Date # 30: Shomal Kebabs and Curries by Hossein

  Click on thumbnails to enlarge. 

  Shomal is a restaurant by Chef Hossein, the leading man when it comes to Persian food in the Philippines. Shomal serves a variety of Persian, Indian and Arabian cuisine on their diverse menu. 

   If you’re not familiar with Persian food, you might have a hard time deciding what to eat. Try asking the helpful staff on which to get.

  I was instantly attracted to Shomal because of its elegantly beautiful Arabian style interiors. The warm lighting and the light curtains make this fine-dining restaurant very much romantic and relaxing. It’s a perfect date place for couples who are fans of Persian food.

This is Douglas’ order of Mango Flavored Fruit Lassi (P150). It’s good, but nothing special. He wished it was served colder so it would be more refreshing.

  This is my order of Sweet Lassi (P120). It can be served either sweet or salty, I chose the former because I’m not exactly used to salty drinks even if that is how lassi is traditionally served. I liked it, but nothing to rave about.

  Unfortunately, Shomal charges extra for additional servings of Garlic Sauce. But it’s okay, we didn’t need any.

  We couldn’t decide whether we should get a Shish Kebab or a Chelo Kebab so we ordered a Chelo Sultani Kebab (P430) instead. It has one skewer of Chelo Kebab (Charbroiled ground beef) and another skewer of Shish kebab (charbroiled tenderloin cubes with roasted bell peppers and tomatoes). 

   We absolutely loved it. Each strand of meat was infused with the right amount of sweet and spicy flavors. It was so flavorful that we barely needed our garlic sauce. We agreed that we liked the Shish Kebab more because of the chewy texture.

   What made this even more special was the Saffron Rice which was perfectly cooked—you could feel every grain inside your mouth.

   Unfortunately, Sultani Kebab doesn’t have whole grilled tomatoes on the side. I love those pa naman.

  My first taste of the Lamb Dopiaza (P435) made me go, “whoa, the curry.” It was a bit sweet and spicy, and the meat was so tender it crumbled under my teeth. The flavor was very deep due to the curry. We both loved it, although we wished there was less oil.

   An experience of Persian cuisine wouldn’t be complete without a plate of Fried Ox Brains (P350) (Check for availability). It was very flavorful because it was cooked with Persian and various Middle Eastern Spices. It had a healthy side of tomatoes and cucumbers.

   The texture was literally like eating jelly. It’s very succulent and fresh.

The Verdict: Everything was delightful, and most were exceptional. This is what Persian food should be. The ambiance is relaxing, the interiors are beautiful and the food is great. The prices should be the only thing that should keep anyone from stepping in the restaurant. 

Shomal Kebabs & Curries
Level 4
Trinoma Mall
Quezon City

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With and For Love,

Rina Caparras and Douglas Chong

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