This place sets their shawarmas on fire before serving it to you!
I normally won’t write a review for only one item from any given restaurant, but this was too good not to.
We were in the West End looking for a meal after some drinking and thought to check out Damaskino Shawarma, having seen them online. Who hasn’t had a late night shawarma to stave off hunger after a night of drinking? It just hits!
They are known for dipping their thinly rolled wraps in meat drippings and then setting each slightly on fire. This is done to give the wrap a charred smokiness, before it is pressed with a weight and grilled. It is grill on a flat top on both sides until golden brown.
This is authentic style Damascus-style shawarma and it’s a drunkard’s dream. Traditionally made with chicken, but we had it in beef, seasoned in cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, and black pepper for up to 20 hours. The meat is slow-roasted on a vertical spit before being shaved off into small grounds.
This is wrapped in a thin Syrian style flat bread alongside hummus, pickled onion, a blend of herbs and onion, garlic sauce, and pomegranate molasses. The latter gives this its unique savory meets sweetness.
We got the Beef Damaskino Shawarma Plate in a double with two full rolls, chopped up into six pieces each. It is served with fries, hummus, tabouleh, and pickles as sides. All of the above are either already within the wrap for a second helping or serve as a great break in between bites, like the fries.
Overall really tasty and a different way to enjoy this popular late night street snack.
Damaskino Shawarma
835 Denman St, Vancouver, BC V6G 2L7
(604) 566-3262
damaskinoshawarma.zomi.menu
