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Shawarma: the staple of Ottawa cuisine

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Newcomers to Ottawa may be confused by the unique diet kept by locals, consisting, if you’re to believe the travel literature, largely of BeaverTails — locally farmed deep-fried dough with sugar, cinnamon and lemon, as well as other optional toppings, a wintertime favourite of Rideau Canal skaters — and, of far greater year-round consumption, shawarmas, a Lebanese import consisting of slow-cooked seasoned, marinated and skewered chicken or beef, rolled into a pita bread sandwich with various combinations of lettuce, hummus, tomatoes, onions, pickles, pickled turnips and sauces, all of it heated in a press.

According to Wikitravel.com, “Ottawa probably has more shawarma and falafel restaurants than any other place on Earth (outside of the Arab World, of course)…”

It’s certainly true that O-town boasts more shawarma shacks than anywhere else in Canada, owing at least in part to the influx of Lebanese immigrants to this city that began in 1975 as that country entered into a decade-and-a-half-long civil war.

(A number of shawarma purveyors explain, however, that the Canadian version rarely resembles the original, which typically includes french fries among its ingredients.)

A neon shawarma sign lures customers into a Bank Street restaurant.

 

Nevertheless, the best thing about Ottawa’s profusion of shawarma dining options is that their quality largely falls between good and excellent. You’d be hard-pressed to find a bad one. Just why that is so remains one of those mysteries, like why boxing rings are square. It could be that the ingredients used, unless they’ve actually gone bad, simply can’t be assembled in a combination that doesn’t taste good.But God help the shawarma-addicted student who attends Algonquin College or Carleton University and has no car (or access to UberEATS). The outlet closest to Algonquin is Princess Shawarma (formerly Prince Shawarma, begging further investigation), on Clyde Avenue, a good half-league away (30 minutes by foot).

Carleton students, although closer to the Centretown/downtown nexus of shawarma bistros, have a twentysome-minute walk to the closest one, Cedars & Co., a grocery store with attached restaurant. The next closest, Shawarma Spot, at the food court of the Billings Bridge shopping centre, is about a half-hour away, and, as already mentioned, in a food court.

The University of Ottawa, on the other hand, appears to have been built with shawarmas in mind, and students there can eat shawarmas at a different place every day of the week without putting much wear and tear on their kicks. Of additional benefit to students downtown, many of the establishments in Ottawa’s core are open long into the night, the better to aid, um, studying. And one of them, 3 Brothers Shawarma & Poutine, with three locations within easy walking distance, offers a poutine that includes shawarma chicken or beef.

Neo-enthusiasts to Ottawa’s shawarma scene, meanwhile, will quickly discover a good deal of associated royalty. Here’s a sampling:

Shawarma Palace

464 Rideau St., 2440 Bank St., 2020 Lanthier. shawarmapalace.ca

With three locations, Shawarma Palace is consistently ranked among Ottawa’s favourites. And on Fridays and Saturdays, the Rideau location is open until 3 a.m.

Shawarma’s King

395 Bank St. shawarmasking.com

Its website claims it is “Ottawa’s Best Lebanese Fast Food 16 years running 1997-2013,” without indicating who did the voting or what, if any, calamity ended that streak. Do with this information as you will.

New King Shawarma Plus

205 Bank St. newkingshawarma.ca

Formerly Shawarma Town, New King Shawarma is open ’till 1 a.m. most days, and until 4 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Shawarmas priced from $5.49 to $8.99.

Princess Shawarma

1383 Clyde Ave.

Formerly Prince Gourmet Shawarma. “Why not Queen Shawarma?” I asked of the name change. “I don’t know,” answered Rafi Safarian. “We voted.”

Shawarma Prince

1667 Merivale Rd., 4434 Innes Rd., 484 Hazeldean Rd., 3101 Strandherd Rd. shawarmaprince.com

The Garlic King

2586 St. Joseph Blvd. thegarlicking.ca

The Donald Trump of shawarmas, the Garlic King, aka Adel Azzi, is loud and brash, with a tricked-out van and purple robes. His theme song, sung to the tune of The Knack’s My Sharona, is “I am the Garlic King, I can do anything! My shawarma! Give me some garlic with some special sauce, and I want some onions on my shawarma. Ooh, I can’t believe the size of those king fries, you gotta see the Garlic King to get my shawarma!” Apart from small, medium and large shawarmas, the Garlic King offers monster ones for $12.

Le Palais Libanais

320 boul. Saint-Joseph, 332 boul Gréber, Gatineau. Lepalaislibanais.com

Shawarma Royale

3890 Innes Rd. shawarmaroyaleottawa.ca

“Amazingly conjured unique flavoured Lebanese dishes.” I just had to include that.

Le Palais Libanais

320 boul. Saint-Joseph, 332 boul Gréber, Gatineau. Lepalaislibanais.com

bdeachman@postmedia.com

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