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.

My second time dining at Persia Grill. I've decided it's a solid 4 star. I'm a recent expat living…read morein BGC. Persian has always been a comfort food for me. My standard order os's babaganush and kubideh. The food itself is decent, although the babsganush was better spiced the first time. The service is standard Pinoy: usually attentive. The decor is a bit tired but definitely Persian. It's doing the job in terms of the comfort food vibe. Just wish it was a little more flavorful. Oh, try the iced tea. It's masarap! But be prepared to be up for hours... it's strong!

I was at the adjacent hotel when I saw a hookah in the window of Persia Grill. Desperate for…read morehookah, I took the chance and got some hookah, along with a pot of calamansi tea with honey. The calamansi tea was excellent, and the hookah was passable and much cleaner than the other hookah bars i visited, despite the lack of flavor selection.

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!

I came in expecting another gastropub with overpriced food and meager drinks because it was a…read moreseriously hipster place. But an overhead menu surprised me with a bunch of Persian delicacies at rock bottom prices. Safe to say we tried almost everything in the main menu and were not disappointed at all. The hummus is perfect (really it was so effin' good) which I find hard to come by in Metro Manila. Perfect consistency and balance with the chickpeas and garlic. Also the vegetable samosas and mozarella sticks were crunchy just the way I like it. Had the ox brain even if I'm a bit of a vegetarian and pretended it was penoy. The Chicken shawarma rice was mouthwatering and I finished mine in a few minutes. The chicken kebabs were also so tender. But best of all, their main menu consists of items that range from Php 80 (solo shawarma) to Php 140 (kebab rice). Oh and cold affordable beer, drinks, aircon, shisha and WIFI! My new favorite place to day drink and work. Lost a star because the sound system was broken that day and I found the margarita too sweet. But the owner is a sweetheart and will be your instant BFF!

Okay, I held off reviewing Greek Kouzina for awhile because I wanted to try more of their menu and…read moretoday I got the chance. One thing I never fail to order is their stuffed zucchini because it's really good and feels really healthy... it's "greek rice with pine nuts, raisins and tomatoes stuffed in zucchini". However, today I found out that they modified their menu and there's no longer stuffed zucchini (sob!); instead, they changed it to stuffed red bell pepper! Badly needing my rice fix, I ordered it anyway, but very doubtfully. We also got the beef gyros (small pieces of beef, greens, and feta cheese in pita wrap) and the crispy calamares. The good news is, the stuffed red bell pepper was surprisingly even BETTER than the zucchini. It's the sweetest pepper I've ever tasted! Truthfully I'm not a fan of bell peppers because the green ones turn me off so I thought they all taste weird, but this red bell pepper was a game changer for me. TRY IT TRY IT! The other ones we ordered were pretty good as well. So far, I haven't tasted anything that I particularly disliked from Greek Kouzina. I also like their Lamb Meatballs. For dessert, their Greeka Yogurt is a must-try. The honey mixed with yogurt is amazing. If you run out of honey you can always ask for more.

With my job constantly taking me places and me having to find routes to get from one point to the…read moreother in the fastest way possible, I pass through random roads a lot. Whenever I take Little Baguio, I always see small restaurant with lots of cars parked outside it, even on the street. One day, a client of mine asked to meet at Greeka, though not the one in San Juan, but the then newly opened branch in SM Aura. Because I already have a major favorite from another restaurant, thought it would be "safe" for me to try Greeka's version, and maybe even compare to see which one I like better. So, I ordered the htipiti, which is basically a feta cheese dip. It was a bit coarse, with small bits of feta and not spicy like the one I have been accustomed to. Their pita is also a bit on the heavier side. Then I had their Roka Garides pasta, which I was unsure of at first, because I didn't think arugula would work well with shrimp and pasta. However, I was glad I tried it because it was good! Being able to enjoy pasta with vegetables is good, but with this, it's just wonderful. Overall, I found that it cannot be compared to my favorite Greek resto, as Greeka has a totally different approach and feel, not just to the eyes but to the palate as well.

