GRAND PRIZE WINNER
LE GOURMET SHAWARMA CAFE
Chicken shawarmas, popular Middle Eastern pita-wrapped sandwiches, are ubiquitous “street food” options in Egypt where Tawfik Shehata spent the first four years of his life. But the shawarmas Shehata consumed in Ottawa, where he learned culinary craft, remain the most memorable: “I ate shawarmas almost nightly,” the Ballroom (and former Vertical) chef explains. Biting into Le Gourmet Shawarma Café’s waxed paper–wrapped offering, Shehata reveals that he has finally found a “good, messy sandwich” with “really, really moist chicken and lots of tomato” — much better, he says, than the ones he used to consume when he was still in school.
Price: $4.99
WATCH VIDEO: Tawfik Shehata Picks T.O.'s Tastiest Shawarma
FIRST RUNNER-UPGhazale, 504 Bloor St. W. “The chicken looks really good in this one,” says Shehata. “The marinade on the chicken really comes through.” The only drawback to this generous sandwich? “There’s actually not a lot of garlic in the Price: $4.39 |
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HOT STUFFMe Va Me, 330 Steeles Ave. W.“This one’s quite good,” says Shehata, after some consideration. “There’s lots of garlic sauce, and it’s very ‘Middle Eastern’ tasting.” Although Shehata says the toppings are a little “lacking,” he likes that the shawarma is “nice and spicy.” Price: $6.73 |
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THE BREAD WINNERShoom Shoom, 7355 Bayview Ave.While Shehata finds the chicken a bit dry (“but flavourful”) in this shawarma, he’s a fan of the pita: “This bread is really, really fresh,” he says. He also notes that this is one of the “fullest” shawarmas. This sandwich definitely requires two hands. Price: $7.33 |
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LE CORDON BLAHAli Baba’s, 24 Wellesley St. W.“This is quite dry,” says Shehata, “and there’s really not enough chicken in there.” Despite its shortcomings, our taste tester says this shawarma is most like the ones he frequently consumed when he was at culinary school. Price: $4.99 |
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