Chicken Schwerma

[muon]

The murder of the proprietress of my favorite Lebanese/Armenian take-out joint in LA has awakened my hunger for their schwerma. I've searched Manhattan for something similar, and although Rainbow Falafel on 17th is good, it's not even close to what I want. Here's my description from that thread:

The sandwiches are simple in their construction -- a folded pita (from plastic bag -- not made fresh); a very pungent, thick, white garlic sauce (perhaps a little olive oil?); chicken cut from a rotating spit (similar to how gyros are cooked -- the chicken meat is probably 90% white, and almost like butterflied breasts stacked up on the spit); neon pink pickles (the type of which I'm not sure) {edit:  they're believed to be turnips, soaked/pickled in beet juice}, ranging from small slivers to several inches long (cut like a french fry); and small, very hot yellow peppers (somewhat similar to pepperoncini, but much smaller and hotter).

I'm not just looking for good schwerma, I'm looking for Zankou's take on it. Is there anything similar to be found in New York?

Edited January 18, 2003 by muon33 (log)

[vengroff]

Alfanoose, on Fulton St., just east of Broadway, has the turnip pickles you described. I love them with falafel. I think they may have a chicken schwerma, but I've never had it.

[muon]

Alfanoose, on Fulton St., just east of Broadway, has the turnip pickles you described.  I love them with falafel.  I think they may have a chicken schwerma, but I've never had it.

You rock, and I'm so there this weekend. Do the peppers or garlic paste sound familiar? I'm obsessed!

--m.

[jaybee]

The murder of the proprietress of my favorite Lebanese/Armenian take-out joint in LA has awakened my hunger for their schwerma.

Muon, may I have your permission to use this sentence as the opening line for my new noir detective novel?

Edited January 18, 2003 by jaybee (log)

[muon]

Sorry Jaybee -- Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen have beat you to the punch. They've already optioned it to open their latest mystery/slumber party direct-to-video video.

Can we please just focus on the schwerma?

[jaybee]

Sorry Jaybee -- Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen have beat you to the punch. They've already optioned it to open their latest mystery/slumber party direct-to-video video.  

Can we please just focus on the schwerma?

Darn.

Ali Baba's on Amsterdam and 85th has a turkey schwerma on their menu. Plotnicki says it isn't too good, but the one time I had it I liked it.

But then, I wouldn't know schwerma from derma...

Edited January 18, 2003 by jaybee (log)

[Pan]

You might try:

Zaytoon's

283 Smith St. (at Sackett St.)

Brooklyn, NY 11231-4739

Phone: (718) 875-1880

My favorite sandwich there is the merguez sandwich, but their chicken shawarma is also good and fits your description pretty well.

Edited January 18, 2003 by Pan (log)

[pnapoli]

a place on broadway near 115th--begins with an "N" i think--has been recommended to me as having a superior chicken schwerma.

[La Niña]

You willing to have an outer borough experience?

[muon]

You willing to have an outer borough experience?

Absolutely. That's why I asked for recommendations in New York {City}. Would appreciate your esteemed input.

--m.

[La Niña]

A few suggestions:

Famous Pita on Coney Island Avenue in Midwood, Brooklyn may have something very similar to what you're looking for. Certainly they have the turnips, the hot peppers, the tahina (that's the sauce you're talking about), the good pita, and schwarma cut exactly like you're describing. You can also add from their vast array of other things into your sandwich, if you want to.

Now I'm not sure if they use chicken (I have had many meat sandwiches there) - but El Manara on Steinway St. in Astoria has some of the best sandwiches of this type I've had in this city. Even if it's not exactly what you have in mind - it's well worth the trek. Incredible stuff - and the grill man is a fun, warm guy - and his little Mom is behind the register - it's a fun visit. And if you go, stop by in to Laziza on the other side of Steinway, just a couple of blocks away - great middle eastern pastry shop.

There's that crazy guy in Manhattan on the west side - 9th Avenue in the high 40's/low 50's - I can't remember the name of the place right now. He's Israeli. The falafel is good - I don't know if he makes chicken schwarma, but it's definitely worth a shot. If he does, it'll be in the category you're looking for.

[muon]

Excellent -- thanks everyone for the input (and keep it coming).

I need to compile the responses, and engage some consultation with mapquest to plan a route of attack for my schwerma analysis.

One point of clarification:

Certainly they have the turnips, the hot peppers, the tahina (that's the sauce you're talking about) ...

