Calorgies: Home Of Arabic Cuisine In Bansud

From the Japanese food we had last week at Bashiru, located at the city of Calapan, we travelled our way to the home of spices – the Middle East! Well, we didn’t go to Arabia literally. We just went South and found our way to Calorgies, a restaurant of Arabic cuisine, at Bansud.

I didn’t realize that we’ll be showcasing another cuisine here. It’s amazing to discover local chefs and restauranteurs bringing us foreign taste that is distinctive from ours. At Calorgies, we’ll be able to savor the authentic taste of Mediterranean cuisines, including Arabic and Turkish dishes. In other words, we’ll be enjoying some herbs and spices being put into play.

Chicken Biryani

One thing that makes Chicken Biryani remarkable is the slender pieces of Basmati rice that is full of aroma. Calorgies’ Basmati rice is soft and enjoyable to munch. It got that Arabic flavors of spices that we are looking for. The same goes with the big cut of chicken thigh that is bursting with juices and savor from the marinade. The meat is tender and the skin has this lime flavors. My friend had the Half Chicken Biryani and it’s generously served that it can accommodate a couple of diners already.

Chicken Shawarma

What’s an Arabic restaurant without Shawarma? Anyway, Calorgies has a different take on Shawarma. This is like a huge wrap or a giant burrito sliced into four. It’s so big that a slice can already make a tummy full. Plus, it is filled with big chunks of chicken and fries, which is opposite from the usual shawarma here that is filled with ground meat. The sauce is already incorporated with the fillings but I still prefer pouring some garlic yogurt sauce to it to give it more flavor.

Chicken Kebab

I always prefer beef for my Kebab but surprisingly, I enjoyed Calorgies’ Chicken Kebab more. This is a big plate holding a big serving of kebab so this already gained a point from me. Toning down the intensity of flavors of the chicken was a good move since it was adapted to Filipino palate. The flat bread is soft and bland, which gives way to the flavors of the fillings. The fries were the best part as these well-seasoned potato slices give crunch to the wrap.

Pide

For those who do not know, Pide is the Turkish traditional take on pizza. They localized it by using Turkish flat bread as the crust. Calorgies created Pide as close as they can to the traditional. It shows good colors that causes me to drool already. In terms of the taste, they were able to display the savory flavors of beef. The cheese they used was addicting. It only has mild flavors but in a good way. It would be better though if the crust was crispier.

Shakshuka

From the aroma alone, you’ll already know how hot this dish would be. This Shakshuka is an explosion of cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper, if I guessed the spices correctly. The sauce of onion and garlic tastes like spiced meat. That’s actually awesome! The egg was well-cooked and I appreciate the blend of the yolk and the sauce. I was just looking for more tang from the tomatoes. I think, it was overpowered by the spices. People, who like spicy food, will definitely approve this dish. 

Flat Bread and Poratha

Calorgies offer a couple of bread. However, most of them should be ordered ahead of time so if you’re a walk-in customer, you’ll probably get Flat Bread and Poratha. The Flat Bread, as we know it, is bland so it’s perfect to dip in yogurt sauce or hummus or fill with meat. On the other hand, I enjoy eating the Poratha even without dip or fillings because it is already flavorful on its own. The one they have isn’t stuffed yet it has infused the flavors of butter making it delish.

Karak Chai

So far, among the chai teas I tried from different restaurants or cafes in Mindoro, this is the closest to authentic. Calorgies isn’t afraid to reduce its milkiness to give way to the flavors of tea and spices. They really stood to the definition of Karak Chai. It’s something that people, who prefers strong authentic tea, will love. But those who aren’t familiar with Karak Chai might be surprised. I love that they provided us a cute teapot for this. When we ordered the first time, they were just served in cups.

Shisha

Girl, they have Shisha! It’s another reason to stay and hang with friends at Calorgies! We availed their large Shisha and it took us hours in the restaurant. I definitely recommend this if you are with your company who has a lot of stories to tell. Their restaurant is also a good spot for smoking since it is located far from town proper, it is spacious and it has a comfortable atmosphere. As for the taste of their shisha, I really couldn’t tell because I’m not a smoker. But my friends, who tried, seemed to enjoy it.