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Mexican Food in Manila: Burritos and Tacos at Ristras Mexican Grill

Eat & Drink Trending & Features June 7, 2011

Did someone say ‘burrito’? Try Ristras Mexican Grill!

by JC Ansis

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Being a fan of Mexican food, I’ve had my fair share of visits to Mexican food joints like Agave, Mexicali, Taco Bell and Jalapeño Cantina Mexicana. But I’ve been looking for a new place to get my burrito fix and thanks to When In Manila, I found just that. I was drooling excited once I got word I’d be getting the chance to pig out at Ristras Mexican Grill.

 

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Ristras Mexican Grill is a fast-food place that serves slow-cooked Mexican food using only the freshest ingredients. Just a little FYI, the word ristras is the arrangement of chili pepper pods when hung to dry (if you notice in the photos, they actually have ristras decorated on their walls).


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If you don’t already know, Ristras is best known for their gigantic burritos. Their regular-sized burrito measures about 10 inches long and about three inches wide. Yes, regular-sized. But they also serve what they call a Godzilla Burrito that’s.. wait for it… more than 2 feet long! I was warned beforehand about their big servings so I told my brothers, sister-in-law and niece to tag along.

 

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We were offered to try four dishes: Grilled Chicken Burrito, Nachos Mexicanos, Chile Relleno and Baja Style Fish Taco. What’s great about Ristras is you get to see how your food is prepared. So when you order a burrito, you have the freedom to choose the ingredients that you want in it. And the whole thing is assembled right before your eyes.

 

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I actually witnessed how they made the Grilled Chicken Burrito they served us. The tortilla they use for their normal-sized burritos is 15 inches in diameter. They put in black beans, cilantro lime rice, chicken of course, and the vegetables. After assembling it, you have the option of making your burrito wet (an additional 90 bucks). To make it wet means to top the burrito with red and green tomato salsas and cheese, then blowtorch it. Keyword: blowtorch.

 

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This thing was huge and I was dying to get a taste of it. I took a slice of the burrito and shoved a chunk into my mouth. The tortilla was soft and chewy. One bite and you could definitely taste the mixture of the beans, rice and vegetables. And the chicken was tender. The different flavors tussled in my mouth like wrestlers at Royal Rumble. The price of the burritos range from Php 290-340 (depending on the choice of meat). It is a bit steep, but the large size of the burrito is made for sharing and you can always split the bill with your friends.

 

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Nachos Mexicanos is a pretty delicious appetizer that resembles the Mexican flag. Again you get to choose the kind of meat you want. To capture the colors of the flag, the nine pieces of tortilla chips and meat are topped with pico de gallo (red), cheddar and Monterey jack cheese and sour cream (white), and guacamole (green).

 

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Another dish served to us was the Chile Relleno: deep-fried chili peppers stuffed with mozzarella cheese. This may appeal to people who enjoy spicy food who wish to avoid pork, beef and poultry.

 

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The Baja Style Fish Taco I enjoyed devouring. The tacos are made of crispy fried mahi mahi, shredded cabbage salsa, guacamole and garlic sauce, all wrapped in a soft tortilla. You can also choose the type of rice and beans you want to go with the tacos; ours came with chorizo brown rice and pinto beans with bacon. I really liked the combination of the guacamole and the citrus taste of the lime. It was the first time I’ve ever had a fish taco and I was surprised how appetizing it was. Each bite was enticingly refreshing. TRUE STORY.

 

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For drinks, aside from the usual sodas, Ristras offers special flavored iced teas: Raspberry, Tamarind and Ceylon Orange. They also have a selection of Mexican beers (Corona, Rogue, etc.) that you won’t normally find in other places. Frozen margaritas are also available in strawberry and lime flavors, and you can opt to have it virgin or spiked (contains a shot of Cuervo).

 

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If you’re looking for a vibrant dining experience, I suggest you try Ristras. They’ve got a wide variety of great food, made with only the freshest and finest ingredients. So When In Manila and feel like getting bowled over with large servings of mouth-watering Mexican dishes, go visit Ristras Mexican Grill. Andale andale!

 

 

Ristras Mexican Grill branches:

 

Unit 106 J. Abad Santos Cor. Lopez Jaena, San Juan

Tel No: (02) 570-8159

Mobile No: 0939-4504760 / 0915-2573905l

 

Fairways Tower, 5th Avenue,

Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

Tel No: (02) 846-0680

Mobile No: 0915-4521450

 

Mexican Food in Manila: Burritos and Tacos at Ristras Mexican Grill

Ristras Mexican Grill also delivers through Quick Delivery.

 



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About The Author

JC Ansis

JC Ansis is a freelance editor/writer for Sports5. He also worked in the past for CNN Philippines and Sports Illustrated Philippines. He believes pizza and beer are all we need to survive in this world. He's a die-hard Lakers fan and lists Back to the Future and Dumb and Dumber as two of his favorite movies of all-time. If you wish to keep up with him on a daily basis, follow him on Twitter (@jcansis). You can also check out his website at jcansis.com.