When you hit anyone of Ottawa's many shawarma establishments near lunchtime, watch closely what the patrons tend to order. Most walk away with expertly shaved shawarma chicken in a pita-sandwich; a plate of herb sprinkled potatoes with garlic sauce; and a canned drink. This combo of sandwich, side, and drink is called the "special" or "trio" and, for people with short lunches and long days ahead of them, it makes a lot of sense. Everything is easily portable. The sandwich can be eaten with the hands. The drink comes with a straw. The potatoes can be gobbled up quickly with a plastic fork. So long as you ask for some vegetables in the pita, the "special" is a somewhat balanced meal. It's a little carb. heavy though...

Last November, Jenn and I stopped by Mom's Shawarma and Donair in Kanata's Centrum for a couple specials. We were on our way to Walmart one Sunday afternoon to look for something household-related. I don't remember what, but we discovered that we had skipped breakfast and it was nearly 3:00 pm. Given that the Mom's Shawarma comes somewhat well recommended (i.e. "decent") by Kanata residents, we decided to try out the establishment.

Here is what we were served:

Two Chicken Specials

Chicken Shawarama Sandwich

Shawarma Sandwich Contents
And yes, that's potatoes topped with hummus. Jenn requested the topping. I shook my head and acquiesced.

The potatoes were cold and dry. The shawarma chicken in the sandwich was dry and tough. The pickled turnips were actually soggy, which I didn't think possible. And, both the hummus and garlic sauce tasted old (translated: thick, crusty, and strong-tasting). On the bright side the lettuce and tomato inside the sandwich tasted fresh.

Thinking back, I guess we ignored the warning signs. There weren't any customers in the establishment. The meat on the column wasn't spinning.

Given that it was Sunday, we hope that our food was leftover from the lunch rush and not leftover from the day before.

At $5.99 before taxes, a special isn't a bad deal. Just try to get one when Mom's Shawarma is busy. Else, you're going to be less than impressed.

Particulars:
Mom's Shawarma and Donair
570 Kanata Avenue
(613) 270-0500

Scans of Mom's Take Out Menu follow:


Take Out Menu - Front

Take Out Menu - Back

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