I initially thought I had come to the wrong place when I turned up at Deansgate’s newest shawarma spot, Sqew. The latest in a long line of TikTok-trendy gourmet fast-food exports from Leeds to have turned up on Manchester’s doorstep in an attempt to make it big, à la Get Baked, Sqew was running a promotion where they were offering its signature shawarma wrap free of charge to the first 500 customers. I expected queues around the block, yet when I arrived 15 minutes before its 12PM opening on a Friday afternoon, there were only about 20 people in front of me. All of the self-proclaimed food influencers must have real jobs to go to after all.
I must confess that this was not my first time at Sqew. I had experienced the lamb shawarma khobez wrap about six months prior on a day trip to Leeds. I remember the lamb being tasty and tender, with the pomegranate molasses working perfectly with the lamb. Sqew’s khobez wrap itself, however, had too much yoghurt and not enough of the mint flavour that had been promised.
This had since been rectified, with the wrap I had at Sqew’s opening not being soggy, and the sauce had more of a punch. Unfortunately, that was the only good thing about the wrap. The lamb, although plentiful in its portion, really took a good chewing to digest, and was at risk of being dry and overdone. The pickled cabbage and gherkin did complement it well, however.
Everything tasted fresh, which can’t necessarily be promised for the shawarma spots dotted around the Curry Mile, but at Sqew’s price point (over £13 for the lamb option), that is the bare minimum. The chunks of tomato in the salad were too big, and the wrap would have benefited from it being more resemblant of an Israeli salad instead of having massive pieces that end up overpowering the whole dish. There was not enough of the pomegranate molasses, either.
Given its neighbours (KFC and Subway), Sqew is a local standout, and its menu shows real promise. Sqew offers not just shawarma wraps on its menu, but also platters of its homemade falafel and hummus, and new rice boxes exclusive to its Deansgate branch.
That being said, it must focus less on style over substance, spend less time talking about its brand on social media, and focus more on the food itself. Owner Mitchell Renshaw was apparently inspired to open Sqew after visiting a Turkish restaurant in London, but perhaps another visit or two to the Levantine region itself wouldn’t have gone a miss.
Every internet fad has its five minutes of fame, but if Sqew wants to outlast that, it needs to focus on its potential and the flavours promised on the menu, especially at its price in a city full of budget-unfriendly street food halls.