I'm familiar with tahina (tahini?), and I don't believe that's what they use at my precious Zankou. I called it a sauce, but paste would be a better word for it. It doesn't run, being thicker than mayonnaise and slightly chunky. My guess is that it's at least 75% fresh garlic, ground into a paste, with perhaps some olive oil. It also seems to have some kind of smoothing/binding agent in it -- perhaps yogurt. I've never detected any sesame.

I'm going to call my mother to confer -- I've forced Zankou on my parents during several of their visits to LA. My mother has a mouth like a spectroscopic analyzer -- one small particle of something yummy, and without being able to stop it, her synapses start firing as her brain deconstructs every bite into it's constituent elements. Hopefully the Zankou files haven't been deleted. If she remembers anything of note, I'll update.

And thanks thanks thanks again.

Edited January 18, 2003 by muon33 (log)

[La Niña]

I remembered the name of the place on 9th Ave. - Azuri.

[Suzanne F]

Another vote for Alfanoose on Fulton Street. Yes, they definitely have it. After the guy cuts it off the spit, he cooks it further on the flattop with onions and more spices, so it's got lots of flavor and is juicy. Condiments available are: those pickled turnips, thin slices of cucumber pickle (looks Middle-Eastern, not US style), chopped tomatoes, chopped iceberg lettuce, sliced raw onion, tahini sauce, hot sauce, and maybe some other stuff I've forgotten.

They also have quite a range of vegetable and grain dishes and salads -- their tabbouleh is great! And their felafel. And their kofta. And their "spinach pies" -- actually a mix of greens, pine nuts, onion, and spices in a homemade yeast dough, kind of like a baked knish.

I also know of "coffee shops" that have "chicken gyro" -- but I like you too much to point you toward them. THAT stuff stinks.

[Jason Perlow]

The murder of the proprietress of my favorite Lebanese/Armenian take-out joint in LA has awakened my hunger for their schwerma.  I've searched Manhattan for something similar, and although Rainbow Falafel on 17th is good, it's not even close to what I want.  Here's my description from that thread: 

The sandwiches are simple in their construction -- a folded pita (from plastic bag -- not made fresh); a very pungent, thick, white garlic sauce (perhaps a little olive oil?); chicken cut from a rotating spit (similar to how gyros are cooked -- the chicken meat is probably 90% white, and almost like butterflied breasts stacked up on the spit); neon pink pickles (the type of which I'm not sure) {edit:  they're believed to be turnips, soaked/pickled in beet juice}, ranging from small slivers to several inches long (cut like a french fry); and small, very hot yellow peppers (somewhat similar to pepperoncini, but much smaller and hotter).

I'm not just looking for good schwerma, I'm looking for Zankou's take on it. Is there anything similar to be found in New York?

Well, if you are willing to come to Englewood NJ, right over the GW bridge, I suggest you try Bennies. They always serve chicken shwarma and it is EXACTLY as you describe.

We've talked about Bennies before on the site:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST&f=5&t=4487

They have a comprehensive mezze menu (more than 2 dozen items. all are good) and the best kofta kebab sandwich and the smokiest baba ghanouj I have ever had.

[Steve Silkin]

Karam in Bay Ridge has the best Lebanese kitchen in the city and they make killer chicken schwarma sandwiches with pickled beets, garlicky skiced chicken schwarma and a wondrful secret sauce. An addictive treat and simply the best.

[La Niña]

Wholeheartedly agree with Steve about Karam. Really good food. Tiny little place. Right next to the train (86th St. & 4th Ave. in Bay Ridge)

[Joy]

Karam also makes a smokin' smokey baba ganouj. However from your description it sounds like Alfanoose is EXACTLY what you want. They'll ask (with good reason) if you want garlic and hot sauce. Yes yes yes -- do it even though you'll have essence de garlic coming out of your pores for the next 24 hours.

[Liza]

I second Azuri, which is on 51st between 10th and 9th, though closer to 10th.

[vengroff]

I just finished off an Alfanoose chicken schwerma for lunch. Chicken, onions, lettuce, cucumber pickles, turnip pickles, tahini and hot sauce. Excellent. Well worth the cold walk over from the office.

[muon]

About to kick off Phase 1 of my schwermanalysis. Based on eGullet feedback received, the list includes the following places. They're in descending order, based on the inferred strength of comments received for each.

