Sunday, March 13, 2016

Sultan Mediterranean Grill

Sultan Mediterranean Grill
The newest restaurant on the block!



A month ago, Sultan Mediterranean Grill opened its second branch in San Juan. 
Sultan Mediterranean Grill
Their first branch, which is located in Makati, has been open for five years now. It's one of those restaurants in the central business district that many people head over to for their lunch outs or after work hangouts. Now that I think about it, I may have eaten there when I worked for Citibank years ago. Haha!
Sultan Mediterranean Grill
Sultan Mediterranean Grill
Sultan Mediterranean Grill
Vitamin Boost (P250)
fresh lettuce, cucumber, quinoa, mango, red onions, oranges, dried cranberries, and walnuts served with orange cranberry dressing and grilled chicken
Sultan Mediterranean Grill
Tropical Dream (P250)
house lettuce mix, mango, cherry tomatoes, apple, pineapple, and walnuts served with calamansi soy dressing and grilled salmon
Sultan Mediterranean Grill
Between the two salads, I would go for the Tropical Dream mainly for its calamansi soy dressing. That's not to say that the Vitamin Boost wasn't good - in fact, it's perfect for those who enjoy cranberries with anything. I love how Sultan's salads aren't just filled with greens, but fruits as well, so they're definitely great dishes to start with.

Hummus Bi Tahina (P110) / Tzatziki (P120) / Baba Ghanouj (P110)
served with pita bread
Sultan Mediterranean Grill
If you already have a go-to dip, great! But if you don't, I suggest trying out their combination of three dips instead (two dips for P200, three dips for P250). The most common - for me, at least - is the hummus, but all three make for interesting starters as they each have distinct flavors. Just to give an idea: (1) Hummus is basically chickpeas with olive oil, tahini (sesame seeds), lemon juice, salt, and garlic. (2) Tzatziki is strained yogurt mixed with cucumbers, garlic, salt, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and sometimes dill. (3) Baba Ghanouj is cooked eggplant mixed with onions, tomatoes, olive oil, and various seasonings.

Mixed Berries Yoghurt Shake (P100)
Sultan Mediterranean Grill
Whenever I dine at Mediterranean or Persian restaurants, I always go for the Banana Yogurt Shake, so this time, I decided to change it up by getting the Mixed Berries which contains fresh blackberries and strawberries! It's quite a refreshing drink and works great as a palate cleanser! It was so good, I finished mine way before the dinner ended!

Moussaka (P220)
Sultan Mediterranean Grill
Moussaka is a traditional Greek dish of layered minced beef, eggplant, and cheeses, baked like Italian lasagna. Actually, it's not just baked like lasagna, it almost is lasagna, except they replaced the pasta with eggplant. It's definitely my favorite dish of the night. Its creamy, cheesy, and melts-in-your-mouth texture just won it for me. It's something that even kids would surely love!

Curry (P230)
Sultan Mediterranean Grill
Their curry comes in three kinds - beef, chicken, or seafood. We got to try the chicken and boy, was it good! I love that they mixed in some cocomilk, so the sauce came out nice and thick. From my experience, curry is better with thicker sauce because there's more flavor to every bite. Whether you order the beef, chicken, or seafood, the combination of different herbs and spices will be a sure hit. Best consumed with rice!

Sizzling Lamb (P350)
Sultan Mediterranean Grill
I've had lamb before, but I don't remember it being this good. This is the only restaurant where I enjoyed lamb more than any other dish. Lamb tends to be quite fatty, and to have it on a sizzling plate makes it much more sinful to eat. I finally appreciated its milder, sweeter taste compared to other meats thanks to this dish though.

Braised Lamb Shanks (P550)
Sultan
Juicy lamb shanks stewed and braised with spices, served with Lobia rice. This definitely, completely, totally stole the show. Falls off the bone goodness, so there's no need to use a knife with this one! Its texture, flavor, and the sauce just went together to produce one amazing dish. Gaah, it's a must, must, must order!

Lobia Rice (P100)
rice with string beans and chicken with a twist of mediterranean taste
Sultan Mediterranean Grill
I found it a bit dry, but that's probably because it was already cold when I tried it. I would have loved it with more chicken as well.

Beryani (P230)
Sultan Mediterranean Grill
Now this, I loved! This Beryani rice is made from a mixture of carefully blended spices to produce a distinctive taste. Mix in some beef, chicken, or lamb, and you're all set! It was filled with so much flavor, I actually ate it on its own. No need for ulam with this one! ;)

Kebab Platter (P580)
choice of any four sticks of kebab or koobideh, served with grilled tomato
Sultan Mediterranean Grill
(From left to right) beef kebab, chicken kebab, lamb kebab, and beef koobideh.
My favorites: lamb and chicken, respectively.
Sultan Mediterranean Grill
Best eaten with garlic sauce - lots and lots of it! :D

Nuts and Roses (P65 for two scoops)
the sweet taste of rose mixed with pistachio nuts
Sultan Mediterranean Grill
Unfortunately, I didn't get to taste the roses in this batch, it was more of just pistachio. It was good pistachio ice cream though! Hehe. They also have basil and salted caramel ice cream available :)
Sultan Mediterranean Grill
Thanks for organizing, Jayce and Aldous! Will see you again, Sultan! :)
Sultan Mediterranean Grill
Sultan Mediterranean Grill is located at 190 A Wilson Street, Greater San Juan, San Juan City.
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Sultan Mediterranean Grill Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato