Shawarma Gourmet's #WhileOthersImitateWeInnovate Approach in Middle Eastern Cooking

Cebu Live

I could remember Shawarma Gourmet when it opened at Parkmall but I never got to eat there. Instead, I remembered eating there at the Escario Central Mall in Cebu City to taste the shawarma. I kept hearing it was the best shawarma in town so I wanted to try it. I wanted to give Lebanese food a shot after I was so used to the Persian Palate at Ayala Center-Cebu. I did get to meet Chef Mansour Houran a couple of times after my first meal. So far, it's what I call a lighter approach to Persian Palaate (which is probably still my favorite Middle Eastern restaurant) whcih serves bigger servings. Meanwhile, Shawarma Gourmet's meals can be mixed between lunch meals and snack meals depending on which time of the day. I could go there for a snack (my preferred thing to do) though I would also eat there for lunch.

The location in itself is rather convenient though not so big. So far, the Parkmall Branch is no longer operational. Instead, we have the Escario Branch which right across Capitol Square. The place is rather cozy with the feeling of the Middle East. A good location in itself is very important though parking there can be difficult at certain times. Then again, there are plenty of people in that area who eat there at Escario Central Mall--this restaurant is no exception.

My thoughts on their innovative business

Chibuano Kini

The food in itself is rather innovative in terms of halal cooking. Some stuff were pretty new to me such as sambousek (a form of empanada) and the beef one is my favorite. My favorite shawarma there is the chicken taouk shawarma though it's kinda on the pricy side. The regular shawarma is also good though I ended up preferring chicken over beef. I'm not too much of a fan of tahini sauce in contrast to garlic sauce. Falafel shawarma is also good. I also remembered ordering manakish--a form of Middle Eastern pizza. Their lentil soup has the right blend of spices making it a hearty snack.

What truly amazed me was also the kitchen. One reason why I tend to shun the local Muslim restaurants is the quality of the kitchen. I remembered wanting to try the halal foods in Downtown, Cebu. What really ticked me off from trying most of them was the kitchen. Shawarma Gourmet has a very state-of-the-art kitchen which can be seen from the cashier. It's unlike one of those near Metro Gaisano where the kitchen was substandard. Another one near Cebu Eastern College renting in Our Ladies Dormitory doesn't seem to have a very good kitchen either. Their kitchen so far really kept me coming in for more of their food. Kitchen quality really matters and this restaurant cares about it.

There are also various groceries available. Seeing that they made their own pita bread similar to the imported ones is amazing. There's either brown (whole wheat) or the use of white flour by default. I've actually tasted both and I tend to order either depending on my mood. They also have their sauces which can be ideal to mix with anything within the halal scope. That means I definitely wouldn't be eating it with stuff like pork which is considered haram or forbidden in Islam. The labneh or strained yogurt is delicious though it's best consumed as soon as possible. I also order their garlic sauces which I love to mix with either beef or chicken steaks.

Pandemic eventually struck and having limited movement was a problem. Fortunately, there was Grab Food though they weren't in Food Panda. I did try to order their groceries and food via their mobile phone number at 0995-456-7648). Cash transactions can be done through GCash or cash on delivery. It was a rather creative way when the restaurant was no longer available on Grab. So far, I've used their delivery services to get some delicious pita bread or chicken shawarma (taouk). Free delivery is offered only if one reaches a minimum of PHP 500.00. Otherwise, there's a reasonable delivery fee with it since it's part of the selling cost. Deliveries can be easily done for free except if a minimum is met. So, I usually try to get the minimum met to avoid the PHP 50.00 delivery though there are times I end up paying it if items I look for aren't available.

So far, my experience with the restaurant has been so far, so good. I would continue to support its services as one of my favorite Middle Eastern restaurants.

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