Ok. I know what you’re thinking. ‘You’re recommending a shoarma restaurant? Those are a dime a dozen!’

Yes, they are. But there is Middle Eastern food, and then there is Syrian food. Ask anyone in Den Haag who knows their shoarma, and they will tell you all about the things that really do matter: freshness, attention to detail, and (yes) home-cooking. For whatever reason, the relatively large number of Syrian immigrants in Den Haag have cornered the market when it comes to high-quality Middle Eastern food.

Al Karam, a relatively new establishment, is my very favourite. Your waiter will probably be your chef, your chef will probably be the owner, and the owner will probably be very happy to give you a detailed explanation of the spices he massaged into the chicken and lamb he’s been roasting all day (I have personal photos of the owner and his father hugging my daughters while everyone chews on meat pastries).

This is not shoarma to swallow while you rush to work. This is sit-down-and-savor shoarma, and it merits the term ‘cuisine.’ If you stay long enough, you’ll learn quite a lot about Syria, too–and there is no replacement for the food and conversation of people proud of where they come from.