Skip to main content

Halal Restaurants Ran by Locals VS. Arabs in Cebu City--Survival by Innovation


I was thinking about how the world of Halal cooking managed to get into me. It all started with shawarma and eating food from the Persian Palate. Persian Palate was founded by an Iranian named Armand Vatandoost in 1989. However, I've also noticed some halal eateries owned by Filipino Muslims presumably from the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Granted, the ARMM is influenced by Arab and Malaysian culture so food items like satay and lokot-lokot (garajilu) are very prevalent in those areas. After all, Islam is from the Middle East, right?

Survival by innovation 

I remembered seeing a halal restaurant in Cebu City. Walking downtown, I noticed some of them come and go. I don't even bother to remember the names. I even heard some don't even have a permit like people in ARMM who are selling pirated DVDs. I definitely didn't want to taste their food and risk getting hepatitis or cholera. Then, I remembered walking alongside J. Climaco St. finding a halal restaurant called Mhat Am Kape in the Our Lady of Guadalupe Dormitory. It's a restaurant ran by Filipino Muslims from Zamboanga. I tried their food there and didn't find anything spectacular. Maybe, it's because I was too used to the taste offered by Shawarma Gourmet (owned by Chef Mansour Houran), Persian Palate, and Eastern Hub (run by a Syrian chef named Alaa who is married to a Filipino). Plus, looking for parking there can be quite a chore making the location inaccessible to others who want to taste the food. The place had a permit so I wasn't scared to try it. However, the kitchen didn't look too good either. I didn't want to try out more of their food.  

I went about Googling "Mhat Am Kape" during COVID-19 and discovered that the place is permanently closed. I was thinking about the one factor that may have ended their business--a lack of innovation. I'm not saying serving Zamboanga-style halal food is a bad idea. It can be a good idea if one knows how to set the cards right. I think one problem with Mhat Am Kape is lacking innovative ideas. As mentioned earlier, parking in J. Climaco St. is a difficult thing and pay parking areas are easily occupied. It would be a contrast to other halal eateries that manage to give you a good parking space. Shawarma Gourmet is in Escario Mall and Persian Palate can be found in Ayala Center Cebu and Mango Square--both have better parking. 

If I could remember correctly--Shawarma Gourmet also has a tagline called "Others imitate, we innovate." A lack of innovation could've caused Mhat Am Kape to close down. They offered the use of Lalamove during the pandemic but it seems that they had a lack of coverage. Shawarma Gourmet has coverage going on. Shawarma Gourmet used to be available on Grab Food until they decided to do delivery themselves. I seldom order their pita bread, garlic sauce, shawarmas, and the occasional arrival of cheese kunafa (which is lokot-lokot with mozzarella cheese from Turkey). I would admit that seeing their much better kitchen than that of Mhat Am Kape is more than enough to make me go back for more. 

Innovation is also why Persian Palate managed to survive. Some of its branches have closed (such as the one in Crossroads and Robinson's downtown) but the ones in Mango and Ayala are still open. I think about how Persian Palate has the taste that had me returning for more such as their chicken satay and beef kebab. Persian Palate even offers a unique vegetarian buffet though I'm more fond of the Indian sattvic vegetarian food. The options managed to win more customers since some are vegetarian by choice or seeking to eat more vegetables. 

Based on Porter's Five Forces Analysis--it would be like halal restaurants run by local Muslims failed to anticipate the industry rivalry. They could've been the threat of new entrants and the threat of substitutes if they had better innovation. Those run by Arabs managed to anticipate the threat of new entrants, the threat of substitutes, the bargaining power of buyers, and the bargaining power of suppliers. Shawarma Gourmet may have found out that Escario Mall is a better location than Parkmall. Persian Palate's opening at Ayala Center Cebu also gave more access to people. Meanwhile, Sattihan De Cebu (located in Salinas Drive) may have had its innovation going on to survive.

The key to survival is to innovate. Just because a tradition goes on doesn't mean it shouldn't evolve. For instance, some still take pride in using a clay oven (which hasn't become obsolete) but we can't rely on starting a fire with sticks. The use of gas stoves and LPG never go away (especially when there are brownouts) but we can't rely on all old-fashioned methods either. Innovation and modernization don't necessarily mean getting rid of everything old. It's all about keeping the best of the old and discarding the worst of it.

