Though we're still no closer to knowing where the San Francisco location for New York's beloved Halal Guys will be or when they'll open, that doesn't mean the excitement's not building. But maybe you can use the time until they launch to try your hand at their white sauce?
It's a little bit charming that since we covered their plans to open in SF, that's the article people have been asking me about the most. "Do you guys know when they're opening yet?" "Where will they be?" As if we have some secret intel we're not sharing! (We don't.)
Guess people are looking forward to what our friends at Gothamist have referred to as "arguably the best street food" in New York. High praise! Or, as Jay wrote last week:
It's street food, kind of along the lines of Middle Eastern barbecue, in a pretty simple formula: specially seasoned beef gyro meat, or shredded chicken, (or falafel) served over rice with their special white sauce. But given that we don't have a ton of great Greek/Mediterranean spots making good gyros or platters around the Bay Area, these guys might fill an important niche — not to mention drawing legions of recent transplants from New York who dearly miss this stuff.
According to Gothamist, "the real star of the show was (and still is!) the 'secret' white sauce, kept in a nondescript bottle and drizzled everywhere with creamy, mind-in-gutter-inducing goodness." And, thanks to Endless Simmer, even if you can't get your Halal Guys tonight, you can make their sauce.
They call it "Valhalla Sauce," Gothamist calls it "Angel Jizz," but whatever you name it it's delicious. You can make your own by combining the following:
- 1 cup of mayo
- 2 Tbsp. of prepared horseradish
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. cracked black pepper
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- ¼ cup of white vinegar
- 1 cup of Ranch dressing
- 1/3 cup of plain Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup of sour cream
- 2 Tbsp. white sugar
- 3 tsp. dry dill weed
Endless Simmer suggests you use their recipe as a jumping-off point, then mix in your own add-ins. (I'm also trying a couple vegan variations, and will update if I can make one that's not yucktastic.) Give it a shot, and let us know how it goes!
Previously: New York's Beloved Halal Guys Coming to SF