Uncle Moe's Shawarma Hub

Conveniently tucked between the Valle Verde suburbs and the yuppie-littered Ortigas Center, Uncle Moe’s has become the default response to stress-driven after-work binges, post-night out munchies and any other excuse to stuff ourselves silly with shawarma or kebab. By the power of the almighty all-chicken shawarma, Uncle Moe's has managed to pluck itself out of obscurity and into the list of penultimate Mediterranean must-trys in these parts.

Uncle Moe’s has become home to us Friday night nomads -- not only for kebabs that could probably roundhouse kick Mr. Kabab five time zones away from here, but also for the dirt cheap bucketsful of beer.

Uncle Moe's Famous All-Chicken Shawarma

Our interminable craving for Uncle Moe's' all-chicken shawarma has withstood the test of time. Having remained the same since our first bite two years ago, the all-chicken shawarma lends a sense of comfort and security to those of us who find difficulty in embracing change. Both herbivore- and carnivore-friendly, shawarma can be ordered with or without vegetables, which is certainly a plus for purists like us who enjoy shawarma in its all-chicken or all-beef simplicity. The chicken screams flavor, melts in your mouth, and discredits all P35 shawarma stalls outside your friendly neighborhood supermarket. This has got to be a party in a basket, if we ever did see one.

Depending on our carbohydrate of choice for the day, an equally satisfying alternative is chicken kebab with buttered rice. The rice is an obvious hit; after all, failure is nearly impossible with a pat of butter slowly melting over a cup of steaming hot rice. The kebab, as with the chicken shawarma, is grilled to perfection, slightly charred on the outside and juicy on the inside. This is paired with salsa, which we personally enjoy mixed with garlic sauce and a conservative squirt of hot sauce.

If you find yourself in Uncle Moe’s not knowing what to order, feel free to try any of the starters to whet your appetite. The hummus, a crowd favorite, is rich, creamy and made with pureed chickpeas - a suprisingly healthy choice. For those low in cholesterol and adventurous in spirit, the ox brain is a must-try. Easy on the palate like Bangus belly or tofu, the ox brain oddly tastes like chicken (shawarma, that is).

Kebab Platter With Buttered Rice

Always the gracious host, Moe (who’s actually a dog, and not an uncle) has a plethora of beverages with which eaters can wash down the Mediterranean fare. But, out of respect for all that is holy, one must have at least one beer with his shawarma or kebab platter. A glass of water simply does not do the dishes here culinary justice. Neither does juice, or Coke, or anything lacking a percentage point of alcohol. However, if you happen to be in Uncle Moe’s on one of those days that their beers weren’t chilled long enough, a bottle of Sola should suffice.

Clearly not the place for crisp white tablecloths and French cutlery, expect Uncle Moe’s to have a laid back atmosphere. However, what this place lacks in sophistication is totally compensated by the waiters’ impeccable memory. Sure, the check will take a good ten to fifteen minutes before it is sent to your table, but if you are a regular patron, expect the waiters to know whether you like your shawarma with or without vegetables. Being usual suspects at Uncle Moe’s, we are immediately welcomed by an ice cold beer bucket as soon as we enter, and we are always bid goodbye with a warm “See you tomorrow”.

Hummus and Pita Bread

Equally unsophisticated is Uncle Moe’s menu. Here, variety is defined by shawarma with or without vegetables, regular or large, chicken or beef, and kebab with buttered rice or with pita bread. An order of shawarma is between 100 and 150 pesos, and a kebab platter is less than 150 pesos. Without spending more than 250 pesos per person, one can already enjoy a plate of hummus, a kebab platter and a drink – how can one go wrong with that?

A couple hundred kebabs and about twenty beer buckets later, we still manage to find our way back to Uncle Moe’s every week, if not every Friday. In spite of the overcrowding and overdevelopment of City Golf and the naturally subsequent imposition of a P20 parking fee, Uncle Moe’s remains the same. The shawarma is juicy; the beer, cold; the music, laid back; the ambiance, unpretentious; and the company, nothing less than awesome.

Rating:  4 out of 5 salt & pepper shakers

Address: Uncle Moe's Shawarma Hub, City Golf Plaza, Julia Vargas Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig

How to get there: Uncle Moe's Google Map