Al Fawar
Filling: A respectable effort from a spot that enjoys plenty of custom, despite being a little out of the way. The fistful of chicken was a little dry, having not been freshly carved from the rotating spit. This made the overall experience chewier than some, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Fries are included as standard, as is a punch-packed pickled chilli, so be prepared to ask if you don’t like your shawarmas spicy.
Bread: A smallish wrap that was a little tough and not particularly fresh. Must try harder.
Sauce: Very garlicky and plenty of it, possibly as an attempt to compensate for the less-than-juicy meat. It left us with room-clearing breath for 48 hours.
Extras: Not a lot else worth writing home about, but the shawarmas themselves are passable as a quick snack.
Setting: A pleasant and clean enough dining room, scattered with hungry diners who clearly enjoy their food.
Verdict: 3/5
Not one of the best in the city, but if you live locally or are passing by, it’ll do the job.
Dhs4.50, Muroor Road, Al Matar (02 676 7555).
Beirut
Filling: The chicken managed the rare feat of being both greasy and dry, although it was flavoursome and tightly packed. We ordered a small chicken shawarma, and the size description was no misnomer. Next time, we’ll take the serving staff’s prompts and order the large one.
Bread: Thin, soft and chewy. There were no complaints here.
Sauce: A generous amount of garlic-enriched sauce that helped add a bit of moisture to the dry chicken. It did have a slightly bitter edge to it, but not enough to make it inedible.
Extras: Nothing whatsoever on the side, but a few fries were packed in there. There was also a thin slice of something green in the sandwich, which we eventually decided was pickled cucumber.
Setting: Beirut is a chain restaurant in a mall food court. Your view is, essentially, umpteen families eating Happy Meals.
Verdict: 3/5
Beirut will provide some cheap mid-shopping spree refreshment, but it’s not worth going out of your way for.
Dhs6, Al Wadha Mall, Al Wadha (02 443 7655).
Fileh Inn
Filling: The chicken shawarmas at Fileh Inn are about the best there are in the Maqta Bridge vicinity. Plenty of meat, loosely packed so the juices run freely down your chin, with only the sparest of spuds to dam the flow. Be sure to ask for plenty of napkins – you’re going to need them.
Bread: Warmed at the side of the meat, so the odours permeate the pita and loosen the texture.
Sauce: Not too bitter; just garlicky enough to make its presence known. Just right.
Extras: Unfortunately, Fileh Inn lets itself down on this front. Nothing extra to speak of, though if you’re willing to pay extra, we highly recommend a large chickoo juice to wash the whole thing down.
Setting: Sadly, there’s no view to enjoy with your shawarma, unless you like staring at Tarmac. Get it to go, drive it over to the nearby creek, dispose of it quietly.
Verdict: 4/5
Forget the setting, Fileh Inn is all about the meat and juice.
Dhs5, opposite Abu Dhabi Co-op, Bain Al Jessrain (02 558 9599).
Sameer Amees
Filling: A tightly constructed offering, generously packed with juicy – not greasy – morsels of chicken, and tangy chopped pickles. Fries poked cheekily out of one end, like the beckoning fingers of a well-made potato mistress.
Bread: Fresh enough and folded neatly at the bottom, saving shawarma novices from drizzling their laps and treating us to a glutinous final mouthful rich in meaty juice.
Sauce: Subtly spiced, but the chefs could have been a bit more generous with it. But then the freely-flowing ooze of the succulent chicken kept things moist enough.
Extras: A soggy bag of the bitterest pickles ever created by man. Luckily, we really like them that way.
Setting: We gobbled ours in our car, but you’re more than welcome to pull up a chair and enjoy yours in the sheltered outdoor area, perhaps comparing notes with the congregation of satisfied-looking patrons. There’s also a pokey inside seating area that could more than do with a bit of Cif and elbow grease.
Verdict: 4/5
Some quality shawarmas, but we wouldn’t recommend eating in.
Dhs5, opposite Bushra Mobile Phones, Tourist Club Area (02 645 9034).
Sofra Bld
Filling: Sofra put on one of the finest buffet spreads in the capital, which includes its very own shawarma stand, serving up chicken and beef versions of the Middle Eastern treat. This is a five-star hotel, so expect good quality meat that’s been marinated in yoghurt and spices for exactly 36 hours.
Bread: The home-made saj bread is perfectly thin and fresh. Because they grill the shawarma over charcoal after it has been folded, it has a delicious crispy exterior to it as well.
Sauce: A smattering of garlic paste and some subtly hot chilli sauce bring out the flavours of the meat.
Extras: Your shawarma will be delivered with a selection of posh looking pickles. As it is part of a buffet, you can get your fill of the huge selection of other treats on offer.
Setting: Sofra is a huge, spacious restaurant with views stretching out over the hotel’s infinity pool. A completely different world to your shabby little backstreet diner, though isn’t that part of the shawarma charm?
Verdict: 4/5
A fine dining take on a classic street snack. Would be a winner, but we have to knock a mark off for being so expensive. Fair’s fair!
Dhs170 for full buffet, Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri, Bain Al Jessrain (02 509 8888).
