Zaika House of Kebabs & Shawarma Review

ZAIKA HOUSE OF KEBABS & SHAWARMA 60 Sapphire St., Concepcion Dos, Marikina City Mobile No. 0967 396 06 97 Business Hours: Tues-Thurs 2pm-10:30pm, Fri-Sat 2pm-11pm, Sun 11am-11pm Facebook | Email

Sharing to you here our new favorite Middle-Eastern restaurant for cheap right in the heart of Marikina!

Zaika House of Kebabs & Shawarma is a casual hole-in-the-wall grill specializing in Indian and Mediterranean cuisine that's adapted for the Filipino palate, offering a menu of select dishes from said region.

Chicken Biryani - P249

There's only a limited number of restaurants you can go to in the city if you're craving for Middle-Eastern food, and even fewer when you want specific dishes like legitimate Chicken Tikka Masala and Chicken Curry.

Upon having tried Zaika's version on these dishes, I can say they got the basics down: the mildly-spiced creamy tomato gravy of the Chicken Tikka Masala and the Indian curry sauce of the Chicken Curry do have that distinct flavor profile I got in bigger authentic Indian restaurants. But not quite.

Well, you also have to take note that they consider the Filipino palate with their recipes so their dishes are sweeter and/or saltier compared to the real thing. Both are good for one to two persons.

Chicken Tikka Masala - P249 | Chicken Curry - P179

Their Chicken Biryani is made with Basmati rice seasoned with saffron and mixed with slow-cooked chicken marinated in yogurt, spices and herbs. This flavorful long-grained rice can be eaten alone with its uber-soft chicken chunks, but it's recommended to have it with another meat dish like the two above- a perfect pair!

Shawarma Rice - P119 | Hummus with Pita - P99

The most affordable meal in their menu is the Shawarma Rice- beef shawarma on a bed of fragrant chelo rice, served with sliced tomatoes, cucumber, caramelized onions and a drizzle of garlic sauce.

Compared to other restaurants, their take on the dish definitely has a lot more spices in it. The beef is okay, but I found myself appreciating the chelo rice and veggies more.

For appetizers, we had their Hummus- ah, the famous Levantine dip that I love so much. Made from pureed chickpeas and Tahini sauce served with a dash of olive oil and pita bread, it is what it is. Taste is similar to those from Mister Kabab, Hassan and the others. A recommended starter for a hefty meal.

Chilled Chai - P65 | Strawberry Lassi - P75 | Calamansi Juice - P35

Onwards to drinks: on our first visit, we had the Chilled Chai and Strawberry Lassi.

The former is Indian milk tea made from a premium blend of black tea from Darjeeling and Assam- can be hot or iced, while the latter is freshly cultured and homemade yogurt blended into a creamy chilled drink- available in plain, mango or strawberry.

I love both drinks, but if you're a bit thirsty, you probably should have the Chilled Chai as the Lassi is more of a dessert. A tasty, creamy and satisfying dessert at that, with which you might end up ordering two.

On our next visit, we tried the Calamansi Juice. Nothing much to say about it- it's fresh yummy calamansi juice.

Store Front | Al Fresco | AC Area

As a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, it's not that big of a place so it can't cater to too many people. On the upside, it feels really homey, with the unique and personal interior design and all. Max of 7-9 groups, probably?

Their only parking space is along the street beside the restaurant, which can take around 2-3 vehicles. Though it's okay to park on the stretch of the entire Sandalwood st. as well as on the other adjacent streets around it.

Overall, Zaika House of Kebabs & Shawarma is a nice place to casually dine in at if you're looking for a homey place with affordable localized Middle-Eastern food, especially if you're just living near the area.