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Shouk, Fast-Casual, 100% Plant-Based, Modern Israeli Street Food on 6th and K Street in Mount Vernon Triangle


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Shouk is a fast-casual eatery serving 100 percent plant-based deliciousness!!!

Here is the menu: Screenshot 2016-05-18 at 10.39.37.png - the restaurant opened May 3rd.

On Sunday, May 15, 2016, I enjoyed the following: 

  • Shouk Pita with roasted fennel, crispy potato, red pepper, pistachio pesto
  • Polenta fries with tomato tahina
  • Shouk Salad with lots of fresh & roasted veggies, crunch, tahina vinaigrette

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Went there for lunch Sunday.  Glad they're open until 10 seven days a week.  I got the cauliflower pita as a bowl instead, with rice and lentils.  It costed about $10 and I enjoyed it, though I wasn't blown away.  It's near my place though and we lack fast casual options in the area, so I'll definitely be back. 

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I've grown sort of wary of the fast casual proliferation, but this place gets it.  I'm especially fond of the ratatouille: it's warm, comforting, and distinct with the addition of tahini.  

I really enjoy how they're vegan but I didn't notice anything in the signage or the advertising that mentions this.  If somebody walks in and refuses to eat there because of the lack of meat, they can go elsewhere.  But I think they'd be pleasantly surprised.

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I just had the above pita and can confirm it is delicious.  It's not on the menu yet, but they're calling it the Chickpea.  The flavors worked well together and, unlike other items I've had there, it didn't leave me a little hungry after (to be fair, I definitely have a larger appetite than most).  The tahini is well flavored and almost tasted fishy, which to me is a good thing.The only thing I would suggest is perhaps add a bit of spiciness to balance out the sourness of the lemon.    

$10.75 is a bit on the expensive side for something without meat, but it's not outrageous.  

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Another visit and another absolutely delicious pita: Cauliflower roasted, tomato, scallion, tahina, jalapeño oil!  Also, I got to enjoy the Cashew Labneh dip!   Incredible flavor combinations with beautiful, fresh ingredients! You can taste all the love and soul put into each dish!  My appetite is satiated along with my palette for the unexpected!  I'm not even a vegetarian!

 

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Shouk obsessed!  Tasting my way through the menu:  

  • Pita: Black bean, sweet potato, red pepper, tomato, arugula, spicy harissa
  • Sweet potato fries & cashew labneh
  • Cardamom chocolate chip cookies! (crazy delicious!  dairy free!  NEW addition to the menu!)

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On August 3, 2016, I enjoyed  SHOUK take away for lunch at the office!  Absolutely delicious!!!  Thank you Ran Nussbacher & Dennis Friedman! 

PITA: Cauliflower roasted; tomato, scallion, tahina, jalapeño oil
SALAD: Beet, sweet potato, arugula, nuts, cashew labneh, pomegranate vinaigrette
DIP: cashew labne

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Your last post finally got me over there - I've been wanting to go since I heard about it, but since it's not super-close I was waiting for a cooler day to walk over there. Yesterday was a great day for it.

I'm not vegetarian or vegan, but I am eating a lot more plant-based than I used to, and it sounded delicious from this thread. It was.  I had the cauliflower pita pictured above, and the pita with cashew labne. Terrific lunch. It was only afterwards that I saw that you can get any of the pita fillings on rice and lentils instead, and I'd do that next time (more filling, and don't need the pita if I also get one with the dip). The pita was pillowy - thick and fluffy. It was definitely whole wheat, which I hadn't expected from the pictures, but it wasn't too "healthy" tasting. The dip was creamy (without dairy) and zingy with za'atar.  Made a great contrast to the cauliflower pita which was excellent - nicely cooked, with great tahini. Everything tasted very fresh and well-cooked and bright.

I risked a migraine for the cardamom chocolate chip cookie, because I love cardamom and that combo sounded so good. It was. I won't risk it again because I really hate getting migraines and usually it's not worth it, but I had to try it once.  Cardamom should be in more desserts! (Preferably non-chocolate ones so I can have them, but it pairs really well with chocolate.) It was a great cookie, fluffy and yet substantial. Haven't had a lot of vegan cookies before and didn't think it would be that tasty without egg or dairy.  Aside: whenever Pitango Gelato has the cardamom gelato, it makes me very happy (had some on Monday). Wish they listed daily flavors somewhere since they don't have it frequently.

The Almond Delight drink was wonderful - light and yet a little creamy, highly unusual in flavor, perfect in summer.

I have to go back and try the mushroom pita (with spinach and cauliflower), and the other pitas pictured above which look so good. I would've gotten a salad too but I think it would've been too much food for me for one meal.  Definitely worth the walk over there whenever it's not incredibly hot/humid like today or pouring rain. 

