Shawarmaji

If you've ever considered getting a garlic bulb tattooed on your left rib, you'll be a fan of the garlic toum from Shawarmaji, a Jordanian-style shawarma spot in Uptown Oakland that originated as a pop-up. The thick, pungent toum is made with canola oil, lemon juice, and what tastes like an Olympic pool-sized amount of garlic. It's used in their fantastic chicken shawarma wrap—which is thinner and longer (like, forearm-length long) than most you’ll find in the Bay. Chicken is marinated in yogurt and spices, and slow-roasted on a vertical spit until juicy and crispy on the outside. It's wrapped up in a flatbread with that toum, cucumber pickles, and optional fries, and griddled until golden-brown.