Would you like some Fries…… & Tahini with that? (A Strange, Starchy Tale)

                During all my 18 years of non-stop eating, I haven’t gained a single pound. What I have gained though, was a growing curiosity that keeps expanding the more I try out many unique foods. One food that really caught my eye in my daily life-adventures was a dish that was created in a freak-accident that introduced a culinary abomination. Although the restaurant ran out of rice, this sort of food turned out to be….. Well, incredibly incredible!

It all started on a supposedly rainy day (I blame the weatherman for making me hold onto an umbrella all day). During a tense dinner rush, I was ordering my usual order of “Chicken on the Rocks” (A rice-dish fried together with split-chicken & covered in tahini) from a small shawarma restaurant called Osmows back in Mississauga. It was a really long line that went outside to the parking lot (I kid you not, this is a dinner rush at Osmows). After waiting for almost 16 minutes with a friend for what was supposed to just be another order, we dashed straight to his house so we could finally dig in after many hours of not eating anything. 

When we opened to see our order, this was what we saw:

This was honestly nothing that I have ever seen in a restaurant before. You wouldn't call this as any form of poutine.
Come to think of it at a first glance, what the heck is that?

At first, we thought this was some sort of a joke until we phoned Osmows. After we were told that they had no rice & were supposed to use pasta (which would’ve been nice too), my friend & I drove them to hang up after our hysterical laughter drowned the line. My friend & I couldn’t help but wonder why they swapped our rice with fries (Since rice dishes are Osmows signatures) & felt like we were prepared to storm into the restaurant to file a big complaint.

We ate it any ways. We were too hungry.

Upon taking the first bite however, I expected these…. Mediterranean Fries to be really horrible in combinations. But then my taste buds sent me a huge message, and I was mind-blown by the tastes of this dish.

The fries were of course salty, but the umami-side of the scrumptious tahini sauce complimented well with its distinctive sweet & bitter tanginess alongside the shawarma chicken. Together, these tastes combined to create a hearty meal that made my taste buds craving more.

Visually, it looked ridiculous at first. However, I instantly began to love how the texture of the molten sauce was smothered over the crispy French fries. Besides hearing the sound of squeaking Styrofoam, I was amazed to be able to hear the crunch of the fries. As I held one before eating it, I noticed that physically no texture was lost from the fries (even after an hour in tahini).

Over time, the flavours of the Mediterranean fries didn't make me think of poutine. Unpredictably, it reminded me of scalloped potatoes with the tangy sauce boding together with some filling taters. This is definitely a fusion of American & Middle-Eastern descent, and this food is more than unique (may I remind you that it was created by accident?)

After eating, I learned that this food did stick to my palate, but it was a good feeling from the essence of the tahini & potatoes that left me wanting more. I really enjoyed this food because I came to my senses in realizing that in all that time I was annoyed by Osmows mistake, I found fries (though I rarely eat them) to be more enjoyable than rice in terms of adding pizazz (yes, I said that word). To a dish that is already oh-so great.

As much as I enjoyed the food, there were certain flavours in the fries that made the sauce more tasteful. As the tahini was made with a bitter-nutty taste in mind, the combination of the saltiness from the deep-fried potatoes brought more flavour into the under seasoned chicken. As a result, I got the taste I wanted in the meat. If this new dish was featured on the menu, it’s a must-have for the any new customer.

This experience in a way has added a new perspective in how one ingredient can impact an entire dish. Any hint of a spice, meat, herb or garnish makes a difference in how something tastes. If I do add too little or too much of something, another ingredient could make up for it (it won’t be the end of the world).  Like in the movie Ratatouille, the Mediterranean Fries brought up one moral that was etched into my head:

“Accidents Happen”.