Every now and then one stumbles upon a restaurant that is a great value, very casual, very unpretentious and very Mexican. That is what happened to Bubba and me last Friday. For our Friday night dinner date, he brought me to a Mexican restaurant called Jalapeño in Ortigas Home Depot.
Jalapeño serves authentic Mexican cuisine in a uniquely decorated setting. The quaint yellow walled duplex, dimly lit, sets the mood for a vibrant and exciting restaurant. The bar is set right outside by the wooden door. The liquid soap in the wash area is contained in a Jose Cuervo tequila bottle. Details though few add to the Mexican flair. The wooden chairs however are solidly stiff that make hours long of sitting on it tough.
Pictures are not up to the standard quality I want them to be because of the low lights and my faulty point and shoot.
On the Table
Grilled Tomato and Cheese Quesadilla PHP 125
5-inch tortilla, tomato, cheese, sour cream and onion. Our order was simple, 1 Pepper Steak Fajitas and 1 Jalapeño Cheese Enchilada. The grilled tomato and cheese quesadilla was served on our table and I checked twice with the server if this was enchilada because it sure looked like a quesadilla to me. The answer was yes. I looked skeptical but was given the same answer. Plain enchilada use the same ingredients as quesadilla, difference is enchilada is layers of tortilla and cheese baked. I shrugged and thought to myself that this might be their version of enchilada.
We started to dig on the dish. Bubba and I gave each other approving looks because the dish was yummy! It tasted like it was made from scratch, fresh and hot! The flavor was simple but very tasty. Put a small amount of salsa on top for an added zing. Goodness that melts on your mouth.
We were being served the pepper steak burrito right after. I shook my head and said that we ordered Pepper Steak Fajitas.
10 minutes into our meal, the order taker approaches our table with the Pepper Steak Burrito again saying that I ordered it. He claims that he repeated the order and said Pepper Steak BURRITO. I insisted that I said Fajitas because I remember repeating the order twice. With all the noise from the radio blasting outside and the ruckus of the drinking group on the second level (plus the fact that I didn’t want to ruin our dinner), I gave him the benefit of the doubt that we misunderstood each other. I said okay to the burrito since I didn’t want it to be paid under his tab. But I made a point for him to know that I did repeat the order twice for his understanding. We also told him to add the fajitas to our order because it was really what we wanted to eat.
Pepper Steak Burrito PHP 175
8-inch tortilla, beef tenderloin, Mexican rice, refried beans, onions, cheese, salsa, sour cream. I didn’t touch this because it didn’t really look appetizing at all. Bubba only finished half of it saying that it lacked in taste.
Paella Balls from Hermanos
We love the paella balls from Hermanos so Bubba ordered the dish from the next-door neighbor.
Pepper Steak Fajitas PHP 285
Beef Tenderloin strips, onions, cheese, bell pepper, sour cream, Mexican salsa, Mexican rice, guacamole and 3 pcs tortilla. The beef is moist, tender and flavorful, accompanied by Mexican rice and green bell peppers/onions served on a sizzling dish. It is almost as good as Zapata’s minus the flavorful peppery spice that Zapata’s has on its beef. Nevertheless, this dish was also a real winner with generous helping of sour cream, Mexican salsa, Mexican rice and guacamole on the side.
Bubba and I always enjoy ordering Fajitas because it allows us to touch our food and it’s so much fun to create your own burrito. You can always add more of the ingredients or sauces you want.
Another server approaches us with another dish. This time the dish he was holding looked like enchilada. He then explains that we were served the wrong dish and my suspicion that our first dish was quesadilla was right on the money. He said that the quesadilla will be on the house and apologizes briefly for the confusion.
I guess I did say the orders right after all. The staff was really the one baffled with the dishes. We shouldn’t be paying for the Pepper Steak burrito that we never wanted in the first place. Sigh, oh well. I’m so glad that the fajitas and quesadilla were lip-smacking good that it really saved the evening!
Jalapeño Cheese Enchilada PHP 175
2 layers of cheese, jalapeno and sauces.
Lemon Iced Tea PHP 60
Had the right citrus flavor without being too sour. A very invigorating drink right after all the intense Mexican flavors playing on the palate.
Jalapeño Classic Margarita PHP 130
Margarita can sometimes be sour and bitter at the same time but this one isn’t. It wasn’t too strong and good enough to loosen you up without the hard-hitting headache.
This is a great place to go to have an authentic Mexican dinner. Delicious food, relaxed atmosphere at a reasonable price. If you don’t have the time to drive all the way to Pampanga, I think this is the next best thing to the best Mexican feast in town.
Jalapeño
Ortigas Home Depot (Right beside Hermano’s)
Doña Julia Vargas Avenue cor. Meralco Avenue,
Pasig City.
Jalapeño Album
Related Post
Zapata’s
Agave Mexican Cantina
Hermanos
