Here’s the second dish we prepared for Christmas eve, Chicken Kebabs with Seasoned Yogurt. Again, I got this recipe from Yummy Magazine, September 2009 issue and I deviated a bit from the original recipe. I marinated the chicken for about 2 hours and added the lemongrass onto the marinade instead of skewing the chicken on the lemongrass stalks. We skewed them on the usual barbeque sticks. I thought that it would be much tastier if the chicken was marinated first before grilling. This is a great party food and can serve 5-10 people (with 2-3 sticks each).

Ingredients:

Lemongrass stalks
300 grams chicken breast, deboned and skinned, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 large onions, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 each red, green, yellow bell peppers, cut into 1 inch cubes

For the marinade:

2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup extra virgin oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
salt and peper to taste

For the seasoned yogurt:

1 cup plain yogurt
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

(If this yogurt sauce seems too sour for you, you may add a pinch of sugar. I didn’t really follow the measurements above and I added some more garlic powder and some sugar.)

Procedure:

1. In a small bowl, combine all marinade ingredients and chicken. Mix well. Set aside.
2. Prepare seasoned yogurt by mixing all ingredients together. Set aside.
3. Grill skewers on a preheated cast-iron pan or grill and serve with seasoned yogurt.

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SM Megamall has just recently opened its Atrium and in it are lots of interesting restaurants to choose from and one of which is Kebab Factory. The Atrium is their first restaurant and will probably open other branches in the near future. At that time, they were still in their soft opening so the restaurant looks pretty simple. The place does not look like Persian at all unlike the other Persian restaurants we’ve been to like Mister Kabab, Ziggurat and many others. The common colors are white and yellow and the waitresses/waiters do not look Persian at all (meaning their uniforms ).

We ordered 3 dishes: Hyderabad Biryani, Beef Kebab and Motabal with Pita Bread. The Hyderabad Biryani tastes great. I could really taste (and smell) the spices and you could really see the brightness of it. The brass bowl also compliments the Persian feel of it.

Beef Kebab @Php 225

As for the Beef Kebab, the serving is exactly for 2 people. One can easily be full when you pair this one with Biryani. I didn’t like it very much as much as I liked the kebab in Ziggurat, it was pretty ok. Plus, the price is quite expensive for just 2 pieces of kebab.

Motabal @ Php 120

Their motabal is also good because it’s freshly done. The eggplants were not really grinded too much unlike the other motabals I’ve tasted. I could still feel the texture of the eggplant. 1order of Motabal comes with 1 pita bread.

There are other interesting things to try there like their curries, tikkas and tandooris. The only thing that I didn’t like in this restaurant is that you would always have to ask the waiter for the garlic and hot sauce. I believe that those are very important in Persian restaurants since people always pair their food with garlic and hot sauce. It’s just a hassle that you have to always call the waiter for it.

Budget per person would be Php 250-400. The price range for their entrees is Php 300-400, for the kebabs/tikkas/tandooris: Php 225 – 500, rice: Php 50-200, breads: Php 50-65, appetizers: Php 120-250.

The Kebab Factory

Unit 209, 2nd Floor
The Atrium, SM Megamall
Phone number: (632) 631 9648

Related posts:

1. Persia Grill
2. Ziggurat: Indian, Mediterranean, African and Mideast Cuisine
3. Sofreh: Persian Fusion Cuisine

We have been Persian Food enthusiasts so when we saw Grilled Tomato in Tomas Morato, QC, it’s a must that we try it. We ordered the basics of course such as kebabs and keemas. I ordered 2 pieces Beef Kebab with Curry Rice (Php 90) while Karla ordered Beef Keema with Curry Rice (Php 70). The kebabs were really good and I like the rice. We also ordered pita bread (Php 15 each) with hummus (Php 20). Karla though did not like Beef Keema that much because it was too oily. The good thing about Grilled Tomato is that the price is really affordable ranging from Php 55-95 per meal. Isn’t that great? You could also add Php 30 if you want a refillable drink with their kebab,tikka and korma meals.

The place in Tomas Morato is just small and simple. I hope that they would have exhaust facility because we stayed inside the resto. Due to the smoke coming from the grilling, we smelled like kebabs but nevertheless, I enjoyed the food and will be coming back there. Probably I’ll just sit outside

Grilled Tomato
Kebabs, Keemas and More
Grilled Tomato Tomas Morato
186 C Tomas Morato, QC
415 0760

Grilled Tomato Banawe
84 Maria Clara Cor. Banawe, QC
411 9345

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1. Ziggurat: Indian, Mediterranean, African and Mideast Cuisine
2. Green Tomato
3. Persia Grill

( Hummus with Pita Bread)

Persia Grill is a small restaurant located in Valero Carpark,  Valero St. Makati ( it’s right at the back of Paseo Center). Obviously from the name of the restaurant itself they serve Persian dishes however it’s somewhat “Filipinized”. I’ve heard about this place since the owner of this restaurant is actually Kian from Pinoy Big Brother Season 2. It was a graduation gift for him after college. We were around the area that’s why we decided to eat at this restaurant.

We came there in a Saturday afternoon so basically it was just us and also it was during pre-Frank typhoon. The place was actually small, probably for 30 pax. There was a big sofa there with throw pillows. There were Persian ornaments around, of course the shisha was there. I believe there’s no place for you to use the shisha, aww too bad. When we arrived there there were some waiters who were sleeping on the couch probably since they assumed that no one’s gonna come to dine. Well it’s fine, it’s off peak hours .

