Azuri Cafe has got to be one of
the best renditions of falafel and chicken shawarma that I've come across. At least on the west of the Atlantic. Over on 51st Street between 9th and 10th Ave. in Manhattan is this tiny non descript cafe which shows promising signs the moment you step in to the shop. Behind the counter is a large "salad bar" with lots of colorful pickled vegetables and goodies galore. Grab a seat if you are fortunate to get one; this place gets crowded during lunch! While their most popular dish is arguably the falafel sandwich; my fave dishes are the platters.
the best renditions of falafel and chicken shawarma that I've come across. At least on the west of the Atlantic. Over on 51st Street between 9th and 10th Ave. in Manhattan is this tiny non descript cafe which shows promising signs the moment you step in to the shop. Behind the counter is a large "salad bar" with lots of colorful pickled vegetables and goodies galore. Grab a seat if you are fortunate to get one; this place gets crowded during lunch! While their most popular dish is arguably the falafel sandwich; my fave dishes are the platters.
Get either the falafel or the Shawarma and make sure you get a large! Once you place the order, Ezra and his team get cracking; frying the falafel or shaving the crunchy bits of chicken off the spit into a pan. The falafel is spiced just right; crunchy on the outside and bright green and moist on the inside, sized not too big so it maintains a consistent crunch. And no, the shawarma doesn't go from the spit directly into your plate. They actually pan fry the shaved bits adding some spice before studding it with the aforementioned variety of colorful salads; a small dab of creamy hummus and some babaganoush, fried eggplant slivers, a green mildly spicy chutney not too different from the one that goes into our 'chaat' dishes! and lots more. Of course, the platter sides are by themselves a reason to make a trip!
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