The Kebab Factory

Unfazed by the utter disaster that was our first foray into the Burgos Circle in Fort Bonifacio, we returned to the area in search of a decent restaurant worth more than three salt and pepper shakers in our sophisticated rating system. The prior week, we had turned down an invitation to dinner at the Kebab Factory, on the blinded assumption that kebab worth more than two hundred pesos had to be pretentious to be authentic. The first branch of the restaurant opened in SM Megamall about a year ago, but in spite of its proximity to us, we never really bothered to give the place a try. Perhaps it was its simple design, which had absolutely no indication of its Mediterranean authenticity, or its menu displayed proudly at the entrance, which screamed expensive. At any rate, we found ourselves in Kebab Factory in Burgos Circle one Thursday evening, and to our surprise, neo-Mediterranean appearance aside, the food was pleasantly spicy and delicious, and the farthest thing from a pocket-buster.

We must admit that we were initially deterred by Kebab Factory?s layout, not because of a distasteful aesthetic; rather, its sleek lines, modern furniture and muted tones made us question whether a place this stylized could serve cozy Mediterranean food, just as your Indian friend?s mother would. We quickly realized that, as with the proverbial book cover, restaurants should not be judged solely on the basis of their interior design.

Clearly, given the restaurant?s name, the kebab had to be ordered. We were wise enough not to expect Uncle Moe?s quality, considering that this place?s kebabs are doubly expensive. However, we were pleasantly surprised to see that Kebab Factory?s kebabs are built of large, juicy and slightly charred (just the way we like it) chunks of chicken. With the volume, size and plumpness of the chicken pieces, there is no reason to doubt why Kebab Factory is pricier than the average kebab places.

With its Indian-inspired menu, it was impossible for us to not have ordered curry. Since most Indian restaurants we tried before left us disappointed, we did not expect much here. After all, we had eaten at a restaurant before that was so authentic its Indian chef kept peeking from the kitchen, and we left the place mildly slighted by the strange sweetness of its chicken curry. In Kebab Factory on the other hand, the curry is hot, flavorful and tastes more of carefully sautéed spices and meat than it is sweet. The meat, as with the kebab, is very tender and finished perfectly.

To add variety to our table, we tried the saffron fish, which was spicy and charred to perfection in some parts, but comparatively bland in others. While saffron generally imparts a milder and sweeter taste compared to the strong and fiery bursts of flavor in our curry, we found the fish to be lacking in bite and consistent heat. We must admit though that the fish itself was prepared very well considering that it was cooked through without us having to chew through rubber (which is usually the case with overcooked seafood), and it had absolutely no hint of fishiness.

While our carbohydrate of choice that night was buttered rice, we also tried the garlic naan, which we have ascertained to be almost at par with its counterpart at Spices in the Manila Peninsula Hotel. It was so good in fact that we gladly downed it on top of our individual orders of rice, which can apparently feed more than one hungry mouth.

As pitiful as it may seem, Mediterranean cuisine is only now gaining footage in Manila, with a small number of Indian and Persian restaurants sprouting throughout the city. This probably explains why most restaurants of this kind and quality are relatively pricey, compared to Chinese or Italian places which can be found in every other nook in your neighborhood mall. With Kebab Factory though, lunch or dinner is priced so reasonably that it is difficult to fathom that this kind of cuisine is still a novelty of sorts in these parts. With the 400 Pesos we spent on dinner here, one would wonder how it is possible that such a place exists, sans the cheap beer and tacky teenage music. (Note: This place does have a tacky 80?s soundtrack; ?Total Eclipse of the Heart? came on at one point.)

In spite of the failure of our first food adventure in this end of C-5, we find ourselves now boldly prophesying that Burgos Circle is one of the better new venues for a steady night out with friends, and that Kebab Factory is one of the better, if not the best, mid-range Mediterranean restaurants in this part of the Philippines. With its unassuming interiors and a menu adapted to the Filipino palate, Kebab Factory is indeed one of those places the Average Joe would return to for authentic and spicy Mediterranean cuisine.

Address: Unit 154 Forbeswood Heights, Burgos Circle corner Rizal Drive, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City; 2nd level Atrium, SM Megamall

Telephone: 4034153 (Burgos Circle); 6319648 (Megamall)

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/thekebabfactory

How to get there: The Kebab Factory's Google Map