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
On this particular visit we ordered the chicken makhni and the lamb rogan josh. The chicken was perfect... the sauce was a thick, gorgeous red and the meat itself fell apart on our forks. There was a very distinct, creamy tomato flavor that held some serious heat (not enough to keep me from eating it, but enough to announce it's presence). I sopped up a ton of this sauce with delicious bread, while Matt chose to stir it into his rice.... it's that good.... even when the chicken is gone you need to find a way to continue eating the amazing gravy thats left in the bowl. Too good. The same went for the lamb rogan josh.... the sauce was the shining star that accompanied the expertly cooked meat. There is nothing worse than over cooked lamb... it gets chewy and stringy and just bad. Luckily, this is not even remotely an issue at Bombay. Their lamb is so soft that you don't need a knife to cut it... just apply the slightest pressure from your fork. The lamb has been marinated in a yogurt sauce, and its juuuicy. The different spices in the sauce (cardamom, cloves, cumin plus several more) give it a distinctly authentic taste. The sauce is so thick it's almost like a stew, but it's in no way heavy, and it still somehow allows the flavor of the meat to shine through. I am addicted to these dishes. More please!
While I have been coming here for years (in fact, in high school, 
I usually don't order salmon in restaurants... I don't always care for it, and so many people tend to overcook it and make it way too dry. This changed on my last trip to BWSC with Mom. She adores salmon, and when I saw her dish come out I couldn't help but try it.... and once THAT happened I couldn't keep my fork off of her plate! Their house preparation of salmon is something I've never seen before; a gorgeous slab of Scottish salmon crusted in a horseradish and potato mixture, served over asparagus, with a creamy mustard sauce. OMG. So delicious. The fish tastes downright sweet under the crunchy, salty potato crust which is mixed delightfuly with spicy horseradish. The contrasting flavors and textures really capture the attention and focus the brain. This house specialty (and Mom ordering it!) has made a salmon lover out of me. Truly.
ND is Italian, and while I don't want to stereotype, the girl loves her pasta, loves her red sauce, and loves a little kick of heat. Enter seafood Fra Diablo. This pasta dish packs a ton of seafood into a slowly simmered, spicy marinara sauce. The portion is huge, and the dish is insanely filling. There are shrimp, clams, scallops, calamari, and mussels all stuffed into this one entree, and they're each cooked to perfection. The marinara can be served sweet, mild, or spicy, but ND usually goes for mild. She'd rather taste the seafood than the heat, and I don't blame her. The sauce is delicious on it's own, well seasoned and authentic tasting, but pairing it with the various seafoods gives it a little extra oomph. The flavors all compliment each other very well, and since there is just so damned much of it, she always has leftovers to take home for the next day!
Over the last ten years I have tried basically everything on the menu. Some other notable dishes include the pan seared Yellow Fin tuna, which is crusted in sesame seed and served with an Asian stir fry, the Chilean sea bass in a delicious mango sauce, and the spicy Buffalo style scallops. I adore everything I've ever had here, and I have yet to go home unsatisfied. The open style of the kitchen allows you to watch some of the action upon entering, the space feels inviting but not intimidating, and the staff is always friendly and attentive. It's a little on the pricey side, but there are ways to keep it cheap... order the lobster bisque and a dozen oysters and you'll be able to get out for about 20 bucks. In a town where the only other notable seafood joint is a chain restaurant, Blue Water Seafood Co. is an exceptional find.
While I have been to Laguna for lazy breakfasts, fancy dinners, and late night drinks, on this particular visit we were there for lunch. Matt and I were joined by J and M and we were just interested in finding somehwere to eat where we could all grab something fast but good. There was snow on the beach and J wanted to get a better look at it, so we couldn't beat Laguna's location... it's right on the water and has huge windows, so you can see the whole shoreline. Matt and I both ordered sandwiches... a grilled veggie panini for Matt and an Italian style one for me. Matt's was great... loaded with lots of the standard grilled sandwich vegetables (ya know, zuchinni, eggplant, roasted pepper) and topped with melty mozzarella cheese and a pesto mayo. Mine was stuffed with sliced mozzarella, fresh tomato, prosciutto, pesto, and roasted pepper. Both were pressed perfectly and were nice-n-toasty. The pesto sauce on each of them really brightened up the flavors of the respective veggies, and the salty ham on mine was the perfect balance against the creamy, mild cheese. Throw some crunchy waffle fries onto each plate, and call it a day. Very satisfactory lunch fare.
M went with a burger, and it looked insane. It was a giant burger, literally smothered in bacon and cheese. While I did not try this bad boy, I could tell that M was really enjoying it. He said it was cooked perfectly and from the looks of it, I believe him!
J ordered a personal sized buffalo chicken pizza. I don't know what person this was sized for, but the pizza was bigger than we expected it to be... two people could absolutely share one. The well done crust was adorned with a generous helping of spicy, breaded chicken. Both bleu cheese and cheddar made an appearance on the pie in their natural states, and of course there was bleu cheese dressing for dipping. There was just the right amount of heat, the crust was chewy and delicious, and the chicken was tender. A totally successful pizza, indeed.
The other friends we were with ordered similarly to Matt and I. MR ordered a burrito and MS ordered ground beef tacos. They were all enjoyed, as were the homemade chips and salsa, as well as the pitchers of margaritas. Good food with good friends always equals good times in my book.