Most of my childhood days- close to 17 years, was spent in Abu Dhabi, UAE. I grew up there and had this great affinity for Lebanese food (so, I thought it was called). Over time I learnt that Falafel, Shawarma and all the incredible dishes were prepared all over the Middle-East; in fact many have come to refer to them as Mediterranean food. Ever since I left Abu Dhabi for India the one thing I missed the most was the food- those almost daily visits with my family to Shawarma joints, Lebanese Chalets.
During my trip to the US, it was Herwin Abhilash Kandoth ‘s promise that every day we would try a new restaurant.. I woke up one morning and all I could think of was Shawarma, Falafel, Pita Bread, and so she took me to this place- couple of miles from where we were put up,`Falafel Stop`.
First thing I noticed was the long queue, most of the customers were IT folks who were in for a quick bite- most of them takeaways.. While waiting in the line, I noticed a person was going to every one in the queue and offering free Falafels to eat- can you beat that? Even more, this dude was the outlet manager.. Incredible!! Now this is the epitome of customer experience!
As soon as we got to the counter we placed our order and this is my take on the food:-
We ordered 2 varities of the chicken they had to offer:
Shuwarma(as they call it)
Grilled Chicken Breast- chicken marinated for 24 hrs in virgin olive oil and herbs.. Mind blowing.. Orgasm for the taste buds, I cannot explain all those subtle original flavors in my mouth when I took a bite into the chicken.. You can order this,
In a Pita Bread (freshly baked) with a side of Hummus, along with the Hummus, some Tahini and tangy sweet sauce, I still am unable to figure out what it was made of- but it was brilliant.
With either Israeli or regular salad- with parsley, pickled cucumber, banana peppers, green leaves all chopped small and easy to eat.
We also ordered the Falafel plate with the same combo as above.. The Falafel was crunchy and soft on the inside.. Again cooked to perfection.
Words cannot explain the food experience I had today, ,it was like a trip down memory lane. I’m telling you that this place serves the best Mediterranean food I have tasted in my life till date- this is not exaggeration!!! Ask the people who visit here.. I’m sure they will second to my opinion any day.. Besides, I was soo hooked up to this place, during my 30 day trip to California, I managed to sneak in 4-5 visits… You Gotta Eat Here!!!
