If you love Shawermas (same as shawarma, just a different spelling) and Syrian food, or have never tried either, you are in luck: you can experience the cuisine of Damascus right here in El Cajon, just a short drive away.
I was looking for a great Middle Eastern restaurant to write about, so I started asking around. One of my servers, Natalie Fakhoury at Officine Buona Forchetta, is Jordanian, and she told me her go-to spot is far better than all the others I had mentioned. Her spot is Mal Al Sham-The Taste of Damascus. Mal means wealth, and Al-Sham is the historic Arabic name for the greater Syria region (the Levant), but often used specifically to refer to Damascus.
Back to Damascus, Mal Al Sham has an extensive menu, a convenient counter for to-go orders, and plenty of seating both inside and on their patio. I had a hard time deciding what to get, so I went big and ordered the Mixed Grill (Special): four skewers, beef kabob, chicken kebob, beef tikka, and chicken tikka. This was served on a flavorful bed of rice beautifully seasoned with spices like cardamom. Each kabab had a distinct flavor; the chicken and beef were whole pieces of meat, while the two tikkas were minced meat mixed with exotic spices — a flavor bonanza that made it hard to choose a favorite.
I ordered the Tabbouleh: fine chopped parsley, fine bulgur, tomato, onion, lemon juice, and olive oil. The Mixed Grill special also came with a small house salad, which wasn’t that far off from the tabbouleh, so I will keep that in mind next time. The leftovers were divine, so no regrets.
I couldn’t leave without trying the Hummus and pita. My server suggested I do half hummus and half Mutabal: Baked eggplant mashed and mixed with tahina, yogurt, and lemon juice. Both were drizzled with olive oil. These dips were silky and so flavorful, and the pita was soft with just the right amount of chew.
When I reported back to Natalie about my experience, she couldn’t believe I didn’t order the Shawerma with extra garlic sauce she had recommended. I am headed back out there at the end of the week to experience this firsthand. I will have the Chicken Shawerma with cucumber pickle and garlic, and yes, Natalie, I will order extra garlic sauce. This Shawerma is served on ancient Saj bread that is much thinner than pita.
Shawerma, Gyro, and Al Pastor all stem from the Turkish Döner. All these variations on a theme consist of various meats roasted on a vertical spit, cooked to perfection, then sliced thin straight from the spit and served on regional breads or, in the case of al pastor, a tortilla. Lebanese immigrants introduced this cooking method to Mexico, and the locals soon made it their own, lucky us. The birthplace of the taco árabe (Arab taco) was established in Puebla, Mexico, in 1933 at a place called La Oriental, which is still in business today. I wrote about Bosforo in Normal Heights, which has some amazing döner if you want to compare and contrast the differences. If you don’t already have a favorite al pastor spot, you need to find one; I have written about too many to name them all, but Tacos El Frank, Taco Tijuanero, and Tacos El Gordo are all a must-try. For gyros, go no further than Spiros Mediterranean Cuisine right here in Coronado.
As I was leaving, I walked by a party of 10 that had the Platter (serves 10 People): 8 skewers of beef kebob, 10 skewers of chicken kebob, 8 skewers of chicken tikka, 1.5 pounds of beef shawerma, 1.5 pounds of chicken shawerma, hummus, baba ghanoush, and 10 pieces of falafel, all served with rice and salad. Talk about a feast; they looked like they were having so much fun.
Mal Al Sham has an amazing catering menu that requires one day’s notice. I see an Arabian Nights party in my future with fun serving trays and decorations from Najat Delly- Good Old Days Spices. I will see you in Damascus.
Mal Al Sham
Taste of Damascus
388 E. Main St. El Cajon, CA 92020
Monday – Thursday and Sunday 9:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Friday and Saturday 9:00 AM – 12:00 AM
