What were you doing back in 1985? If you were around, you’d remember the year when Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Tears for Fears, and Prince ruled the charts. The Breakfast Club was the film of the moment, its anthem “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” still echoing decades later.
That same year, along a modest strip of Makati Avenue, another cultural touchstone quietly began. In a stall with just four seats and a smoky grill, a young Iranian student named Hossein Sohrabi Langroudi opened what would become one of Manila’s pioneering Persian restaurants, now famously contributing to the landscape of Hossein’s Persian restaurant in the Philippines.
From Exile to Enterprise
Hossein had come to Manila in the late 1970s to study electrical engineering at Mapúa. But when the Shah of Iran was deposed and Ayatollah Khomeini rose to power, returning home was no longer an option. Stranded in a foreign land, he needed to start over.
His solution was food. With little more than a grill, spices, and determination, he began selling kebabs—a dish virtually unknown to Filipinos at the time. At first, it was Iranians and other Middle Eastern expats who came, then Indians, then returning OFWs who had tasted kebabs abroad. Slowly but surely, Manila learned to crave the smoky, charred skewers from his tiny stall, making Hossein’s Persian restaurant a landmark in the Philippines.
Finding ingredients was a challenge. Halal-certified meat was rare, authentic spices even rarer. Yet Hossein persisted, improvising until his flavors came close to home. By word of mouth alone, “Persian Kebab” gained loyal followers.
Building a Legacy
By the mid-1990s, Hossein had married Gloria, a Filipina, and was raising four children. With his family came expansion: a proper restaurant with tables, chairs, air-conditioning, and an expanded menu that embraced both Persian and Indian classics.
The four-seat stall had transformed into Hossein’s, a gathering place for students, expats, and Manila’s budding foodie crowd. Over time, branches sprouted in Makati Avenue, Greenbelt 3, Serendra, and most recently, Gateway II in Cubao, solidifying Hossein’s presence as a go-to Persian restaurant in the Philippines.
From a stall born of necessity, Hossein’s had become part of Manila’s dining culture—a place where survival had turned into heritage. Through it all, Hossein himself remained the restaurant’s beating heart—grilling, cleaning, managing, and always keeping watch over quality.
The Next Generation
In 2025, Hossein’s turns forty. The founder still checks in at the commissary to ensure every dish meets the standards he set in the ’80s. But much of the growth now comes from his son Arash, an architect who designs the restaurants’ dramatic interiors and leads the marketing push for Hossein’s Persian restaurants in the Philippines.
When I visited the newest Gateway branch, Arash brought out the Supreme Kebab Platter himself: beef, lamb, chicken, and shrimp in a dazzling parade of color and smoke. It was a dish that spoke of continuity—different flavors, yet perfectly balanced.
The feast continued with Hossein’s Roasted Lamb Ribs—fatty, charred, unapologetic. Then came Butter Chicken, rich and silky, its sauce draped over saffron rice. I couldn’t stop scooping spoonfuls. The finale was ghormeh sabzi, Iran’s national beef-and-bean stew. For Filipinos, it carries the same comfort as a bowl of nilaga or sinigang—familiar in soul, if not in spice. Columnist and culinary instructor Chef Reggie Aspiras calls it one of her favorites.
A Pioneer That Endures
Hossein’s is more than a restaurant. It’s one of the first places that introduced Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine to the Philippines—long before shawarma stands lined every corner or hummus appeared on every café menu, setting a culinary milestone for Hossein’s Persian restaurant in the Philippines.
“Forty years later, Hossein’s isn’t just where Filipinos first discovered kebabs—it’s where new generations return, discovering Persian flavors as if for the first time.”
Today, Hossein’s continues that legacy with five-star service, generous portions, and flavors rooted in tradition. It is a family business that has endured political upheavals, shifting food trends, and forty years of change—proof that a humble kebab stall can spark a culinary movement.
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1 Comment. Leave new
one of the best middle eastern food resto in the philippines. I love their grilled meats!