Zabadani
WHILE it may be true that we are what we eat, one thing is for sure: that at Zabadani, halalicious Middle-eastern cuisine dining experience is at its finest.
The owners: Anzano Madid Ebrahim Macalawi (left), Wadiyulkhair Bin Mohammad Ali and Dulce M. Flores (seated)
Located right before reaching Bigfoot in Mactan, Zabadani Café has already created quite a strong following since it opened two months ago–and for a good reason.
The food is not only authentically cooked under specific and strict conditions according to Muslim traditions, the place also offers an array of flavors that might be foreign to the taste buds for the uninitiated but will ultimately delight the tongue with its clever combinations of herbs and spices once familiar and friendly (yes, everything is organic) to the taste.
Starting out as a café in Davao, Zabadani’s owners Dulce M. Flores, Anzano Madid Ebrahim Macalawi, and Wadiyulkhair Bin Mohammad Ali thought of branching out in Mactan where there are practically nil halal restaurants to cater to a growing market of Muslim brothers, including expats and students.
Although in Davao most of the regulars are not necessarily of the Islamic faith (health buffs, organic-eating denizens), the three were inspired to bring the café in Cebu. Truth be told, most of the diners in Mactan are women who are diet-conscious.
For starters, the samboosak is a winner, and the pita cheese sticks a close runner-up. Bestsellers are not your usual suspects: the spicy, sweet, and oftentimes milky yet with a hint of pungent aromatic Biryani comes with a sprinkle of saffron rice; the beef kebab is a mecca onto itself that goes with wheat pita. But it is the dessert that is a pleasant surprise.
samboosak (Photo by Dr. Francis Xavier Solis)
pita shateerah (Photo by Dr. Francis Xavier Solis)
Layered coffee is one of its kind: four tiers of caffeine that is a surefire hit in percolating the perky in you, and enough to send incurable caffeine addicts straight to coffee heaven. The red shay (tea) drink is perfection.
turn-over (Photo by Dr. Francis Xavier Solis)
Layered Coffee (Photo by Dr. Francis Xavier Solis)
The café’s interiors are visually arresting: it gives you that exciting feeling that you are in another place, another time. The experience of dining there affords one the joy of living that leads to a deeper understanding of another culture, another world.
