CEBU CITY – Shawarma Gourmet Restaurant at
Escario Central, Cebu City is now a brand partner of the Cebu Online News Press
Corps (CONPC) for a 25% discount to active members promoting the brand.
“Shawarma Gourmet is an authentic Lebanese
Restaurant founded in 20213 with my Filipina-Cebuano wife in Dubai that offers authentic
Lebanese and Turkish cuisine. The first
branch opened at Park Mall, Cebu in 2015 with a second branch following in
2017. During COVID-19, we focused on delivery, operating from 10 am to 1 am
daily,” Chef Mansour Houran and owner of Shawarma Gourmet told this writer.
Ched Mansour bared that concerns of
accessibility led them to depart the Industrial zone to relocate to the
residentially populous, Cebu City at Escario Central Mall, redefining Shawarma
Gourmet as a destination restaurant in Q3 of 2017.
Its decision to relocate gave Shawarma Gourmet
brand a boon to be known and favored both by locals and tourists. Fast forward
in the years 2019-2023, for five consecutive years, Shawarma Gourmet has
consistently gained the Traveler's Choice Awardee with TRIPADVISOR and number four
out of 757 restaurants in Cebu that made the restaurant part of the top 10% of
the Restaurants in the world. “It defies
the threats of both Covid19 and Super Typhoon Odette,” Chef Mansour added.
In 2022, Shawarma Gourmet landed the local BEST
SHAWARMA Award with SunStar Cebu and RECOMMENDED by Restaurant Guru a global
online restaurant aggregator that helps find the best restaurants in many
places around the globe, Chef Mansour bared.
“We take
pride in the quality of food that we serve and we value customer privacy as we
cater to a mix of locals and expats. We have been serving Fresh Wholesome
Goodness since 2015,” Chef Mansour smiled.
The
Shawarma concepts and customer traffic
The concept of Shawarma Gourmet is a mix of
Lebanese and Turkish cuisines, with a focus on authenticity. The term "shawarma" comes from the
Turkish word "döner," which means a vertical skewer of minced meat.
Shawarma’s cultural and regional variations is
known by different names in various countries, such as "doner" in Germany
and "gyros" in Greece while in the Philippines, it is sometimes
called "kebab barbecue" by Filipinos.
Chef Mansour said, the products used in Shawarma
Gourmet are mostly sourced locally, with some spices and ingredients imported. Its menu is 99% original, with some minor
adaptations to suit local tastes.
“There are challenges of introducing shawarma
to the Filipino market, such as the strong garlic sauce and the inclusion of
onions, parsley, and tomatoes. To cater
to local preferences, Shawarma Gourmet introduced a rice meal option and we also
offer a salad with mango and cheese to blend Lebanese and Filipino flavors,”
Chef Mansour said.
The restaurant has a mix of customers,
including Arabs and Filipinos, with a significant number of regular customers,
Chef Mansour added that during the COVID-19 lockdown, the restaurant focused on
delivery services, partnering with Grab and offering in-house delivery options.
Shawarma Gourmet Restaurant is open from 10 am
to 1 am daily, with a peak delivery time from 10 am to 1 pm and the restaurant
maintains a culture of privacy, ensuring that customers, including celebrities,
can enjoy their food without interruptions.
Let’s dig
in at Shawarma Gourmet’s food/meals
Chef Mansour told this writer that currently
Shawarma Gourmet has two outlets—the restaurant at Escario Central and a kiosk
at the food hall at the Nustar Mall. The
restaurant is a fine dining establishment while the kiosk offers a more casual
dining experience.
A hotelier by profession, Chef Mansour
developed a passion for food and has made small twists to the menu to appeal to
local tastes. Here are a few descriptions from the food Shawarma Gourmet
serves:
1.Vegetarian
Platter—is a complete Vegetarian Meal, with hummus, Tabbouleh, java rice,
Falafel. Tabbouleh, a salad of Lebanese
origin consisting chiefly of cracked wheat, tomatoes, parsley, mint, onions,
lemon juice, and olive oil.
2.
Fattoush
Salad -- is a Middle Eastern salad, often considered a "bread salad,"
that's popular in countries like Lebanon, Syria, and Israel. It features crispy
pita bread, fresh vegetables (like tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce), herbs,
and a tangy dressing, typically lemon juice and sumac.
3. Chicken
Shawarma Rice, served on white plate and Beef Shawarma Rice, served in take-out
bowl.
4. Manakish
Pizza-- Chicken Shawarma Pizza. Pizza with Chicken, Fries and drizzled with garlic
sauce and Chef's Style Pizza; Half Labneh and Half Zatar. Zatar is a Middle Eastern spice blend
typically made with dried herbs like thyme, oregano, and marjoram, along with
sumac, toasted sesame seeds, and salt while Labneh is Yoghurt cheese.
5. Cheese
Sambousek-- Empanada like stuffed with cheese and Chicken Musakhan--Spring
rolls like, roasted chicken, caramelized onions seasoned with sumac. Sumac is a versatile spice derived from the
dried, ground berries of the sumac shrub. It's known for its tangy, lemony, and
slightly tart flavor, making it a popular ingredient in Middle Eastern and
Mediterranean cuisine. Sumac can be used as a seasoning, marinade, or garnish,
adding a unique flavor and vibrant red-purple color to dishes.
6. Beef
Sambousek - empanada like with darker color, light colored is cheese sambousek Kibbeh
- empanada like with no design, almost shaped like camote, filled with beef and
lamb, Dark brown colored pastry.
7. Shawarma
Bites Platter-- Beef Shawarma, Chicken Shawarma, Falafel, sliced into bite
sized bits with Spiced Fries in the middle.
8.
Chicken
Khabsa Tray-- a popular Arabian mixed rice dish, traditionally from Saudi
Arabia or Yemen, often featuring meat and aromatic spices cooked together. It's
known for its hearty, flavorful combination of rice and meat, and is considered
a national dish of Saudi Arabia.
Julienne Eva Guanzon of New Star Phils describes the ambiance of Shawarma Gourmet as not just a food experience.
Shawarma Gourmet gives you something deeper--connection. With every dish,
you’re invited to slow down, to savor, to remember. It’s the kind of place
where you stay longer than planned because the vibes are that good and the
people treat you like family.
"I left
with a full stomach and a heart stretched across continents. The Middle East
may be miles away, but that familiar warmth? I found it here,” Julienne added. (Photos: MBCNewman)