References

"Armand Vatandoost: The Epitome of Ta Arof" 

"SHAWARMA GOURMET: THE BEST SHAWARMA IN CEBU" by Saif (October 15, 2019, Updated: March 3, 2020)
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Get Stuck with EDSA, End Up Like Nokia

  Yes, we should never forget what history teaches us. A classmate of mine, back in high school, wrote a simple and blunt essay called "History: A Teacher". I doubt he still has a soft copy, given it was already more than 20 years ago. I'd like to quote Duterte critic Andrew James Masigan wrote this in  Philippine Star --something that should remain relevant: I would never undervalue the 1987 Constitution. It dismantled the legal framework of a repressive regime and established the democratic institutions we enjoy today. For this, I am grateful. The 1987 Constitution was crafted with the best of intentions. It sought to put the Filipino first in all aspects of governance and to level the playing field amongst sectors and peoples.  But it is far from perfect. It failed to consider the importance of foreign capital and technologies and the stiff competition we would have to face to obtain them. In short, its economic provisions were short-sighted . So despite the Constitut...
Read more

#SahodItaasPresyoIbaba Economics' Bad Accounting

I would like to apologize in advance to my readers. The picture I'm presenting is in Tagalog, and not all my readers speak Tagalog. I would translate the picture's text into English for convenience. It says:   "Ano ang bumubuo sa mga presyo?" means "What comprises the price?" "Gastos ng materyales" means materials expense "Gastos sa kasangkapan" means depreciation expense ""Gastos sa pasahod" means salary expense "Kapitalista" means capitalist Renta is well, rent "Kayang pababain ang presyo" means "Prices can be lowered". It says that capitalists (industrialists, landlords, bankers) and elitist governments are part in the gross profit. Get rid of excise taxes (either permanently or temporarily) for the prices of goods and services. In the times of crisis, in the burden of sacrifices, we need to be watchful for capacity. Whatever savings for times of difficulty by the workers and countrymen, the...
Read more

Past Chinese School Education in the Philippines was Based on "Sǐ Jì Yìng Bèi"

  Chinoys of my age (and older) may remember these textbooks. I called them as the "symbol of trauma". It was memorizing something without understanding it . One would just memorize (without understanding it) because it was typical. Not being able to memorize what was assigned? Get a bad grade? One can expect physical punishment like hitting the hand with a ruler or chili in the mouth. Chinese language teachers are stereotypically strict . The language textbooks (above) are what were used during the 1990s to the early 2000s. As I wrote it, the Sinjiang textbooks aren't effective in teaching Mandarin , in a world where Mandarin has over a billion speakers!  There's a Chinese proverb that says, "死記硬背 sǐ jì yìng bèi" or "Memorize to the point of death". That's exactly what those textbooks are. Memorize to the point of death! Okay, it may sound exaggerated. However, that's how Chinese language teachers in the Philippines were made to teach the ...
Read more

Migrante International's Really Bad Economic Literacy

March 17 (which is tomorrow) seems to be an unofficial holiday for some people, right? I'm sickened that the late Flor Contemplacion has been treated like she's some national heroine (and thankfully, tomorrow isn't a  holiday) even after Singapore had proven her guilt. A movie was made by Joel Lamangan called The Flor Contemplacion Story . The call for Migrante (Migrant) International has been to remember Flor even after several years. What's not too surprising was to learn that Flor's sons were all arrested for drug-related charges. Even her eldest son died while in prison. You have Migrante International wanting to end the labor export policy. However, a post by Migrante really shows how this group fails basic economics. I will not post the whole press statement but one part that made my eyes roll. >> Further opening the country’s economy to foreign ownership and control will worsen the exploitation of our people and the environment without creating a susta...
Read more

"Filipino First Policy" Has NO PLACE in the Rising Asian 21st Century

I guess nobody saw the Asian 21st Century coming, right? China was once a poor nation but look at it now. Vietnam was once a poor nation but look at it now. Singapore was once a poor nation but look at it now. The late great Lee Kuan Yew wrote his book From Third World to First . I'm afraid some people have been using it to go against the presidency of Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. while ignoring what else Lee Kuan Yew had to say. Lee Kuan Yew described the Filipino press to be rambunctious on pages 304-305 which I agree. I'm afraid that the Filipino press may have had a hand in getting rid of any economic or political reforms that could help the Philippines. Yet, one policy has been holding back the Philippines for decades and yes, it's the Filipino First Policy .  Reviewing the Filipino First Policy and why it has no place in the rising Asian 21st century I remembered how the values education subject taught Carlos P. Garcia's stupid Filipino First Policy as a Filipino value...
Read more

Has Passing Down Hatred for Singapore (Because of Flor Contemplacion) Economically Helped the Philippines?

