When in Manila, it’s always fun to try delicious and unique recipes from all over the world. But what if we could take these international best sellers and add a little Filipino twist to it? Well, that’s exactly what Chef Kia Del Rosario did with her own unique version of the burrito, or should I say, her Pub Burrito.
PUB Burrito, which intentionally sounds like the Filipino word PABORITO meaning “favorite” also stands for Pinoy’s Ultimate and Bestselling Burrito. The food concept began when Chef Kia accidentally discovered how her leftover food at home tasted great when she used them as fillings for burritos! Being the adventurous type, she tried different viands as fillings for her burrito. And since Chef Kia is also a strong advocate of Yabang Pinoy, she decided to stick to Filipino dishes. She also opted to use freshly baked pita bread instead of the typical tortilla wrap to make Pub Burrito yummier and healthier!
Chef Kia and her circle of friends enjoyed her unique discovery but she never really thought about going into business until her friend, Geri introduced her to The Next Big Food Entrepreneur Challenge. She submitted her food concept to Summit Media and was lucky enough to be a part of the Top 20 finalists of the competition.
A very promising food concept, PUB Burrito is indeed a product of Chef Kia’s passion as a Yabang Pinoy advocate and volunteer. She believes that though we keep on patronizing foreign cuisines, Filipino food has a future in being as popular or even better than what other countries have to offer. Like what she would always say, “Yes, the idea is Mexican pero ang sarap ng pagkain natin dito sa Pilipinas. Why don’t we get the concept and have a twist for it and make it our own. Masarap ang pagkain natin and we should be proud of it.” PUB Burrito, the future Pinoy’s bestselling burrito. It even won a special award as Solane’s Choice of The Next Big Food Entrepreneur Challenge.
PUB Burrito: Pinoy Style Burritos
PUB Burrito, because of its unique concept, did not have much of a hard time penetrating the the Filipino market. Instead of the usual one filling for burritos, PUB Burrito lets you choose between a variety of Pinoy style fillings. One can wish to have a two-way burrito by having 2 different fillings and the three-way burrito with 3 different fillings inside the wrap. Choices would consist of the bestseller Isla Chicken and Isla Pork which resembles a sisig-ish taste and the Beef Kung Karne which is a Chili Con Carne inspired ground beef filling for those who wish to have the traditional Mexican taste. All have been generously seasoned and paired with homemade signature sauces.
Just some of the MANY flavors PUB Burrito will soon have
I enjoyed the 3-way and 2-way flavors from PUB Burrito because I never really knew what to expect. It was like fried rice and combo meals all wrapped up in a burrito! According to Chef Kia, the 3-way burrito was their best seller. Personally however, I preferred the Dinuguan Burrito. What I liked about the Dinuguan Burrito was the bursting flavor it had with every bite! I’m sure most of you will agree that dinuguan has a really strong taste and tends to overpower any other food we eat with it. It’s best eaten with rice or puto, which makes the pita bread absolutely perfect for this mix.
Pub Burrito’s specialty Dinuguan Burrito
Other specialties PUB Burrito has are the Longsilog Breakfast Burrito and Tofu Salpicao for the vegetarians. All the specialty burritos, including the Dinuguan Burrito are served with “sinangag” or garlic rice and egg which is definitely irresistible. When In Manila’s editor-in-chief, Vince Golangco thoroughly enjoyed his breakfast burrito! Who would’ve thought an entire breakfast meal could be served in a burrito? Cool!
Pub Burrito’s Longsilog Breakfast Burrito
My fellow writers and I visited PUB Burrito last week in Mezza Norte, each of us had our personal favorites. I loved the Dinuguan Burrito, Vince loved the Breakfast Burrito, while my fiance Philippe particularly enjoyed the SISIG BURRITO. Either way, we thought each flavor had its own unique twist and were all definitely worth trying! Chef Kia comes up with new recipes every so often, so better ask her what’s new every time you order!
Where to find Pub Burrito?
For the entire month of February, you can find Chef Kia’s PUB Burrito at Mezza Norte in Trinoma. She will be there all weekends of February (Fridays-Sundays) from 4PM onwards. On other days, stay in touch with them by visiting their Facebook page at facebook.com/PUBBurrito
PUB Burrito… APPROVED by When In Manila!
PUB Burrito
Mezza Norte, Trinoma (weekends of February only)
facebook.com/PUBBurrito
IG: @pub_burrito
Twitter: @PubBurrito
