The Great Mexican Food: Numero Dos

We have previously blogged about a delicious food place that serves authentic Mexican dishes. We were so satisfied with the Mexican cuisine that we have always craved for Mexican food since then. Previously, we would prefer Japanese, Chinese, or Italian inspired food. Well, we still do. But, we have added the Mexican cuisine to that list. And ever since then, we have always looked for food places that would serve us delicious Mexican dishes. Luckily, we found one at a place called UP Village.

We have mentioned UP Village (also known as Teacher's Village) a lot of times already in our previous blog posts. Because of the many food places here, food bloggers like us would most certainly have at least one or two blogs from this area. In fact, most, if not all of the food place here are worth blogging. Which now brings us to this Mexican food place along Maginhawa street.

Cocina Juan looks like a relaxing bungalow type of restaurant along Maginhawa street in UP Village. From the name itself, you would get a hint of some sort that this place serves Mexican food. The place is very comfortable-looking. The inside is air-conditioned and adorned with different artworks and other designs. the place is creatively designed, having guitars hanging on the walls and empty wine bottles lined up in one corner. Moreover, the people at Cocina Juan are very kind. They patiently wait for your order and they are always there when you need them. It's a good place with a good staff.

The food is very affordable. It's not as expensive as the other Mexican restaurants, which gives Cocina Juan and edge when it comes to pricing. The food may be affordable, but that doesn't mean they cut down on ingredients. The dishes at this restaurant are still heavy with flavors, and each bite will leave you craving for more.

If you're asking what you could eat here, here are some of our recommends. These are what we tried as well:

Iced Tea, 45 php

Glutton Guy: Nothing much from the iced tea. It's just the plain old and usual iced tea we order elsewhere. I'd always rather have a glass of iced tea than a glass of cold soda. The taste of the iced tea here is the same as the other iced teas we drink at other restaurants. There is no distinct taste as far as I could remember. : )

Cranberry Juice, 75 php

Glutton Girl: I always want to try something new for a drink. Good thing Cocina Juan has this cranberry juice. I ordered it to see what it would taste like. It was very good. It was a cold glass of juice that I liked. It had a fruity taste, yet it was not overwhelmingly sweet. It's a drink that's worth a try at Cocina Juan.

Burrito Classico, 155 php (Medios), 175 php (Grandes),  195 php (Chimichangas)

Glutton Guy: Ever since my last Mexican food trip, I have always craved for burritos. It's not surprising that when I got the chance to eat at another Mexican restaurant, I would order a burrito. Cocina Juan's burrito is very delicious. You can actually choose your type of meat. You can choose between fajitas (beef skirt), carne asada (seasoned beef), carnitas (honeyed pork), pechuga de pollo (chicken adobo), or hungarian sausage. I chose the carnitas since I wanted a sweet touch on my burrito. The beef was very tender. The sauce blended well with the other ingredients. The vegetables, the rice, the beans, everything was perfectly cooked. The cheese made the burrito more flavorful and more delicious. The corn gave that crunch that I also liked. It's another excellent burrito I continue to crave for. : )

Poquito Meal - Plato Con Arroz, 110 php

Glutton Girl: I wanted rice, so I ordered a poquito meal, which is a mexican rice meal. You can also choose the type of beef that you want. I also got myself a carnitas poquito meal. It was delicious, too. It, however, just resembled the normal food that you eat at home. It was just like an adobo or an estofado with rice. The way it was cooked, though, was perfect. The beef was soft and it wasn't rubbery. It was served hot, which I liked. I wasn't feeling the presentation, though. It was like food in a lunch box.

Quesadilla 'Sincronizadas', 165 php

Glutton Guy: We also tried their quesadilla. Again, you can choose what type of meat you would want for your quesadilla. We ordered the fajitas for a change. I liked this dish. The tortilla was good. I liked that it was not too soft and its crunch was just right. The cheese really oozes from the inside. I like the balance it gives to the beef. The beef was also tender. It's very tasty and it's not difficult to chew. The salsa in the middle was also good. It was not too salty and there was that tangy flavor from the citrus that they used. It hypes the flavors of the quesadilla. It's another winner at Cocina Juan. : )

Glutton Girl: Cocina Juan's quesadilla is another must-try here. You would really get the mix of the flavors of every ingredient. The good thing is, even though there are different flavors, you won't get confused. You know that each flavor blends well with the others. I liked the flavor of the beef. It's very tasty and it's not hard to eat. The melted cheese is the tape that binds all the ingredients together. It really made the quesadilla perfect. Dipping it in the salsa is just wonderful. You get that added kick from the salsa and the yummy taste from the quesadilla. I liked the presentation of the dish as well. A bit simple, but you can get the Mexican feel.