PEH.ph It was on March 17, 1995, when Flor Contemplacion was executed in Singapore. I've noticed that I've been addressing her as the late many times, even if the late is a statement that may be ony appropriate if the person has been recently deceased within 10 years. It's about to become 30 years since Flor was hanged in Singapore. However, generational hatred would've been passed down from 1995 up to 2025. Some people are still tagging #JusticeFor Flor. These traits may be passed down from the Batang 1990s to their children in this generation. It may also be passed down from parent to child, even if the child was born in the 2000s to 2010s. Somebody born in 2000s and beyond might even say, "Papa and mama told me about Flor Contemplacion! That's why I hate Singapore!" Talk about a child born in 2004 who's probably angry with Singapore, because his parents kept telling him about how Flor was supposedly "unjustly treated" over there.  Some tim...
Read more

My First Taste of Sichuan at Yang Hero IT Park

I was doing some random historical study. One of the many things I recalled from Asian history class was the Chinese Communist Party in Sichuan. It's an interesting piece of historical detail that Mao Zedong (and other Chinese communists) were avid lovers of spicy food . Yang Hero had its first branch in Gaisano Tabunok. It opened a branch in IT Park last May 25, 2023 . The menus had Chinese translations. The establishment has made me realize  the importance of learning Mandarin . True, I could order their food without speaking Mandarin. However, I still feel that the increasing number of Chinese businesses left and right would mean, "You may need to learn some Mandarin now to connect with more people in the world." For a bit of background, here's what I gathered from Sun Star Cebu: Evanmarie Mendoza, social media specialist at Yang Hero, said: “The Chinese barbecue is also a must-try for foodies as it differs from the regular ones that we typically have here in the P...
Read more

Tealive's Aren Caramel (Kaong Sugar Caramel) Series

I usually tend to associate sugar with cane sugar. In this case, Tealive (read my review here ) uses a sugar known as gula aren. I did some research and found out that Gula Aren is made from the sap of the sugar palm tree. The fruit is also known as kaong in the Filipino language. Granted, the Filipino language also derives from the Malaysian and Indonesian languages--it may be derived from the Indonesian word kolang kaling . The Philippines may also be producing its own gula aren or palm sugar. Sugar palm or kaong is pretty much grown as a staple in Filipino cooking too. Here's a video from an Indonesian woman. Watching this, it's safe to assume that kaong farmers in the Philippines follow more or less the same routine. Maybe, some people may call it latik though latik is made from coconut milk and not coconut sap. Though, some Filipinos may still call palm sugar as latik. The video above also shows an Indonesian binignit with some kaong. I was shocked to learn kaong is also u...
Read more

Getting Stingy at the Cost of Fire Safety?

March is fire prevention month, right? If there are people who are too extravagant then I'd like to talk again about stingy people (read the article here ). I've tried growing up with the stingy vs. extravagant extremes. Some people become stingy even with the necessities. It's one thing to deny a child a children's party since it's a want . It's another thing to deny a child stuff they need all in the name of saving money . Even worse, some people may be more than stingy enough to ignore fire safety. A stingy person just wants to save. It's almost like the story of the Miser and His Gold or The Rich Miser . I really find these stories entertaining at the same time, irritating. The first story has the miser who hid his gold under the ground. Some people today are too distrustful of banks and investments. The second story has a rich man who even dresses in rags, denies his son's shoes, had his wife cook some cake only for him, and was so greedy he had it ...
Read more

Started to Invest in the ATRAM Global Equity Opportunity Feeder Fund

It's time to begin a new road into investing. I went from a moderate risk taker to a moderately aggressive risk taker. Of course, I need to be careful with how much money I invest or I don't invest the money that I need. I believe that one could start by investing 15% to 20% of one's income. Basically, it's money that's not needed now. Fortune Recommends gives this ideal sweet spot: Many of the experts we spoke with suggested, as a general rule, to invest a set percentage of your after-tax income. Although that percentage can vary depending on your income, savings, and debts. “ Ideally, you’ll invest somewhere around 15%–25% of your post-tax income, ” says Mark Henry, founder and CEO at Alloy Wealth Management. “If you need to start smaller and work your way up to that goal, that’s fine. The important part is that you actually start.”  Some budgeting strategies account for this, such as the 50/30/20 budgeting strategy, which breaks your monthly budget into three ca...
Read more