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Not much to add to the above, but I finally walked over on this beautiful day. I had the chickpea pita and the labneh. Both delicious, especially the labneh. I'm kind of a labneh freak since discovering it at Zaytinya many years ago. I have no idea how Shouk made labneh without dairy (well, I kind of do since I just read a vegan labneh recipe), but it was amazing!! The pita was pillowy and delicious, and like people said above all the flavors were fresh and bright tasting. I really wanted to try to the polenta fries, but I was afraid that would be way too much food (not sure why I let that stop me). I didn't see and forgot about the cardamom chocolate chip cookies! I would have loved to have tried one of those.

Someone above mentioned that their pita was $10.75. The prices aren't online and I don't seem to have my receipt, but I'm pretty sure all the pitas were $9.75 today. There are a bunch of others I'd like to try (and I'm not a vegetarian -- much less a vegan! -- either).

Oh, and their address is actually 655 K Street, not New York Avenue, as the thread title indicates.

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Stopped by Shouk today for lunch and I was wowed once again. This is great fast casual food. Today I went with my favorites the Shouk salad and a cardamom chocolate chip cookie. I've had both before and they are great. I especially like the salad as it is vegetarian, filling, and a really well thought out combination of different textures and flavors. The salad has diced fresh tomatos, cucumbers, thin strips of peppadew peppers?, olives, kale? and baby lettuce along with roasted chopped cauliflower and eggplant and is topped with pita croutons and pistachios for crunch. As you can see, there is a lot going on in this salad. I still need to try the other two salads but imagine they are also very good. The cookie - oh the cookie - it is divine if you like cardamom. It is a simple, rich fresh baked chocolate cookie but with the added kick of cardamom. Too make sure it was really good, I did a taste test against a Buttercream Bakeshop chocolate chunk cookie just because :-) The Bakeshop cookie was very good, but the Shouk cookie won hands down.  The salad also came with a very nice whole wheat half pita. In the past, I've enjoyed the polenta fries (a bit odd but good) and some of the pita sandwiches.

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I go here often and love it.  The chickpea and cauliflower pitas are my current go-tos, each served in delicious soft, flavorful wheat pitas.  The beet salad is phenomenal also, with a great mix of flavorful and filling ingredients (arugula, beets, cashews, etc.).  I often ask them to go light on the dressing though to let the flavors of the veggies shine. 

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I've gone back a bunch, and keep coming back to the cauliflower pita and cashew labne because they're so good. I had the mushroom pita and it was also terrific.

I've had the cauliflower on rice and lentils and it was more filling than I needed (because I wouldn't give up the cashew labne side). But also a great way to have the cauliflower.

Sadly, the Almond Delight is gone!! I hope they might bring it back in the summer. I loved that drink and it was like nothing I'd had anywhere else, and the WaPo loved it too. They have other drinks and I had something nice last time, but not as delightful.

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On 3/11/2017 at 3:30 PM, dslee said:

On March 11, 2017, I enjoyed the BEST Omelette Pita Sandwich ever!  AMAZING new addition to the menu!  Dennis Friedman is genius!

Introducing the Shouk Breakfast Pita!! A mix of chickpeas, mushrooms, asparagus, potato, and onion that's fried up on the griddle as an egg would be. 

The pita is layered with crushed avocado and a chopped salad of roasted red pepper, tomato, cucumber, onion, and arugula! 

Recommend on top a dash or two of Tabasco!

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Shouk's veggie burger is legit too, though it is hard to pick a favorite on the menu.

The only miss I have had here is a rice and lentil bowl with black bean and sweet potato. It was too starchy and dry and the harissa didn't provide any relief from that. Definitely go with the pita on this one. 

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Tried Shouk today with my NYC brother. Delicious and filling! I got the chickpea pita, he got the cauliflower bowl and a cup of soup, we shared the sweet potato fries, and as a big lagniappe due to a mixup at the pass, he got a chickpea bowl as well. We also got two cookies but, no surprise, had no room left to try them. Also, the cashew labneh that comes with the fries is really good. Like drinkable good.

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16 hours ago, Bob Wells said:

Tried Shouk today with my NYC brother. Delicious and filling! I got the chickpea pita, he got the cauliflower bowl and a cup of soup, we shared the sweet potato fries, and as a big lagniappe due to a mixup at the pass, he got a chickpea bowl as well. We also got two cookies but, no surprise, had no room left to try them. Also, the cashew labneh that comes with the fries is really good. Like drinkable good.

Just ate the cookie and you get a nice hit of cardamom at the end!

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SHOUK's newest dish now on the menu!  Eggplant, Potato, Pickled Cabbage, Red Pepper, Onion, Tahina, Amba (mango pickle condiment)

Inspired by an Israeli dish, ingeniously composed and thoughtfully executed with sublime accoutrements! So delicious beyond words!  Chef Dennis Friedman is Genius! 

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On 4/9/2018 at 11:30 PM, dslee said:

SHOUK's newest dish now on the menu!  Eggplant, Potato, Pickled Cabbage, Red Pepper, Onion, Tahina, Amba (mango pickle condiment)

Inspired by an Israeli dish, ingeniously composed and thoughtfully executed with sublime accoutrements! So delicious beyond words!  Chef Dennis Friedman is Genius! 

