Published in Appetite Magazine, March 2012 issue as One Magical Night: Authentic Halal Food from Gilak by Hossein
Stepping into Hossein’s is like walking into an
enchanting chapter from the One Thousand and
One Nights. With the heavy draperies hanging from
elaborately carved wooden arches and colorful Moroccan chandeliers glowing from
the ceilings, I almost expected a magical carpet to bring us in. What I got was
even better – a night of exquisite Persian, Arabic and Indian cuisine under the
commanding spell of Chef Hossein Sohrabi.
The genie
in a chef’s hat
Chef Hossein has the impressive presence of a supernatural
genie that’s bound to grant wishes. I suspect though that anyone would find it
extremely difficult to make Chef Hossein do anyone’s bidding, but food he will
most willingly grant. The former bodybuilder and lifeguard was also in military
service, as required for all 18 year-old male citizens in Iran. Who would have
that a PhD graduate in Business Management would turn into a recognized
chef? Chef Hossein tells us that the
love for food runs in the Hossein family. In fact, his brother is also a chef
and exchanges recipes with him online.
With a vigorous “Come here!” the restaurateur made me run to
the kitchen. He insisted that we wolf down whole chunks of juicy beef kebab
(P334), instead of the hesitant bites we were taking from the freshly cooked
meat. Surprisingly, popping hot meaty
portions into your mouth makes a whole world of difference in appreciating a
kebab. He reminded me of my grandfather who wouldn’t take no for an answer
whenever he had prepared some exotic food I just had to taste. When I told him
my grandfather also went to the same school as he did in college, his eyes
crinkled into a smile before he replied with, “God bless him!”
The authoritative air is not the only reason you couldn’t
refuse a dish served by Chef Hossein.
Once I took my first bite, I was enchanted. He is hard to resist, because his
dishes are just meant to be relished. An example is one of Hossein’s beef specialties,
the Beef Dopiaza (P424). From the huge
Chef’s Appetizer, my favorites were the motabal (eggplant with tahini paste and
olive oil) and dolmeh (stuffed grape leaves).
The only thing in this entrée not for vegetarians was the meat
samosa. I’m a carnivore, but I would
definitely want more of the homos, falafel, vegetable samosa, and tabulee
included in this dish. When asked what the dolmeh was stuffed with, Chef
Hossein simply says “It’s magic.”
Pages of food
Chef Hossein tells us that he still studies every night. “You want to see my books? Come!” I tore my
eyes from the parade of dishes to be photographed and followed him to his
office. He brings my attention to the many books on his shelf. In a
Persian Kingdom, Tempted, Cookbook Diary and A Taste of Persia…everything
was about food. Chef Hossein opens a
page from one of them and tells me to read about Iran’s claim to culinary fame.
Spellbound
by Saffron
“If you eat too much,
you might get high,” the Chef’s wife Gloria Sohrabi warns us about the very
expensive and flavorful saffron spice natively grown in Iran. “You put only a little”, Chef Hossein
agrees. Saffron is the female part
(stigma) of the lilac-colored saffron flower.
This probably explains the heady allure of saffron, which as Gloria
tells us, is also said to be an aphrodisiac.
The saffron is handpicked, taking 70,000 to 250,000 flowers to make one
pound of the red seasoning. Not only
does saffron add flavor and color to a dish, its thin strands are also reputed
to contain healing powers.
I loved its distinct appetizing aroma in my Plain Rice with
Saffron (P168). Combined with the yellow
Biryani rice (P180), the saffron taste was still perceptible from the chunks of
shrimp tandoori, and beef, lamb and chicken kebab that Chef Hossein had cut up
into a tasty mix of rice toppings. You
can get a whole plate of the grills and rice when you order the Supreme Kebab
II (P2625), but make sure that you bring a lot of friends to dine with
you. Hossein’s grilled meats are served
in huge portions and are very tasty.
Love spells
Hossein
Chef Hossein had plunked a whole stack of publications in
front of me, ordering me to leaf through some featuring his restaurants. A heavy coffee table book caught my eye
though: Manila’s Best-Kept Restaurant
Secrets. “Find Hossein’s,” was the
Chef’s instruction, and I couldn’t help but comply. There it was: Best
Specialty Restaurant.
While the Chef is certainly proud of his culinary heritage
and thriving business, I feel that the love for his family surpasses all his
other passions. He proudly tells us of
his four children, two of whom also cook.
In the photo shoot, the Chef dons his tall chef’s hat and holds Miss
Gloria close and kisses her. “Right now,” he says over dinner, “I focus on my
wife.”
This was truly one of my best nights over dinner with people
I just met. While he wouldn’t spill any
of his kitchen secrets, Chef Hossein willingly talks about Iran, narrates their
inspiring love story as husband and wife, and gives us advice. “Enjoy your life when you are young darling!,” the Chef addresses each of us, “Don’t miss the time
because you’re never born again.” Then with more emphasis, “Don’t say yes! Do
it!”
Chef Hossein has been here since 1978 and the first time he
started grilling kebab, the other Iranians told him to go home. Today, he has received invitations to put up
the Hossein restaurants abroad, but he says he plans to stay here. As he declares, “This is my home”.
One more
night of magic
There are 580 dishes in Hossein’s; that’s more than a hundred
nights you can experience a dose of Middle Eastern charm. Chef Hossein tells me that I can come back
any time to read his book about saffron. I will definitely return for another
magical night.
At the beginning of the interview, I was wondering if Chef
Hossein still ate in his restaurants all the time. In response, the Chef told me, “I love my
food.” I’m sure many of his customers would reply with, "We do too!".
Gilak by
Hossein is located at the 2nd level, Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center,
Makati Center, Makati Ave. For
reservations, phone (02)7290266 or 7290267.
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