Cocina Juan is one of those food places where you can really get your value for money. Not only is the food affordable, but you also taste the authentic Mexican food that will surely satisfy your hunger. It's a whole new Mexican experience. Where else can you find affordable Mexican food that doesn't cut on the flavor? Cocina Juan is one of those food places at Maginhawa street that's worth the money, worth the trip, and most especially, worth the blog.

Rating: Buddhalicious!
(Cocina Juan is located at 100 Maginhawa street, Teacher's Village, Quezon City. It's near Mini Stop and across Banco De Oro. It's just along Maginhawa street so you can't miss it.)

The Great Mexican Food

As compared to Japanese and Chinese cuisine, Mexican cuisine is not that popular in the country. However, they are being recognized now, as more and more Mexican food places keep popping up all around the Metro. One of these delicious Mexican restaurants we found at a place called Little Baguio. It is a place located at San Juan. You would recognize the place from all the crooked roads and the uphills that you will notice and pass. In this place you will find a delicious and mouth-watering restaurant named Ristras. The name of the place might not ring a bell, but we guarantee that you will enjoy their food as much as we did.

The food is a bit expensive. The average cost would be probably around 250 per person. But, the servings are a bit big. So, it's safe to say that the price is worth it because you would really get the value for your money. Besides, whatever food you try here, it is absolutely delicious. In case you still have troubles as to which you would like to try, the people at Ristras would be happy to give suggestions as to which food you should not miss.

The place is a bit cozy. There are designs that would really give you that Mexican feel. What we were most intrigued about were the giant dark peppers. They were like materials used for witchcraft. Nevertheless, they looked cool. And, what better way to give the place a Mexican vibe than to place peppers all over the place. For us, these designs worked.

Excited with what we tried? Well, here ya go:

(By the way, just so you won't get shocked, the drinks here are quite expensive. The sodas cost 40 php a can.)

Burrito Steak (Carne Asada), 340 php

Glutton Guy: I absolutely loved this dish! It might be a bit expensive. But, boy oh boy, is it a lot. I think it would be good for 2-3 persons. It's like a whole rice meal with all the side dishes wrapped in one burrito wrap. Nothing in this dish is dislike-able. The rice is perfectly cooked. The meat is very soft and very tender. The vegetables were very crunchy. The sauce was very delicious as well. I was skeptical at first about the beans, since I'm not a big fan. But, I was surprised that the even the beans were soft and incredibly delicious. I would suggest that you try this. It left me craving for burritos ever since. : )

Glutton Girl: The burrito is very delicious. I liked it very much. On my own, I probably would not be able to finish all this (Good thing Glutton Guy was there to the rescue hahahaha). I liked the beef. It was very soft and easy to chew. The sauce from the beef (I actually was not sure if that was beef sauce or if that was the marinade) hyped up the flavors of the beef and made it very chewy and very delicious as well. The beans were also cooked well. They were very soft and weren't mushy at all. The vegetables were also excellent. The corn gave that added crunch to the burrito. Overall, it was a perfect (not to mention a huge) burrito.

Quesadilla Al Pastor, 330 php

Glutton Guy: Another perfect dish from Ristras. I liked the fact that it was served hot. The bread had that crunch because it was heated (like what they do at the shawarma) before it was served. What's inside the quesadilla is even better. The beef was cooked perfectly. The melted cheese just makes the quesadilla more delicious. I tell you, there is no ingredient that I didn't like in this dish. The guacamole on the side was also delicious. I've never tasted guacamole before. I only see it on TV. Ristras gave me a good impression on the guacamole. The sauce on the side was also very delicious. Another must-try at Ristras. : )

Glutton Girl: Ristras quesadilla is also very delicious. The beef was again perfectly cooked. I liked the melted cheese inside. This is one of the things I'm looking for when it comes to Mexican food (another being the spicy pepper flavor). The combination of melted cheese and the beef was just perfect. The guacamole was also awesome. I liked it very much. The sauce also complemented the dish well. It had that sour taste that blended very well with the flavors of the beef and the cheese. It's just absolutely delicious.

If you're up for a great Mexican experience, why not try Ristras Mexican Grill. You will not be disappointed with what they have to offer. Ristras not only gives you a perfect Mexican experience, it also serves you authentic Mexican food that will absolutely appease your palates. The food, the people, the experience - Ristras is absolutely the place to be.

Rating: Buddhalicious!

(Ristras Mexican Grill is located at J. Abad Santos street corner Lopez Jaena street, San Juan. You can reach it by turning left at Wilson street from Greenhills. Then turn right at Alex III. It's just in front of Serenitea.)