Souk Shawarma Review – Shawarma Roasting On An Open Fire
By Abeni Tinubu
“I need to stop eating.” I mumbled mostly to myself whilst simultaneously reaching for another dirty fry. Clearly my tummy was stretched past the point of comfort, but the cold hard truth remained; when it comes to eating, I simply have no chill. But as always, I’m getting ahead of myself; Flashback to 30 minutes ago. I stumbled into Downtown LA’s newest gem Souk Shawarma on Wednesday night, right in time for dinner.
Conveniently located in at 1111 Wilshire Blvd, Souk Shawarma shares a building with Plane Check as well as a new bakery called Sucre. Deep, blood reds and warm chocolates create a homey feeling in the small venue, while multi-colored light fixtures elevate the atmosphere from looking like your typical fast food joint. The aromas that the wood-fired meats were emitting were mouthwatering and the chefs were gracious enough to allow me an up close and personal view of them. In fact, all of the employees I interacted with at Souk Shawarma were friendly and informative without being overbearing, which are qualities I always respect and appreciate.
I started off with lemon and mint infused water (which is a must if you want to feel refreshed and hydrated) and avocado hummus. The pita was warm, soft, melt-in-your mouth goodness and paired wonderfully with the tangy avocado hummus. Tragically, my friend is allergic to avocados, so I had the truly “difficult” task of inhaling it all by myself. Luckily for her, the chef quickly brought out a spicy eggplant hummus that was much more conducive to her dietary restrictions. The eggplant hummus had a mustardy taste to it, and was spiked with a nice bitterness that served as a wonderful juxtaposition to the avocado hummus. Hummus often leaves my mouth feeling dry, so I was pleased that this was not the case at Souk Shawarma.
Because my love of fries is infinite, my friend and I decided there was no way we could pass up Souk Shawarma’s Dirty Fries. Topped with beef shawarma, feta cheese, harissa (their housemate hot sauce) and green onions, these seasoned French fries are not to be overlooked should you make a trip to Souk Shawarma. Since they’re a nice size, you can split them with friends as an appetizer, or grab them in lieu of an entree for a lighter lunch.
These crispy, skinny fries were absolutely loaded with flavor, delivering an impromptu surprise party to my taste buds. The beef was savory and created a nice balancing act to the feta. The green onion added something extra to the fries that you just can’t get elsewhere, and I absolutely loved the harissa drizzled on top. It packed heat, but also had a wonderful sweet tanginess that was reminiscent of Mild sauce for all my Chicagoans (for everyone else, I’ll allow you this brief reprieve to consult Google.) Honestly, these fries would’ve probably been quite delicious on their own because they were so wonderfully seasoned. Everything else was just as an added bonus that I was lucky enough to devour.
Next came the entrees. I couldn’t decide between the Duck and Lamb Shawarma, so the chef provided me with a sample of both. My friend opted for the Chicken Shawarma. Now at Souk Shawarma, you can get your entree one of two ways. I ordered mine as a plate and it came with a rice and grain blend, pickled veggies, souk mix (red onion, herb salad, and sumac), hummus and pita. My friend decided to enjoy her food wrap style, which has all of the fixings as mine sans the rice, grains and hummus. It should be noted that Souk Shawarma does have three vegetarian entree options, (including one for vegans) but as my friend and I are proud carnivores, we were in a “bring on the meats!” kind of mood, especially since their meats are all natural and hormone free.
The Chicken Shawarma Wrap, with its house made garlic sauce, chickpea aioli, oven-roasted tomatoes, and souk mix was quite tasty, and provided me with a midsummer barbecue type of vibe as it is marinated in a secret blend of herbs and spices. After tasting my Duck Shawarma, it became clear why it is their house specialty. The flavors from the duck, arugula, chilies, roasted tomatoes, house garlic sauce, and souk mix by themselves were just okay, but when they were all blended together, magic happened. The dish managed to be equal parts sweet and savory and was quite filling. I’ll certainly be enjoying my leftovers tomorrow. However, my favorite of all three entrees was undoubtedly the Lamb Shawarma. Served with blistered tomatoes, spicy harissa, and souk mix, it was sweet, flavorful, and perfectly tender. I was told it was the most traditional of the three dishes, and it certainly had me feeling like keeping it old school was the way to go.
Despite eating to the point of exhaustion, I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Souk Shawarma. It’s certainly a hidden gem for Middle Eastern food in downtown Los Angeles. With reasonable pricing, nearby parking, and a Metro station (for all my fellow non-drivers) it’s certainly a place to try when you’re craving something that’s quick but not super unhealthy. Souk Shawarma is flavorful, tasty, and leaves you with a nice homey feeling that almost all other fast food joints lack. What else could you hope for during the “most wonderful time of the year?”
Happy Holidays!