( Ground Beef Kebab)

We came there just to have merienda so we only ordered 2 dishes which is Hummus with Pita bread and Ground Beef Kebab. The price of their food ranges from Php 90.00-Php 200.00. It’s really cheap. I believe this is one of the cheapest Persian restaurants around the Makati area. I checked their menu and they have business meals also amounting to Php 110.00 and it comes with rice and iced tea. Not bad huh? So when you’re around the area, try to visit this place.

Ratings

Location, ambiance: 3.5/5

It’s very easy to locate. If you’re near Paseo de Roxas and Ayala Ave, you can walk towards the restaurant ( about 10 minute walk). As for the place itself, the place is a bit small and dark. There’s just one sofa so only a group can get the chance to sit there.

Food: 3.5/5

Their food is ok, though the ground beef kebab tastes like plain burger patties. It’s not like in Ziggurat, you could really taste the difference between a hamburger patty and a kebab.

Price: 5/5

Their prices are really cheap. Ranges from Php 90-Php 200 bucks, and it’s in Makati ( it’s really a good deal).

Related posts:

1. Ziggurat: Indian, Mediterranean, African and Mideast Cuisine
2. Sofreh: Persian Fusion Cuisine

“Ziggurat” is derived from the Assyrian term ziqquratu which means ‘high’. The word Ziggurat actually means temple ( like the ones in the Mesopotamian times).

This restaurant is located in Sunette Tower, Durban St. cor Makati Ave in Makati ( it’s actually near P. Burgos St). They’re open 24 hours by the way so if you’re craving for some authentic kebabs at the middle of the night, this is the place to go. We actually went there at 3 am, after having a round of drinks in Greenbelt 2.

The place is actually cozy and simple. It’s a bit small so it’s better to call for reservation if you’re more than 5 people. They have an open area and an enclosed area. You could also have some hookah there.

They actually have a very extensive menu of different dishes. By the way, they’re actually selling their menu, it’s a gazette ( size of a newspaper, Php 35.00 each). It’s really hard to decide so we just ordered the basics: kebabs, pita breads and dips. We ordered the mixed kebab special ( medium platter) which consists of: 2 skewers of tikka kebab ( we had chicken and beef), 2 pieces of kufteh kebab and vegetable kebabs. By the way, tikka is the sliced piece (somewhat like barbeque) while kufteh is ground patty ( somewhat like longganisa). We also ordered hummus ( hand pounded beans with tahini) and mutabbal ( hand pounded eggplant with tahini) plus Arabian Khobiz ( pita bread, like the one being used in shawarma).

You could also visit their website to see their menu: www.zigguratcuisine.com

Mixed Kebab Platter

Hummus, Mutabbal and Arabian Khobiz

The Ratings:

Food: 4.5/5

I would say that their kebabs are really flavorful. I loved the kufteh and chicken tikka. I also loved their garlic sauce. I also liked the Arabian Khobiz, it’s newly cooked.

Ambiance: 3.5/5

The place is really small so it’s kind of cramped inside. There’s just one table outside where you can sit on the floor ( you know, with the pillows). I have not seen the enclosed area, I just don’t know how it looks like.

Price: 4/5

The price is expensive compared to Mr. Kabab however I believe that the quality of food here is better than the latter. Probably the factor of it being in Makati makes it more expensive. However I understand that the ingredients are expensive so their price is ok compared to Hossein’s. The Mixed Kebab Platter ( medium) is Php 685.00, Hummus is Php 75.00, Mutabbal Php 75.00, Arabian Khobiz is priced Php 10.00 each ( I believe for every 2 pieces, you get 1 free). Probably you can bring a budget of Php 300.00-500.00.

Related posts:

1. Sofreh: Persian Fusion Cuisine

Shish Kabab and Kabab Sandwich

Shish Kabab and Yoghurt in Shake ( I love the yoghurt in shake!)

Keema with Eggplant

Special Chelo Kabab

Korma ( this tastes like curry, a bit spicy though)

Shrimp and mushroom

We were 9 and guess what, Meg ( since it’s her birthday) just paid less than Php 1500 ( of course there was repetition of orders ). Their prices range from Php 50.00-180.00. Real cheap.

The place was really big and it’s really simple. No aircons, it’s just open air. You can see all kinds of people ( in different shapes and sizes ). I will definitely go back there.

Related posts:

1. Sofreh: Persian Fusion Cuisine

Our ratings:

Location: 5/5

It’s very accessible, it’s right beside the gate in the G Strip area in Greenhills ( it’s opposite Shell Ortigas Ave).

Ambiance: 4/5

There is a dining area inside and outside. The inside dining area makes you feel being in the game “Prince of Jaipur”. You would need to ‘indian sit’ in order to dine inside ( most likely you need to remove your shoes before sitting down, but you can wear your shoes going to your table). In the outside dining area, there are beds with carpets and throw pillows wherein you could just hang out, have some round of beers and puff some hookah . While we were there, there were a group of foreigners ( I think they’re Greeks, not really sure about that) having some round of beers and enjoying the Persian music ( as in they were literally singing and dancing). It’s actually a cool place to drink some round of beers. Inside and out, it’s very cozy.

Price: 5/5

Well, Persian ingredients are not that cheap but their prices are not that high. Their beef shawarma is Php 75.00. Their food price range is Php 55.00-Php 195.00. So I think their prices are well justified.

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