Jos - The Best Shawarma In Nigeria
Jos, the city of the whispering cold. I call it "whisper" because it is the sort to appear all of a sudden, without the warning of footsteps. Myths have it that the strong winds would wear sandals and come to your door knocking, except these beliefs were entirely false. One time I was holed up in Barkin Lardin, and did these elderly winds knock? Of course not, they shook the gates by the hinge, like a scene from a Harry Potter movie.
Jos in the night is beautiful, here the stars blink like the wings on a colorful butterfly, extraterrestrial bodies migrating at large. You get that feeling, that "I can levitate with the stars" feeling. More like if you jumped high enough you can snatch and hold them by the palm of your hands or stuff them in a sack, your choice. Just don't attempt this while at the top of the hill "why would anyone be that high at that time of the night?" ... Ehh, they are probably lovebirds. Yes, birds fly, but I can't say much for you.
Okay, you get the point - Jos is beautiful, it is the capital on the Plateau for a reason. But I am more concerned about the foodie in you, and so the beautiful landscape that is Jos will be a story for another day.
That brings me to the important question - where would you go for food? The tourist in you may have already explored the local delicacies, Kunu and Masa or Kose spiced with Yaji for breakfast. You may have had Fura Du Nunu or by now realized that the famous "Habeeb Yoghurt" that bagged its shiny degree in form of a plastic container and a label in the abroad, is in fact "undercover Nunu" spiked with Fura. Hehe, packaging
And then enters Shawarma and Grills, a spot located at Bauchi Road, Near British-American Junction, Jos North. *plays gangsta rap in the background *
If you've found this spot, then Alice has got nothing on you. And if you haven't, then send my thank yous in a signed cheque because you've just sidestepped into wonderland, where shawarma is served just as it should. A wise Lebanese once said - " the secret to shawarma is the meat " and I must say I agree. At shawarma and grills, they let the meat do the talking, the cajoling. And it's got a lot to say, so prepare your taste buds to listen.
I kid you not, you are about to eat the best Shawarma in all of Nigeria. Yes, I said it, all of Nigeria. Since my initiation to the chop life gang (a group of overfed Sith Lords), I have gone on to explore enough Shawarma spots in the country that I pride myself as an authority (the Darth Vader), chopping and slashing off bad spots with my lightsaber. I have had the good, the very good and the extremely bad, sadly :(
Well, lest I forget, if you are herbivorous (you eat grass) they serve delicious salads and vegan-friendly meals so no one is left out. But what are we - "the chop life gang", only concerned with the signature Shawarma. Also, there is the open bar where you'd see the occasional couple, the guy struggling to crack the missus up, she in turn hiding a blush as she sips from her glass of chapman. It's the perfect spot to relax after work and to scope for prey when not with the binoculars.
When next you are in NIgeria or you happen to land in the cool city of Jos in particular, that's the spot to be. Going to Jos without eating this Shawarma is like visiting Paris and not taking a selfie overlooking the Eiffel tower.