About a week ago, I’ve been badly craving for Persian/Mediterranean dishes. The urge started at my office as my colleagues discussed Mister Kabab and how they loved their food offerings. Since I am very easily dissuaded by anything that has anything to do with food, I got into the hankering and would ask hubby every day to take me to a [Persian/Mediterranean] resto. Since my hubby is my number one supporter, he immediately responded to my request, knowing that there is one resto of sorts near our home.
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| Wall decors |
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| The whole store space |
Round about Better Living, hubby stopped at this seemingly familiar space that is very humble -– Zubairih. Nothing grand about the store -– just three to four tables with chairs, very minimal airconditioning with about two wall fans that generally ventilate the space, a couple framed pictures hanging by the walls and fixtures with no hint of sophistication. The wall has a combination of dirty white and thick brown strips of paint that is commonly seen in [typically] old house designs. I would say that the overall ambiance is gloomy with a thick air filling a smell of their food creations. It’s more like your friendly hole-in-a-wall kind of store with a shy menu (but had exactly what I was looking for).
We scanned their one page menu and found my picks right away. Since we were on a hurry that day, with hubby rushing for a business call that he would have to make at home, we had everything to go.
Shawarma Rice for 160php
I’ve been craving for this as I remembered how much I liked Prince of Persia’s version (located in Eastwood City). When you order for this, they will give you options for the rice -– plain white, Zaffron or Biryani Rice. I opted for the Zaffron Rice just for the heck of it. A generous heaping of beef shreds on top of golden yellow Zaffron rice and a bed of crunchy cabbage, the meat was somewhat dry but once you drizzle their white Shawarma sauce, you will love every single bit of it (like a desert that missed the rain). The Shawarma sauce was thick, has very strong garlic taste, was a bit spicy, even if it’s supposed to be the “not spicy” option and definitely had yogurt in it.
Beef Biryani for 270php
Biryani is their “House Specialty” and I'd have to agree. I was rooting for Lamb Biryani but it was just timely that they ran out of the meat that day. Anyway, beef was the next best thing. Again, you have the same rice options as I’ve mentioned above and this time I opted for the Biryani rice (for a complete Biryani experience!). Once I opened the packaging that contained this dish, I instantly fell in love with the color of the rice –- dark yellow with reddish-orange grains (which reminded me so much of autumn). The meat [again] was a bit dry and after plating it out and taking a snap, I realized that there was sauce included that I should have poured over the meat. Anyway, I was not able to take a picture of the [whole] meal but it definitely tasted exquisite! The beef cubes were tender and the spices used were so prominent that water itself was not able to wash away the aftereffects.
Beef Shawarma (Jumbo with extra meat) for 110php
Hubby wanted all the meat he could get that night, opting for the jumbo with extra meat serving. Equally delicious as the rice version, the super meat experience was a winner!
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| The menu |
Albeit that the price was not as humble as the menu, the serving size and the taste of their food creations were definitely worth the experience! I actually consider going back there to check out their other items and I am also very much interested on how they plate out their dishes.
So, if you are round about Better Living, craving for some Persian/Mediterranean food, try to spot for Zubairih and give their food a try.
---Zubairih : Doña Soledad Ave., Better Living Subdivision, Brgy. Don Bosco, Parañaque City
Zubairih is re opening soon at Bf homes Paranaque
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