The Quest for Boy Shawarma

My quest for the authentic taste of Saudi-made shawarma actually began last 2006, when I flew back to the Philippines to continue my studies. As you may have heard, almost every child who grew up in Saudi Arabia, or perhaps in other countries within the Middle East, would fly back to the Philippines to take up their undergraduate degrees because of the limited, or lack thereof, schools that can offer college courses to Filipino students.

Shawarma, as how it was known in the Middle East, is a popular sandwich comprised of chicken or lamb, with fries, pickles, tomatoes, cucumber, and garlic sauce rolled in unleavened bread, or what Arabs would call “kubus”. If I were asked what the signature taste of Saudi-made shawarma was, it definitely would be how the garlic sauce would taste.

Unmet Shawarma Expectations

So, because I was terribly missing home and was also desperate in having another taste of Saudi-made shawarma since I got back to the Philippines, I tried almost every Mediterranean restaurant and Shawarama stalls that I would come across with. Unfortunately, none of these food establishments were even close to what real shawarma would taste or even look like. They always prepare shawarma in this way – chicken or beef with fresh onions, strips of cabbage, tomatoes, and cucumber with your choice of ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, cheese or diluted garlic sauce rolled in pita bread. I was just disappointed every freakin’ time. Basically because I know how real shawarma would taste or look like. And these establishments are not giving the shawarma sandwich justice. I am sure that those who grew up or spent some years living in the Middle East would relate to this and get what I mean.

I actually have found the perfect garlic sauce which tastes much like the garlic sauce used in Saudi-made shawarma, thanks to my high-school friend. I found this piece of heaven being served in O’pollo. But, they serve the sauce together with fried chicken and with other Australian recipes, not Mediterranean. Later on, we were surprised to find out that O’pollo closed. And so the hunt for the perfect authentic garlic sauce and shawarma still continues.

Then, after six long years of searching, I think I have finally found THE REAL shawarma. It was through a craze going on in Facebook happening over a month ago where several of my friends from Saudi, who are also already here in the country, kept on posting statuses that had the words “authentic”, “real”, and “Saudi” attached to “shawarma”. And there, I came across with the two words, “Boy Shawarma”.

  

The Wait Is Over

I became ecstatic! FINALLY! Some good-hearted fellow brought the taste of real Mediterranean shawarma here in the Philippines! I have to experience this phenomenon!

And so, on the afternoon of August 27, after a month-long wait, my sister, brother and I went hand-in-hand to look for this Boy Shawarma diner where real Saudi-made shawarma is allegedly served. We alighted at the Vito Cruz Station of the LRT1 yellow line (the line where DLSU and CSB were), headed towards Tapa King and took a right turn to Estrada St. We took a few more steps heading to the side of St. Scholastica’s college, and there, to your right, just beside the milk tea store, there you would find, in red sign, Boy Shawarama.

This is the first part of their menu. They really have budget friendly prices. 

They also serve beef shawarma instead of lamb because veal is quite more expensive and harder to find.

Well, their packaging aren't like the white paper used in Saudi,
but, what the hey, their shawarma tastes a lot like those made in Saudi!

The rest of our experience is documented through the videos below. Just for the record, it is the REAL thing! For the first time, I wasn’t disappointed on how shawarma was prepared and served. The place is fairly new, only a month or so in operations, so some minor constructions are still being done, but, still, what the hey, their shawarmas are to die for! 

We also had the opportunity to meet Mr. Al Santos, the owner of Boy Shawarma. I would like to thank you again, Sir, and your son, Chester, for bringing us home to Saudi Arabia, just by merely tasting your Shawarma. Below is the video of my short interview with him: (Video to follow as it is currently being edited) 

I think Boy Shawarma concluded my quest in searching for the authentic taste of Saudi-made shawarma. If there would be any new restaurants who dare serve Mediterranean Shawarma, I must suggest that they first taste Boy Shawarma, because Boy Shawarma has indeed set the benchmark of how shawarma should really taste like.

