Shawarma Guys

September 21. Saturday.

Kim and I love our shawarma and kebabs, so when an opportunity comes up to try a new shawarma spot we don't pass on it. We were in The Fort Strip with our good friend JT to watch a late show and it just so happened that Shawarma Guys was located there. Since we haven't had dinner yet, we decided to dine there.

We've read good reviews about it online and have always kept a mental note to try it out. But I'll warn you now, this has got to be one of the worst dining experiences we've had. From the food to the service, everything was just bad. First the wait staff was really slow and inattentive. Considering there was only our group and another group dining, then they should really be efficient and attentive but that just wasn't the case. The waiter took his sweet time to get to us to take our orders, but was such in a hurry to clean up that I haven't even finished my food yet and he was already going to take my plate out. Yes, he asked if I was done already, but only AFTER he has lifted my plate off the table. Disgusting behavior. On any other occasion, I would've smacked the living hell out of him but I tried to keep my cool since we still had a long night ahead.

Then the food. It was burnt and overcooked. And for the price of the meals, really just a quarter of a teaspoon of butter? I was just really hungry to complain and the staff really didn't seem to pay attention as they just chattered about themselves.

Kim ordered the Lamb Kebab.

Lamb Kebab. 250php.

The lamb was tough and chewy. It was burnt, and the sweet taste of the sauce and lamb itself really made for an unappetizing meal.

JT and I got the Beef Kebab.

Beef Kebab. 190php.

Compare the picture from their menu and Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=220035614837860&set=a.125795090928580.24173.125513780956711&type=1&relevant_count=1
And take a look at what we had. Just disappointing. The kebabs were very dry and tasteless (except for the burnt taste).

I also ordered a Beef Shawarma.

Beef Shawarma. 150php.

Kanto shawarma stalls serve better shawarma than this! Bigger and meatier at half the price, too.

Considering Shawarma Guys is from the same group behind URBN and Relik, this was really disappointing. Maybe it was just a bad night for everyone in their staff, but after dining I saw three of their kitchen staff just lounging outside and smoking looking relaxed. So maybe they really don't care about the service. To anyone looking for their shawarma and kebab fix, I'll just tell you to consider other joints. You'll be better off spending your money on Mister Kebab, Uncle Moes, or even Tri Mo Shawarma Co.

*We forgot to ask for the waiter to get a photo of us, maybe because we were so hungry then or we were so dismayed.

Shawarma Guys
G/F The Fort Strip
BGC, Taguig City
https://www.facebook.com/ShawarmaGuys

Mister Kabab

April 6, 2013. Saturday.

We left the cold comfort of our homes, and braved the very hot weather the country has been experiencing the past few weeks. You would think we were crazy for doing so. But I'd brave the heat anytime if it means a food date to Mister Kabab!

Mister Kabab has been around for as long as I can remember. But it's not in the form that most people know today. People are familiar with the new West Ave. and Ayala TechnoHub branches, which are both nice and modern (-ish, I guess), but once a upon a time it was a little hole in the wall joint in Delta West Ave. It didn't have most of the modern amenities that the new branches have today. It was al fresco dining. It was a little dingy but the food was always great! My friends and I used to walk a good 3 and half kilometers from our high school just to eat there! That's how great the food was! That and we were still living off our measly allowances and needed to save every peso just for a taste of that heaven set garlic sauce and for that important extra rice.

That old place is now gone, and in its place now stands a supermarket. Mister Kabab has since moved on down the street in West Ave, and they also have a branch in Ayala TechnoHub. Both places are not as charming as the original one for me, but at least both offer better ventilation. The West Ave branch is still not air conditioned, but it has more fans and better exhaust than the old one. On the other hand, the TechnoHub branch would look like a Michelin starred restaurant if you compare it to the old, dingy joint. For starters it has air conditioning. It is also very well kept and has great charming interiors. Which is why we chose to eat in this branch.

