Tasting Palestinian Shawarma in Ubud
Those wishing to sample a Palestinian shawarma snack can visit Ayoo Ayoo Street Food on Jalan Monkey Forest in Ubud, Gianyar Regency. The menu item, called Homemade Palestinian Pita, is a new offering at the establishment.
“This new menu replaces the kebab. It was just introduced in August. It is called Shawarma Palestina Pita,” said Gung Putra, an employee at Ayoo Ayoo Street Food in Ubud, on Wednesday (12/8/2026).
Gung Putra noted that the snack is also popular in other Arab countries such as Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. However, it is somewhat different from kebab, which generally has Turkish origins.
The shawarma at Ayoo Ayoo is served with fillings including cauliflower, pickled cucumber, tomato, chicken, habibi sauce or garlic yoghurt, and tulum tekno sauce. The tulum sauce is made from jalapeño peppers and chipotle mayo. In addition to chicken, the Palestinian Pita Shawarma is also available with a mushroom variant and spicy habibi sauce.
“The bread is called pita bread. It looks like Arabic bread,” Gung Putra explained.
detikBali sampled the Palestinian Pita Shawarma. The taste differs from a regular kebab. The pieces of meat placed at the end of the pita roll are noticeable from the first bite. The texture of the grilled chicken is dense yet tender.
Subsequent bites reveal the pickled cucumber and cabbage. The sprinkling of pickled cucumber and cabbage dominates the middle of the shawarma pita, while the chicken dominates the edges of the bread.
The fresh taste of the pickles or cucumber and cabbage pieces bursts through, replacing the strong aroma of the chicken. It is so fresh that the water content from the cucumber mixing with the habibi sauce can be seen slightly dripping and wetting the bottom of the paper wrapper.
“The difference is, with a kebab, all the fillings are wrapped in the Arabic bread, then grilled and served. With shawarma, the bread is grilled first, then all the fillings are put in, then it is wrapped with the bread, and grilled again,” he explained.
This Palestinian Shawarma is sold in two sizes: medium and large. The medium is priced at Rp 75,000, while the large size costs Rp 95,000.
Just two weeks after its launch, the Homemade Palestinian Pita Shawarma has already received a negative review. An internet user, believed to be from Israel, gave a one-star rating and a comment in Hebrew.
In terms of food, service, and atmosphere, the restaurant was given one star. The negative review in Hebrew circulated on social media and sparked controversy.
When translated into Indonesian, the comment reads: “Don’t come, (this restaurant) is not for us. I don’t know what plasticine pita (Palestinian Pita) they are selling.”
“We were told by the boss about the one-star review two days ago. The boss asked us to serve guests better,” Gung Putra said.
Gung Putra admitted he did not know if any of the guests were Israeli nationals. One of his colleagues said they once saw a tourist recording a ‘free Palestine’ poster displayed on the first-floor wall of the restaurant and asking if they were a supporter of Palestine.
“I answered no. I said, I just work here,” he said.