Friday, September 9, 2016

Skewr, Maginhawa

Another reason to hit the streets of Maginhawa!



I recently got invited to the grand opening of Skewr located in Maginhawa Street. 
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This restaurant has only been around a month, but the owners, siblings Bee Jay and Marlene Burog, have been in the food industry for over a decade already.
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It has been ten years since they first introduced Khaleb Shawarma to the country. Now, the brand has over 30 stalls nationwide.

To celebrate their 10th year in the industry, the Burog siblings decided to open Skewr, a completely different concept from their first venture. Though their main offering may still be shawarma, their dishes have evolved from shawarma rice and chelo kebabs to pizzas, pastas, and more.
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The food is what one would call "Mediterranean fusion" - Mediterranean mixed with different cuisines like American and Italian. It may be hard to imagine right now but you'll understand it more later. :P
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Personally, I love how they designed the restaurant. It doesn't scream Mediterranean so one may get confused at first, but it's such a warm place be in. Not literally, of course! It feels cozy and laid-back - exactly the kind of space people yearn for at Maginhawa.

Starting out with the Skewr Iced Tea is highly recommended. It's a great drink for when the sun is out and you just want to feel refreshed. It's made from lemongrass and costs Php50 per jar, so what's not to like?
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The Pita Strips with Fire Feta was my early favorite.
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Instead of dipping pita bread in the usual falafel, hummus, or baba ghanoush, Skewr's Pita Strips is crunchy and well-seasoned, and goes perfectly with their Fire Feta, a Sriracha-bases dip mixed with feta cheese.
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For the sauces, they have the traditional garlic and spices sauces, and an added treat - a cheese sauce!
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I suggest trying each one and combining them to find your perfect mix.

Next, we had their Beef Shawarma Wrap, which is comprised of their signature skewered beef slices wrapped with veggies in fresh pita. Normally, I'd go for the garlic sauce, but I found that the spicy one goes better with most of their offerings.
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The Chicken Pesto Melt features chunks of roast chicken with pesto and melted cheese in a pita sandwich.
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To be honest, all I could taste was the cheese.
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I mean, I love cheese, but I didn't really taste much of anything else here. I wish they added more pesto (and maybe lessened the cheese too) for people who aren't as partial to cheese as I am.
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The Skewr Pasta is one of those Italian-Mediterranean dishes they offer.
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It's their signature oil-based pasta with skewered beef shawarma infused with Mediterranean spices.
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I would suggest mixing it first before eating since the flavor tends to settle at the bottom of the plate. Also make sure to have a bit of meat in every bite since that's really where most of the flavor comes from.
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The Rustic Chicken Pizza doesn't make use of regular pizza dough, but instead highlights their homemade pita bread. It is then topped with savory chicken in a bed of classic red sauce.
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Look at all that cheese! Again, you can add some sauce to this for more flavor, but for Php220, it's a steal!
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Crowd favorite goes to the Rubia Krab Yaqla!
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It is their special golden fritters filled with crab, fish, and shrimp. Out of all their dishes, this one is stands out the most because it doesn't contain shawarma in it. So I think its unique flavor really surprised a lot of the foodies who were there that afternoon.
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Onto their kebabs!

Luleh Kebab
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It's the same beef they mixed in with their Skewr Pasta. This savory spiced ground beef is tender and flavorful and comes in a solo (Php170) or for sharing portion (Php450).
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Their roasted skewered chicken or Shish Kebab is sold at the same price. I would recommend having it with pita instead since I found the rice a bit dry.
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I'm not sure if they offer chicken at Khaleb Shawarma, but we were told that the portions at Skewr are larger to go with its higher price.
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Yogurt Shakes: Plain and Strawberry (Php80 each)
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I love that they presented their shakes in a milk jar, I just wish they used real yogurt instead of a powdered mix. :(
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Finally, everyone's favorite - dessert!

In photo: Blueberry Cheesecake, Yema Cheesecake, and Turtle Pie (Php120 each)
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Out of the three, my favorite was the Turtle Pie because it was creamy and chocolately without being overly sweet.
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Thank you, Skewr, especially Marlene and Bee Jay, for the warm welcome!
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Skewr is located at #189 Maginhawa Street, Sikatuna Village, Quezon City (same building as Cat Cafe Manila!)
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Skewr Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato