If you order a combo platter you get 2 (omg!) appetizers, a salad, rice and your actual meal. This is NO JOKE, but what it IS is entirely too much delicious food at once. The salad was great, served with a delicious, nutty tahini dressing (that I couldn't stop raving about). Crunchy, earthy, cold and crisp. For my two appetizers I chose the hummus and the baba ghanouj. I was a bit surprised when full size appetizer platters came out to me (I figured since it was part of the combo it'd be an itty bitty scoop of each, but El Sham is not messing around!) The hummus was smooth and creamy, just the right amount of nuttiness contrasting with a bit of tart. The baba ghanouj was a real treat.... you could tell it was home made. A bit chunkier than most places care to serve it I was really able to enjoy the eggplant. Big pieces of herbs gave it a super fresh taste. I added this to my salad, my pita bread, saved some to mix in with my meal... hell, I ate some with my finger. It was really good. Matt's app choices were the yogurt, mint, and cucumber salad (also known in some circles as tzatziki) which was a bit thin, but tasty nontheless and a (full sized!) fattoush salad. It was crazy flavorful.... citrusy and bright with lemony dressing and topped with fried pita chunks for serious crunch and texture.
Somehow (a miracle, I assure you) we had room left for our meals. I ordered the El Sham protein platter, which is a large plate covered in all of my faves; lamb kabob, chicken kabob, and kafta kabob. Each of the meats were cooked perfectly... I don't think I even picked my knife up once. The seasonings on each (but especially the kafta) were so warm and welcoming... they offered a sense of the familiar with a twist of the exotic. I was happy that the meal was served with Syrian rice and the spicy long pepper... I was able to spice up the meat with a big bite of pepper and then cool down with the herby rice.
Matt went with the lamb shawarma platter.... the thin slices were absolutely delightful. The usual problem with this dish is that the meat is cooked for so long and cut so thin, and if it's not cut properly it gets dry and chewy.... so very much not the case here. The spices used give the dish an almost sweet flavor... I think it's the cardamom (or maybe there's nutmeg in it?) It had the same deal... rice and the pepper... this combo was even better with the shawarma, since the sweetness of the meat really brought out the bite of the pepper. It was topped off with a drizzle of tahini. Delicious.
We thought we were full.... hell, we KNEW we were full... that is until the owner (really nice guy) brought us over one of his homemade desserts. It was called basbusa, I'd never heard of it, never seen it, but what I now know is that it is amazing. It has the consistency of corn bread, but tasted like honey and almonds. When I declared this to him (thinking I figured out the ingredients) he pretty much laughed at me. The trick is all in the prep... basbusa has basically just a few easy ingredients.... semolina, butter, milk and sugar. It was simply to die for.
I strongly reccomend El Sham to anyone in the area. The owner and all of the staff were a pleasure to interact with, the space is small, but clean and tidy, and the food is great. I can't wait to go back and try a few more things... I think I may hear their falafel and grape leaves calling me.
El Sham
1641 South Olden Dr
Hamilton-
609 931 0513
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