(funky music)
- When we decided to do a meat lover's episode,
we new that Rumi was going be a perfect fit.
Raul said this Middle Eastern spot
is well worth a visit.
So we're here for Wicker Park Platter.
Chicken, lamb and kofta beef kabobs
with all the fixings, all on one plate,
who could pass that up?
Not us.
- Hey guys.
- I need plate of Chicken Shawarma.
- Rumi may have the most meat
of any of the places featured in meat lover's.
- [Rashid] That's right.
- [Marley] How did you get started?
- Our family is from Jerusalem.
Middle Eastern food is what we grew up on,
and always wanted to offer the same food we eat.
- Anyone who's actually eaten
on the streets of Jerusalem
should taste no difference between the food here,
that they're getting at Rumi.
- [Rashid] No difference.
Authentic.
- I love Middle Eastern food.
Once you open the door, you kind get
a hit in the face with great smelling food.
- It's also fresh.
- Best in the neighborhood, for sure.
If you're not used to this kind of food,
they'll walk you through it.
If you're an expert, you're gonna get
a better version of your favorite here
than you're gonna get anywhere else.
- You guys have a platter that has
a whole lot of meat in it.
- The Wicker Park Platter is loaded
with lamb kabob, chicken kabob and kofta kabob.
All fired grilled, served with hummus,
basmati rice, cucumber tomato salad,
and fresh pita bread,
and of course, our delicious sauce.
- It's absolutely authentic.
- [Man] Fantastic, I mean you can tell the difference.
- [Man] Get a little bit of everything.
- The lamb is soft, it's juicy.
- Mouthwatering.
- There are what kinds of meat
in the Wicker Park Platter?
- Chicken kabob, kofta kabob, lamb kabob.
- First we start off with the rump lamb
which is between the leg and the loin.
I mean, it's pretty lean, little fatty
to keep it juicy.
We have our own marinade here,
it's a special blend.
Salt and pepper,
and our house made spices.
- For a minute I thought we were gonna
get a secret on this show.
- [Nestor] Can't do that.
- Should I put one of these out here
for some butchering? - Yeah, let's put them out.
Little cubes.
- I would call that a large cube.
- [Nestor] Not for our meals.
- Now this part, I definitely can't mess up.
How much?
- [Nestor] A nice, generous amount.
- Your skewer's a bit larger than the skewers
that I use when I grill at home.
- [Nestor] (chuckles) Well, we do five
pieces this good.
- Can I go through the easy way
or does it have to go the long way?
- Long way.
You want the meat to cook evenly,
spread them out real nice.
- If I push too hard, how likely
is this to stab me?
- It won't stab you.
- Okay, I mean, if it was gonna stab anybody,
it would be me.
Look, I think I could.
They get a little slippery up in there.
Now I imagine you do this
at 10 times the speed.
- Do a lot more a day.
- This goes in the fridge overnight?
So you have some ready to go by the grill,
correct? - Yes we do.
- All right, let's go to the grill.
How long do we stay like this?
- Four to five minutes on the lamb
before you flip, five to six minutes
on the chicken before you flip,
kofta the same as lamb.
We'll get a side of Jerusalem Salad,
that cucumber, tomato blend.
We'll do another half scoop.
Plate of hummus.
- I've gotta bet that there's something
more magical than me just slopping it on.
- Yeah.
- Okay, here, I'll let the magician do it.
- [Nestor] Fancy it up a little.
- Oh yeah, okay, that's a little bit
more appetizing looking.
- [Nestor] Three scoops of rice.
- [Marley] All the way across.
- Half of the plate.
- Oh the other halfway.
So how are our meats looking?
- Then our final kofta kabob,
throw in pita, and that would make
our Wicker Park Platter.
Sounds great. - Thanks, Nestor.
Okay, I'm super excited.
- [Rashid] You gotta start with the kabobs.
- With the beef kabob, here we go.
That is some of the most beautifully spiced
beef I've ever tried.
- [Rashid] What you just had is the kofta kabob,
a made in house fresh daily.
- This tastes like a delicious Middle Eastern meatball.
- Right on point.
- Just perfect.
I mean it's so flavorful.
I'm moving down the line here.
- [Rashid] Chicken kabob has a bit of a spice to it.
- It's really complementary to the beef,
and they're totally different flavor profiles,
but together, perfect. - Great compliment.
- All right, I gotta go to my lamb now.
This was the fruits of my labor here.
- My favorite.
- That is such a tender cut of meat.
It almost feels like you're having
a perfectly cooked filet mignon.
And those spices are just enough.
It's not overpowering.
The lamb really shines through.
- Just a touch of spice, fire grilled, perfect.
- Makes everything nice?
- Makes everything nice.
The way it should be.
- Somehow you even managed to make
the salad component as flavorful as the meat.
And it's a nice compliment 'cause it's cold
and you have so much more texture,
but, meat are the stars right here.
- Thank you.
This is the real deal.
You'll notice the consistency.
We like to serve what we like to eat.
Enjoy.
- I'll be here a bit.