It's a truck called Toum. It's always no garlic and no onions for me but this truck, even though it's called "Toum" is a truck I always wanted to try. Toum is proudly Lebanese, touring around New York with the colors of our country... They also offer good food!
Located mainly in Brooklyn and three times a week in Manhattan, Toum is a Lebanese food truck serving shawarma, kabab, meat, hummus and tabbouleh as well as kebbeh and different dishes depending on the season.
It was parked in Brooklyn, on a calm Monday, the door open, Simon was sitting in the front seat checking his emails; Simon Sassine, the owner has been in the States for the last 30 years and is loving it. He proudly is Lebanese and doesn't try to hide it wearing our colors all around the city.
Come meet Simon, see his smile and feel the hope some expats have.
On the menu today are the chicken shawarma, kabab, Kafta arayess and Makanek. Reasonably priced, those sandwiches are huge in size, filled with vegetables and juicy ingredients, and satisfy your hunger.
I've ordered everything:
- Grilled meat: It's a loaded sandwich with a tasty hummus, real flat Lebanese bread, fresh vegetables and a tender meat. A generous sandwich that comes with lettuce, tomato, pickles and French fries while I asked for the onions to be removed. The only thing I'd change is the double bread that's a bit too much. While it would still be filling, I'd open it up to let air pass between the layers.
- The kebbeh laktin or pumpkin kebbeh is really excellent. A juicy pumpkin kebbeh with cracked wheat stuffed with spinach and chickpeas, sumac and onions. Bravo is the least that can be said; I've rarely eaten something that good, even in Lebanon. A light crunchy envelope, a tender juicy, and warm heart with a light juiciness and rich flavors.
- The chicken shawarma is more of a chicken sandwich, but it works well. Tomatoes for the juiciness, tender and moist chicken, crunchy vegetables... A tasty flavor of Lebanon.
- Makanek, strongly spiced, with vegetables and fries. Those sandwiches are really generous, the Lebanese way, fulfilling and reasonably priced.
- The grilled Kafta is arayess Kafka. Two loads of bread stuffed with Kafta and vegetables before being toasted to perfection. Lettuce, pickles, tomatoes and tarator sauce. This is pure nostalgia!
- Hummus with a bit more lemon and a harder consistency would have been better, but it's good enough for the American market. The tabbouleh had too much onion to it, but it's understandable in a city where parsley is very expensive.
I loved it! Visit Simon while touring around New York.
