In Kauai, Hawaii, Shaka La Fel, helmed by Uriel Churgin, avails an intersection of Middle Eastern cuisine and Hawaiian essence to both vegetarians and vegans. Rooted in Churgin’s early experiences of operating a falafel shop in the Mahane Yehuda market at a tender age, the food truck offers a range of Middle Eastern specialties while attempting to fill the void of fresh vegetarian and vegan options on the island.
Uriel Churgin, during a discourse with video host Amanda Smith, succinctly described a signature offering: “I’ve got Shaka Shuka, it’s a simmered stew of tomatoes, onion, garlic with poached eggs inside.” The Shaka Shuka, a featured dish, intertwines tomatoes, onions, and garlic to create a stew, gently enveloping poached eggs – a combination which endeavors to echo Middle Eastern culinary techniques.
Another focal point revealed by Churgin in dialogue pertains to a particular sauce that accompanies the aforementioned dish. When inquired by Amanda about its composition, Uriel elucidated, “So this is Moroccan hot sauce; we use the Hawaiian local peppers, a variety about five or six peppers, cilantro, parsley, garlic, lemon, cumin, and salt.” This Moroccan hot sauce seeks to meld Hawaiian and Middle Eastern flavors through the integration of locally sourced Hawaiian peppers and an array of spices and herbs.
Positioned in Kauai, specifically at the commencement of downtown Kapaa, as Uriel noted, “Right in the beginning of downtown Kapaa, by By Pono Market in a food truck lot,” Shaka La Fel circulates its offerings within this locale, presenting dishes such as falafel, sabich, and the notable “Shaka-Shuka” to its clientele. The aim appears to be the delivery of a culinary experience that is not merely nutritive but also encapsulates a blend of the tastes and aromas resonant of Middle Eastern cuisine, albeit through a lens that also reflects the culinary spirit and resources of Hawaii.
Uriel, showcasing his crafted dishes from the food truck, is seemingly scribing his culinary history into each offering, forging a connection between his adolescence in a spirited market in Jerusalem and the current venture in Hawaii. This transcontinental culinary narrative encompasses a variety of dishes and formats, adhering to diverse dietary prerequisites while also being a proponent for the tangible infusion of Middle Eastern culinary tradition into the Hawaiian food landscape.
In summary, Shaka La Fel, as introduced through the lens of both textual description and video narrative, surfaces as a culinary endeavor situated in Hawaii, presenting a merger of Middle Eastern culinary tradition and Hawaiian flavors, primarily to vegetarians and vegans, while also narrating the culinary journey of its progenitor, Uriel Churgin.