Zabo Chicken is a restaurant at the new SM Jazz Mall in Makati that specializes in slow-roasted 18 Spice Chicken alongside other affordable Mediterranean inspired dishes. This new player in Manila restaurant already established itself enough that within three months of operation, they have already managed to branch out to different locations with four branches all in all as of the time of writing.
Their slow-roasted Mediterranean style 18 Spice Chicken which recipe they developed for 8 months prior to the opening of their first branch is the pride of Zabo Chicken. Rightfully so, since its flavor is a treat in itself. Zabo's Menu leans heavily on Mediterranean without disregard to Filipino market. That is why they offer Rice Buffet wherein diners could feast on as much rice as they want. The affordability of their price range is another noteworthy thing about Zabo Chicken.
Their branches are located at SM Jazz Mall in Makati, SM BF Paranaque, SM North Edsa, and at Glorietta 4 Food Choices. Being the flagship store of Zabo Chicken, I decided to pay a visit at their SM Jazz Makati branch to check out some of their offerings.
Zabo Chicken is located at the ground floor of SM Jazz Makati alongside other restaurants in the establishments. The area is spacious enough to house group of diners who wants to feast on affordable Mediterranean dishes and the famous Zabo 18 Spice Chicken. I was told that they are still in the process of developing other dishes that they will include on their menu but that is not to say that current choices are limited.
Zabo Large Cut Fries (Php75)
If you are into fries but detested the usual commercialized treats you can get in most fast food restaurants, Zabo's Large Cut Fries may sit well with you. This thick cut fries has the homey appeal to it in terms of texture and flavor. Freshly cut and made every day, the potato strips are noticeably carrying still some potato skin which is a clear indication that indeed, it is home made.
Hummus (Php70)
As a restaurant that offers Mediterranean inspired dishes, Zabo's choices for appetizer include Hummus served with pita bread. Hummus is something I enjoy and could whip up at home and Zabo's rendition is reminiscent of my very own homemade hummus. The thing I like about Zabo's Hummus is the fact that despite the simplicity of the dish, they have managed to let the spices shine through. It has a little kick which I think was brought about by paprika, but I am not sure since most of their recipes is company secret.
Falafel (Php75)
This I must say one of the best falafel which I have ever tried for such a long time! The flavor was really noteworthy that one may wonder how such complex mixture of flavors can come out from a simple dish such as this. A serving consist of 3 balls and is priced at Php75 only. Good thing that it is really affordable because if you are into falafel, you would certainly have seconds of this.
Beef Turna Wrap (Php165)
By definition, Turna is a Zabo term for slices of juicy, marinated meat topped with their secret garlic sauce. This Beef Turna Wrap is can be liken to the famous and well-loved beef shawarma. Compared to the usual shawarma, Beef Turna's filling is way heftier than the usual. The flavor of the beef leans on the smoky savory spectrum and when added with the garlic sauce, it was just meaty blissful experience.
Chicken Turna Wrap (Php145)
The Chicken Turna Wrap on the other hand is just like its beef counterpart, only it has strips of juicy, marinated chicken instead of beef. There are slices of onions and tomatoes as well and of course, the secret garlic sauce. One could be under the impression that the chicken used for Turna Wrap was the same 18 Spice Chicken they offer at Zabo. I thought it was, until I tasted it and was greeted by a flavor different than the 18 Spice Chicken. This does not mean that this wrap is not any good because I enjoyed it immensely as well.
Zabo 18 Spice Chicken
Now we came to the main star of Zabo's menu; the 18 Spice Chicken. Honestly, the appearance is reminiscent of the usual roasted chicken one my find everywhere. But lo and behold, its flavor is not comparable to others. I was told that the recipe was meticulously developed in 8 months until the people behind Zabo including Zabo's General Manager Mr. Ferdie Avendano, came up with the perfect flavor they hoped for their chicken.
Rubbed and marinated in 18 different kinds of spices, Zabo's Chicken boasts of flavor that lies between savory and sweet balanced perfectly with hint of garlicky and smokey flavor. Its is not something easy to describe as one should have a taste of it to understand. While its flavor is definitely a feat in itself, its downright tenderness is also noteworthy. Zabo only uses fresh chicken which is obvious when you check on its bone, there's not single mark of freezer burn.
Zabo has different kind of sauces to go with their chicken namely Garlic Sauce, Tarator Sauce, Chili Oil, Sweet Chili Sauce, a dark Sweet Sauce, and thick brown Gravy. While I enjoyed the gravy with the chicken, I must say that despite its absence, the chicken is already flavorful on its own.
18 Spice Chicken is priced at Php165 for Quarter Roast Chicken with a cup of rice, Php240 for One Half Chicken with one cup of rice, and Php420 for Whole Chicken.
Aside from the sauces, Zabo 18 Spice Chicken is also served with Zabo's Special Garlic Sauce, the same sauce they use for their Turna Wraps. To be honest, I have been to a good number of restaurants which offers garlic sauce to accompany their dishes but nothing comes close to the goodness of Zabo's Garlic Sauce. It can be easily pass off as your usual mayonnaise with bits of garlic but its flavor is something so garlicky good you would want to put it in every food there is!
Rice Buffet (Add Php29 to any rice meal)
We Pinoys are big on rice, that is undeniable. There are numbers of restaurants that offers unlimited rice nowadays but Zabo's Rice Buffet is far better than that. For an additional Php29 to any rice meal, diners may feast on as many rice as they want to accompany their 18 Spice Chicken. The difference compared to the usual unlimited rice offered by other restaurants is that Zabo offers 5 different variants of rice; Zabo Rice, Zabo Spice Rice, Carrot Rice, Garlic/Steamed Rice, and Brown Rice.
Ice Cream (Php25/small, 39/large)
Zabo is still in the process of developing desserts but they are currently offering ice cream which is a perfect palate cleanser after indulging on garlicky dishes. During our visit, they had vanilla mint and chocolate flavor which I both enjoyed.
To be honest, I don't have much of an expectation prior to visiting Zabo Chicken. Roasted chicken done right is inherently good, how else can you make it special, right? Well, apparently, Zabo has the right recipe which can be mind blowing. Their 18 Spice Chicken is something you should not miss because the flavor and the tenderness will make you realize that it is worth every penny. Other dishes on the menu were also good, particularly the falafel and hummus. If you are someone who dig Mediterranean dishes but wouldn't want to burn a hole in your pocket, then I suggest you visit Zabo Chicken and indulge!
Zabo Chicken
G/F SM Jazz Mall,
Nicanor Garcia corner Jupiter Street,
Bel-Air, Makati City
Contact No.: 553-5239
Facebook: /ZABOChicken
Twitter: @ZABOChicken
Instagram: @ZABOChicken
