When in Manila, and craving for a large plate of tapa with rice, egg and tomatoes, then Task Force Tapa is the one place you should go to.
Craving for tapa? Well, come in.
It’s no doubt that the Filipino tapa or Tapsilog has been an all-time favorite meal. It’s so popular almost all establishments have it in their menu. I mean really, check it out for yourself.
Task Force Tapa‘s “CHARLIE” 85/110 Php
Tapa is the kind of ulam you can eat any time of the day. There are at least a hundred versions of the tapa and a hundred claims to “the best tapa” or “the original tapa” and so on. Given that there are so many variations of the tapa, Burgy and Michelle, owners of Task Force Tapa, came up with the idea to narrow down all their favorite tapa flavors into four kinds: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta.
(L-R) Rain, Michelle, me and Burgy . The Task Force Tapa owners are as young as we are… 21 yrs old. A round of applause for these two!
Sounds familiar? It’s because those four words are the military phonetics for letters A, B, C and D. Cool eh?
The price of each meal depends on its size, 85-90 Php for regular and 110-120 Php for Grande. Either way, it’s safe to say that Task Force Tapa serves delicious yet affordable tapa.
What’s cooler is the restaurant’s relation to Camp Crame and Camp Aguinaldo. Camp Crame is located along EDSA across Camp Aguinaldo, and Task Force Tapa is situated in Boni Serrano, which is smack right in the middle of both headquarters! Thus the use of military terms and the restaurant’s name.
Task Force Tapa‘s area is relatively small for a purpose, to house customers who will eat. If people hang around inside for too long after they’re done eating then the rest of the customers waiting in line might get pissed off. If you really want to chill around, visit them between 2-4pm or 8-10pm.
Task Force Tapa is a place for diners with a huge appetite and love for tapa and other Filipino favorites. All in all, its menu consists 10 meals that include tapa, longanissa, bangus, liempo and (a Filipino rendition of the…) Buffalo Wings.
We got to taste all four flavors of their tapa (110 Php each, Grande) , the Vigan longanissa (50 Php) and Brugy’s liempo (90 Php, Regular).
Tapa dishes you must try. (L-R) CHARLIE, BRAVO and ALPHA. 110 Php each, Grande
Other tapa eaters prefer theirs smokin’ hot and spicy. If you’re that kind, then DELTA tapa is for you. I rarely prefer spicy dishes mainly because I think the ingredient loses its natural flavor and it gets overthrown by the spice. THIS IS NOT THAT TYPE OF DISH. Task Force Tapa owners Michelle and Burgy have high standards for their dishes. They’d rather serve a limited menu than try to serve a lot and end up selling mediocre food.
DELTA, the “military hot and spicy tapa” 85/110 Php. Oh, and if you’re feeling a bit nervous on this one, you may have the level of spiciness adjusted to your personal preference.
*continue reading to know my favorite tapa!
