No Sharmana, Have a Shawarma !!

Shawarma is an Arab meat preparation generally made of lamb or chicken. But that is just the basic and very insipid way of describing it. Shawarma is a blast of various tastes especially of meat & spices in you mouth when you take that first bite. It is beyond explanation and penning it down will be a big injustice.

Shawarma was initially a very rare sight in Mumbai but off late it has been welcomed with open hands, grabibng at every opportunity to satiate those taste buds. As often is the case it takes a bit longer for the Mumbaikars to make a place for foreign foods on their culinary timetable and shawarma is not different.

Just to maintain the sanctity of the blog, I will try to describe the 'Shawarma'. Well when you first see it, it appears to be some kind of a meaty roll with meat tit-bits hanging around. The outer pita bread is the more conventional one and holds all the stuffing together. Meat which is marinated is placed on a spit and may be grilled for as long as a day. Shavings are cut off the block of meat for serving, and the remainder of the block of meat is kept heated on the rotating spit. These shavings are often mixed with potato wedges and are stuffed in that pita along with different choice of veggies. Veggies are of unique range with zucchini & chilli as the main ones. There can be variants of zucchini with beet & cucumber or tomatoes and also onions or bell peppers and yeah olives too !! Everything is topped up with tahini which is a sesame seed paste and hummus which is a chickpea spread.

The cool thing about Mumbai Shawarma is that no two places serve the same tasting shawarma which makes foodies like us try every nook and corner. There are many top & awesome places which serve some of the tastiest shawarmas in town.

Carters Blue near Carter road is one such place which serves wholesome shawarmas for some time now. Freshly made and moderately priced, this joint also has good number of varieties. There are Arabic & Greek varieties and even a Mexican one. There are options for the vegetarians too with Falafel.

Pritam Dhaba at Dadar also serves a wicked shawarma but lacks varieties. The taste is worth though and there is an overload of ingredients.

Maroosh is chain of outlets one of which is at High Street Phoenix has got decent shawarmas and is a strictly ok place. When it started, it was good but now it seems a bit overpriced & down with value kind of thing.

Cafe Biona in Bandra is another place for good shawarmas. They have the olives variant and kind of works well. However off late, not sure as to how its been. Need to check soon !!

There are many others like Tezz & even the Muhammed Ali road one among others. Mumbai has been swiped with this Lebanese tide. Every area has got one now with its own speciality. 

So dont just sit and ponder,  go have one of this Lebanese wonder !! Waah waah !! I leave you with this food quote !! So long !!

Chocolateria!!!

I had been meaning to check out this place in Bandra -“Chocolateria San Churro” ever since a friend expressed his craving for chocolate cake and chocolate churros, and about 2 months back I finally got a chance to do so. As soon as I entered, the very aroma of chocolate wafting in the place was enough to put me in a chocolate haze. The interiors of San Churros is perfectly designed to give u the feel, that you have entered a chocolate land. It’s a multi leveled Spanish joint, with the ground floor having a few tables and a large counter showcasing the sinful pleasures of the place - chocolate pastries, truffles and churros, creamy cakes. Wow!!! It’s just chocolate, chocolate and chocolate.

Well, just to give u guys an insight, Churros are Spanish doughnuts. They’re deep fried to make them crunchy, And u enjoy the churros with melted chocolate.

I had been to this place with a friend and we ordered a dessert for each..!! We ordered a 7 layered cake!! A complete bliss! This particular piece was soo huge, that a person alone would find it difficult to finish it all..!! It was indeed very delicious! As the name suggests, it was a 7 layered pastry with layers of chocolate cake, a layer of the rich Spanish chocolate, chocolate mousse, a dark chocolate layer, tiramisu layer, again a layer of chocolate and one of chocolate cake..!! Loved the look of the cake which when served was warm and decorated with thick melted chocolate. It is a huge piece of pastry, but one of the best I’ve had till date.

The Strawberry Bizcocho was another story!! It was delicious right from the first spoon and would want you craving for more. It was rich in fresh strawberries, custard, nuts and chocolate cake and served in a glass. (I’m craving for it already just by thinking about it!!) Beautifully presented and every bite of the combo makes you yearn for more. 

This was just a snapshot my friends. San Churros has an extended menu. Here, you’d get anything you’d ever wish for. The die for chocolates is served in forms of shakes, coffees, hot chocolates, coupled with churros and yummy savories

The coffees, (though I'd like to try one myself) looked as if blended rich in chocolate. The hot chocolate was thick and creamy giving away a strong aroma of the coffee. I was amazed to find different hot chocolates drinks and shakes and coffees with various flavors on the menu. At San Churros, they have experimented with different kinds of flavors originating from different lands and created their own legendary blend. There were various ones like a milk based couvertures, dark hot chocolate (my vote for this), a caramel based hot chocolate, a mocha, an minty infusion and many more flavors. The icy chocolate shakes were not less amazingly appealing. As tempting the hot chocolates are, the coolers were an add on to the menu. The classic shakes are a combination of chocolate with milk and ice-creams and cookies and various fruit flavors as well.

They also have the taste plates in which you are served an entire range of chocolate delights. And last but not the least, this hangout has an assortment of delicious truffles made up of Spanish couverture chocolates!!

But I would always say, that it’s a lil over priced and should go there only on occasions or when you’re actually ready to die for the rich desserts and chocolates!! J

Well just writing this much about San Churros has got me yearning for more chocolate and would love to indulge in some hot chocolate or coffee from the menu!!

So all you chocolate lovers should go there once and try out the chocolate delights there. C u soon..

P.S.: the picture in my 1^st post with the Chocolate Cake is the “7 Layered Cake!!” J

Website: www.sanchurro.in

Address: shop No. 11, silver Pearl, Waterfield Rd, Bandra (W).

Another Store is at Breach Candy as well.