KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 — One of the first things that catches your eye at Shawarma King is the magnificent tower of meat on a skewer. That’s the sharwarma, the Arabic version of fast food.
“Sharwarma actually means cooking the lamb or chicken by grilling the meat over a spitfire for a long time. It is a technique of cooking,” said Sara Kwaider who runs the eatery located at Bangsar.
Debuting about seven months ago, the eatery that occupies a half shoplot is operated by Sara together with her partners. Part of the eatery’s charm is Sara born in Saudi Arabia of a mixed heritage that includes Turkish, Egyptian, Syrian, Saudi, Lebanese and Palestinian.
She first landed in Malaysia, about 10 years ago, to complete her university education. Her first degree at UCSI saw her taking up English language and communications with a major in linguistics.
Later, she did her Masters in business. “If you can communicate effectively, you can get to go places. As much as possible, I try my best to apply what I learn to bond with people, in a good way. I love people and I love their stories. I like to also share my own stories,” she explained.
When it came to bringing something authentic from her heritage, Sara knew she wanted to open an eatery serving extremely good shawarma, which essentially is, “good, marinated meats, freshly prepared. Good bread that wraps it all up. Fresh vegetables. And of course, the sooner you eat it after it’s prepared, the better — it’s crunchy, hot steamy and it is so delicious with the sauces.”
Bringing an authentic air to the menu items, you have their Syrian chef Abdul-Rahman AlKhayat. Not only is he skilled in making shawarma but he is also well versed in preparing appetisers, pastry and rice dishes. This has been built up through nine years of working in various restaurants.
Traditionally, sharwarma meats are lamb and chicken. Sara explained that the lamb shawarma is built up with a mix of three different meats — minced lamb, lamb tenderloin and lamb fat — giving it a balance of juiciness and tenderness.
She adds, “What gives it the amazing taste and juiciness is the lamb tenderloin.” In addition, there’s a method to how the meat is layered. For instance, the lamb fat is stacked every two to three layers. When it’s on the rotisserie, the fat will melt and spill over the meat to glaze it.
As the meat is vertical, the fat drips off, making it a healthier bite. As and when an order is placed, the meat is sliced thinly to be wrapped in the bread and combined with the salad and sauces.
For the chicken shawarma, they use the breast and leg cuts. In addition, they also stack lemon with the meat. The citrus fruit helps to keep the meat fresh and clean, especially since it is exposed to the environment and placed on the spitfire. Usually, the shawarma is kept on the spitfire for 10 hours. In the evening, they’ll re-stack the meat.
Before it is stacked, the meats are marinated using a spice rub — a mix of 13 different spices and herbs. According to Sara, each chef has their own special spice rub, making every shawarma different in taste.
The rub is mainly made from generally available ingredients like coriander, cumin, bay leaf, nutmeg, cardamom, parsley, salt and pepper. About 10 per cent are Arabic herbs, which they source from Arabic suppliers to retain the authenticity of their flavours.
Usually the marination process takes over 12 hours. The spices also act as a way to preserve the meat. Olive oil is also added to the meats to help preserve it. For the chicken shawarma, they put lime which gives it a nice zingy flavour.
At Shawarma King, they use a thinner Turkish wrap for their shawarma. The wrap which has a crispier bite is made fresh daily by a Syrian baker with Turkish ancestry. Based on Sara’s market research of the eateries in the Klang Valley, she noticed that shawarma is usually just offered as a wrap.
Back in her home country, they offer more diverse choices — pairing it with different breads including baguettes. In the future, she hopes to also offer pitta bread with the shawarma. Each shawarma must also have their sauces that add to the flavour of each bite.
Here, they offer sauces such as garlic, pomegranate, mint and Arabic chilli sauce, The Arabic chilli sauce is made from fresh chillies and a little of the spices used in the marinade for the meats. All these sauces are made in-house and are free from oil and mayonnaise. Sara also believes that the shawarma can be paired with local flavours. Inspired by our local dishes like laksa, she hopes to add coconut curry or even tamarind sauce later.
According to Sara who grew up eating shawarma, it is considered as the Arabic go-to meal when eating out. “It’s your nasi lemak. It’s your Maggi mee goreng. It’s your roti canai. Something we eat frequently. We’re not too big with McDonalds hence we retain our love for our traditional on-the-go meals.”
As it is full of protein, it’s usually eaten for lunch and dinner. Sara recommends you go for their shawarma lunch sets from noon onwards, where you can feast before you go back to work.
Their bestseller is the whopping 500 grams Shawarma King — a wrap with chicken and lamb shawarma, stuffed with tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage, pickles and onions. It’s filled with various sauces: garlic, mint, Arabic chilli and pomegranate.
If you have a big appetite for vegetables, try their Green Queen. It also weighs in at 500 grams, with a stuffing of fried eggplant and cauliflower. What makes it special is the addition of a freshly tossed, zesty lemon, mint salad. This is topped again with their sauces. And don’t be surprised, but there’s also fries! “Fries are yummy and good. It’s extremely common for Arabs,” she explained.
If you’re looking for a true representation of Sara’s Damascus heritage, go for the Al-Sham chicken or lamb. In this version, it is paired with only tomatoes, onions and pickles. Or try how Sara likes to eat her shawarma... with their house-made hummus.
The smooth chickpeas puree with tahini is delicious when paired in the shawarma, making it a protein packed meal. You can also customise how you like your shawarma from the doneness of the meat, sauces and vegetables.
While shawarma takes centre stage here, don’t overlook the superb claypot Mandi rice. Chose from three variants: lamb, chicken or vegetarian — all served with a tangy salad on the side. Also known as Mandi Fakhar, the fluffy, long rice grains is served in a claypot. The choice of cooking vessel is a nod towards our local claypot rice.
What ups its deliciousness.... the rice is infused with a smoky tang. Sara explains to us that it’s the cooking technique, a method unique to Damascus. To achieve that smokiness, a piece of coal and oil is placed in a small saucer, and placed on top of the rice. As it cooks over an open fire, the oil takes the flavour of the coal that infuses the rice. The balance is just right and each spoonful of rice mixed with the meats and vegetables is addictive.
Pair your meal with their Arabic Qahwah coffee. This semi-sweet coffee prepared without milk holds a special meaning for Sara as she learned how to make it from her mother. It’s also a way to honour their guests, as they greet them with this coffee that has hints of fruits, sugar and spices.
When Sara returns home, this is served during breaking of the fast with dates. Or if you prefer, they also offer a selection of teas. A popular choice is their mint tea. Other teas offered include sage tea, zhurat tea and chamomile tea. The zhurat tea is believed to help relieve tension and improve your sleep.
Prior to opening this eatery, Sara and her partners took about six months to test out the market. They did two pop-ups: the first was at The Locker & Loft, a cocktail bar in Damansara Kim. The other was at a friend’s backyard where they invited all their friends to try out their shawarma.
Even after their pop-ups, they had to taste different breads and vegetables to determine what works. Customer feedback is important to them, as they just revamped their menu and opened up for lunch. “We didn’t change, we improved,” explained Sara.
Using comments from customers, they improved their plating, made the menu items more cost effective and removed some items, like the fried chicken. “We want to be able to deliver exactly what our customer wants.”
Sharwarma King
8, Jalan Telawi 2
Bangsar
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2201 4174
Open: 12pm to 12am
Closed on Monday
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shawarmakingkl/
