The Philippine Star

‘TO GO,’ PLEASE

- By JULIANNE SUAZO

Iwalked into the room and was greeted by a bright and bold spice table to my left, and the bursting flavorful smell of shawarma to the right. In the middle of taking a careful look at the overwhelmi­ng selection — trying to decide where to dig in first — I was suddenly asked, “Over rice, hummus or pita?”

Slight confession: I was a shawarma virgin. I stood there, overwhelme­d, as any shawarma newbie would be, hovering over five different kinds of protein to choose from… but my heart was set on the lamb. Their lamb over rice with white garlic made me bid my pre-shawarma days farewell.

From the friendly folks who brought you a taste you keep coming back for, The Moment Group dives right back into the scene with a fresh takeout-forward concept inspired by street food fare from countries east of the Mediterran­ean. Meet Shawa Wama — the new and affordable go-to for grab-and-go shawarma that made me question all the days of my life spent shawarma-less.

When I first heard that it’s best taken out, I had my doubts — which were eased when I munched on my first stuffed pita. Their fun and vibrant packaging isn’t just about the looks; the practical and easy- to-tear-off cover makes walking while eating all the more tempting as it prevents sauces from seeping through.

When I asked well versed brand developmen­t officer EG Bautista to quickly describe the brand, he gave a smug response: “Bold, flavorful, and exciting.”

He added: “The name is a playful take on the word ‘shawarma.’ It’s never about sticking with what’s common in that category, we also want to play with it to give people what they want.”

Their meals celebrate five different kinds of protein — beef, chicken, red beet falafel, fried cauliflowe­r and lamb. Their selection of sauces matches their dishes perfectly — white garlic and lemon garlic for the classic shawarma enthusiast­s, mild and hot chili for spicy fans of spicy food, and cheese sauce for the more adventurou­s taste-testers. I can’t deny that the lamb over rice had me heading back to their kitchen in almost an instant. Of course, that’s not all I’ll be coming back for — their sides and ice cream are among my favorites too.

If that’s not enough to get you there, Shawa Wama caters to the comfort of your home base as well. The takeout-forward concept partnered up with Foodpanda to make sure good shawarma will neve

Shawa Wama is located at Power Plant Mall, Makati City.

Shawa Wama by The Moment Group makes shawarma the star of takeaway meals.

 ?? Photo courtesy of The Moment Group ?? Lamb over rice with the white garlic sauce
Photo courtesy of The Moment Group Lamb over rice with the white garlic sauce

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