Authentic Home-cooked Mediterranean Cuisine at Laziz Antipolo

LAZIZ MEDITERRANEAN RESTAURANT  Rd. 2 Malachi St., Indy Subd., Antipolo City Mobile No. 0977 144 5755 Business Hours: Everyday 10am-10pm Facebook Page

Aside from Hassan in Marikina, there isn't any decent Mediterranean restaurant that comes to my mind that's near our place here in Antipolo- until now. Enter Laziz Restaurant! A small but homey place that serves your favorite kebabs, shawarma, hummus and the like just like how your Arabian mom would (if you have one)!

Arabian mom because the family that runs the place actually spent their lives in Saudi Arabia more than in the Philippines. It is only recently that they moved back to Manila after retiring. And what better way to retire than to open up shop serving what the mom loves doing the most- cooking Mediterranean food! Currently, she is a mainstay in the restaurant and cooks all the food so expect every dish to have a touch of motherly love.

And it's not just Mediterranean- they not only included the foreign cuisine they learned to love and make there over the decades, but they also incorporated in their versatile menu a number of favorite Filipino staples from back home. Taking into account the complex flavors and unique ingredients of Middle Eastern food and creating them with a subtle Pinoy twist- that is Laziz's take on Filipino-Mediterranean fusion cuisine.

Note that crucial ingredients of Middle Eastern dishes are imported abroad and the rest are fresh ingredients from the owner's farm in Quezon- Halal guaranteed! To try out the best of their best, a feast was in order and it was a feast we had! Together with fellow Zomato and Rizal bloggers, we had quite an unforgettable lunch.

So enough with the chit-chat! Here's what we had:

Biryani Chicken- P1,099 (4-6 pax) | Kabsah Beef (4-6 pax) | Beef & Lamb Kebabs - P250-499

Sheiz Taouk & Sheiz Beef Kebab | Arabic-style Shrimp w/ Spicy Gambari | Grilled Squid - P299

Tazaj BBQ Whole - P499 | BBQ Lamb Chops & Grilled Shrimps - P499 | Kinilaw na Bangus

Hummus - P50 | Mutabbal - P90 | Greek Salad

Assorted Fresh Fruit Drinks: Mango, Watermelon, Kiwi

Based from the photos alone, I don't think I need to say that it was a superbly belly-filling meal. With the number of dishes I was able to try, it was literally an explosion of flavors! From my Greek Salad appetizer, I crawled my way to the various meat and seafood dishes.

The rice of the Biryani Chicken is long-grained and tri-colored, meaning it's legit and definitely a culinary feat you don't get to see often. All meat dishes are soft and savory to my taste- just make sure to eat them as they are served lest they will get cold and dry. My favorites are the Sheiz Beef Kebab, Tazaj BBQ and BBQ Lamb Chops. Paired with Biryani Rice and Hummus, you can't go wrong with them! At least for those who like to eat meat.

Filipino dishes like the Grilled Squid and Kilawin were okay and are good side-dishes along the main ones. To complete the meal, I went along with their fresh mango juice and man, it was really good especially after eating all those awesome dishes. After lunch, we stayed awhile and chatted with the owner.

VERDICT

If Mediterranean cuisine is your thing and you're the type who can appreciate small and homey restaurants that are family-owned, then you'll have a great time here. Food is really good- they can pass as authentic already, have big serving and pricing is reasonable. The staff, especially the mom, are very hospitable and accommodating.

The only issue I had here was that parking is lacking. I had to park along the school's side road beside the restaurant but other than that, they're golden and you should give the place a try!