But enough about the changes that Mister Kabab has gone through in the past years! The food has always been great and that's what's important. We ordered the following:

Keema with Eggplant

In Mister Kabab's version of the keema, you can order it plain or with eggplant. We ordered the one with eggplant as it offers a very subtle taste that blends in nicely with the minced meat. I've always liked their keema because it tastes a little richer compared to most other keema's. If I didn't know better, I might think this actually had some liver in it. Just like with most dishes on their menu, this one goes very well with their very popular garlic sauce.

Special Beef Chelo Kabab

This is one of Mister Kabab's best seller! I guarantee you that most who frequent this establishment has ordered this on at least one occasion. The meal consists of one strip of tenderloin, a strip of ground beef, grilled tomato and buttered rice. All of those combined is like the perfect storm of ingredients coming together. The rice is served steaming hot, easily melting the butter in it. The kabab strips are cooked just right, tender and still very much juicy. And just like above, this is best eaten with their garlic sauce.

Lamb Chelo Kabab

Kim has been on a lamb craving lately, so she ordered this one. The ground lamb was tender and juicy, but it didn't have that distinct lamb flavor to it. But Kim was fine with it that way, since lamb sometimes has too much of a mutton taste to it. This plate also comes with buttered rice and grilled tomato.

Extra Fried Egg

Cause everything is better with fried egg on the side.

Watermelon Shake.

Since the summer heat is in full bloom, we ordered watermelon shakes to quench our thirst. It was really refreshing! Kim said she thinks it has milk in it, but I'm not sure. It was good though.

One constant knock on Mister Kabab has always been how it is not authentic in taste. For me that doesn't really matter. Yes it might be a little watered down in taste compared to authentic Persian restaurants, but I think what they serve is just right for the Filipino taste. The prices have about doubled since I first started frequenting the original Delta location more than a decade ago, but it is still more than affordable! A good meal here would be 200-300php, and the serving sizes aren't bad either.

Mister Kabab
UP Ayala TechnoHub,
Commonwealth Ave., QC
(02) 332 - 3935

Tri Mo Shawarma Co

March 9, 2013. Saturday.

We usually don't feature small, cheap hole in the wall joints here in our blog. But that has always been one of our guilty pleasures -- finding and eating at these small places that have been around for so long that they are practically institutions in their neighborhoods.

And Tri Mo Shawarma Co is an institution. Growing up in Fairview my whole life, it has been there for as long as I could remember. Okay, technically Tri Mo (as it is regularly called) is in Lagro and not Fairview, but who cares? Lagro is basically in Fairview, or vice versa. The point is this shawarma joint has been around a very long time. How long? I don't know, but I do know that a special (I'll explain later what a special is) used to be at 40php and it's now at 75php.

From the outside, the place doesn't look much and frankly the inside isn't any better. The place is a little worn out, there's no proper exhaust and ventilation, and it's essentially just a garage filled with a counter and tables and chairs. At least the tables and chairs are new- ish compared to the last time I was here, and there's a working bathroom now! There was a time some years back that I had to find the nearest tree in a dimly lit area to do my thing, but that's a story for another time. But people flock here for the food! I've heard stories of people coming from as far as Parañaque just to grab a bite here. That's crazy, right? All just for some hot beef on a pita bread? If you want to know how crazy people are for this place, you have to be here during the prime hours when it gets so jam-packed, you have to grab a number and wait for your number to be called for you to order. If there's a number system just to order, then you know it's good.

Sizzling Shawarma. 90php.

I got Kim the Sizzling Shawarma. It's the contents of a Beef Shawarma put on a hot plate with egg, with torn pieces of the pita on top of it. She absolutely loved it! The beef was tender from being slow roasted on the skewer, and really flavorful. She had it with rice and she generously poured garlic sauce with every spoonful she had. Here's a little tip from a local (naks! haha), we usually don't order this since it's the most expensive thing on the menu. What we do is order a Beef Shawarma and a plate of rice. We just pour the contents out of the pita onto the plate and tear the pita over it. You saved practically 20php which could then be used to buy another plate of rice! I just ordered Kim this since this is not an item you'll see in most menu's.



