But when that last guitar's
been packed away
You know that I
still wanna play
So make sure you got it
all set to go
Before you come
for my piano
Another Tuesday... another Taste! This week we're trying something 'legendary'... an Ontario shawarma chain that does some unusual things.
Founded by a pair of college friends in London, Ontario... Shelby's has expanded to two dozen locations throughout southern Ontario in the span of less than a decade, including multiple new-ish outposts here in Toronto. One assumes much of this success has been fueled/aided by an extremely strong social media presence and voice, with over two million YouTube subscribers and hundreds of millions of views on TikTok. Hell, they made the world's longest shawarma at a London Ribfest, certainly the type of feat that garners this kind of attention.
As with any chain restaurant that expands so rapidly, there is some lamenting about the diminishing quality from London residents ("it used to be so good!") which is a similar refrain I've heard said about Osmow's ("you've gotta go to the original spot in Mississauga!") Regardless of all that, and in lieu of a random road trip to London Ontario (yeah I've got other shit to do, sorry)... I checked out the location on Bloor West near Runnymede subway station.
Shelby's likes to proclaim they invented the 'shawarma poutine', a claim I find highly dubious (I went to enough random hole-in-the-wall shawarma places in my 20s to know a few of them offered something similar enough).
Nevertheless, this is a menu that likes to experiment. A mac n' cheese with shawarma? A bacon caesar chicken shawarma wrap? Shawarma burrito? What is happening here? I'm not gonna lie, this all leans more into "weird for the sake of weird" rather than endearingly quirky for me.
Still, their 'bites box' is a intriguing concept I'd never before seen: a shawarma chopped into six smaller, more bite sized portions... accompanied with sides and fries. So here is the chicken one, ordered spicy:
Tight and boxy. Uh, right, lets start with the supporting pieces.
Here, from left to right, you've got some coleslaw, a garlic dip (you can choose the dip and shocker, garlic was my choice) then some pickled turnips.
As accompaniments, these are definitely quality. The garlic dip isn't heavy on that distinctive roasty pungent sting that I love so dearly... rather more of a creamy taste with the garlicky flavour in the background. A bit like the famed Pizza Pizza garlic dip, if you're looking for comparison... only this has less unnatural sheen and is, ya know, significantly better. Really a perfect dip for these fries (more on those later).
I quite liked this coleslaw as well. Some solid crunch for a lighter, creamier slaw... but also a nice hint of a sweeter vinegar, along with the subtle bitterness of the cabbage... and a secret hidden spice to it? I swear I detected a bit of a chili heat lingering about, even just in the back of my mouth. Regardless if my taste buds were imagining things, this was a very tasty slaw.
Finally the pickled turnips. Here's the thing: I've never been able to eat these simply by themselves... that intense pickled sweetness and thicker firm texture has never quite clicked with me (a similar reason why I'll never eat a pickle just itself... give me a pastrami sandwich please). These turnips are quite good and flavourful for what they are, especially when combined in a bite with something else. A bright, sweet and sharp flavour to them consistently throughout.
Quickly on the fries: I'm a fan. After trying so many damn crinkle-cut fries earlier this summer when these weekly reviews were on a smash burger run... it's been refreshing to encounter both here and Tut's doing standard, semi-thicker cut fries in such a well done way. While I prefer Tut's more beer-battered offerings to Shelby's here (plus their unusual seasonings)... Shelby's fries are on point with their light crispiness, the level of salt, and the fluffiness of the potato within. And (at least within this box) you get a whopper of a portion. Fresh from the fryer with a side of that garlic dip? Pretty darn magical.
Where these fries don't work quite as well are within the shawarma wrap itself (those lighter spots on the bottom left are french fries. Now, I understand putting french fries in a wrap is actually a common practice: plenty of Greek joints will throw them in their gyros for example, so this isn't a completely unique or crazy thing to do.
My issue with it: you put them inside a wrap that's still hot? You're getting soft french fries. Hey, if that's your thing and you just want that particular taste of potato mixed in there... go for it. I'm just personally very lukewarm on it: it's just a blah taste and texture that adds almost nothing for me.
What also stands out to me about these shawarma bites are how simple they are in terms of fillings. Really just those fries, the chicken itself, and a helluva lot of pickles. See my point above how I regard pickled things more as an enhancer than their own solo thing, and here is exhibit A because while pickles here indeed dominate the taste of these little bites... they do make them so much tastier.
What you've got here is a simple concoction where the key elements make the flavours bigger by how well they all work together. Very glad I opted for the 'spicy' option for the chicken because the result (beyond giving these greasy chicken bits some needed punch beyond greasy taste/texture) is an earthier spice that tends to grow and linger on the back of the tongue. A manageable heat, really more of an "extra taste" than anything like a fireball from the depths of hell (the kind of spice I do like on occasion).
Meanwhile you get plenty of sting in the front of the mouth thanks to the pickles, the bread (firm enough to keep this all from being a disastrous mess, yet still soft enough not to be remotely chewy) adding its own distinct grilled taste, all while the fries within act as a flavour muter for everything.
These are indeed odd yet simple tasty little things. Not at all close to the best shawarma I've ever had, but without question one of the more interesting. They are fine on their own, although by the fourth bite the temptation to start dipping them into the garlic sauce was too strong to resist. Unsurprisingly, this made them better (the sky is also blue).
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Overall! Kind of a half-recommendation from me. I think I liked the innovation more than the actual product. Everything was indeed tasty and satisfying enough, especially the supporting pieces. The shawarma bites are neat (as long as you're into lots of pickles) but the chicken was pretty ordinary by shawarma standards in terms of seasonings or distinct taste.
Because their fries are actually good... not gonna lie but if I do go back (and I just might... the Bloor West one is very close to my Saturday baseball league)... I'm probably going to try one of their shawarma poutines. Yeeeeeah.
I am a poutine snob too (much like pizza, I have standards damnit) because once you've had the Quebec stuff it's nearly impossible to accept any substitutes. With poutine I think there's something similar going on to the Guinness Theory, wherein the further away from Dublin/Ireland you get... the worse (or less authentically good) Guinness will taste.
So here's the Poutine Theory! Basically, the further away from Quebec you are, the worse the poutine. Which... makes me wonder how a Middle Eastern fast food chain, based and operating in southern Ontario... well yeah. Totally not sure what to expect, and beyond those good fries... my sights are not high (I think the term "high" may need a different context to enjoy this, potentially).
Regardless, maaaaybe a bonus Shelby's review someday? Anyhow for now (pardon the rhyme) they're entirely fine-to-good I'd say. Won't disappoint, won't blow your mind. Far more interesting for their funky menu ideas and genuinely funny viral marketing videos.
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Tuesday Tune
Tonight is the final concert of the season at my summer gig (or office, as my friend likes to call it) and this is always a sad one for me... much like the end of baseball season it's a certain sign that the summer has officially reached its end.
As such, this song just feels so damn fitting... and it's a darn good tune even without that context. We wanna play just a little bit longer...
That's all for another week! Now that it's October... bundle up I guess? While November is easily my least favourite month (sorry Scorpios) I'm bittersweet on October. Halloween and the NBA season starting are all super cool things, and this is an objectively pretty month for the visual-minded with all the leaves changing colours. I dunno.
Hey though, what will likely happen this October... the 100th Tuesday review! We're closing in on it fast so stay tuned for that. Until then and until next time, stay safe, stay cool or warm, and don't spill that mustard.
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