Shamshiri Grille
Memorial Monday at 5 p.m. -- odd day and time to choose Middle Eastern food. But hungry for garlic and tabouli I was so I headed out to a cafe my friend Lori had taken to me once. Of course it was closed, but she had also recommended Shamshiri, which was right across the street (on Westwood, near Santa Monica) so I took a chance.
I ordered the chicken shwarma platter with tabouli salad and a glass of chardonnay. Fast and friendly service. My only compliant was that I had to ask for water twice. But the waitress made up for it by explaining to me how to eat the mint, onion, radish and butter platter that was provided. Strangely enough, you put all four of these inside a pita. Quite good. Though I couldn't have enjoyed it as much as the lady next to me who ordered a whole additional red onion and chopped it up for her and the man she was with--wow!
The tabouli was so-so, not better than anything I had bought in a Michigan grocery store. But as I haven't had it in months, it tasted good. The chicken shwarma platter could have served two people -- it will indeed serve me twice and I couldn't even fit all the left-overs in the to go box. It came with grilled onions, orange peppers, and a tomato. The hummus was divine and had some pine nuts on top. I'd never had tahini sauce before, but really enjoyed it. A humungous pile of white and yellow basmati rice. The chicken was good in fits and starts--some pieces were dry and some pieces melted in your mouth. Since there was enough to pick and choose the good pieces, there were no complaints.
Lowdown: I ordered one of the cheapest dinners on the menu -- at $8.95 for two meals worth of food I'm not complaining. (Dinners ranged up to about $20--I can't imagine getting MORE food, so something about them must be better.) Still, I missed the overwhelming garlic sauce from Sunnin--look for a review on that place soon.
I ordered the chicken shwarma platter with tabouli salad and a glass of chardonnay. Fast and friendly service. My only compliant was that I had to ask for water twice. But the waitress made up for it by explaining to me how to eat the mint, onion, radish and butter platter that was provided. Strangely enough, you put all four of these inside a pita. Quite good. Though I couldn't have enjoyed it as much as the lady next to me who ordered a whole additional red onion and chopped it up for her and the man she was with--wow!
The tabouli was so-so, not better than anything I had bought in a Michigan grocery store. But as I haven't had it in months, it tasted good. The chicken shwarma platter could have served two people -- it will indeed serve me twice and I couldn't even fit all the left-overs in the to go box. It came with grilled onions, orange peppers, and a tomato. The hummus was divine and had some pine nuts on top. I'd never had tahini sauce before, but really enjoyed it. A humungous pile of white and yellow basmati rice. The chicken was good in fits and starts--some pieces were dry and some pieces melted in your mouth. Since there was enough to pick and choose the good pieces, there were no complaints.
Lowdown: I ordered one of the cheapest dinners on the menu -- at $8.95 for two meals worth of food I'm not complaining. (Dinners ranged up to about $20--I can't imagine getting MORE food, so something about them must be better.) Still, I missed the overwhelming garlic sauce from Sunnin--look for a review on that place soon.
posted by Laura at 7:16 PM
3 Comments:
I found the best shawarma in pita at HaBayit - a small Israeli retaurant at Pico just east of Bundy. Truly remarkable, although the portions, at $4.95, are a mite small for me. I usually order two.
BTW, my Hebrew-language blog, Shalom L.A. (http://shalomla.blogspot.com) now has a link to your blog.
Hi Eric, Thanks for the recommendation. I'll have to try it out one of these days.
Laura
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