Kebab Depot

Late nights are usually when we discover new food spots in Manila. Most of the time, we end up eating somewhere instead of just going straight home. I guess we're gluttons that way. But at the same time, these nightly food trips lead us to new, mostly unsung of, hangouts that offer really great food. A new discovery is Kebab Depot in the new Greenhills Town Center.

Kebab Depot is located at the back of Greenhills Town Center. It's somewhat hidden compared to the more exposed restaurants and shops in the middle of the place. We found it because we were looking for it, otherwise, we wouldn't have known there was a kebab place there. If you miss the lighted ad before entering GTC, or if you don't go around the area, you probably wouldn't know it was there. It's a small restaurant that's half Persian, half Mexican (the area is shared by Kebab Depot and a Mexican (?) restaurant, Salsa Verde.) It's like Buffalo Wings 'n Things and Chubby's Rib Shack -- two different restaurants that share space. 

Anyway, the left half of the restaurant had a cathedral-ish vibe. It had colorful ornaments and glass windows that reminded me of European churches I've seen in movies. The set-up was very simple. There were around 5-6 tables that could accommodate 2-4 people each.

The menu is similar to most kebab houses we've been to. There's the usual shawarma, kebab, hummus, keema, etc. I was deciding between the shawarma and the beef kebab because I wanted some beef that night. However, we came across something new. Sizzling Beef Shawarma. Gus wanted to try it because it had egg, and since shawarma was one of my choices that night, we decided to just try it. We assumed it would be similar to plain old shawarma.

Kebab Depot's Sizzling Shawarma looked like sisig and a shawarma plate combined. Beef slices were topped with diced tomatoes, onions, and fresh egg, served on a sizzling plate. It felt like eating beef sisig that tasted like your typical shawarma -- not salty, but herby.

 

PhP140

The sizzling shawarma was a fresh take on the usual shawarma plate we've had in the past. Since it was served on a sizzling plate, we were able to enjoy the dish hot. It also added this somewhat grilled flavor to the beef since it was still cooking the beef the first few minutes (at least up until we mixed it). As I mentioned earlier, the beef tasted like real shawarma. It wasn't salty or beefy, but herby. You could taste both the beefy goodness and the spices that they used to flavor the beef.

Since I've been craving for some grilled onions and tomatoes, we also ordered a serving of it. I really missed eating this.

PhP25

Knowing Gus and I, no meal would be complete without a cup of rice. The good thing about Kebab Depot's plain rice is that it is cheaper than most cups we've tried in other kebab restaurants. And, it still came with a slice of butter on top. A cup of plain rice (with butter on top) is only PhP20.

Aside from the less expensive, but just as good food we had in Kebab Depot, the service was also efficient. We were accommodated right away, our orders taken and served in less than 15 minutes, and all our requests attended to. The only thing that bothered me was that the staff was laughing most of the time. I felt uncomfortable and a bit conscious because I didn't know whether or not they were laughing at us or something else (we were the last customers inside). But still, it doesn't change the fact that the food was delish.

Oh, and before I forget, the best part of this midnight dinner was their yogurt and chili sauce! The yogurt sauce was so delicious. It wasn't bland, or sour. It had this garlicky flavor which made our shawarma and veggies even more flavorful. This is, by far, the BEST kebab/shawarma sauce I have ever tasted! The chili sauce was pretty much the same thing. It was spicy hot and not sour. Some chili sauces I've tried, no matter how spicy, had this sour taste. Their chili sauce was plain spicy. I love it!

To cap off the meal, I ordered fresh dalandan juice, which thankfully, did not come from a can. The sweetness and sourness was just right. The price wasn't so bad either. A glass costs PhP45.

 

Here's the rest of their menu:

 

Price Range: PhP100-200/person

4 out of 5 for Kebab Depot

Kebab Depot (along Ortigas Road going to New Manila/Gilmore)

Greenhills Town Center
2 Granada St.
Bgy. Valencia

They are open daily from 11 AM to 11 PM.