I'd passed this place without giving it a second thought. It looked like just another shawarma…read morespot. There were five million other shawarma spots and this place looked pretty small. Man, was I wrong. This wasn't just a shawarma place. It was a legit grill place. Shawarma, kebabs, chicken fillets, dapas... you name it. Impressive. And for a price that didn't go over 100php for most items. Even more impressive. What stunned me though was how much bigger it was on the inside. It added a lot to the ambiance of the place. There was lots of room and lots of seats, giving it a rather cozy feel. The food itself is pretty good! Not dry, tasty and that's without drenching it in sauce as is my usual modus when it comes to these wraps. Despite the price, it wasn't at all small and they didn't skimp on the fillings which is something that doesn't happen very often. So if you're looking for something light and filling but won't kill your wallet or make you feel like you didn't eat enough, this is where I'd suggest to go.

At first I was a little frustrated because Mandi Persian Grill replaced this cool café on that same…read moreplace. It was the only one with turtle pie then. It took me some time to warm up to it but my love for hummus has overcome this tampo, so I decided to try it out. Needless to say, it was on a whole different scale than the café it replaced, but I still like it because of my love for Middle Eastern food. PROS: You'd be surprised how roomy it actually is. On the ground level it would just be around 4 tables and you have to scoot to get to the counter and place your order. But downstairs, it's comfortably spacious; I love samplers! So of course I had their Mandip Trio. It was so fun to eat because I got to try the Moutabal and Keema too, which is quite good; I liked reading this little story on their menu on how Mandi got their name. CONS: Orders take a bit of time to prepare; We could use for more pita for the Trio. TL;DR: Authentic Persian food that's not just some random shawarma place. More Mandi!

Shisha is a huge thing among the city's Arab expats, and their ubiquity in most of the Middle…read moreEastern restaurants in the city have led us youngsters to acquire the habit as well. I smoke heavily in college, and though I have long since quit and kicked the habit, I find that I still crave a cigarette every now and then. Though shisha doesn't really give me much of a boost, unlike nicotine, I find that it it is much better than actually lighting up a stick (though scientific studies suggest otherwise). At least it gives me something to do with my mouth when I'm not stuffing it with food or when i'm not talking my friends' ears off. Anyway, I find that the cheaper places to score a good load of hookah are the places that the Arabs frequent. They are often in the seedier areas of the backstreets of the red light districts, and true enough, one of those places is called Jerusalem, in Malate. I have also come here for the food, though I don't remember anything much standing out to me aside from the shakshuka, which is always a great favorite of mine. I have actually been here exactly three times, and one of those times was during a telecast of a World Cup game. They have a TV that is usually turned to some Arabic language newscast, but during the games, they would air and replay the games for everyone to see.

I'm pretty sure these 5 stars aren't at all influenced by the fact that I've been super craving for…read moreIndian food these past 2 weeks, as Al-Shams has GREAT Middle Eastern/Indian/Pakistani food. And what's also great is that for us vegans/vegetarians, here's a place in BF Homes where there are very, very decent options. They have a vegetarian section in their menu. We got the Alo Palak and Malai Kofta. Alo Palak is a potato and spinach curry dish that, in my opinion, is spiced perfectly as the spinach and potato flavors are still able to stand out even with the curry sauce. The Malai Kofta did not disappoint as well, and it actually looks so adorable (sorry haha) with tiny onion slices on top of each ball, as if they are wearing hats! Anyway, the veggie balls are really tasty--though if you're particular with texture, these balls are quite on the soft side. I really enjoyed my meal! I loved it so much that I think if Al-Shams closed (life spans of restaurants in BF homes are very short), I would be really, really sad.

The Good: Authentic Arabian food! As good as it gets in Manila…read more The Bad: It's traffic getting to the place and the ambiance isn't the best. Pro Tip: The biryani rice is a sleeper hit! As stated above, this is probably the best Arabian food place in manila. You know an Arabian place is good when Arabians go there to eat! Whenever I'm in the general area, i take the time to do a side-trip to this place! Always awesome, and never disappoints! The place may be abit old and dirty, but I think it's all part of the charm! Try the kebabs, sharwama and my personal favorite: the biryani rice!

Our favorite place for Shawarma (Middle Eastern dish). Place was upgraded and they now have a "fast…read morefood branch" nearby. Skip their "Shawarma Meals" fries included was very disappointing!

