SOUK SHAWARMA MIDDLE EASTERN DISHES ON TAP

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Michael Hepworth

SOUK SHAWARMA OPENS UP IN DOWNTOWN

GREAT VARIETY OF MIDDLE EASTERN DISHES ON TAP

Los Angeles,(Perfect Meal Today)1/24/16/–There is a new Shawarma joint in town and it has opened up just west of downtown on Wilshire Blvd, and is offering Middle Eastern food with a serious approach. The place Is small and more of a café really, which is perfect for the busy lunchtime trade they are doing, although the night time is slow for them until the word gets out. I did take along for the ride a Jewish friend who had just returned from a tasting trip to Tel Aviv, and he confirmed the quality and authenticity of the food here. However Repeated questions about whether or not if it was Kosher I think remained largely unanswered.

There are six types of Shawarma on the menu to satisfy carnivores and they come in large wraps that are all in the $7.99-9.99 range. For an extra $2.50 you can throw in the rice, pickled vegetables, souk mix, hummus and pita. They have the chicken which is hormone free and marinated in herbs and spices, beef which is sirloin seasoned with souk’s dry rub, and lamb which is hormone free halal lamb marinated in pomegranate & chile.

My favorite of course is the Merguez Shawarma, which is a spicy Moroccan sausage made from lamb that comes with roasted onions and a variety of sauces. There are not a lot of places around town serving Merguez, so the fact that this place has it gives it an immediate plus in my book.

Vegan’s are also catered for here with the Sabih ($6.99), roasted eggplant with a Mediterranean salad, hardboiled egg and tahini sauce and zhoug. The vegan shawarma ($8.99) is made with non-gmo soy protein, seasoned with herbs and spices and served with tahini sauce along with oven blistered tomatoes and a souk mix.

You might want to try the baby Popcorn Falafels ($4.99) that are topped with fried herbs and served with green tahini and a spicy zhoug sauce. Also go for the Souk Fries ($3.99) that are prepared with Za Atar and a garlic sauce, or the Dirty Fries ($7.99), French fries topped with beef shawarma, feta cheese, harissa and green onions.

If you like Hummus and who doesn’t, it comes in two varieties, regular and avocado. Even one better is the Hummus Bowl which is topped with protein sautéed garbanzo beans, tahini & lemon sauce, olive oil and served with pita bread.

Souk Shawarma shares the space with a French bakery called SUCRE, which is also run by a family member. Here you get the chance to try Parisian ice-cream and some delicious Madeleine pastries.