Shake, Wrap and Roll

After walking past this particular cafe on an almost daily basis. wondering if they included falafel in their wrap ingredients, I finally decided to give it a go. I was hungry from an anti-austerity demo I had just attended, as part of the ‘Libraries Bloc. My favourite chant was ‘Libraries, should be free! Not just for the bourgeoisie!’

I was also striking from cleaning up the kitchen, which had slightly backfired in that now, I couldn’t use the kitchen without feeling sick. No-one else seems to care. So, to the falafel shop it was. ‘Shake Wrap and Roll’ lies just minutes away from my house so I took the plunge and entered the small, understated premises.

Now, the price was quite hefty, but the falafel was hefty to match. £5.50 for a large and you could choose more than one filling. In a daring move, I went for falafel, hummus, and aloo gobi, fried up and toasted with the bread. The salad array was varied and included olives and pickles, and you could have your choice of sauces. I went for the Sicilian chili, which lead on to a 10 minute conversation about the unification of Italy and the North/South divide. Before the wrap was done, we also discussed our favourite foods which for the lady was Indian, the bloke Vietnamese or Japanese. I nodded along. At this point, I just wanted my falafel. I enjoyed the ‘banter’ though, and left feeling welcomed into their lives for just a few small minutes.

I hurried home and got my other taste tester to share the wrap with me and learn a little of their impressions. ‘Its got potato in it’ he said with an oafish smile. ‘Its got chili…it’s balanced’. We both agreed the salad tasted fresh (especially the juicy red peppers) and that the toasted bread was a nice touch. I found it slightly dry- it could have had more sauce and also, the hummus was concentrated at the bottom, which was a nice ending but could have done something to make it less dry if it had been spread evenly.

It was massive, so it would have been far too much for one person. Split between two then, the price becomes a little more reasonable.

Bread- 4/5

Falafel- 3/5

Salad- 5/5

Service -5/5

Sauces- 3/5

Hummus gets extra points and so does aloo gobi.

All in all a successful if expensive venture.

To submit your own falafel review or suggest a new falafel restaurant, please email ratemyfalafel@gmail.com

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