Lebanese Flower
Filling: Based on how our readers reacted last time we dared to knock this place (we actually had an angry letter threatening our mothers), we ought to call in police protection before typing another word. The truth is that the Lebanese Flower shawarma is, sadly, average. The meat is packed so tightly that it becomes a chore to chew, and the staunched juices are soaked up by an over-abundance of potato.
Bread: Stiff and unforgiving, the flatbread had a kind of cardboard effect. Not top notch.
Sauce: A tasty, tangy substance that would’ve worked better had the potatoes not become jealous and hogged it all.
Extras: Now you’re talking. If the shawarmas are a bit hit and miss, the rest of the menu contains some of the best Lebanese grub you’ll find in Abu Dhabi. The outlet on 11th Street is generally better than the Khalidiyah branch, and we recommend the stuffed vine leaves and the arayes in particular. Bring an empty belly; you’ll be leaving full.
Setting: The 11th Street branch has a nice street side garden that fills up early in the cooler months, making it one of the more atmospheric restaurants in the capital.
Verdict: 3/5
Lebanese Flower is a great little eatery, but it doesn’t serve the best shawarmas in town. There, we said it – bring on the abuse!
Dhs6, Defence Road, Muroor (02 645 6338).
Sennine
Filling: Freshly carved meat that oozed with a little too much grease, fries that were probably half an hour past their best, and some not-too-salty strips of pickle. It was packed to bursting point, with innards well arranged so that no mouthful was too biased towards either meat or potato.
Bread: Soft and fresh, though come the second half it could have been a month old for all anyone knew, saturated as it was in greasy meat juice.
Sauce: Smooth and creamy, but not too potent. It mingled with the grease to form a flavoursome gravy that trickled out of the bottom and onto our trainers.
Extras: You get nothing else with your shawarma order, but there is plenty more Lebanese fare on offer should you feel like ordering something else.
Setting: Don’t expect to be treated like royalty – as a well-known and constantly busy spot, service comes without a smile. Inside, there’s a slightly unkempt small sit-down area.
Verdict: 4/5
Sennine is a favourite shawarma spot for Abu Dhabi’s long-term residents. Good quality tucker is why it has managed to last the test of time.
Dhs5, Hamdan Street, Tourist Club Area (02 676 8877).
Al Safadi
Filling: The chicken option was fairly tasty, packed with chunky bits of meat and a few greasy chips thrown in. The lamb, however, was a real treat, with tender shreds of charred flesh and plenty of fresh coriander and mint.
Bread: Fresh and very soft, without being doughy. Right on the money.
Sauce: A garlicky little number that trod the right line between bitter and sweet.
Extras: They could have been more generous with the minuscule bag of pickles, but it was better than none at all. There are plenty of other options on the menu, including the intriguing ‘chicken lever’. Next time, perhaps.
Setting: An easy-to-find location on Khalidiyah’s main road. There’s a homely cafe, with plenty of seating should you want to make a proper meal of it.
Verdict: 5/5
A fine effort from the Khalidiyah-based outlet. If you live this side of town and fancy a late night bite, we would recommend it heartily.
Dhs5, Zayed The First Street, Khalidiyah (02 666 0201).
Marroush
Filling: Despite the fact that Marroush is generally teeming with punters, the chefs give the meat plenty of grilling time, meaning you won’t end up chewing on raw flesh. The chicken comes with a few chips, but not enough to dominate the flavours. Purists will revolt, but the Mexican chicken option was delicious enough to convince us that fusion shawarmas can work.
Bread: The bread was nothing special, but was soft and fresh enough to mean it didn’t detract from the excellence of the filling.
Sauce: There was enough garlic and chilli paste to cover the meat without it dripping down our front and ruining our best shirt. A good effort.
Extras: If you’re eating takeaway, you get a few tired looking pickles. If you’re eating in, ask for a bowl of fattoush salad as it’s up there with the best we’ve tried in Abu Dhabi.
Setting: Space is pretty constricted in the inside café seating area. There is a large outside area; pleasant enough, but it suffers from a lack of view. If you’re hankering for a shawarma, we recommend parking your car nearby, honking you horn and having one of the tasty little beasts delivered to your window.
Verdict: 5/5
Up there with the best, mainly because of the amazing Mexican chicken.
Dhs5, behind Chamber of Commerce, Al Markaziyah (02 644 1419).
Roll with it
Sofra Bld’s chef, Walid El Sayad, shows us how to prepare one of the Middle East’s best culinary discoveries.
1 Chunks of meat are marinated in yoghurt and spices for 36 hours before being moulded on the skewer. They’re grilled and slices are cut off.
2 Garlic and chilli paste and tahini (sesame seed paste) are spread on the bread. Fresh mint, za’atar, pickled cabbage and chopped tomato and onions are sprinkled on too.
3 The whole thing is carefully rolled up in saj bread to make a handy wrap.
4 The package is grilled over hot coals to give the exterior a nice crispy finish.
5 It’s ready for eating. Time to let the grease drip down your chin. Yella, enjoy!