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I recently had this new sandwich and it was good, but not as good as other items I've had here in the past. A few weeks ago I ended up going there for back to back lunches with several work colleagues. Everyone was very satisfied. I still love their Shouk salad - perfect combo of fresh and cooked veggies with good crunch. Sweet potato fries and polenta fries were spot on. Also still great cardamom chocolate chip cookies. My real lament is that they seem to have taken the beet tahini dip off the menu when it was SO good. I hope they bring it back. I'm also excited that Doordash will now deliver to me in upper NW - stupid Ubereats said I was outside the deliver zone for a long time. 

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I had the eggplant sandwich and it was extremely good and very filling. The condiments were very bright tasting.

I thought when I ordered it that I would try it this once, and then go back to my cauliflower or mushroom pitas in future, but it was so good that I will probably alternate.

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I enjoyed lunch twice this week at Shouk's newest location a block from Union Market.  The Shouk Burger is the most ingenious creation ever and the ONLY burger (meat or vegan) I want to eat now!  And the Eggplant Pita, super delicious addition to the menu!  Space is beautiful and offering delicious pantry items to take away (See my selections below).  Freshest ingredients, unique, yet thoughtful, well-balanced composition full of soulful goodness.  I can taste the brilliance of fine dining technique, which sets Shouk far apart from other plant-based dining restaurants in the city.  Chef Dennis Friedman is genius!

  • Lentil Spread made with Black Lentils and Spices
  • Lemon Date Balls made with Meedjool Dates, Almonds, Coconut, Turmeric, Lemon and Chia Seeds
  • Cashew Labneh made from Cashews. No cows involved.
  • Chocolate Hummus made with Chickpeas, Cocoa, Maple Syrup and Sugar

 

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57 minutes ago, dslee said:

Yes.  Along with the post from Tweaked, I want to share another great article on Sabich.  For me, the inclusion of amba is essential, which Shouk has done so well with thoughtful execution.

Great article!

When I was in Israel several years ago I didn't run across Sabich, but then again I didn't know about it and wasn't looking for it.  Hummus and falafel were much more on my radar.  If Shouk can come up with a veg/vegan version of the griddled lamb patty pita sandwich I had at Carmel Market in Tel Aviv...then we would be in business.

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On 6/1/2018 at 10:58 AM, funkyfood said:

damn! it's a good summer snack since it's cold

Yes, I agree!  Hopefully, we'll be able to enjoy a few before it departs the menu.  And start looking forward to what will come next.

On 6/1/2018 at 10:42 AM, Tweaked said:

If Shouk can come up with a veg/vegan version of the griddled lamb patty pita sandwich I had at Carmel Market in Tel Aviv...then we would be in business.

Sounds delicious!  Perhaps this could be the next addition to the menu...perfect for autumn/winter I think.

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On 9/14/2018 at 9:22 AM, dslee said:

Forwarding this announcement for the Union Market location for a reoccurring event beginning Thursday, September 20, 2018:

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I'll need to find my set which I purchased at a Shouk, dust it off, and get back up to speed.  Then head over on a Thursday!

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10 minutes ago, funkyfood said:

This raises an issue that I have there: one pita/salad isn't quite enough and two is too many. The sides have never interested me, so I end up getting two and saving some for later. 

I have a savage appetite compared to most folks.  I can easily eat 2 pitas.  So for most folks, a pita or a salad is plenty.  I've seen some folks eat half a pita and take away the other half for later.  Sounds like you can eat like me! 🙂

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On 10/31/2018 at 12:38 AM, dslee said:

Shouk announced on instagram that they are rolling out a new dish on Thursday, November 1, 2018!  

 

They finally decided to add Falafel and so I guess the chickpea was too similar and it is gone. I haven't tried the falafel yet but it sounds good. I think the owners were a bit too much in their own heads about doing something different that they avoid falafel till now - but it is the most popular middle eastern/israeli vegan pita sandwich. 

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Had the falafel yesterday and thought it was great.  A bit too heavy on the sauce that comes with it though. The balls themselves were freshly made and tasty.  I have no idea why they insist on charging 75 cents for tiny thimbles of shug/harissa.  They ask if you want them without telling you it's an upcharge, which I dont like.  I'm excited that you can add falafel balls to any salad for only $1.75

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On 11/2/2018 at 10:47 AM, KeithA said:

They finally decided to add Falafel and so I guess the chickpea was too similar and it is gone. I haven't tried the falafel yet but it sounds good. I think the owners were a bit too much in their own heads about doing something different that they avoid falafel till now - but it is the most popular middle eastern/israeli vegan pita sandwich. 

"Ever since Shouk opened, customers have been asking when it would serve falafel... it was time to answer the people’s chickpea prayers."

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