Pham Trung Hieu, co-founder of Hata Tata since 2023 and a Kharkiv, Ukraine resident for many years, remembers shawarma being a popular street food since his childhood, introduced by Middle Eastern vendors.
Typically, shawarma features chicken meat seasoned with coriander, black pepper, dill, and other spices. It's commonly served rolled in pita bread or enjoyed with hummus, a dish made from mashed chickpeas. Today, it remains a staple in Ukrainian street cuisine.
The image shows a BBQ-flavored shawarma cut in half, filled with pork, cheese, french fries, cucumber, corn, and sauce. It's a variation from the traditional chicken and lamb fillings found in shawarma.
Hieu returned to Vietnam due to the conflict in Ukraine and chose to open a shawarma shop named Hata Tata at 199 Giang Vo Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi to reminisce about the flavors of his childhood.
The shop's first floor is where you'll find the ordering counter and kitchen, while the upper floor offers seating for customers.
The menu features popular Ukrainian dishes like shawarma, Kyiv chicken - crumbed and fried chicken stuffed with melted garlic butter, and crepes. Shawarma is the priciest option, ranging up to VND120,000 ($4.90) depending on the size and filling.
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, shawarma originated during the Ottoman Empire. Nowadays, it's hailed as a national dish in many Middle Eastern countries.
Shawarma comes in many variations worldwide. For instance, in Istanbul, Turkey, lamb shawarma is common and served with grilled tomatoes. Additionally, in the Middle East, some regions offer shawarma variations with french fries.
Hieu mentioned that he imports the crust from Poland to maintain the authentic taste, as he found the local Vietnamese shells too soft when he first opened two years ago.
In the photo, you can see the filling of a seafood shawarma sandwich, including cheese, shrimp, squid, tomatoes, purple cabbage, and tom yum sauce. Although Ukrainians prefer green cabbage, the owner intentionally changed it to offer different variations.
While shawarma in Ukraine often includes pickled cucumbers, Hieu believes Vietnamese customers may not enjoy them with a dish that somewhat resembles banh mi.
The shop offers 5 types of crust, each representing a different filling: traditional (white), BBQ (pink), cheeseburger (black), seafood (orange), and pizza (green). Although the flavor remains the same, guests cannot choose the crust color to streamline kitchen operations and prevent disruptions.
Each sandwich variation is accompanied by a matching sauce: pizza with pizza sauce, traditional with garlic sauce, seafood with tom yum sauce, BBQ with BBQ sauce, and cheeseburger with paprika sauce, enhancing their flavors with a hint of smokiness.
To cater to Vietnamese preferences, the sauces are tailored accordingly. While Ukrainians typically enjoy sauces made from sour cream and mayonnaise, which are costly and less favored in Vietnam, the owner has substituted them with other ingredients to better suit local tastes.
After tightly rolling the shawarma, it's oven-baked to ensure a hot, crispy exterior.
Hoai Thuong, from Hanoi's Ha Dong District, visited the restaurant after watching online videos. She noted that the shawarma resembled French tacos but with less filling, allowing her to enjoy it without getting full too quickly.
"This dish should be enjoyed while hot to fully savor the sauce," she said. While she enjoyed the traditional flavor, she wasn't impressed with the seafood option.
The Kyiv chicken is priced at VND39,000 ($1.60), with an option to add extra dipping sauce for VND10,000. Hieu mentioned that this dish is equally popular in Ukraine as shawarma, with dedicated shops specializing in Kyiv chicken.
The filling comprises chicken breast, dill, and unsalted butter, while the fried dough is handmade by grinding bread, distinguishing it from the Korean-style chicken cakes popular among Vietnamese youth. The perfectly fried shell keeps it moist, and when sliced, the butter melds with the dill, creating a delightful aroma.
