How Arab cuisine is influencing the dining scene in Philippine capital

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Updated 28 January 2025
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How Arab cuisine is influencing the dining scene in Philippine capital

How Arab cuisine is influencing the dining scene in Philippine capital
  • Family-style Middle Eastern meals align with Filipino get-together traditions
  • Exposure to Arab cuisine is making Filipinos appreciate its nutritional value

MANILA: More and more Middle Eastern restaurants are popping up across Manila, influencing Filipino dining with flavors and styles that differ from local food traditions.

Everywhere you turn, there is a new spot serving comforting, smooth, creamy hummus, perfectly grilled juicy kebabs, shawarma with tender, seasoned meat wrapped in pita, and more.

“They’re everywhere and I love it,” said Jacob Lazaro, a journalist in the Philippine capital, who has developed a taste for Arab food over the past few years. And he is far from alone.

For fellow Manilenos, Trisha Santa Cruz and her husband, a trip to Meshwe — a Lebanese restaurant in the capital region’s Quezon City — has become a habit, especially after workout, when they want to eat healthy food.

“It’s complete with protein, there are carbs, and there are always vegetables. So it’s complete, very palatable to our taste,” Santa Cruz said.

The owner of Meshwe, Nathaniel Mounayer, who opened the restaurant in 2013, has in recent years noticed a growing interest in Middle Eastern food among Filipinos.

“When I was still a college student, Middle Eastern food was a very niche market ... but the Filipino palate has been growing ever since, and we’re getting more and more newcomers — not necessarily people who have visited the Middle East, just people who want to explore and try different cuisines,” he said.

Filipino customers were initially most interested in barbecued meat dishes, and the restaurant catered to them. This is also reflected in its name, which is Arabic for “grilled.” Over time, however, especially when the spot became popular with Arab students, Mounayer started cooking traditional Levantine home meals for them, which included vegetable specialties.

“Filipinos were like: ‘Hey, can we try?’ From then, it grew, and it grew, and we started adding them into our menu regularly,” he said.

“Filipinos have always been very adventurous in trying different cuisines. So, it gives us, as a restaurant, as a chef, more confidence to introduce not only the typical Middle Eastern dishes, but (also) dive into more regional, more traditional home cooking.”

More exposure to Arab cuisine has allowed Filipinos to also appreciate its nutritional value and the way the dishes are cooked.

“I like Middle Eastern food because I know it’s halal and healthy. I trust the way it was prepared. My introduction to Middle Eastern food was through the shawarma. Then I tried hummus and kebab. I also discovered mulukhiyah, or we call it saluyot, and their special desserts,” Baleno Reyes, a government worker, told Arab News.

“Now, I usually order Middle Eastern food online instead of pizzas, which used to be my go-to food when I didn’t feel like cooking. Growing up, it was always pizza for me ... as a kid I always loved pizza. But now, it’s time to go healthy.”

In their weekend evening outings, Filipinos most often opt for shawarma. Friends Weng, Rissa, Joey and Hannah, who were enjoying the dish at The Melting Potluck in Quezon City, said they were “team shawarma” and would not pass up any opportunity to have it together.

“Whenever we get together, it’s not possible without shawarma. It’s automatic,” Weng said, as the others laughed.

“It’s filling, not oily, and of course it’s delicious,” Hannah added. “Especially when there’s garlic sauce and it’s spicy.”

The Palestinian owner of The Melting Potluck, Khaldoun Asad, estimated that 99 percent of his customers were Filipinos.

When he opened the restaurant eight years ago, shawarma was the only dish he sold.

“It was a shawarma wrap with pita bread, and then we introduced rice. The Filipino people love rice. After that we put up another dish, hummus, and they loved it. And then we put up biryani and kebab, and all these dishes are our best sellers,” he said.

The flavors that he offered were the same as those he would prepare for his children at home. He believed that authenticity of flavor was what would attract Filipinos most.

“I did not make any adjustments. I stick to the originality of our food and that’s what the people love about it,” he said. “If you taste our shawarma, it’s very authentic ... and they love the authentic flavor.”