Special. Beef Shawarma with Cheese. 75php.

I got the Special. You won't see the word Special on the board, but you'll see Beef Shawarma with Cheese on it. Tell the lady you're ordering the latter and she'll just shout to the carver, "Special!" So if you want to look like you've been going here for the longest time, just call it the Special. The price of this has almost doubled, but the taste has remained the same. Still one of the greatest Shawarma's I've ever had. You're pita is always packed to the brim with all the beef, lettuce, onions and tomatoes. With every bite, you get that slight creaminess and saltiness from the slightly melted cheese inside. Just pure food bliss.

Tainga and Isaw na Manok.

There's also a bbq stand right beside the entrance of the Tri Mo. The bbq fare here were always just tolerable in taste, but for some reason on this day it tasted bad. The tainga was hard and the isaw na manok had a really bitter after taste to it. I'll let it slide and just chalk it up to a bad day for them since it has always been a good partner to their Shawarma.

If you want some unadulterated dining experience, Tri Mo is right up your alley. I'm guessing not much has changed here. The food is prepared the same way it has always been prepared, and that's why the taste has remained the same -- still the best Shawarma this side of the Metro. Just one last tip, if you plan on dining here be sure to come real early or later than usual. It opens at 3PM and usually closes shop at 2AM. It is packed during meryenda and dinner time, from about 6PM to 9PM.

Tri Mo Shawarma Co

Bristol Street, Brgy. Greater Lagro
Quezon City

Cucina Andare

January 25, 2013. Friday.

Cucina what?

The past 2 years has been the boom of the weekend food bazaar scene. To keep the concept fresh, the people behind Mercato brings us Cucina Andare. It means kitchen on the go. It's basically a weekend food bazaar, highlighted by food trucks. Food trucks have been around for a while in the US, particularly in NorCal and SoCal and it has provided our western counterparts some great food on the go. Locally, we can have our own food truck experience with Cucina Andare which happens at the Glorietta Park (middle of Glorietta 3, Makati Shang, and 6750) every Friday to Sunday from 4PM to 3AM. Yes you read that right, it is open until 3AM!

Just like with Mercato and almost every other nighttime food bazaar, be prepared for lots of people during peak hours (dinner time up to midnight), to have a hard time looking for seats and to be walking from one end to the other just looking at all the food! We tried to sample as much as we can by eating early dinner at 5PM, then taking a break at 7PM and coming back at around 930PM to try some more food!

ROUND 1!

We first ordered from the Hungry Rover. It's actually not a food truck, but more of a food bus (mini- bus) that can actually seat 6 people inside. It's the first time I've seen one, both locally and in the US. Kim ordered their highly recommended US Beef Tapa with Chili Rice.

US Beef Tapa with Chili Rice. 150php.

This is one of the most tender beef tapa's we have ever tried. Kim loved it. The sirloin, which had a good amount of fat, was sliced very thinly and cooked until it was really tender. It really went well with the chili rice and the garlic yogurt sauce. Those who are looking for the usual tapsilog fare might as well go look elsewhere because for one this didn't have any fried egg, and the beef isn't the usual cured beef that is sour and salty. It actually tasted more like how sirloin steak would taste like. Once you get over the tapsilog notion, this is really a great meal.

Hungry Rover
https://www.facebook.com/HungryRover/


While Kim was ordering her tapa, I was ordering from Food Truck by Chef Broosy. This food truck which serves Filipino- Japanese dishes is from the people behind Robot and Sensei Sushi. Don't get the them confused though, it's more of like they serve both Filipino and Japanese dishes. Sisig tacos, anyone? Yep they serve those, but I ordered their Chicken Pops on rice.

Chicken Pops on rice. 165php.

