Middle Eastern cuisine is a fan favorite
To the students who have been wandering around campus, searching endlessly for the mouth-watering scent of Middle Eastern cuisine that tends to drift around during lunchtime: It’s likely you find yourself in front of Shah’s Halal food truck. The local, family-run business has been a top food truck pick for students thanks to its variety of flavorful entrees geared toward both meat-eaters and vegetarians.
Shah’s is known far and wide for its two most popular entrees: gyros and rice platters with a choice of falafel, chicken or lamb. These dishes are lathered in spicy sauce and yogurt and topped with shredded lettuce. The line for Shah’s becomes notoriously long around 12pm, but third-year biochemistry major Kritika Sharma guarantees it’s worth the wait. Sharma is a regular at Shah’s Halal and often finds herself enjoying her hearty meal in the arboretum aftering picking up her order.
“Falafel over rice spicy is my go to order,” Sharma said. “It’s my favorite thing to eat, especially during Winter Quarter, because the combination of spice and flavor keeps me warm. I also find it harder to find savory vegetarian food, and Shah’s is one of the few eateries on campus that doesn’t just serve bland, steamed vegetables.”
The chicken gyro is third-year biochemistry major Venkat Uppalapati’s go-to order, especially after midterms.
“I usually get Shah’s after midterms as a sort of reward,” Uppalapti said. “It’s nice because Shah’s is pretty affordable plus it comes with a drink so I definitely feel like I’m getting my money’s worth. Plus I feel like in Davis it’s hard to find good restaurants that fill my craving for spicy food, but I feel like Shah’s is definitely one of the few places that does.”
He also noted that even if patrons are opposed to spice, Shah’s will definitely leave you satisfied. Customers can customize spice to their liking, and even the most mild-food lovers will walk away feeling satiated.
Though food trucks on campus are currently closed due to COVID-19, those interested in trying the infamous Middle Eastern cuisine can find one of the joint’s trucks often parked in the University Mall parking lot, right next to Trader Joe’s.
Written by Sneha Ramachandran — features@theaggie.org