Middle Eastern restaurants are giving Filipinos a taste of something new, and they’re embracing it — along with the shared, family-style meals that perfectly align with the Filipino “salu-salo” (get-together) traditions.

Mohamed Al-Malek, a restaurant owner from Saudi Arabia who opened Arabic House in Manila two years ago, said the Arab style of dining “aligns perfectly” with Filipino culture.

“Filipinos love family-style meals, and sharing platters like what we have in our menu makes Middle Eastern cuisine a natural fit,” he told Arab News.

“Over the years, I’ve seen a growing curiosity and appreciation for international cuisines, including Middle Eastern dishes, as Filipinos become more adventurous with their dining choices. Middle Eastern cuisine has seen remarkable growth.”

Besides Filipino expats returning from Arab countries and Arabs settling in the Philippines, the driving factor for this growth has also been a “mix of curiosity about international flavors” and the “rise of health-conscious eating,” which boosts interest in dishes such as hummus, moutabal and mulukhiyah, Al-Malek said.

“Middle Eastern cuisine is carving its own niche. While Japanese and Italian are staples, Middle Eastern food offers something unique with its bold flavors and communal style. The future looks exciting.”


Bangladesh’s air force chief seeks stronger defense ties with Saudi Arabia, UAE

Bangladesh’s air force chief seeks stronger defense ties with Saudi Arabia, UAE
Updated 09 February 2025
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Bangladesh’s air force chief seeks stronger defense ties with Saudi Arabia, UAE

Bangladesh’s air force chief seeks stronger defense ties with Saudi Arabia, UAE
  • Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan will be in the Kingdom until Feb. 13
  • Dhaka seeks to take defense relations to ‘next level’ with the Gulf trip

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s Air Force chief began a multi-day visit to Saudi Arabia and the UAE on Sunday, a trip expected to strengthen Dhaka’s defense ties with the Gulf states.

Air Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan arrived in Riyadh on Sunday, where he is due to hold talks with top officials at the Royal Saudi Air Force, including his counterpart, Lt. Gen. Turki bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz.

Khan will also visit RSAF’s bases and establishments as part of his trip to the Kingdom, according to the public relations division of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, ISPR.

“The visit of our air chief marshal will strengthen defense cooperation between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia,” ISPR Director Lt. Col. Sami Ud Dowla Chowdhury told Arab News.

“Khan will discuss opportunities for increasing collaboration in the area of joint exercise and training. The visit will definitely pave the way for closer cooperation between the two air forces in the coming days.”

Dhaka and Riyadh signed in 2019 an agreement to further their military cooperation, which has served as a basis for their collaborations in the field.

From Saudi Arabia, Khan will continue his Gulf trip to the UAE on Feb. 14 to meet his Emirati counterpart, Maj. Gen. Staff Pilot Ibrahim Nasser Mohamed Al-Alawi, and discuss “various bilateral issues of mutual interest.”

Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE are “very important countries” in the Gulf region, Chowdhury said.

“We have been enjoying excellent relationships with both countries. With this visit, we can say our defense cooperation will be further enhanced.”


31 Maoists, two Indian soldiers killed in gunfight— police 

31 Maoists, two Indian soldiers killed in gunfight— police 
Updated 09 February 2025
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31 Maoists, two Indian soldiers killed in gunfight— police 

31 Maoists, two Indian soldiers killed in gunfight— police 
  • Over 10,000 have been killed in decades-long insurgency waged by rebels
  • Maoists demand land, jobs and share of central India’s natural resources for locals 

New Delhi: At least 31 Maoist rebels and two Indian commandos were killed in a gunfight in the dense jungles of central India Sunday, as security forces ramp up efforts to crush the long-running insurgency.

More than 10,000 people have been killed in the decades-long insurgency waged by the rebels, who say they are fighting for the rights of marginalized Indigenous people.

“31 rebels and two security personnel are dead and two other security personnel are injured,” senior police officer Sundarraj P. told AFP.

