Ok, actually, it was an afternoon snack with some friends. But I really do hope it was breakfast then at Kopi Roti because French toasts are so my morning favorite. 🙂

Kopi Bun with Kaya Spread Filling

At the Greenbelt 3 branch, we tried their Hainanese style ‘Kopi‘ (coffee) with sweet milk at P50 and signature Kopi Bun (P40) which is a soft bread with coffee flavored crust and sweet buttery filling.

Kaya Toast

We also had 2 “Roti” French toast (P55), “Roti” Kaya toast (P45), some Kaya puffs, soft boiled eggs (P30), and a Milo Dinosaur beverage. The first two were served with the ‘secret‘ Kaya spread and butter while the third is filled with the former.

For that day however, my kaya toast was so ordinary, and I don’t know why; so I’m raving only about the roti French toasts and my Milo Dinosaur.

As long as it’s slightly toasted and fresh hot, my French toasts never fail me. It’s one of those soft-and-chewy inside but slightly-toasty on the outside comfort food. Just remember to consume them immediately upon serving so it’s still fresh hot.

Kopi Roti French Toast with Kaya spread and butter

Milo Dinosaur

The Milo Dinosaur is a cold concoction with the Milo branded chocolate malt powdered drink. If you love Milo from your childhood years, you’ll be getting flashbacks with its large serving. 🙂

Soft Boiled Eggs

From the menu board, I recommend Set A which is composed of 2 “Roti” French toast (for your egg and carbohydrates), soft boiled eggs (for your protein needs), and Kopi for your caffeine kick (almost perfect if it could be changed to a Milo Dinosaur). It’s a complete breakfast at P125 which saves you P10 from ordering them separately.

Kaya Puffs with Special Kaya Spread Filling

Non-incidentally, today is also Kopi Roti’s 5th year anniversary in the Philippines! Being a Singaporean franchise, the raw ingredients supplying their 18 branches here are sourced directly from Singapore.

In light of this, avail of their special treat from Aug 4-8, 2010 : Kopi Roti offers you the “5 + 1 anniversary promo“. …Buy 5 Kopi Roti products, Get 1, free.*

Congratulations Kopi Roti! More Kopi Buns and French toasts for breakfast! Woot! 🙂

This is my first time to try Persian cuisine. Although there’s a popular misconception that Persian food is spicy, I learned through this experience that most dishes are actually rich with ‘spices,’ but not necessarily spicy.

Persian Cuisine

Also referred to as Iranian Cusiine, Persian cuisine covers an extensive range of cooking preparations and style. In Iran alone, the regions and provinces features different dishes. There are some parts whcih are not into spicy foods while there are those who are. Just like in the Philippines where Bicol is characterized mostly for their spicy dishes while the rest of the country does not.

Their list of recipes and dishes, including appetizers, salads, and desserts is broad. Usual spices include onion, garlic, and herbs like basil, cilantro, fenugreek, tarragon, and shaahi (Persian watercress). Other accompaniments include saffron, dried limes, cinnamon, and parsley.

Case in point, Arya located at the Podium Mall in Ortigas offers varied concoctions of pork, chicken, and beef dishes, among others. The spicy ones have a “chili” icon on the menu’s side.

When my eyes gazed upon the Lamb Biryani in the menu, I told myself I will not let pass the chance to try this one. A Lamb Biryani serves the lamb shank part, tender and stewed in spicy Biryani sauce and matched with your choice of Biryani or Jasmine rice. (Top Photo)

Beef Mahksus

My photo above is just how it looks like. The deep dark brown Biryani sauce was generously served great for mixing with the rice. The lamb meat was one of the most tender and tasty lamb meat I ever had. This is highly expected of meat parts near the bones.

But wait, have I mentioned that it had the “chili” icon on the menu? 🙂 I was able to take the spice level though; which means it would be perfect for those who like spicy foods.

And now, for the dish I enjoyed more and I highly recommend: Beef Mahksus (skewers of Shish and Koobideh). ‘Shish‘ is tenderloin while ‘Koobideh‘ is grounded.

Arya Dip Platter

In translation, this is the Skewers of Beef Tenderloin and Grounded Beef. Served with rice and 2 tomatoes on the side, you may ask a server to slice and prepare the tomatoes into something quite special.

Roti

They don’t have a formal term for what they do with it but they basically slice the tomatoes into small pieces and mix it with spices. The result is an awesome topping or dip (depending on how you intend to use them). Allow me to elaborate on this on a separate future post. As a bonus, I have a video on how they prepared it. 🙂

For now, just believe me to have them prepare it that way and you’ll not be sorry. 🙂

Prior to the main dishes, we had the Arya Dip Platter which consists of Hummus, Motabal, Tzitziki, and Mirza Ghazemi. This a good group appetizer for four especially if you want to try something different from the usual American bread and butter before a hearty meal.

If you’re in a mood for more appetizers, have a ‘roti.’ It’s a whole wheat unleavened flat bread pan fried and served with curry sauce.

We also had the skewer platter.

Skewer Platter

Arya Persian Restaurant

Part 2 will follow soon and part one will be updated with prices 🙂

Tip: If you love the lamb shank but want to do without the spiciness, order the Mahiche Polo. It’s a Persian style lamb shank stew with dilled Jasmine rice or Basmati rice (Iranian Rice). I haven’t tried it though, I’m trying it the next time I step in Arya.