Try ShawaFel – Authentic Lebanese You Will Love

By Punch Palate Correspondent Megan McGrath

This weekend I had an opportunity to check out the newish ShawaFel on H Street, NE.  The Lebanese restaurant has been open about four months, and I’d recently heard rave reviews from one of my co-correspondents, Lena Aburdene, Punch Purpose!

ShawaFel storefront on H Street, NE

In a word, ShawaFel was stupendous!  I generally think of bar crawls and late-night grub when I think of H Street, NE.  This lunch made me change my mind, for sure.  The restaurant name is a combination of the shawarma and falafel, two well-known Lebanese dishes that are worthy of being the restaurant’s namesake.  And while the restaurant is open until 3:00 am, I’d recommend going at lunch or for an early dinner to remember every bite of my meal.

ShawaFel Kitchen with Spit-roasted Meat

Upon opening the door, I was hit with the most mouth-watering aromas of spices and roasting meat.  The menu is traditional fare with platters, dips, sandwiches, and salads, and all are very reasonably priced.  After settling on my order, always my main priority, I was able to take in the rest of the restaurant.  ShawaFel is spotless and sleek in terms of decor, and welcoming to both hipster and family-oriented diners.

ShawaFel Menu

I started with the juicy and tender Chicken Shawarma sandwich (pictured below).  The sandwich featured slow roasted and marinated chicken, onions, pickles, lettuce, garlic toum and fries.  My wrap came out quickly, and I could not get over how moist the meat was!

ShawaFel Veggie Platter

Still hungry, I decided to sample the Veggie Platter.  This included falafel, cauliflower, tabouleh (traditional parsley salad), hommus and my favorite, baba ghannouj (a roasted eggplant dip).  I found the falafel to be flavorful and just the right texture.  I often order this around the city and the inside is dry and mealy.  The tabouleh was refreshing and bright, and the hommus and baba ghannouj dips were creamy and light.  It’s nice to know that if succulent roasted meat on a spit isn’t your thing, you can also dine on several yummy and filling vegetarian options.  There are also two salads and three vegetarian sandwiches.

After the lunch crush died down I had an opportunity to chat with owner Alberto.  He really emphasized the importance of using fresh and local ingredients in every dish, and the restaurant’s value of staying true to traditional Lebanese food and family recipes.  Each day his Chef de Cuisine trims his local meat of all fat and sets a batch in the marinade for at least 48 hours prior to roasting.  In addition, the restaurant only uses the finest spices from Lebanon.

ShawaFel Owner Alberto Sissi

Alberto is no stranger to the DC food industry working in other restaurants and for Jose’ Andres’ Think Food Group.  The idea for this restaurant came to him after working with one of his friends in Paris at a similar restaurant.  He realized there wasn’t anyone doing this in DC, and then spent the next two years looking at space and fine-tuning the restaurant concept.  Alberto understands the importance of maintaining the quality of his restaurant and arrives each day at 6:00 am, he’s also the one to close at 3:00 am.  Which means there’s a pretty good chance you’ll see him when you stop by ShawaFel.  I love love love this place and can’t wait to chat with him again on my next visit!  I’m already planning my next order.
ShawaFel is located at 1322 H St., NE. Phone: 202.388.7676, www.shawafeldc.com, Hours of operations: Sunday – Thursday: 11h30am – 9pm and Friday – Saturday: 11h30am – 3am.

**Punch Palate Correspondent Megan McGrath is a serious foodie turned avid food blogger.  Megan believes that food is fun, and is always looking for the next big thing on the DC food scene!  She is a Legal Recruitment Manager for a law firm in Washington DC, and handles all levels of attorney hiring for the DC, Denver and New York Offices.  Megan lives in Arlington, and can often be found experimenting in her kitchen for her blog http://imperfectlydelicious.wordpress.com.  Follow her on Twitter @imprfctlydelish **