Arabian Nights Food Fest (Part1)

an evening outside the streets of Salas

After a fun-filled night watching the wonderful act of Cirque Du Soleil's Varekai which was really awesome and totally worth it for the price we paid for the entrance, we headed to Manila's hidden gastronomic gems. This time it was the Shawarma Snack House located in Salas Street, near Mabini Street, Ermita, Manila.

You see, there are two Shawarma Snack Houses located on both sides of the street. The one on the right side was the open, canteen-type shawarma station which offers basically beef and chicken shawarma variants, either served on plate or in a pita wrap. They offer a cheaper version of the menu which are served on the left side of the street, their Shawarma Snack House restaurant.

We headed to their restaurant which really offered an authentic middle eastern ambiance. In their menu, apart from food, they also offered sheesha on a hooka or water pipe with several different herbs you can smoke on. We didn't try them out though.

Anyway, we tried a few of their wide range menu of food  whose names we had difficulty pronouncing. Among those were the Felafel or the deep fried vegetable pastry with a yogurt dip, their beef shawarma,  humus with pita, and their beef keema.

beef keema @Shawarma Snack Center

Location: Shawarma Snack Center

Food Ordered: Beef Keema

Cost: approximately P250 per order, couldn't recall the exact price

She says...

thickest pita we've encountered!

The beef keema was very tasty. It was slightly oily and was quite spicy. We ate it along side with the pita bread and it was really perfect. For an appetizer, it was quite heavy on the tummy. Adding their special garlic sauce, on of the best I've ever tasted, and a drop of chili sauce, made the keema even yummier.

She rates: 5/5

He says...

I've liked Mediterranean food since the first time I've tasted it but this Keema is really a different class on its own. It still retains the aroma and texture present in other Mediterranean foods but it has a distinct flavor of its own.

The beef used here is grounded well. It is very soft and has a strong aroma and taste. Partnering it with pita bread and you got yourself a full meal.

He rates: 5/5