The Chicken Pops are deep fried breaded small pieces of chicken, covered in their own sauce and then topped off with pickled veggies and sesame seeds. The chicken is fried to a nice crisp on the outside but still tender on the inside. The sauce which is sweet has a nice contrasting flavor together with the pickled veggies on top.

Food Truck by Chef Broosy
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Food-Truck-by-Chef-Broosy/421414714591684


ROUND 2!

After finishing Round 1 of our food truck experience, I went around looking for more food we can both share. I first saw the Crunchy Belly by Carlo's Kitchen when we walked in, and I knew then that I just had to try it. Carlos Kitchen isn't a food truck, it's located in the middle of the park where the food stalls are.

Crunch Pork Belly. 130php.

Crunchy Pork Belly! How can you go wrong with that? Well, for one it really didn't go well with the rice so we didn't eat it with this. But this makes for a great snack, just not as a viand. Grab a Red Horse and you're all set. As for the rice, it didn't go to waste...

Carlo's Kitchen
https://www.facebook.com/crunchybelly?fref=ts


It didn't go to waste because I ordered from Chef Resty's Roastbeef. This is also not a food truck and is also located in the middle of the park.

Roastbeef (100g grams). 100php.

I got 100 grams of fatty, tender, juicy and great tasting roastbeef. It came with sweet gravy, but we really didn't bother to use it much since the beef brisket was already seasoned very well. We ate it with the rice from the previously mentioned Crunchy Pork Belly. The beef is pinkish rare but it is not chewy since it has probably been cooking for a long time. 100grams for 100php seems just right, since it's really rare you see good cooked roastbeef at this price. You can also get rice, pasta, sandwich, or potatoes from Chef Resty's and if I remember correctly, the most expensive set meal on their menu is at 180php. Pretty affordable for something you won't get to eat everyday.

Chef Resty's Roastbeef
https://www.facebook.com/ChefRestys?fref=ts


That's the end of Round 2. We walked around Glorietta to get some wiggle room for more food, and bought a couple of things. After about 2 and a half hours of shopping and window shopping, we were back at Cucina Andare for one last round.


ROUND 3!

This is one of my target when I first read about Cucina Andare, Schmidt's Gourmet Hotdogs. I saw they had a US Ripper in their menu. A ripper is a deep fried dog that is called as such because (supposedly!) the skin rips apart from the high heat, and it provides that snap as all great dogs should do.

US Ripper. 130php.

 First thing I noticed when my dog was being prepared was, "Where the heck is the deep fryer?!?!" Safe to say I was disappointed from the beginning and it doesn't get any better. The hungarian had circular cuts made by a knife, further deviating from the "ripper" standard, and it didn't snap! It tasted okay, nothing special. Angel's Hamburger's 60php Hungarian would kick the living hell out of this. Don't call it a ripper if it's not a ripper!

Schmidt's Gourmet Hotdogs
https://www.facebook.com/SchmidtsGourmetHotdogs


Our last food stop for the night was the most popular food truck in the lot (based on how many people queue up for the food), Shawarma Bros. Good thing this was the last thing that stuck to my mind that night, as it tempered my disappointment with my ripper dog. This is one of the best looking trucks in Cucina Andare, and I dare say it wouldn't look out of place in a lot full of authentic SoCal Taco Trucks. Instead of serving Mexican fare, this one serves some good ol shawarma dishes. But instead of ordering shawarma, Kim ordered their Lamb Steak Plate.

Lamb Steak Plate. 200php.

You might think it would be tough to eat lamb with just a plastic spork and knife, then you haven't tried Shawarma Bros version of it. Very tender and succulent lamb that is seasoned very well. You can taste the herbs and spices from the smell of it! You can choose 2 sauces to top off your dish, and we chose the garlic yogurt and cheese. We were apprehensive of this combination at first, but it worked really well. The garlic flavor blended with the slight saltiness of the cheese which complimented the grilled flavor of the lamb. All in all, this was the best meal we had in Cucina Andare. A perfect end to the night.

