If you’re new in town, it doesn’t take long to realize that Shawarma is one of the more popular dishes in Jeddah. There are so many places you could try we thought it was about time we put some to the test.
Based on input from site visitors to jeddahfood.com, we selected the following three as our current favorites:
Sands Hotel
Sands is one of the Shawarma joints that we had heard about over and over again from those who participated in the facebook discussion. Most concluded or suggested it was ‘the’ best in town hands down. It was interesting for me, (myself being a Sindian fan) to see if there was another Shawarma that could possibly be in the same league.
The venue itself is rather awkward, it is a long and narrow shop, that consists mostly of one long counter with sandwich ingredients at one end, and the Shawarma making team at the other. The team works well together, each one sticking to his task. One prepares the bread and ingredients while the second cuts off the grilled meat and fills the wraps as quickly as possible before throwing them back on the counter for wrapping by the first assistant.
For a hotel they are reasonably priced, SR6 is not extortionate, but then you see how small they are, and you feel slightly let down. They are comparable in size to the IKEA Shawarmas, and those start at SR2!
The Shawarma itself is full of the usual ingredients: tahina, gherkins, tomatoes and parsley, along with some very small french fries. Nothing out of the ordinary, and yet somehow the taste is. It’s quite difficult to put a finger on what exactly makes the Sands Shawarma stand out (perhaps its the seasoning in the sauce), but if you haven’t yet tried it, you really are missing out.
I think the small size is actually a good call by the Sands team, as its so small you are left wanting more, I wouldn’t be surprised if it results in more Shawarmas being sold (and thus more money being made!). Size aside, the Shawarma’s are juicy, full of flavor, simply delicious. Has Sindian met its match?
Shawarma Cost: SR6 Tel: 6692020
Manal Al Sham
After stopping at Sands we headed towards Rawdah district where we passed down Hamad Al Jaser Street in search of Manal Al Sham. Local residents speak highly of the place which has a staff full of Turkish chefs and is apparently co-owned by one too.
Mint is the surprise ingredient here, the herb is generously added to the Shawarmas and the combination gives them a unique taste. Served in Arabic pita bread this is not a large Shawarma, but it is one that should leave you satisfied. Good value for money too at only SR5. Juices are also available such as lemon Al Betroom, and Toot Al Shami.
Definitely worth a trip just to taste the difference!
Shawarma Cost: SR5 Home Delivery is Available. Tel: 6838761 and 6980736
Sindian
Our third stop was Sindian, a venue that we were already familiar with, and one many visitors to Jeddahfood.com had described as the best in town. What makes Sindian stand out is the way it is cooked. Instead of being cooked on an electric grill, the Shawarma is cooked on a charcoal grill, and cooked horizontally much like you would see a spit roast in Turkey and Europe. This has two benefits, one is that the charcoal cooks the meat more slowly and actually gives the meat a unique flavor, the other is the fact that the fat drips off more easily, the resulting in a leaner more healthy serving of chicken in the Shawarma — that is barbecued to perfection. However Sindian also have a unique type of bread that they wrap their Shawarma in, to our knowledge they were the first branch to introduce this fateera (tortilla type) bread in town years ago. The Chicken Shawarma here is one of our favorites, the meat is also good but can be a little salty if you arrive too early e.g. after Maghrib prayers. Better come after Isha, and you will find the meat less salty as the outer layers have been cut away.
On our visit we opted for the Chicken Shawarma (SR6) to make comparisons easier with the previous two venues. A Sarookh (Long ‘Rocket’ Shawarma) is also available at SR9 and is served in the same tortilla type bread.
Sindian are flexible with fillings like most other venues in town, the standard wrap comes with chicken, gherkin, potato chips, and garlic sauce. The garlic sauce is really good here, and the taste is unique. A firm favorite so far, in our search for the best Shawarma. But we have many more to try...!
Shawarma Cost: SR6 Sarookh: SR9
Tel: 6688785 Mobile: 0508 050 675
(Rashed Islam is a food critic who hosts Jeddahfood.com)
