I am sure, like me, many of you running short of time for an elaborate meal, opt for rolls instead. No doubt Kolkata leaves Delhi far behind when it comes to rolls but in the last couple of years, many kathi roll joints have mushroomed in the local markets of Delhi, selling filling spicy rolls. Besides egg rolls, thepopular variant is the Lebanese delicacy shawarma. Kudos to AL Bake at the New Friends Colony market for making the dish popular.
Though shawarma tastes really good and has a demand too, there is no organised chain selling them in the city. The recently launched Shawarma Point claims to be India’s first Shawarma QSR chain and has a couple of outlets in Delhi NCR already. I visit the one located in Great India Place Mall in Noida. Out of the 50-odd restaurants in the mall, Shawarma Point in the food court is the only one selling shawarmas and other Lebanese delicacies. It’s a very small joint, next to Subway offering Shawarmas right from the rotating grill.
The menu is not limited to rolls but also offers soups, salads, pizzas, and a couple of grills but all with a tweak. I start with a fattoush chicken salad, one of the healthier options. The salad is refreshing and has a nice aroma of extra virgin olive oil which compliments the veggies and the grilled chicken. Toasted pita gives a nice crunchiness to the body of the salad.
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However, the soups are out of stock due to low demand. So I go on to the grill and kebab section of the menu. Falafel, a popular preparation served with hummus, is crunchy but has excess oil. Chicken shish touk, one of my favourites in the Middle Eastern cuisine, is disappointing. The chicken chunks are very big in size and cut out of the breast portion which makes them very dry and chewy. Special Arabic biryani is again not up to the mark.
And then I bite into a shawarma roll. I opt for two variants, one in brown bread, and the other in a pita. Both are delicious and mouth watering. The garlic sauce used as a base to bind the grilled chicken right from the live shawarma grill is just amazing.
After finishing my wraps, I learn a lesson: at Shawarma Point, go only for the shawarmas
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Meal for two: Rs.400