It was sad when I went to Ayala Center Cebu to eat at Hussam Middle Eastern Cuisine. They had closed their office at Il Corso. They moved out of Ayala Center Cebu at the end of January. I remember talking to someone who said that the old location can be "very hard to find" when you enter the mall. Right now, I remember how trying to find Hussam in Ayala can be comparable to trying to find the magic lamp in Aladdin's Cave of Wonders. That's what I felt back then, I ate at Hussam back in 2024.
Ayala Center Cebu probably had a low visibility problem. They had their soft opening on Black Saturday. They missed the Hari Raya Puasa date, a holiday for the Muslim population. This time, the use of glass walls makes it obvious to passersby that it's a Middle Eastern restaurant, that grilling is underway, and that it's certified halal.
Ayala Center Cebu probably had a low visibility problem. They had their soft opening on Black Saturday. They missed the Hari Raya Puasa date, a holiday for the Muslim population. This time, the use of glass walls makes it obvious to passersby that it's a Middle Eastern restaurant, that grilling is underway, and that it's certified halal.
The place still maintains the same pristine cleanliness I recall from Ayala Center Cebu. The place's transparent glass windows reveal the clean interior. I remember that now-closed cafe in Dimasalang Street, Cebu City, called Mhat Am, which closed during the pandemic. The real truth is that local Filipino halal restaurants can only blame themselves, not the Arabs, if they sink faster than expected. The transparency of the clean kitchen and surroundings at Hussam Middle Eastern Cuisine is compliant with sanitary standards.
It was nice to eat their specialty kebab again. The quality has been well-maintained by the crew. I ordered the beef kebab (in the mood for beef). However, I also ordered their chicken taouk (which apparently, might be their specialty dish back at Ayala Center Cebu. I'd actually want to see more of their items return, such as their awameh (which is a Syrian sweet) and their grilled chicken leg.
So far, I'm actually liking this strategy of being a "billboard", in contrast to the harder to find location within Ayala Center Cebu. You may also order from Foodpanda now.
So far, I'm actually liking this strategy of being a "billboard", in contrast to the harder to find location within Ayala Center Cebu. You may also order from Foodpanda now.


