My Favorite Shawarma in Dubai

like kebab? in dubai, it’s shawarma!

shawarma is pretty big in dubai. just like our local malaysian ramlee burger stall, it can be found in most places around dubai especially in karama, deira or bur dubai area. people love it because it’s cheap, doesn’t take too long to prepare, it’s easy to be eaten on the go and it’s delicious too!

basically shawarma is thinly sliced grilled chicken or beef rolled or wrapped into a flatbread or pita bread, along with cut-up veggies and sauce. i think our malaysian version would be the ‘kebab’ we get from pasar malam.

i love our malaysian kebab (though i prefer it on a hotdog bread rather than pita bread) however, malaysian kebab is no match for the exotic simplicity of the shawarma. while our kebab uses just mayo, shawarma has a special sauce which is a blend of yoghurt, garlic sauce and lemon. yum.

 

nampak simple je kan, tapi sedap sangat! – the shawarma from ‘picnic home’ in bur dubai

 

shawarma differs from country to country, and even different stalls would serve shawarma with slight variations on the bread they use (some use pita bread, tortilla bread, or flatbread) sauce, veggie (some go without tomatoes, some put onion, and some add pickle) and the marinade for the meat.

my favorite shawarma in dubai has to be the one in bur dubai, in a small humble restaurant called ‘picnic home’. what makes it most delicious is mainly the sauce, and the crispy chicken bits that’s perfectly marinated.

i’ve eaten shawarma that has chicken bits that are too salty. not nice. and i’ve eaten shawarma with homemade flatbread that is crispy! that was probably one of the best shawarma i’ve eaten too!

 

wrapped…

 

..unwrapped!

 

* * *

 

 

like i said, different stalls offer different taste, ingredients and presentation in their shawarma. this posting is about MY personal favorite of shawarma – the shawarma at ‘picnic home’ (lawak kan nama dia hihi). it’s situated in bur dubai, next to a shop called ‘royal dirham’ which i think sells souvenirs. it’s also opposite the burjuman metro station.

it should be easy to spot, but difficult to get to. parking is almost impossible! either you park so far away that you had to walk a long way OR what did we do?

DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK : hihi – but we simply stopped the car by the roadside right next to the stall, mr. khairul dashed out to order the shawarma by the window, rushed back in after few alarming honks from cars behind, made a U-turn and arrived back at the stall, repeating the process but this time to get our order and pay.

phew! it’s SO worth it!

 

mr. khairul making his order through the window counter

 

from the signage it says that its sells ‘lebanese food’ which is pretty much grill stuff all the way, including this very delicious, simple shawarma.

in our ‘early’ years of living in dubai, we used to get this shawarma regularly because we live nearby – our home was just few blocks behind burjuman mall. since moving to dubai marina, i haven’t had this shawarma since forever. rindu!

when i finally got to eat it, i was savoring a delightful dish that is so simple yet satisfying! the soft tortilla flatbread, the crispy juicy chicken, the tasty yoghurt garlic sauce and the fresh lettuce – yum!

know any other good place to get delicious shawarma in dubai? sorang msian kakak ni told me that the one in ibn battuta mall (next to geant) also has delicious shawarma which her kids love so much. i’m gonna try that one soon!