Shawarma Bros
https://www.facebook.com/ShawarmaBros

Our thirst-quencher for our food trip that night was Bayani Brew, a Gawad Kalinga project brewed from lemongrass and pandan leaves with a hint of calamansi.

Bayani Bre. 35php.

Curious of what a Filipino tea would taste like, we immediately took a couple of gulps. Kim and I exchanged looks because it tasted bland. I ended up finishing the whole lot of it until Kim read the descriptions of the bottle and told me that we forgot an important step. Shake before drinking. No wonder the taste has gotten stronger when I reached the bottom. Too much of being a foodie, right? No worries, we’ll surely be coming back to Cucina Andare and we’ll remember to shake our next Bayani Brew bottle.

Bayani Brew

https://www.facebook.com/Gkenchantedfarm

As we were leaning back on our seats with bellies probably perplexed on what to digest first, Kim wanted to end the night with a cooling dessert. We both looked at the MioGelati ice cream truck behind us but we shook our heads. Instead, we got a cheaper ice cream at Amazing Cones: Pizza in a Cone.

Bubblegum ice cream. 35php.

We got the bubblegum flavor, as Kim insisted. And to her dismay, it tasted like a regular vanilla ice cream with pink swirls. We'll just probably try their pizza cones next time since it's their specialty afterall. But at least it was a good finale for us to cool down as Kim and I started planning on our next food targets. Haha!

Amazing Cones
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amazing-Cones/214766597649?fref=ts


If you're searching for cheap eats and great variety, go and visit Cucina Andare! There's a lot to choose from! From rice meals to sandwiches, from international to local fare, from heavy meals to light snacks, it got you covered! We're definitely coming back to try out the other interesting stuff we saw. Chicken in a waffle anyone?

Cucina Andare
https://www.facebook.com/CucinaAndare?fref=ts

Uncle Moe's Shawarma Hub

November 10, 2012. Saturday.

We wanted to hangout at Citizen Pub but it was still early when we arrived at City Golf. I thought they opened a little earlier in the afternoons during weekends, but I guess I was wrong. It was about 4PM and they don't open until 5. Since we were already parked and we were hungry, we settled for Uncle Moe's Shawarma Hub.

I frequent Mister Kabab and Ababu for my shawarma and kebab fix, but I've never tried Uncle Moe's before. A quick browse through their menu would show that they are priced almost at the same range as Mister Kabab and Ababu. Uncle Moe's also serves beer and for a good reason, they're located in the middle of Ortigas and Pasig which is accessible to a lot of office workers and residents looking for a place to hangout.

We got the ball rolling with a plate of Ox Brain.

Ox Brain. 75php.

I was surprised at how small the serving of Ox Brain was but then again, it was only 75php. And that might also be a good thing, since ox brain is very fatty and high in cholesterol.

Kim got Keema with Buttered Rice.

Keema with Buttered Rice. 110php.

Keema is minced meat. But this one looked more like the ground beef you get from the market or grocery. It tasted good, though. It was seasoned well and the onions provided a nice aroma and sharp taste to the meat. And as is it is with any other fried meat, it really went well with the steamed rice topped with butter.

And I ordered the Kebab Platter with Buttered Rice.

Kebab Platter with Buttered Rice. 170php.

The platter had 2 pieces each of beef and chicken kebab and buttered rice. Both were really tender and still juicy. I just thought that the beef was a bit bland, that's why I had to put copious amounts of the garlic sauce on it.

Compared to its neighbors in the City Golf coumpound, Bugsy's and Citizen, Uncle Moe's is a no frills, stripped down establishment. The menu is cheap and the place is simple, but the food is good enough. The servings were a little smallish compared to Mister Kabab and Ababu, but at their prices, it's nothing to complain about. I don't know how the place looks like during the night time when the people start to trickle in, but then that would be a good excuse to come back here and take a look.

Uncle Moe's Shawarma Hub
City Golf Compound, Julia Vargas Ave.,
Brgy. Ugong, Pasig City
(02) 469-4787