Watch out for their new offerings in the next few weeks! Can’t wait to taste it for myself, too!

Cheers!

Salamat Jesse: Of Planting Seeds and Hope

It’s all over the news now. The Philippines’ DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo passed away through a plane crash. The entire nation is mourning over the loss of another generous soul. And I, too, weep with them.

I will always remember Sec. Jesse as a humble man. Whenever we would invite him to speak during our events, I never felt an air of arrogance when he’s around. He just quietly walks in the room, waits for him to be introduced, and then starts his talk. He always seemed happy and calm, because he and his eyes were always smiling.  

I deeply admire him on how firm he was in planting little seeds of good governance in all his works. Whenever he shared his stories, I never heard him brag about his achievements. When he told about the successes of Naga City, he always stresses that it was his team that did a great job. Upon hearing his stories, I really proved to myself that this man is deeply rooted in the values of transparency, accountability, and people’s participation in his leadership, especially through two of the reforms that he has lead – the reinvention of the Local School Board and eGovernance.

Last Monday night, when the retrieval operations were still on-going for Sec. Jesse, I was still hopeful, secretly wishing and praying that Sec. Jesse was just tossed away by the tides to a remote island where people don’t recognize him because they do not have communication systems available.

But when the news broke on Tuesday morning that his body has already been retrieved from the submerged plane, I can’t help but feel pain. And I can’t stop asking God, why him? A lot of ill-hearted politicians who have done so much injustice in this country deserved more to be in that plane crash. But, why him? And then I remembered Dr. Gerry Ortega, also a kind spirit who wants nothing more but to give the Palawenos what’s rightly theirs. And then I asked myself more, why him? Why do good men always have to die first before those who are greedy for power and money? Why is it so unfair? The country still can’t afford to lose someone like Sec. Jesse. Why him?

During the night of the breaking news, a good friend asked how I was holding up. She asked, so I cried and ranted a little. And she mentioned something like this, “Maybe we cry, not for them, but for us. Because we’re the ones to feel sorry for really. For losing him.” Maybe she’s right. When I think about it, I actually am happy knowing that Sec. Jesse is already somewhere up in the heavens, having the happiest time of his life as he has already joined our Creator. As to me, as to us, who are still left to live here in this crazy world, we do cry. Because we know that losing someone like Sec. Jesse will make the fight for good governance a little bit harder again. He brought hope for the Philippines through his works, and now that he’s gone, we feel that a bit of hope went with him as well.

Right now, I’m still at a loss on how I can make sense out of this. Mainly because, I don’t really understand why God would allow these kinds of things to happen to his best servants. But, behind this, I now feel that there is a call to continue what Sec. Jesse has left behind. To help grow the little seeds of good governance that he started to plant and to also plant my own little seeds of ethical leadership. From the hope that I felt which Sec. Jesse gave for the country, I now feel that there’s now a call to transform that hope and make it my own -- a louder and stronger call to now be the hope that I want to be for our beloved country.

I cry because of a great loss, but I pray that this loss would give me greater hope to become a more loving person and leader, just like Sec. Jesse.

Sec. Jesse, I am blessed to have met you. Thank you for planting your little seed of good governance in me. To continue your legacy, I’ll do my best to nurture this seed and share it to people who need it the most.

Sec. Jesse, always with a smile, willingly answered questions given by the participants of the "Champions for Good Governance and Education Leadership Seminar" who were mostly Mayors, Vice-Mayors and Councilors.
*photo courtesy by Jess Lorenzo, KN Core Member

Sec. Jesse readily poses for a photo op with Local Government Leaders during our "Best Practices on Election Campaign and Strategies Seminar" last April. To think that he's the Secretary of the DILG, he was very approachable and accessible to everyone.

“Later on in life, you will realize that it is neither your successes nor your conquests that will give you satisfaction. It is your contribution that really matters—paying back what you owe the community that nurtured you.” - DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo

Kaya Natin!