Let's Eat

CHRISTIAN MANAHAN
Staff Writer
April 16, 2008

Shawarma & Grill

Secret to shawarma is in the spices

By CHRISTIAN MANAHAN
Staff Writer

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP – Armen Nazaryan always enjoyed tinkering with spices to enhance the Middle Eastern food he grew up eating.
The 25-year-old native of Armenia who now lives in Brigantine also found it difficult here to find some of the foods he loves. So he did the obvious and opened up his own restaurant, Shawarma & Grill in the Tilton Times Plaza.
“I just wanted to give people something different,” said Nazaryan, who opened the restaurant nearly four months ago. “They don’t make shawarma in America.”
Shawarma is a popular dish and a fast-food staple across the Middle East. The restaurant also has an array of shish kabobs, sandwiches, salads and the ever-popular falafel sandwich.
Nazaryan said that the unique spices of his native country are what set his food apart from other types.
“There are all different kinds of flavors,” he said.
For diners looking to take their tastes buds on a ride, Nazaryan recommends the falafel or shawarma sandwich.
The falafel, which is Arabic for pepper, is a fried ball made from garbanzo and fava beans combined with onions, garlic, parsley and spices and served in a toasted pita – a pocket made from flatbread.
It is particularly appealing to vegetarians because it has a lot of protein and flavor without any meat.
A shawarma is thinly sliced cuts of specially cooked meat rolled into a heated pita with vegetables, herbs, spices and sauce. Nazaryan offers it in chicken or pork, but it is also traditionally made with lamb, goat or turkey. He makes his with cilantro, yogurt sauce, onions and tomatoes.
For those looking for less adventurous food, the menu also has burgers, cheese steaks and french fries.
Nazaryan said that he prepares the majority of the dishes without adding cooking oil, letting the food cook in its own natural oils. The only things that require added oil are the falafel sandwich and french fries.
“I don’t use much oil, if any,” Nazaryan said.
The tiny restaurant is casual and features four two-seat tables; one wall features a painting of Mount Ararat, the site at which Noah’s ark is said to have been discovered.
The owner said his customer base is mainly employees from nearby businesses and offices looking for a little something different in their lunch or dinner routine, and people looking to sample the foods of the Middle East.
Nazaryan, who wears all the hats in his small operation, said he got into the culinary business because of the enjoyment he gets from combining spices in ways that please the palate. He credits his mother, Alina, for his passion for food.
“I know how to cook, and I love to cook for people,” he said. “I always liked to make something different.”


If You Go:

Shawarma & Grill

6814 Tilton Road
Egg Harbor Township
(609) 798-0177
Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily; closed Sunday
Price range $4.50 to $10.50
Major credit cards accepted
Free delivery

Customer Favorites:
Falafel Sandwich ($4.50) A mixture of garbanzo and fava beans with fresh onions, garlic, parsley and spices served on toasted pita bread.
Hummus ($4.50) Puréed garbanzo beans seasoned with garlic salt, fresh lemon juice and tahini sauce.
Shawarma ($9.50) Choice of chicken or pork wrapped in a toasted pita with cilantro, tomatoes, onions and yogurt sauce. Served with salad, choice of bread and choice of rice, french fries or buckwheat.
Armenian Salad ($5.95) Lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onions and green peppers with Armenian dressing.
Fattoush Salad ($4.95) Toasted pita bread with fresh mint, tomatoes, green onions, parsley, radishes, cucumbers and green peppers with garlic, lemon juice and olive oil.
Shish Kabob Sandwich ($5.25 to $6.95) Choice of chicken, pork or lamb wrapped in a toasted pita with cilantro, tomatoes, onions and yogurt sauce.