• Karam -- Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
  
• Alfanoose -- Chinatown/Lower Manhattan
  
• Bennie's -- Englewood, NJ
  
• Azuri -- Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan
  
• Famous Pita -- Midwood, Brooklyn
  
• El Manara -- Astoria, Queens
  
• Zaytoon's -- Brooklyn
  
• Ali Baba's -- Upper West Side (including on the list, but the recommendation was very weak)
  

I'm starting with Karam. I tried to call Alfanoose, but I'm not sure if they're open on a Sunday -- not answering the phone. For Bennie's, I'll have to glom onto a friend to get out there -- not sure about the public transportation scenario. So I'll bundle up, bring the MP3 player and couple of magazines, and take the L to the R to 86th in Brooklyn.

Keep hitting that refresh button -- update to follow.

Edited January 26, 2003 by muon (log)

[La Niña]

What a great list! Can't wait to read the reports...

[Suzanne F]

What a great list!  Can't wait to read the reports...

What La Niña said! "Schwermanalysis" --

FYI: Alfanoose is I think only a Monday-Friday operation, and it's more WTC-area than Chinatown (take the 2, 3, 4, or 5 to Fulton Street; or the A or C to Broadway-Nassau; or the N or R [& sometimes the W] to Cortlandt street.)

[Jaymes]

I'm familiar with tahina (tahini?), and I don't believe that's what they use at my precious Zankou.  I called it a sauce, but paste would be a better word for it.  It doesn't run, being thicker than mayonnaise and slightly chunky.  My guess is that it's at least 75% fresh garlic, ground into a paste, with perhaps some olive oil.  It also seems to have some kind of smoothing/binding agent in it -- perhaps yogurt.  I've never detected any sesame.

I think the sauce you're talking about may be "laban." Which is a kind of yoghurt, and is ubiquitous at Middle Eastern restaurants.

You can make it yourself at home. You can add garlic to it (as much as you like). It's cool and rich and creamy and tangy...

It is absolutely wonderful. I really resent it when I go to Middle Eastern Restaurants and they don't have it because it's "too much work" (which it isn't, but is IS time-consuming to make), so they ask you if you'd like a little yoghurt instead. No. I wouldn't. I want laban.

Anyway, I think that may be what you're describing.

Although of course, I'm no expert.

Edited January 26, 2003 by Jaymes (log)

[muon]

Phase 1 complete.

Headed down to Karam this afternoon, for 'chicken schwerma' -- which is simply 'chicken' sandwich on their menu. I had one chicken sandwich and a kibbee ball there. When I sat down to eat the sandwich -- I realized with the first bite that I should have asked for it without lettuce (shredded iceberg -- I didn't realize it would be on there). The iceberg neutralizes the stronger tastes from the garlic paste and turnip pickles. Althought I was disappointed, I definitely detected potential. This first sandwich also came without hot peppers.

I ordered two more to go -- without lettuce, and with hot peppers on the side. I was a little worried they wouldn't travel well -- being that I wouldn't make it home for a couple of hours. So they came along with me to the office for about an hour, then Barnes & Noble in Union Square, then home and into the refrigerator. If you were at B&N around 5/5:30, and smelled my garlicky dinner, apologies -- I tried to get through the literature/fiction and DVD sections quickly.

I refrigerated the takeout for a few hours, then microwaved them for 90 seconds before eating. I was afraid the pita would have deteriorated into a wet bread sponge, but it held up extremely well. The peppers were ok, but not what I was hoping for either -- they were a milder green pepper, without any crunch or snap. All things considered, take two was significantly better -- without lettuce and with peppers is the way to go.

Karam wasn't a bullseye -- but it's close enough to suffice. The flavors were there, but much less intense. Karam is much better than other schwermas I've found in New York (Zankou is the standard against which I'm comparing these other joints):

* chicken meat -- a little more bland and dry than Zankou in LA, and also a little more fatty (I also got a bonus piece of gristle in one sandwich) -- the chicken at Zankou is much more juicy and garlicky.

* garlic paste/sauce -- very, very close; similar consistency but slightly less tangy and intense than Zankou.

* turnip pickles -- spot on.

* yellow hot peppers -- the biggest disappointment; the green pickled peppers they did have are less spicy and more smokey than what I was looking for.

Shwermanalysis summary (to date):

Zankou: A+

Karam: B-

Thanks everyone for this find!

--m.

Edited January 27, 2003 by muon (log)