Shawarma Gourmet Restaurant at Escario Central, Cebu City is now a brand partner of the Cebu Online News Press Corps (CONPC) for a 25% discount to active members promoting the brand.
“Shawarma Gourmet is an authentic Lebanese Restaurant founded in 2013 with his Filipina-Cebuano wife in Dubai that offers authentic Lebanese and Turkish cuisine. The first branch opened at Park Mall, Cebu in 2015 with a second branch following in 2017. During COVID-19, we focused on delivery, operating from 10 am to 1 am daily,” Chef Mansour Houran and owner of Shawarma Gourmet said.
Chef Mansour bared that concerns of accessibility led them to depart the Industrial zone to relocate to the residentially populous, Cebu City at Escario Central Mall, redefining Shawarma Gourmet as a destination restaurant in Q3 of 2017.
Its decision to relocate gave Shawarma Gourmet brand a boon to be known and favored both by locals and tourists. Fast forward in the years 2019-2023, for five consecutive years, Shawarma Gourmet has consistently gained the Traveler’s Choice Awardee with TRIPADVISOR and number four out of 757 restaurants in Cebu that made the restaurant part of the top 10% of the Restaurants in the world. “It defies the threats of both Covid19 and Super Typhoon Odette,” Chef Mansour added.
In 2022, Shawarma Gourmet landed the local BEST SHAWARMA Award with SunStar Cebu and RECOMMENDED by Restaurant Guru a global online restaurant aggregator that helps find the best restaurants in many places around the globe, Chef Mansour bared.
“We take pride in the quality of food that we serve and we value customer privacy as we cater to a mix of locals and expats. We have been serving Fresh Wholesome Goodness since 2015,” Chef Mansour smiled.
The Shawarma concepts and customer traffic
The concept of Shawarma Gourmet is a mix of Lebanese and Turkish cuisines, with a focus on authenticity. The term “shawarma” comes from the Turkish word “döner,” which means a vertical skewer of minced meat.
Shawarma’s cultural and regional variations is known by different names in various countries, such as “doner” in Germany and “gyros” in Greece while in the Philippines, it is sometimes called “kebab barbecue” by Filipinos.
Chef Mansour said, the products used in Shawarma Gourmet are mostly sourced locally, with some spices and ingredients imported. Its menu is 99% original, with some minor adaptations to suit local tastes.
“There are challenges of introducing shawarma to the Filipino market, such as the strong garlic sauce and the inclusion of onions, parsley, and tomatoes. To cater to local preferences, Shawarma Gourmet introduced a rice meal option and we also offer a salad with mango and cheese to blend Lebanese and Filipino flavors,” Chef Mansour said.
The restaurant has a mix of customers, including Arabs and Filipinos, with a significant number of regular customers, Chef Mansour added that during the COVID-19 lockdown, the restaurant focused on delivery services, partnering with Grab and offering in-house delivery options.
Shawarma Gourmet Restaurant is open from 10 am to 1 am daily, with a peak delivery time from 10 am to 1 pm and the restaurant maintains a culture of privacy, ensuring that customers, including celebrities, can enjoy their food without interruptions.
Let’s dig in at Shawarma Gourmet’s food/meals
Currently Shawarma Gourmet has two outlets—the restaurant at Escario Central and a kiosk at the food hall at the Nustar Mall. The restaurant is a fine dining establishment while the kiosk offers a more casual dining experience.
A hotelier by profession, Chef Mansour developed a passion for food and has made small twists to the menu to appeal to local tastes.
During the MOA signing, guests were treated to Shawarma Gourmet’s flavorful Bento Box.
This delicious set features a satisfying combination of Beef and Chicken Shawarma, accompanied by tasty appetizers like spiced fries, Cheese Mousakhan, Beef Kibeh, and Mixed Meat Kibeh. It also comes with a refreshing salad and your choice of creamy Hummus or smoky Babaganoush—all perfectly complemented by Shawarma Gourmet’s signature house blend iced tea.
If you’re in the mood for something else, they’ve got you covered with a range of set meals designed to satisfy every craving:
Vegetarian Mix Set Meal – A vibrant plate filled with Falafel, Hummus, Salad, Garlic Dip, and Tahini Sauce, served with three pieces of mini pita bread and oriental rice. A wholesome and refreshing option that comes with a free glass of their house blend iced tea.
Chicken Kebab Set Meal – This filling set includes juicy Chicken Kebab, Falafel, Hummus, Fattoush, Garlic Dip, and Tahini Sauce, also served with mini pita bread and oriental rice, with a glass of house blend iced tea to wash it all down.
Mixed Beef & Lamb Kebab Set Meal – A carnivore’s delight featuring tender Mixed Beef and Lamb Kebab, with all the trimmings: Falafel, Hummus, Fattoush, Garlic Dip, Tahini Sauce, mini pita bread, oriental rice, and of course, a glass of their signature iced tea.
And if you’re a fan of rich, spiced rice dishes, don’t miss their best-selling Chicken Kabsa. This beloved Arabian specialty—often called the national dish of Saudi Arabia—is made with fragrant basmati rice, a special blend of spices, and well-marinated grilled chicken. It’s hearty, aromatic, and comes with a mouthwatering chili sauce that ties it all together beautifully.
“But this isn’t just a food experience. Shawarma Gourmet gives you something deeper: connection. With every dish, you’re invited to slow down, to savor, to remember. It’s the kind of place where you stay longer than planned because the vibes are that good and the people treat you like family. I left with a full stomach and a heart stretched across continents. The Middle East may be miles away, but that familiar warmth? I found it here,” Julienne Eva Guanzon of New Star Phils penned this.
