Egyptian restaurant Abu Zayn opens in Rockville Centre
Egyptian chicken shawarma served on a Kaiser roll at Abu Zayn in Rockville Centre. Credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin
Abu Zayn looks like a place you'd find in the Little Egypt neighborhood of Astoria, Queens. Rotating spits of chicken and beef shawarma pop up from behind the counter of the small storefront on Merrick Road in Rockville Centre. A flat-screen TV plays classic Egyptian music as people dig in to elaborately plated meat platters with lush vegetable dips. The food definitely punches higher than the modest, but chic, setting. Abu Zayn is also the only place around that specializes in Egyptian-style shawarma.
The restaurant, which opened earlier this summer, is owned by chef Omar Soltan, who hails from Valley Stream. He was tired of traveling to Steinway Street in Astoria to eat his culture's food. Both his parents are from Egypt, and he lived in Cairo as a child from age 8 to 16. During that time, he fell in love with the ancient architecture, which you can see depicted in a wall-length mural of the famous Khan el-Khalili bazaar in his restaurant.
Abu Zayn is an Egyptian shawarma spot in Rockville Centre. Credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin
Soltan is also one of a trio of halal food influencers who operate a page called Try Everything Halal, which has more than 38,000 followers on Instagram. A post highlighting Abu Zayn's mixed grill plate of barbecued meats ($30) racked up more than 40,000 views.
Abu Zayn keeps it simple, with a small menu of charcoal barbecued meats and shawarma sandwiches, which can be tucked into pita bread, baguettes or in the typical Egyptian style, on a Kaiser roll. Soltan said it's a laborious process to cut, clean and prep the shawarma skewers, first marinating the chicken slices and then rubbing them in a seven-spice blend with pomegranate molasses.
"Everybody has their own touch in their own country, Lebanese, Syrians, Eyptians," he said. "But at the end of the day, it's all about love."
Shawarma on a baguette at Abu Zayn in Rockville Centre. Credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin
Go with the chicken shawarma over the beef, as it's juicier and pairs better with the spicy and creamy tahini sauces. The succulent strips are undeniably delicious, tucked into fluffy pita bread and paired with some feisty pickled veggies ($11).
But the real experience here is getting the shawarma on the Kaiser roll ($7.99), which tastes almost like a bodega sandwich. Beware — it's a little messy as the white sauce and bits of shawarma spill out the side. But the unique combo tastes like Egypt, by way of New York.
Abu Zayn, 280 Merrick Rd., Rockville Centre, 516-220-0695. Open noon to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Andi Berlin is from Arizona and does not know where she is going. But when she gets there, she’ll find something beautiful and delicious that the world needs to taste.