The official said the toll could be even higher as the police continue to carry out search operations in the area.

“Additional forces have been rushed to the encounter site,” he said.

Police have recovered automatic weapons and grenade launchers from the scene, a police statement said.

The gunfight broke in the forested areas of Bijapur district in the state of Chhattisgarh, considered the heartland of the insurgency.

“This is a big success in the direction of achieving a Naxal-free India,” said Amit Shah, India’s home minister, who last year said the government expected to crush the rebellion by 2026.

A crackdown by security forces has killed some 287 rebels in the past year, an overwhelming majority in Chhattisgarh, according to government data.

The Maoists demand land, jobs and a share of the region’s immense natural resources for local residents.

They made inroads in a number of remote communities across India’s east and south, and the movement gained in strength and numbers until the early 2000s.

New Delhi then deployed tens of thousands of troops in a stretch of territory known as the “Red Corridor.”

The conflict has also seen a number of deadly attacks on government forces. A roadside bomb killed at least nine Indian troops last month.
 


Trump says he has spoken to Putin about ending the Ukraine war

Trump says he has spoken to Putin about ending the Ukraine war
Updated 09 February 2025
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Trump says he has spoken to Putin about ending the Ukraine war

Trump says he has spoken to Putin about ending the Ukraine war
  • Trump said last week that the war was a bloodbath and that his team had had ‘some very good talks’
  • US president has repeatedly said he wants to end the war and that he will meet Putin to discuss it

MOSCOW: US President Donald Trump said he has spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone about ending the war in Ukraine, the New York Post reported, the first known direct conversation between Putin and a USpresident since early 2022.

Trump, who has promised to end the war in Ukraine but not yet set out in public how he would do so, said last week that the war was a bloodbath and that his team had had “some very good talks.”

In an interview aboard Air Force One on Friday Trump told the New York Post that he had “better not say,” when asked how many times he and Putin had spoken.

“He (Putin) wants to see people stop dying,” Trump told the New York Post. The White House did not respond to a request for comment outside normal business hours.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the TASS state news agency that “many different communications are emerging.”

“These communications are conducted through different channels,” Peskov said when asked by TASS to comment directly on the New York Post report. “I personally may not know something, be unaware of something. Therefore, in this case, I can neither confirm nor deny it.”

The conflict in eastern Ukraine began in 2014 after a pro-Russian president was toppled in Ukraine’s Maidan Revolution and Russia annexed Crimea, with Russian-backed separatist forces fighting Ukraine’s armed forces.

Putin sent thousands of troops into Ukraine in 2022, calling it a “special military operation” to protect Russian speakers in Ukraine and counter what he said was a grave threat to Russia from potential Ukrainian membership of NATO.

Ukraine and its Western backers, led by the United States, said the invasion was an imperial style land grab and vowed to defeat Russian forces.

Moscow controls a chunk of Ukraine about the size of the American state of Virginia and is advancing at the fastest pace since the early days of the 2022 invasion.

Trump-Putin summit?

Trump, author of the 1987 book “Trump: the Art of the Deal,” has repeatedly said he wants to end the war and that he will meet Putin to discuss it, though the date or venue for a summit is still not publicly known.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are seen by Russia as possible venues for a summit, Reuters reported earlier this month.

On June 14, Putin set out his opening terms for an immediate end to the war: Ukraine must drop its NATO ambitions and withdraw its troops from the entirety of the territory of four Ukrainian regions claimed and mostly controlled by Russia.

Reuters reported in November that Putin is open to discussing a Ukraine peace deal with Trump but rules out making any major territorial concessions and insists Kyiv abandon ambitions to join NATO.

The Kremlin has repeatedly urged caution over speculation about contacts with the Trump team over a possible peace deal.

Leonid Slutsky, head of the Russian parliament’s international affairs committee, was cited by the state RIA news agency on Thursday as saying that preparations for such a meeting were at “an advanced stage” and that it could take place in February or March.

