On this abnormally sunny day in San Francisco, where the wind blew pleasantly humid hot air into your face, I had the sudden urge to devour a shawarma. In between the vibrant, lively neighborhood of Haight Ashbury, lies Abu Salim Middle Eastern Grill, where they serve up Middle Eastern classics.

Colored glass lined the top of the windows, emitting rainbow light onto customers. The faint smell of cigar smoke lingered, combined with rich spices used within the kitchen, a seemingly strange combination, but pleasant.

I was quickly seated, given a menu, water, and some magenta colored pickled radishes accompanied with green olives. I glanced at the menu, but a goal was already in mind: beef and lamb shawarma with a mint tea.

Like the speed of light, the shawarma and mint tea appeared on my table. Encapsulated in a thin wrap was a huge mountain of meat accompanied by fresh cucumbers and tomatoes smothered in nutty tahini. The meat was tender and well-spiced with cumin. Crunchy and juicy were the vegetables contrasted against the tender meat, creating a perfect combination.

Such a decadent, enjoyable meal was all chased with their house mint tea – ice cold, caramel brown, with a slice of lemon and mint included. Initially, it tasted similar to grass jelly: earthy and sweet like brown sugar, but with every sip, the lemon and mint became more prominent, making the last sip the best.

Overall, this experience was phenomenal. I rate it a 4.5 / 5.