Ayy Karamba’s menu mirrors owner’s worldly life
Radwan Masri is a world traveler, having grown up in Jordan and lived in the United States, Dubai and Mexico.
His surroundings, he said, have shaped his culinary viewpoint and certainly the cuisine at Ayy Karamba, his food truck in the Hilltop neighborhood.
Open for a year and a half, the truck serves up a mix of Middle Eastern, Greek and Mexican fare, with fresh proteins and nearly everything cooked from scratch.
Masri said he used to work in Chicago helping develop restaurant menus but COVID-19 claimed his work. A food truck seemed like a pretty good Plan B.
“This is passion and this is experience,” he said. “I am a master of flavors. I say it with confidence and not with arrogance.”
A loaded falafel taco ($3) offers a medley of international flavors: hummus, shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, pickled cucumbers and tahini.
“It’s wonderful,” Masri said. “Falafel is one of my biggest sellers.”
The beef sujuk taco ($3.50) has roots in the Middle East but also Mexican flavors, as the chorizo-seasoned beef is layered toumi (a thick garlic mayonnaise), sour cream, pickled red onions and squares of fried potato.
“There’s a lot of detail in all the spices,” he said.
Quesadillas are made with Greekstyle
pita bread that are loaded with cheese inside and out and toasted to crispy on the flattop.
The “quesibirria” ($10) is stuffed with shredded beef that’s been slow-cooked with chiles and other spices, a fivecheese blend, diced white onions and cilantro. The beef jus that’s developed from the meat drippings is used as a dipping liquid.
“It’s actually just like a French dip,” Masri said.
Ayy Karamba serves a vegetarian al pastor quesadilla ($8) but instead of pork, the vegetables are marinated in pineapple, orange juice, achiote paste and other seasonings and charred on the flattop, and mixed with feta cheese.
The beef shawarma wrap ($11) features marinated skirt steak that’s grilled on the flattop, plus onions, parsley, tangy sumac, pickled cucumbers, diced tomatoes and tahini.
“It’s very flavorful,” he said. “It’s really nice and it’s got good beef flavor.”
Another vegetarian option is the portobello mushroom taco ($4). The grilled ’shrooms are first marinated with spicy chipotles, and served with the thick garlic spread, lettuce, pickled red onion and an avocado slice.
“It’s not spicy,: Masri said, “but it has spice and lots of flavor.” gseman@thisweeknews.com This story is part of the Dispatch’s Mobile Newsroom initiative. Visit our reporters at the Columbus Metropolitan Library’s Hilltop branch library and read their work at dispatch.com/mobilenewsroom, where you also can sign up for The Mobile Newsroom newsletter.
@Thisweekgary