tried) they are stuffing pita bread instead. I felt good about this. Is it more authentic this way? Did it get changed to a tortilla-style wrap in North America? Probably. That sounds like something that we would do. My "sandwich" was filled with cucumber, tomato, pickles, pickled turnip, parsley, and lettuce. A spicy sauce was added. I'm sure that there was also a tahini (or comparable) sauce used as well. Many places do a garlic sauce. Most of all, I was impressed by the generous pile of chicken jammed into my pita. They certainly did not cut any corners there. Every bite that I took was alive with big, savoury flavours. The chicken involved that perfect textural mix; some perfectly caramelized crispy pieces along with tender juicy ones. I also found the seasoning on the chicken to be quite unique. It seemed bolder and more involved than what is available at a typical shawarma shop. Again, I found myself leaning toward the assumption that this particular offering was likely closer to "the real thing." All of the vegetables were bright and fresh, my all-time favourite being the neon pink pickled turnips. (If I walk into a shawarma shop that doesn't offer these, I'm out.) The pita bread was warm and chewy. I really, really liked this shawarma. I can confidently say that it's the second best shawarma (see my definition above) that I've ever eaten and very likely the most authentic overall.
I noticed that desserts were an option and decided to load up. Baklava ($2.25) is on the menu, however Kanafeh (one of my favourites) is not. Although I could see it sitting there, taunting me. Upon ordering the kanafeh, the friendly woman preparing my order lifted out a huge piece from the pan, put it into a container, and proceeded to douse the dessert with a liberal amount of sweet syrup on top. Upon doing a slight bit of research, I wouldn't be surprised if Shawarma Empire gets their kanafeh from neighb