Putin last spoke to former US President Joe Biden in February 2022, shortly before Putin ordered thousands of troops into Ukraine. The two leaders spoke for about an hour then, the Kremlin said.

Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward, in his 2024 book “War,” reported that Trump had direct conversations as many as seven times with Putin after he left the White House in 2021.

Asked if that were true in an interview to Bloomberg last year, Trump said: “If I did, it’s a smart thing.” The Kremlin denied Woodward’s report.

On Friday, Trump said he would probably meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky next week to discuss ending the war.

Trump told the New York Post that he has “always had a good relationship with Putin” and that he has a concrete plan to end the war. But he did not disclose further details.

“I hope it’s fast,” Trump said. “Every day people are dying. This war is so bad in Ukraine. I want to end this damn thing.”


One dead, dozens missing in China landslide

One dead, dozens missing in China landslide
Updated 09 February 2025
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One dead, dozens missing in China landslide

One dead, dozens missing in China landslide
  • China has been hit with extreme weather in recent months, with dozens of people killed in floods last year
  • Scientists say climate change is making extreme weather events more frequent

SHANGHAI: A landslide in China’s southwestern Sichuan province triggered by heavy rain has killed at least one person, with nearly 30 more missing, state media said Sunday.
China has been hit with extreme weather in recent months, with dozens of people killed in floods last year, its warmest on record.
Scientists say climate change is making extreme weather events more frequent.
Saturday’s landslide hit Jinping village in the city of Yibin at around 11:50 a.m. (0350 GMT).
As of Sunday morning, “one person has been killed and 28 people are missing,” state news agency Xinhua said.
Two people were saved on Saturday and more than 900 rescuers are attempting to find the rest of the missing people, Xinhua said.
Video footage published by state broadcaster CCTV earlier on Sunday showed rescuers with flashlights searching through debris in the dark.
“A preliminary study shows this disaster occurred due to the influence of recent prolonged rainfall and geological factors,” CCTV said, citing local authorities.
President Xi Jinping ordered authorities on Saturday to do “everything possible to search for and rescue missing people, minimize casualties, and properly handle the aftermath.”


Bangladesh crackdown on ex-regime loyalists

Bangladesh crackdown on ex-regime loyalists
Updated 09 February 2025
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Bangladesh crackdown on ex-regime loyalists

Bangladesh crackdown on ex-regime loyalists

DHAKA: Bangladesh on Sunday launched a major security operation after protesters were attacked by gangs allegedly connected to the ousted regime of ex-leader Sheikh Hasina.
A government statement said the operation began after gangs “linked to the fallen autocratic regime attacked a group of students, leaving them severely injured.”
Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, head of the interior ministry in the interim government that took over after Hasina was ousted in the August 2024 student-led revolution, has dubbed it “Operation Devil Hunt.”
“It will continue until we uproot the devils,” Chowdhury told reporters.
The sweeping security operations come after days of unrest.
On Wednesday, six months to the day since Hasina fled as crowds stormed her palace in Dhaka, protesters smashed down buildings connected to her family using excavators.
Protests were triggered in response to reports that 77-year-old Hasina — who has defied an arrest warrant to face trial crimes against humanity — would appear in a Facebook broadcast from exile in neighboring India.
Buildings destroyed included the museum and former home of Hasina’s late father, Bangladesh’s first president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The interim government blamed Hasina for the violence.
On Friday, interim leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus also pleaded for calm.
“Respecting the rule of law is what differentiates the new Bangladesh we are working together to build, from the old Bangladesh under the fascist regime,” Yunus said in a statement.
“For the citizens who rose up and overthrew the Hasina regime ... it is imperative to prove to ourselves and our friends around the world that our commitment to our principles — respecting one another’s civil and human rights and acting under the law — is unshakable.”
Hours later, members of the Students Against Discrimination — the protest group credited with sparking the uprising against Hasina — were attacked in the Dhaka district of Gazipur.
The vocal and powerful group — whose members are in the government cabinet — had since demanded action.