Wild Peeta

Shawarma spot with great lunchtime menu 4 Reviews

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Fusion shawarmas: it’s the kind of concept I’d blame on California. In fact, Wild Peeta – the place responsible for these global renditions of the Arabic staple – struck me as a very West Coast type of place.

The cheery staff passed around free samples of infused teas, assuring me that there were decidedly no added sugars or preservatives and that they were made with fresh juice. The menu listed Thai, Indian, Mexican and Italian shawarmas (the marinade being the determining factor), and servers had a wide range of veggie stuffings to choose from. Wild Peeta also boasted that it serves the first ever vegan shawarmas. If it wasn’t for the dishdasha-clad Emirati who was busy stuffing pittas behind the counter, I wouldn’t have believed I was in Dubai.

I ended up making two trips to Wild Peeta, as the first time they had run out of both beef and chicken. I took the opportunity on that trip to sample the French paradise salad, which read tantalisingly on the menu: boiled potatoes, green beans, onions, olives and French herbs doused with a mustard vinaigrette. It sounded so provincial and fresh. The reality was a skimpy serving of a mixture that had been made earlier, then left in the chiller. The menu description also failed to mention the overwhelming presence of chopped egg, which overpowered the entire dish. Salads, however, are not what Wild Peeta is peddling. Its signature item is shawarma, and these it does well.

When I returned for my second visit, two plump towers of meat (lamb and chicken) were glistening on their rotating spits. I took this as an invitation to try all manner of shawarmas. While purists may disdain the very notion that lamb meat drenched in Thai satay sauce could be classified as a shawarma, the mixture was still winning. As is to be expected, the satay sauce wasn’t the stuff they’d serve up in Thailand, just as the tandoori marinade was missing all the heat and nuance you’d find in India, but both melded nicely with the drooling shards of meat in their freshly baked pitta wraps. Even the vegan shawarma – stuffed with chunks of potato, courgette and pickle – made for a filling, fresh and unique lunch.

Wild Peeta is thinking of expanding, and we hope it does. Poor salads aside, the innovative sandwiches break up the traditional lunchtime rut rather nicely.

The bill (for two)
2 x Teas Dhs32
2 x Shawarma Dhs34
Total (excluding service) Dhs66

By Daisy Carrington
Time Out Dubai, 16 November 2009

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Time Out reviews restaurants anonymously and pays for meals. Of course, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or independence of user reviews.

Posted by: Steven W on 23 Nov ' 09 at 17:09

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

This place is not worth the high marks other "diners" have given it. A shawarma is cheap food and they manage to give something that in my opinion is worse than the street version, but at 5 times the price!

The person in front of me bought one of these awesome brownies. He asked if the size was a joke as it is less than a mouthful.

If you want a shawarma near Wafi then go to Wafi Gourmet instead.

Posted by: Adel on 17 Nov ' 09 at 13:13

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• Best for: Business lunch
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

I happened to run come across this little cafe at Healthcare City about 3 weeks ago while walking back to my car after a visit at City Hospital. I have been back 5 or 6 times since.

It is something that was definitely missing in Dubai in terms of types of restaurants. It is perfect for a quick lunch.

The food is good, tasty and reasonably priced . If you go, make sure to try the Middle Eastern Fusion Tea and the Tashini covered Brownie. They are both fantastic creations.

The part I probably like best about this place are the people that work there. It is something that separates this restaurant/cafe/QSR from most other in Dubai. The people are genuinely friendly and the emirati owners are actually present to speak to customers. I met Mohammed (one of the brothers who owns and operates the place) the first time I went and have had interesting conversations with him every time. I learned that a majority of produce that are used is grown locally in the UAE.

The only thing, in my mind, that the place is lacking is space. There is not a lot of space to sit and eat (Mohammed told me that their business model was based on a 70/30% delivery vs dine-in model).

Best of luck, Wild Peeta!

Posted by: Mita Srinivasan on 16 Nov ' 09 at 09:49

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• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

You do a great disservice to their salads. Its a shame that the day you visited, you had a bad experience. I have been there several times, and thoroughly enjoyed the lentil soup, and the Moroccan salad. I call his arabic fusion tea my magic juice.

I think you need to go back and try the salads again.

Posted by: Salem Mohammed on 16 Nov ' 09 at 08:31

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• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

For me this is the restaurant of the Year ,, coz its not just about Food ... its about the Love that you can feel on the Air .. the ppl that u meet in this place are ppl that add more value into ur life .. and the Shawarma is Amazing ... dont forget to add "Bu Saqer" and to try the browni = )
wish u all the best Wildpeeta

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