Food
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- Fairuz
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- Photo by Kelly Veneracion
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- Photo by Kelly Veneracion
Commanding attention with its purple and gold façade, Fairuz aspires to spice up this year’s JSEC lineup through quality Persian cuisine.
Taste
Fairuz builds its meals around a liberal serving of savory java rice. With its tasty garlic aioli sauce on delightfully tender and flavorful meat, each mouthful is sure to make you feel like royalty.
The Queen is the beef kebab at its simplest. Shaped into flat patties instead of the beef cubes, the meat shines as the star of the dish with a subtle kick of spice. Each bite is exciting, leaving a peppery aftertaste in its wake.
Compared to its sister dish, the Prince is a milder take on the kebab. Using small strips of chicken instead of beef, this dish offers diners a lighter mouthfeel. The chicken is slightly dry—making it a bit tough to chew—but the flavorful marinade makes up for it. There is no one star on this plate, but the careful balance between the rice, chicken, tomatoes, and onions creates an enjoyable and savory affair.
Yet another rendition of the classic shawarma rice is The King, which packs a strong and smoky punch. However, the roughly chopped beef prime rib is perhaps too tasteful in itself, and even the generous drizzle of tangy garlic aioli is not enough to save the dish from its own saltiness.
Accompanying the meals are straightforward, but well-executed sides. The Shawarma Fries are exactly what they suggest: Crispy fries doused in garlic aioli then topped with beef shawarma. These fries can be ordered as a side and as a snack, but the strong flavors make it better suited to be eaten alone. In contrast to the fries, the light and fluffy Omelette underscores the umami of the meat and adds an interesting texture as a side. Last, but definitely not the least, the Pita and Hummus plate–offered as a side or a snack–is a match made in heaven. The bland pita acts as the perfect base for the rich and flavorful chickpea spread.
Fairuz has also added wraps to its menu. Swaddled in warm and soft pita, the three meat variants are once again bathed in aioli and accompanied by an abundant helping of tomatoes, onions, cucumber, and cabbage. These wraps are great for people who want a filling snack, but the amount of sauce can make eating the to-go meal a bit messy. Nonetheless, Fairuz, with its selection of ageless Middle Eastern dishes, shows customers that indulgence can be found within close reach on campus.
Concept
Hoping to channel Persian grandeur, Fairuz uses royalty as its driving concept. The stall is decked in deep hues of purple and gold, enticing customers with the promise of luxury in the classic food it offers. Though far from being the first Middle Eastern stall to grace JSEC, Fairuz still proves that good food needs no frills.
Value for Money
Php 100 for a solo and Php 130 for a combo with a side and drink may seem quite steep at first glance, but Fairuz’ generous servings and richly satisfying meats prove that you truly get what you pay for with this stall.
Final Verdict
Fairuz offers timeless Persian meals at reasonable prices. Its excellent quality and large portions allow customers to experience opulence in the mundane—leaving them happily sated with this royal treatment.
Rating: 5/5
Editors’ Note: In the interest of fairness, Vantage writers only reviewed food that was offered by the stalls during their respective taste tests.
