For the Love of Kebab

People who know me (and my appetite) know that I love meat. I can't imagine giving up beef, no matter how many cute cows you throw in my path. (Sorry.) And whenever I get an attack of the meat-munchies at ungodly hours, I head to a kebab place. The following are my regular haunts:

Mr. Kabab
West Ave., Quezon City

Most people mistakenly call it "Mr. Kebab," (I used to call it that myself) but as you could see from its huge sign, it's got an A, not an E. (Who knew?) My teammates and I have been hanging out here a lot lately, for reasons unknown. I've asked them to hang at Ababu, but they still insist on journeying all the way to West Ave. (bigger than the old one along Quezon Ave.).

I've gone to Mr. Kabab before midnight, at 2:00 am, and at 4:30 am...and the busiest time is actually 4:30! There was a long line of people coming straight from their gimmicks at this time, and I patiently waited for a big enough table (as my companions slept in the car!).

I normally order the Special Chelo Kabab--two pieces of longganisa-shaped beef on a serving of buttered rice. It comes with two grilled tomatoes, and is about P120. (The Chelo Kabab, which has just one kabab, is about P95.) My friends recommend their Shawarma Plate as well.

Note: It's vegan-friendly; if I remember right, they've got a vegetarian menu.

Persiana
126 Pioneer St., Mandaluyong

From the outside, this place looks pricey--it's not like those other kebab places because, well, it's air-conditioned and has non-Monoblock furniture. But it's actually pretty reasonably priced.

I normally order two beef kebabs and rice, plus a side order of grilled tomatoes and onions. Their keema's good, and so is their chicken tandoori. If you're made to choose your rice, ask for the buttered one--the other types have fancy, intriguing names, but essentially aren't really anything special.

Note: They've got other Mediterranean offerings like pizza and pasta.

Ababu
Xavierville Ave., Loyola Heights, Quezon City

H and I used to go to Ababu back when it was still in Teachers' Village. This year, they moved to a new location in Xavierville, but essentially kept the same old Monoblock chairs and tables! They raised their prices though--they used to have P7 iced tea in a small plastic cup. Now it's P30 for bottomless iced tea--still not bad. I used to get a full meal for less than P100, but now the prices are comparable with Mr. Kabab and Persiana.

I can't remember what I order here, but I'm guessing it's also chelo kebab! I looove their buttered rice, and their sauce is really tasty.

H normally gets a side order of keema. The Ababu version is just swimming in oil...

...which isn't really a bad thing. Hey, we don't do this every night anyway. Live a little, right?

Note: Among the three, I think Ababu would have to be my favorite. It's not quite as commercialized as Mr. Kabab yet. And any place with bottomless iced tea gets my vote. Plus, I love the goatee-d happy face on their store sign!

Jake's Steaks: For Hardcore Carnivores

Quick (but filling) post: I don't know if you could tell from the photo, but this steak was huge! It's the T-Bone Mega at Jake's Steaks. My friend and I split it, sobrang sulit for just P175! The regular one is P130. Another friend had the grilled marlin, and it tasted great with all the calamansi.

On the same row of restos is a tapa place that sells tapsilog, longsilog, tocilog for just P39. There's also a Di Marks in the area, so I'd say this row is a good place for food tripping!

Jake's Steaks is located at 589 Wack-Wack Road, Mandaluyong City.

High and Low, but Equally Satisfying

Yes, I've been remiss in my food-blogging duties. So let me just make this a two-for-one entry to make up for lost time.

I finally got to eat at SOMS, that Thai carinderia I've been hearing about for ages. Located in Rockwell gilid, the place is a roadside eatery with tables set up on either side of the street. I enjoyed the Tom Yam--I imagine it's what sinigang tastes like. I've never really been a fan of sinigang, but figured that if it had the same sour, comforting quality, I should give it one more shot! I also liked the spring rolls, which probably aren't anything out of the ordinary--but I suppose I was so hungry that night that they tasted like heaven! We also ordered the catfish salad and shrimp in curry (if I remember right). Yum yum. Sadly, they had run out of the milk tea.

(From top) Spring rolls, catfish salad, shrimp with curry

On the other end of the price spectrum is Chelsea. Well, OK, it actually isn't as pricey as a bunch of other restos in Serendra, but it's still a leap from SOMS! The servings are huge though, so you can split with a friend. They've got pasta and sandwiches and a bunch of filling entrees. I got to try the Four-layer Toblerone Cake on another visit. All I can say is...OMG.

Inspired by the trendy Chelsea district in New York, the resto is a great place to hang. With high ceilings, picture windows, and dainty little chandeliers, it's stylish, airy, and comfortable...if you're lucky enough to get a seat! The place is normally packed, especially on weekends.

(Top) rich and filling pasta (carbonara, if memory serves me right); (bottom) salmon sandwich with potato wedges

I Know It Was a Steak Place...

...but I can't help raving about Steak MD's banana split pie! Yum!

It's got a crushed-Oreo crust, a layer of frozen bananas, a mound of strawberry ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream, and a cherry for good measure. I don't eat cherries (haha. Behave!), but I sure enjoyed everything else! Plus, it's only P75! (Hmmm, this is actually pretty easy to make at home...) The dude at the next table committed two of the seven deadly sins in one go--gluttony and envy! After polishing off two (yes, two) orders of steak, he asked the waitress for what I was having. Haha.

Now that that's out of the way, let's get to the meat of the matter! Steak MD's this small, super casual place (as in no aircon, so I prefer going in the evening when the air's a bit cooler) along Tomas Morato. For steak lovers out there, you don't have to shell out a grand to get your meaty fix--Steak MD offers T-Bone and Porterhouse steaks from P150 to less than P300 a pop! After choosing a cut of meat, you get to dictate which rub you want--you can choose from:

• Rub Ko 'To - the "house blend," a secret mix of herbs and spices
• Build Me Up Butter Rub - need I say more?
• Ang Cha-Rub - a sweet and spicy blend
• Atomic Rub - a hot, hot, hot rub
• Heart Rub - a garlicky rub

And it comes with a small bowl of bulalo-ish soup to start you off. (And Queen of Clumsy that I am, I spilled it all over my jeans! Bah.) A note though: I got the Rub Ko 'To over the small T-Bone, and the gravy was already poured all over the steak. Would've preferred to have it on the side--best to mention this to your server if you prefer the same. Still, the steak was satisfactory, and H's Porterhouse was especially tender. It's what you'd call bang for your buck!

Aside from steaks, the place also offers chicken and sisig. But where's the fun in that?

Steak MD is located at Creekside Square, Tomas Morato, Quezon City; tel. 448-7114.