Any search on Halal restaurants in the Manila area would undoubtedly yield Moud on the top results,…read moreand for a good reason. The restaurant is actually quite shabby, and it has that really sketchy quality to it - it's storefront is quite rundown and a bit chaotic, and the place (as with the rest of the buildings in the area) has fallen into a wild sort of decay throughout the years. Looks can be deceiving, though, as in most cases. This Quiapo institution has Halal Filipino carinderia staples, but nobody really goes there for anything else but the star of the show - their roast chicken. The chicken is one of the best I've ever tried, hands down. The certified Halal roast chicken is flavorful up to the very last morsel. The first time I ordered a quarter chicken from Moud's, the serving that I got was even a bit lukewarm, but man, the meat was so flavorful and so mouthwatering that I just had to order another serving. The roast chicken is moist, tasty and tender. I'm guessing the chicken was marinated in a simple brine, but the flavor was quite robust .. The spicy dipping sauce is also good, with chunky bits of bell peppers and angry morsels of fiery siling labuyo. I once asked the owner what was in the sambal, but she kept mum and looked at me like I was a blathering idiot. The upstairs dining area is a bit dingy, and they don't even have plates (they serve the chicken in a styro pack) but for me, the flavor of the food is all that matters. Moud's doesn't need ambient music, either. If you go in the afternoon, you might catch the unmistakeable Muslim call to prayer (which is sweet music to my ears) from the mosque nearby. A sign in their dining area also advertises that they sell fresh dressed Halal chicken for P120/kilo.

When you hit the Muslim Quarter in Quiapo, it's easy to miss this place. Unless you really know…read morewhat you want to get, and that's their halal roast chicken. Considering its price (less than 250 pesos for a whole roast chicken), it is one of the softest, most tender and delicious roasted birds I have ever had the pleasure of stuffing into my mouth. The woman who owns it refuses to divulge the secret to the marinade, and with good reason! I came back last Sunday with my cousin just to let him try it. The chili sauce that comes with the chicken is also pretty good, I'm guessing it's made with sweet and sour sauce and mashed siling labuyo. The turo-turo offerings are kind of meh-looking, but you're not there for those things. You go there for the chicken. Inshallah, that's good.

Glad we went in this establishment. Food was amazing. We ordered almost everything in the menu and…read moreloved it all. See pics. The falafel was not the usual try and over powering. Their version was crispy outside but tasty and juicy inside. Service was tops, accommodating, friendly and fast. The ambiance was pretty simple. No frills but clean and comfortable. Price over size plating was a average. My 9 year old son even enjoyed their shawarma hummus. Ohhh the baklava... delicious! Will definitely be back here just before we go back to Saipan.

This was my first stop on my trip! It was one of the only spots open late night! Thank goodness…read morebecause it is delicious. It's also much healthier than the other late night choices. The hummus here is delicious! I also like that you can order half or full sizes of the falafel. The half size is fulfilling already. If you eat just those two things, you should be quite satisfied. My family comes to this place quite often! I can see why!

I hear this place is pretty popular. Came highly recommended. Love how open this restaurant is…read more Large windows, ceiling fans, no ac. Very old school. The staff are super friendly and helpful. They have huge servings, so come hungry. Came for lunch. Ordered samosa sampler, hummus with pita, chicken shawarma plate, beef chelo kabab plate and a lamb kabab plate with basmati rice. Everything came out fresh and hot. I can see why Mr. Kabab has a huge following. Big servings of freshly made food. Overall, I thought the spices were very understated. The samosas were hot but not much flavor, the hummus was on the runny side and needed a little bit more cumin or something. The chicken shawarma was pretty crunchy, not how I prefer my shawarma meat. The kababs were juicy, but again barely any flavor. It's a good place to eat but if you're looking for authentic flavors, you won't find it here.

This is one place I will always be going back to whenever I'm here. Ever since, I have always…read moreordered sizzling keema with eggplant or ox brain with pita plus a yogurt shake. Taste has never changed. I docked a star though because my sizzling keema did not come in sizzling even as I dumped in the gravy. I was surprised on how the ordering has a new process now where you have to go to the counter to order. This visit also led me to discover that they also make very good pizza. My niece's cheese pizza came in fresh and its dough was perfectly made. Would always be coming back here!