ALKUFIAH TENT — Restaurant in Davao City

Food: I really wanted to go here to try the Baklava. I’ve only seen it in Turkey Travel videos and I always wanted to try one. I knew it would be sweet, but I did not expect it to be too sweet. But at least I got to try it. I think it’s best paired with arabic ir turkish coffee.

I liked the cheesy kunafa (picture not included). It reminded me of leche flan but in a different way. The sweetness was just right.

The shawarma plate was good. We loved the garlic sauce. We ordered extras since we enjoyed it too much. The fries are great! Crispy and tasty outside, and soft inside.

The falafel taste great! With or without the garlic sauce. I could just order the falafel and fries and go my way. As to the hummus, it wasn’t tasty enough for me. It needed more lemon and cumin in my opinion. But i have high taste in food, so, to each their own.

Price: the price is just right. We ordered the platters because we just shared it among ourselves. But we were already full and we had a few to take home.

Place: there’s a road repair going on so it was difficult to park or even spot the place amidst the chaos. Good thing my car was small so we found a perfect parking spot by the road. When the road repair is finished, I hope the exterior will look so much better. But as to the interior, it’s a normal looking diner with around 4-5 tables.

Recommendation: at this point, I’d rather order through foodpanda or grab due to the road repair. It’s also quite far from my residence and my workplace. But I’d order again, especially the kunafa, falafel, and fries. I’d like to try their kabsa and shawarma...

If you want to experience fine dining in the Philippines, while forgetting that you're in the Philippines, then going to Alkufiah tent is the right choice. I honestly am not that knowledgeable or aware of any factors like architecture and style of Arabic restaurants but the immersive experience is complete especially knowing that the owner and the chefs are Arabs themselves and so, you really don't have to worry of any misrepresentations. While in the restaurant, you can really say that you're under a different culture as the vibe is just dominatingly different from other fine dining restaurants.

With the food, we only opted to go for snacks as we had a heavy meal before going to the restaurant. We ordered the set of shawarma and french fries with an additional sambosa. The food are very savory and flavorful. The condiments that they provide complements every flavor.

I won't end this review without the appreciation of the interior design and how it contributed to the dining experience. I sincerely felt lucky to be able to sit in the area with the astonishing rocks covering the back side. I was very astonished how it was placed there. It was really creative and the comfy, soft seats with the red geometric shape designs were relaxing. Bonus: The restaurant staff are very accomodating...

I've been really wanting to try different cuisines from different parts of the world. Trying out Arabic food was on my bucket list. Upon entering the restaurant, you can already feel the hospitable staff and chefs. The place’s design felt like home. Aside from the ambiance I felt upon entering, I won’t also forget how delicious and savory the foods were. The pistachio ice cream had a unique yet one-of-a-kind taste. The hummus tastes savory with a perfect balance of spices. I also want to commend how good the sauces were, and it was really perfect to combine with the dishes me and my friends have ordered. I also would like to commend how big the servings were.

Aside from the food, what I really love about my experience here is how approachable the restaurant’s owner is. We had a good conversation with the owner while he tried to explain his first-hand experiences and for the Palestinian people. Every bit of detail you see in the restaurant, including picture frames, plates, and other displays, tells you more about their story. Honestly, I initially thought I was just going to experience Palestinian food, but I soon realized it was much more than that — I gained a deeper appreciation for and understanding of...