Damascus has opened a sister eatery in Press Hall, where the Old Lucky Chicken used to be. It has been open for just over a month, and I thought it was time to try it. Alswaida is just a food stall, and if you want to sit somewhere, you can go inside the main dining hall or outside in the courtyard. As it was a Saturday, I only had the Courtyard option as the main dining hall was not open to the public.

I ordered the Chicken Shawarma wrap and their Chips. Firstly, the chips were thinly sliced pieces of small potatoes, cooked and seasoned with salt and some spices. It also came with a thum sauce: a garlic, lemon juice and oil-based sauce. Unfortunately, I was not satisfied with these chips. I would have liked them cooked a bit more, and their thum sauce was really salty and after a while, I just couldn’t handle it.

Their Chicken Shawarma was also too salty for me, and it must be because of their thum sauce. Also, I was disappointed to see how thin the shawarma was. I felt that they put this shawarma on a diet. I liked the taste of it besides the saltiness, but for $20, I think the pictured supplied says enough.

Overall, saying I was disappointed was an understatement. I like salt, but it was just too much. Also, I understand the cost of food. However, personally, I am not going back for the prices they are asking. Also, why are no veggies or tomatoes in the shawarma except for thin slices of pickles? It will be interesting to see how long this place will last, especially when people say how dead Wellington is. However, I ventured out on Saturday, and the town was bustling at midday. Only time will tell.

Website: Alswaida