After spending majority of my life in Saudi Arabia, it’s not a surprise for me to occasionally crave for Arabian cuisine. Fortunately, there are now restaurants in the Philippines that offer Middle Eastern food. It’s important to note, however, that some of these dishes that people offer in the Philippines may not taste exactly like the originals since certain recipe adjustments have been made due to unavailability of ingredients, while others to cater to Filipino palates.

My husband and I didn’t have to search for long before spotting a restaurant here in Tarlac, where we currently reside, that serves Middle Eastern cuisine. We came across Arraboo.ph, situated along Romulo Boulevard, which offers a delightful variety of Arabian and Indian dishes such as shawarma, kebab, biryani, kabsa, hummus, sambosa, and more.

SAMOSA

One of my favorites, and is popular in Saudi during Ramadan, is the cheese samosa/sambousa.  Inside Arraboo’s bite-sized samosas, you’ll find a combination of melted cheese and grated carrots. It is expected that the type of cheese that they’d use here is different from what is often used in Saudi like mozzarella or feta, so what you’d get here is a creamy cheesy samosa that comes close enough to the original to satisfy my samosa cravings. Ohh, just writing about it makes me want to order one right now.

SHAWARMA & KEBAB

Arraboo offers chicken and beef shawarma, a popular Middle Eastern food of chicken strips, traditional bread, french fries, pickles, and garlic sauce. When we first came there, we are crossing our fingers and we were really hoping they’d come close to the taste. Well, let’s just say they did not disappoint us. Their chicken shawarma is juicy and not dry at all. The smell, and bursting combination of the herbs and Middle-Eastern aromatic spices are present, but not too powerful, which I believe is to cater the Filipinos who are not used to such spices. Which is good for me, because I don’t want the spices to be too much. To be able to copy the authentic, one must have at least tasted one. You will know that the owner, or whoever is in charge of the recipe has tasted the authentic one because the combination of the herbs and aromatic spices are all present. That is when one would say “legit!”

You can also choose the shawarma meal which comes with samosa and drinks for  around 120-135 pesos only.

GARLIC SAUCE

To elevate the experience, don’t forget to add to your shawarma kebab or chicken the restaurant’s signature garlic sauce. This part, I was a bit meticulous because this is crucial. A game player for that awesome shawarma experience.

What can I say about the garlic sauce at Arraboo? Well, in terms of taste, it’s definitely a winner, capturing about 95% of the original flavor. For consistency, unlike the original thick and paste-like texture of the authentic sauce or even the ketchup-like consistency in a bottle, the garlic sauce at Arraboo is not as thick. It is thin, as in something that you can drizzle. Nevertheless, I find that I can overlook this as long as the flavor remains delightfully garlicky and not overly sweet like what you might find at other places. Still a winner!

KABSA

Gourmet chicken kabsa includes your choice of meat partnered with fragrant yellow rice, along with some vegetables on the sides. This is considered their main course along with chicken and beef biryani which you can also order in trays if you have a gathering or a party coming up.

PLACE & SERVICE

The establishment has recently undergone a renovation, creating a space where you can enjoy quality time with friends or conveniently place your order through popular food delivery apps like Food Panda or Grab. It’s worth noting that due to the preparations and high demand of orders especially from apps, the waiting time at Arraboo may be slightly longer than expected.

Do I like waiting? Not so much. When I see a lengthy queue for food, I immediately find another option nearby especially when I am hungry. However, when it comes to Arraboo, I have been always willing to wait. That speaks volumes about the remarkable quality of the food they serve. I mean, for someone who typically dislikes waiting but is willing to do so at Arraboo, it’s quite extraordinary, wouldn’t you agree? I think that says how good the food they serve are.

If you are in Tarlac, you can visit them at their location along Romulo, just near Diwa Ng Tarlac. Check the map below.

You can check out their FB page: Arraboo.ph
Contact: 0915 136 5506

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