Our favorite Middle Eastern place in the Fort.
We and our officemates have been semi-regular customers of The Kebab Factory since it opened a few years ago, and we've (well, most of us) have been fans of their Middle Eastern cuisine. When we found a voucher online, we couldn't resist buying several, enough for three group visits!Day 1
On the first day, we stuck to basics and ordered our usual favourites.
(Meal C2) Chello Chicken Mast Kebab, P180.00
As far as chicken kebabs go, this is a Mast-try! (credits to Miguel) Soft chicken breast, served with grilled tomato and yes, buttered rice. If you've eaten any sort of Chello (I think it's spelled Chelo though? I never know with these things) kebabs, you'd be familiar with the two sauces they are usually served with, the delicious white yogurt sauce and the hot sauce. They go spectacularly with everything, including the grilled tomato. When things get a little too hot for ya, you can wash it down with the regular-tasting iced tea that comes with the meal.
Veggie Meat Kebab (Regular), P320.00 and Butter Rice, P65.00
For the veggie lovers - chunks of soy meat marinated in yogurt, garlic and spices. Cooked over the Tandoor Oven to give that juicy, mouthwatering flavor. Sounds good, right? Tastes better. Without exaggerating, this is the best veggie meat I have ever tried in my life. I think it's mostly the sauce, it's extremely addictively flavorful, and has an almost powdery quality to it. It's so good that we hardly leave anything on the sizzling plate. Not even the onions are safe. It's the kind of sauce that gets stuck on your teeth, though, but you won't even be sorry. The buttered rice is, of course, tastes good as it is bad for you.
Naan, P65.00
Traditional bread from the north of India that is typically baked in a clay oven. Having recently had lots of rice the day before at Kasbah, I was craving for something different and ordered this. Their Naan has great texture and goes amazingly well with the veggie meat and its deeeelicious sauce.Day 2
There were more of us this time around and hence, more budget! We were a bit more adventurous with our choices but still ordered our favorite Veggie Meat Kebab. It was served sizzling this time around and was even better! The meat was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I'll remember to request that it is served this way from now on.
Cheese Samosa, P180.00
Crispy triangle shaped pastries stuffed with mozarella cheese, spring onion and cilantro. Served with Mango chutney or Mint coriander. It isn't really served like this, there are three pieces and we just cracked this one open for a better look. :) We enjoyed the samosas and the sauce, I think we were served the Mango chutney. It was a nice combination of crisp pastry and gooey cheese.
Maharaja Kofta, P250.00
I have no idea what Maharaja nor Kofta means, but this was a tasty, ground chicken kebab-kind of thing. We did like it too, but it paled next to the beautiful veggie meat. Haha.
Punjab Mutton Curry, P450.00 (Butter Rice not included)
A strongly spiced curry cooked with lots of spices and its own juice resulting in a deep strong flavor. We also loved this dish albeit there wasn't too much of it to share. The sauce was indeed very deeply flavorful. So flavorful, in fact, that I could barely taste the lamb quality of the meat, but I still enjoyed the texture. The sauce was amazing on rice too.
Chicken Tikka (Regular), P275.00
Tender pieces of boneless chicken marinated in our very own and roasted in a Tandoor Oven. Our very own what? Haha. This tasted quite like the Veggie Meat Kebab's less flavorful cousin. It seems it was marinated in the same sauce, but it unfortunately isn't drowning in it. It also isn't as tender as the Chicken Mast Kebab, but we enjoyed this anyway. The sauces they have will make you appreciate anything.Day 3
Since it was the last planned visit in our series, we stuck to our the tried and tested dishes again, the inevitable Veggie Meat Kebab and a few others. Only I tried something new that day.
Paneer Kebab Shawarma, P180.00
I snacked a bit too much on L.A. Bakeshop's cheesebread after fasting for my APE so I was looking for a light lunch. This Paneer Kebab Shawarma was good! Paneer is an Indian cheese, not unlike our kesong puti, but bigger and more bland. While it didn't have a strong taste, the two sauces took care of that, and you really get to appreciate the good texture of the cheese. I enjoyed this, but would probably order the Veggie Meat Kebab Shawarma next time that is available for the same price.Verdict:
Chello Chicken Mast Kebab: Great (best chicken kebab we've had)
Veggie Meat Kebab: Great (Excellent when sizzling and crispy)
Naan: Good
Cheese Samosa: Good
Maharaja Kofta: Good
Punjab Mutton Curry: Great
Chicken Tikka: Good
Paneer Kebab Shawarma: Good
Man, have we had our fill of this place! The Kebab Factory will always be one of our favorite lunch out places in the Fort, despite the aversion of some to this cuisine. Haha. If you ever drop by, you have to try the veggie meat and let us know what you think! :)
Love The Kebab Factory? Hate it? Let me know by commenting below, or just tweet me!
- Joaquin
THE KEBAB FACTORY
154-C 29th St., Forbeswood Heights, Burgos Circle
Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City
(02) 403-4159
Facebook: The Kebab Factory
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