Shawarma (the closest English translation to the Arabic) is all of those things, and more.
Most shawarmas are made outside restaurants, you can spot the shawarma shops by their massive towering logs of revolving meat and their vertical red cookers that are sizzling the rawness away.
The best shawarmas I’ve had were in Abu Dhabi and were made in small pita breads which were sliced open and included tomatoes, garlic sauce, pickles, tabouli, and french fries (of all things).
Traditional Middle Eastern shawarmasandwiches are made with marinated pieces of meat pressed and stacked on a vertical rotisserie and cooked slowly.
Instead of pita bread, the beef and vegetables were arranged at the center of a flour tortilla then wrapped jellyroll-style.
When the local KFC outlets came out with its Chicken Twister (rolled tortilla filled with chunks of fried chicken and vegetables), the concoction was nothing new to us.
Shawarma, you'll love it for its Ponderosa-style plastic interior and the seriousness of the service.
I've heard all of the bad things about the meat that is used in the Shawarma places that seem to be propogating quicker than the dandelions in my back yard.
Shawarmas are not to be eaten every day, but there's nothing better than biting into a saucy sandwich and smelling like garlic as you head back to work.
On the Cheap(Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-17)
Kebabs are popular here, but as the name suggests, the focus is on the shawarma.
Marinated and seasoned beef, lamb, or chicken roast slowly on special machines, then get cut into thin slices to make a pitasandwich ($3.99) or a meal that includes rice, tahini sauce, hummus or baba ghanoosh, and a salad ($5.99).
Boston Shawarma, located at 315a Huntington Avenue, Boston, is open daily from 10 a.m.
I'm trying to find info which will explain the method of how to put together a big chickenshawarma on a skewer (about 20kg).
We know that a shawerma or shewarma or shwerma is of Middle Eastern origin, featuring meat marinated and layered on a large skewer rotating around a vertical gas fire, not unlike the preparation for the Greek gyro.
And indeed, like the gyro, most shawarma recipes we've seen use lamb (or beef).
Decent Shawarma - Chowhound(Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-17)
Dried-out shawarma at different times of day; blah, soggy falafel; indeciferable spicing in everything; odd lentil soup.
this is a great posting...im from ottawa and love shawarmas, the best in ottawa for those of u who dont know, is shawarma palace at 464 rideau st. As for toronto, ive eaten at a few places along bloor and queen streets and i am so unimpressed.
Their shawarma and food in general is very nicely done, and really fresh.
Shawarmas are the staple snack from Middle-East now available all over Europe in Pizza and Burger joints.
Mix boneless and sliced/cubed chicken pieces with chopped garlic, salt, pepper, soya sauce, and mustard paste.
Optional Salsa Dressing: Mix the said measurements of ketchup, vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl and serve with hot shawarmas!
www.recipezaar.com /195246 (386 words)
Shawarma Station - Enjoy the Taste of Lebanon(Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-17)
Shawarma Mahata - محـــطة الشـــاورمة, Welcome to Shawarma Station, your stop to Lebanese Mediterranean food.
Shawarma Station is a well known chain that came from Lebanon to Canada and now for the first time is being introduced to Calgarians as a healthy Mediterranean food.
Come and visit us and you will feel what the Shawarma is all about.
www.shawarmastation.ca /default.htm (159 words)
The Shawarma thread - SkyscraperCity(Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-17)
My mouth is watering at the thought of Shawarmas.
Shawarma in Egypt sucks, it tastes like cheap meat.
Shawarma-less in Seattle | Ask MetaFilter(Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-17)
I used to get some awesome shawarma at a Mediterranean place in California, but I haven't had any luck finding a good shawarma place since I moved to Seattle.
Have never had the shawarma, but if it's good at one, it's probably the same at the other.
They didn't have shawarma on the menu and directed me to the chickensandwich.
Even though this isnt like shawarma that I am use to, we enjoyed it very much.
The tahini added nice flavor to it, but for some reason it seemed to be missing something.
I had marinated the chicken in the marinade day before y'day(total marination time of an exact 24 hours which did it real good as I was complimented saying that it tasted excellent!).