Saturday, September 14, 2013

Shawarma Guys: Your Post-"Gimik" Go To Place

Can't think of anything on how to  do some damage control after a particularly crazy night out?  Just eat it out. 
However, if after a couple of drinks and a hard kick-ass party somewhere at the Fort Strip, do you find yourself in a blue, on where to go next before heading home and maybe get some grubs winding away sluggish acts brought by the booze you had?  Fret not, you can either have a lavish Spanish chow, pre-defined comfort food (pricey), or a down-right congenial Persian food, commonly known as Shawarma.  I would assume you would go for a Shawarma place.
Good thing Shawarma Guys is just up on the alley behind all the epic hang outs. 
It's actually a sister food establishment of Relik and URBN Bar and Kitchen.  Here Persian favorites such as Kebabs, Shawarma, etc. were given a twist to satisfy Filipino palate.



I love the colorful chalk drawings on these open kitchen walls.  As you can see the ambiance is very Spartan, Vivid orange walls contrasting other black walls with iconic Persian images illustrated with a collection of Middle Eastern cuisine terms.
Red metal chairs and tables, gray cylindrical hanging lamps and enlarged photos of the food they serve are just the stuff that you will see inside.

They put the emphasis should I say, on the menu.
And I was so lucky enough to have try a few of their offerings.

Finally, after Kebab, Kebab closed down, we were able to find one that offers one of the best Hummus in this side of the Fort.  An authentic Middle Eastern style restaurant should always have this on their menu, but it has to be done freshly.  If pureed chickpea is not appetizing as it sounds, well you better try this, for a gastronomic adventure and I assure you you will love it.  My kids does, though I didn't tell them it was made from chickpeas, and ingredients like, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic.  So you can see that it's healthy made more sumptuous when spread on Shawarma Guys' pita bread.
Then there's Sisig Shawarma!  "Say what?"  Sisig on a shawarma?
I know, that was exactly my expression when I saw it in the menu.  I was so intrigued, good thing we have tried and it was like Middle Eastern cuisine can intermarry with our very own Filipino famous dish.  Let me tell you, the baby is so adorably delish.  What I like about the Sisig Shawarma was the crunchiness of the pork bits, which was slightly bigger than the usual chopped up shawarma on sizzling plates.  I love how the saltiness of the pork mixed with the sauce of the shawarma.  It was their best-seller actually.
If however, you don't seem like eating shawarma, they do have rice meals.  For a filling lunch, try out the Garlic Chicken.  It's a blast of garlic goodness in your meat, drizzled with enough garlic sauce served with slightly buttered basmati rice.
 If you want a heavier plate for a meal, go for the beef kebab with rice. It's not the beef skewers you might be thinking of, they are more of like the Israeli kebabs which are flattened and formed into oblong.  Two huge servings of  richly saffron and turmeric flavored ground beef were perfectly grilled, which were succulent in every bite, leaving room for more flavors with the charred basted meat on the outside.  Again the aromatic basmati rice is served with then.

 Think Hummus is quite okay with the audacious foodie in you?  Why not try Garlic Ox Brain?  You'll be surprised how it tastes like.  Being the most expensive part in cows, or calves or oxen, it should at least be pleasing to the taste.  If you like foie gras, you will definitely enjoy the texture, and the taste factor of ox brains, specially if it's well marinated and sauced like the how they served it in Shawarma Guys.
 Of course more shawarma dibs to choose from.  This one is the Chicken Shawarma.
 The beef shawarma...Very Turkish!  Don't you know that the word Shawarma actually came from Turkish word çevirme which means “turning,” and where you have some deeply marinated layers of beef, lamb or chicken stacked on a vertical spit and slowly turning  against a soft grilling fire for hours.  However, this place isn't your typical shawarma stand, so don't come looking for those Turkish grills.
Be on a lookout for their monthly Shawarma seasonal offering.  Chef Benjo Tuason's creative culinary juices just oozes out to the extreme most of the times.  You might be lucky enough to try bacon, cheeseburger and what not.  They do have lamb shawarma also.
Lastly, one that is not to be missed when dining here is the Keema.  Minced mutton meat are sauteed and flavored with different spices.  Don't forget to squeeze some lemon juice to really enjoy the dish, either with pita, rice or on its own.


Shawarma Guys
Ground Floor, Fort Pointe Building, Fort Strip, BGC, 1634 Taguig
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/ShawarmaGuys

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