The green market near my apartment is sort of a courtyard of metal stalls ringed by more permanent structures--some with doors that you walk through, some that pull up so that you can walk into the place when it's open and others with a more ticket-window type set up, where everything is behind glass.
One of these places is a shawarma place--no tables, just a grill an oven and a fridge behind the counter. I went there for the first time last week (it is very close to my fitness center, so I can pick up dinner post-workout) and I enjoyed practicing my Serbian with the three young people behind the counter, whose only English seemed to be "big or small."
I ordered a small falafel sandwich and a large chicken shawarma, planning to take the leftovers for lunch the following day. While I was waiting, another customer ordered a "lahma sendvic." That's right, I remembered, lahma is beef.
So yesterday, I went back, determined to do better, and to try the beef. Before I left work, I looked up "lahma" on Google translate to make sure I had it right. Nothing. But when I looked up meat and "meso" came up, I figured I was ready to go.
It was the same crew, and I ordered my chicken shawarma without incident, but when I ordered a small meso to go along with it, the guy just looked at me: "It's all meso." he said. Do you want "june?"
I looked at him, clueless.
"Moo." he said
Bingo. That was the damn dog's name.
Turns out that "lahma" is the arabic for beef. The place is lebanese, so their lahma sendvic on the menu is authentic. Nothing like a third language to complicate things.
I'll get it next time. I had no problem with my toppings though, paradaiz (tomatoes), hummus (hummus), luk (onions), persun (parsley and lutica (hot sauce).
One of these places is a shawarma place--no tables, just a grill an oven and a fridge behind the counter. I went there for the first time last week (it is very close to my fitness center, so I can pick up dinner post-workout) and I enjoyed practicing my Serbian with the three young people behind the counter, whose only English seemed to be "big or small."
I ordered a small falafel sandwich and a large chicken shawarma, planning to take the leftovers for lunch the following day. While I was waiting, another customer ordered a "lahma sendvic." That's right, I remembered, lahma is beef.
So yesterday, I went back, determined to do better, and to try the beef. Before I left work, I looked up "lahma" on Google translate to make sure I had it right. Nothing. But when I looked up meat and "meso" came up, I figured I was ready to go.
It was the same crew, and I ordered my chicken shawarma without incident, but when I ordered a small meso to go along with it, the guy just looked at me: "It's all meso." he said. Do you want "june?"
I looked at him, clueless.
"Moo." he said
Bingo. That was the damn dog's name.
Turns out that "lahma" is the arabic for beef. The place is lebanese, so their lahma sendvic on the menu is authentic. Nothing like a third language to complicate things.
I'll get it next time. I had no problem with my toppings though, paradaiz (tomatoes), hummus (hummus), luk (onions), persun (parsley and lutica (hot sauce).
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