New in Town: Moshe Shawarma
My husband and I were made for each other. We have a love that runs so deep it threatens the earth’s core. But even we are not immune to the siren call of the age-old relationship slayer—“where do you want to eat?” The mysteries of that question may never be solved, but last week, Rich was able to quickly diffuse an otherwise incendiary situation by suggesting we try somewhere new: Moshe Shawarma.
Mediterranean fare is delicious year-round, but the airy flavors and focus on vegetable sides is particularly alluring in the summer. So I was definitely on board to give this new place a try. Although the name suggested an authentic Israeli tilt, I’ve been burned before by restaurants that promise a taste of a faraway country, but don’t truly deliver on the desired zest. My expectations were low.
Practical Magic
Moshe Shawarma is located inside the shiny silver temple to 1950s aesthetic on the corner of Sahara and Rainbow. The interior of that building has seen so many culinary iterations that I wasn’t sure what it would look like now. Would it be the sleek tables and vinyl booths of a diner? Could there be remnants of the light-swallowing burgundy décor from the restaurant’s Indian incarnation? Glad to report there wasn’t an inch of burgundy in sight.
As soon as you walk through the door, it’s clear that this is not a place you come for ambiance. Unless the ambiance you’re looking for is unfettered, uncluttered, and bereft of affectation. Here, the design can be described as practical and sparse. The main wall color is gray, with decorative touches of red and yellow tile. A large counter, behind a clear guard, occupies most of the attention and space. When ordering the specific components of our meal I had to speak up, as the plastic barrier muffles voices in addition to providing separation between customer and kitchen. This is also not a place you come to be meek.
The menu is focused, yet chock-full of options for vegetarians and meat-lovers alike. We settled on sharing the Potato Cigars and Falafel Plate. All plate options come with pita, salads, and your choice of rice, fries, or pearl couscous. Fun fact about pearl couscous: it was created by Osem at Ben Gurion’s request (Israel’s first Prime Minister), during a rice shortage. But I digress. Actually, I’m going to digress a little more.
I visit Israel regularly, and the food is hands down what I miss the most. The blending of influences from Eastern Europe, Spain, Morocco, etc. creates a culinary intersection which rarely disappoints. A staple of restaurants in Israel such as Moshe Shawarma is the little salad plates. They arrive before the meal, are no bigger than 5 inches in diameter, and are heaped with goodness and variety. Each different plate positively overflowing. From varied slaws, spicy eggplant, pickles, tahini, baba ganoush, to fresh diced veggies with a hint of mint. These little salads tickle the palate and excite the taste buds, like a colorful parade of texture and flavor. They’ll make you forget all about iceberg lettuce and ranch dressing.
At Moshe Shawarma the little salads came on one big plate and were just as delightful as I’d hoped. Something which stood out to me as fantastic and I’m pretty sure I’m alone in this, was that I found two lemon seeds in the diced salad. It’s fantastic because it means that earlier that day, someone at Moshe Shawarma cut up a lemon, squeezed it, and then dressed the salad with whatever came out of the lemon. Seeds and all.
Irresistible Morsels
Along with the salads, the pita arrived fluffy, warm, and comforting. I wish I could shrink down to an inch in size and make myself a lovely home in that pita. The bar was now set high and we hadn’t even sampled the Potato Cigars or the Falafel. The Falafel came first, with a crunchy, crackly outer texture and excellently seasoned interior. I ripped my pita into quarters, slathered the inside with tahini, then added a Falafel ball and some pickles. This led to a single bite of food so perfect, so wonderfully balanced that I was in danger of forgetting not only my whereabouts but my name. Yes, it was that good.
Our fries and Potato Cigars came out hot and crispy. Not a drop of grease to be found. I recommend trying the Cigars as they are not readily available in most places and offer a combination of brittle, delicate shell with salty smooth potato-y stuffing. At this point, the table was covered in dishes, small, large, strewn about. We hopped from plate to plate savoring every morsel just long enough before bounding on to the next one. I took gulps of Prigat Mango Nectar throughout letting the sweet juice wash down the happiness.
After paying at the counter I asked the scruffy round-faced, slim man if he was Moshe. He confirmed my suspicion. Moshe has been running a restaurant in Las Vegas for 17 years (this location is new). In that time, before Google, Instagram, and Yelp he thrived on word of mouth. Israelis knew that Moshe's was the place to go for the comfort only food from home could provide. As he spoke about the community and what it means to him, his gestures became (even) more animated, his voice fluctuated with emotion.
If you’re looking for a pristine (not to be confused with clean) dining experience, Moshe Shawarma is not for you. This is a roll up your sleeves, informal, family-friendly, ask and you shall receive kind of place. It’s the Israeli version of what I would imagine mom and pop barbecue joints are like in Tennessee, North Carolina, or Texas. Albeit one that is closed on Saturdays. It fits squarely within my parameters for #TheVegasILove, but since I’ve only been once, I can’t quite bestow the title just yet. But don’t worry; I think that will be remedied soon.
Leave me a note in the comments section, I’d love to hear about the places you feel capture another country’s food with authenticity. That way the next time “where do you want to eat?” rears its ugly head I’ll be prepared.