During vacation/holiday to the Philippines, I had a craving for Persian cuisine. I was aimlessly…read morewalking around and thankfully I came across this gem. Ababu dishes out some tasty Persian cuisine and it curbed my cravings successfully. I had to try both the koobideh and chicken so I opted for both orders. The koobideh kebab was moist and and the spices were nicely balanced. Same goes for the chicken. The saffron was a bit light on the rice but this is a casual and affordable restaurant so no complaints from me. Also, I havent eaten a fried egg on a Persian Kebab plate before but it worked just fine with the chicken plate. I can eat a fried egg on mostly everything though :) The service was prompt and the staff was attentive. I'll be sure to visit again the next time I come for holiday.

Alright, let's not shit ourselves, guys. We all like Ababu for the nostalgia factor…read more I remember back when I was a broke college student (like so many other Yelpers have stated in their reviews), I used to go to Ababu on Maginhawa Street in Teachers' Village with my then-boyfriend. Mind you, this was around 2004 to 2005-ish (fuck, my age is totally showing but who fucking cares), and the quality of the food was actually quite good and the servings were quite large. I would always order the Keema Motabal Rice, which is basically ground seasoned beef swimming in red oil with a puddle of blended roasted eggplant paste on top, served alongside a helping of rice with a large pat of cheap 'butter.' And as a matter of course, I would smother it in their sour garlic sauce, which I honestly prefer to Mister Kebab's sweet mayonnaise-y atrocity. For some reason, I shied away from the 99 peso shawarma rice meals, only because I am a creature of habit. Fast forward some years later, and Ababu has moved to Katipunan. They raised the prices of their shawarma meals, and added sad looking fried eggs on top to justify the price increase. But hey, free unlimited iced tea! There was a period of time when I became OBSESSED with the shawarma rice meal. Like, I would eat it every day. Gross. But still really good. Then after that, I didn't go back to Ababu for what seems like years. I recently ate at Ababu again just to see if the quality of their food had changed at all. For old time's sake, I got the Keema Motabal rice. It tastes exactly the same as it did before, only difference would be that the servings are much, much smaller. I think that as you grow older and your salaries get bigger, you can definitely spend your money on better Persian food around the metro. Aside from that, Ababu is only really good when you're drunk, broke or lazy.

From the appetizers to their meat dishes, this place is amazing! Their portions are generous which…read moreusually let's you take a little reheated portion for midnight snacking. We always order The Sultan's Kebab Platter. It's a combination of any 4 kebabs and/or koobideh of your choice. The platter also includes grilled tomatoes and shirazi salad. Their Braised Lamb Shank is mouthgasmic. The meat is fall of the bone and the sauce is delicious with buttered rice. Also, buttered rice ALL day! All in all, the price is super fair for quality and quantity! You are limited to beers and wines for beverages. But, do try the yummy Yogurt Shakes!

Hands down my favorite place to eat in in Taft Avenue!…read more Ababu opened about a year ago and hasn't lost its momentum since, well at least for me. They serve Persian and Mediterranean foods which are two of my favorites! The best part? It's just a block away from my building so if you do visit, there's a possibility of you running into me there (don't forget to say hi!)! Ababu's food is very affordable but unlike most cheap eats, Ababu serves amazing food! Their Beef Kebab Rice Meal is my favorite! It consists of charbroiled ground beef with egg, corn, onions and tomatoes on rice. They also serve bottomless iced teas with the meals though I believe they use powdered iced tea. The only drawback is that the place can get really hot and a little smoky when they are cooking the meat and the poor air-conditioning sure doesn't help.

I was here the day it opened…read more I don't mean that in a general sense. I mean it quite literally. I was literally standing outside the glass door when this place first opened, and I was its first customer. I didn't plan for it to happen. I was just really hungry and lo and behold, there's a good-looking Persian restaurant opening just beside my building. So I stood outside and gave them the evil eye until they let me in and fed me. You can't go wrong with shawarma rice, and that proved true here. The best part though? Unlimited iced tea. Granted, it's probably just powedered iced tea, but who cares? It's cold and sweet and everything the doctor ordered.