All of us have cheerfully approved of meeting every other Thursday for dinner. The choice of restaurant will rotate among its few insatiable members. Thursday Club was officially born.
Fran, Sab, Didi and I started building the friendship over the love of good food. The journey began at Abbondanza about a year ago (it was on the same night I shockingly learned that my former boss has resigned… 🙁 -same night I followed to Chelsea). We are missing Sabs because she is currently in Canada tending to her second pregnancy. (Sab, come back soon okay?)
Fran, Didi, Bubba and I met up at Ristras June 4th, 3 days after Fran’s birthday and 2 days after the Yellow Cab dinner at Glorietta 5 (about 3 weeks ago). It was Fran’s idea to have dinner at Ristras and what a fantastic choice it was as we were introduced to a Burrito paradise!
Ristras are decorative dried chilies strung together like an ornament. It is usually hung in front of your home to welcome visitors and bring good fortune to the house. Ristras is a fresh take on burrito spots because it gives you the all-out preference on your Mexican burrito.
There is a selection of fresh tasting ingredients right before our eyes. It was hard to contain the excitement as I peer through the glass and count the ways on how to make my signature piece.
To start with, pick between Cilantro Wild Rice or Chorizo Brown Rice. During my first visit I chose the Chorizo Brown Rice. I am salivating remembering my first taste of Ristras.
Choose your meat, chicken, steak, carnitas and barbacoa. You can also opt to go vegetarian. I went for the Barbacoa, slow braised shredded beef with cumin, cloves and other spices. Good thing that owner Chef Rob Goco was around to tell me that I could have two options for my meat. He recommended the steak. The steak is soaking for hours in a Chipotle Adobo marinade before hitting the grill.
hmm... what to get?
This is where the fun starts. After the two basics, you can now choose all the wonderful add-ons from a mix of guacamole, fajitas or sautéed bell peppers and onions, tomatoes, black beans, jalapeno, and condiments of sour cream, salsa, guacamole, cheese and hot garlic sauce.
On the Table (will post photos once I uploaded it, for the meantime, these are the photos from the second visit)
There are two Corona bottles on the table, one is the white garlic sauce and other is the red spicy garlic sauce.
Jane’s Burrito (Barbacoa and Steak with Brown Rice and all the works) PHP 290
I only finished half of my burrito because it was so filling! I can usually hold my ground with spicy ingredients but the jalapeno used felt so fresh that it really burned my tongue! Fran laughed at me because I was teary-eyed yet calm about asking for water. Ha ha ha. Nevertheless, the spice didn’t ruin the taste at all. I went right back to my burrito with vigor and enthusiasm. The beefy waft of the Barbacoa coupled with the perky flavor creates a cascade of taste. The grilled bell peppers and onions are also delish.
Bubba’s Burrito (Barbacoa and Steak with Brown Rice and Cilantro Rice and beans) PHP 290
He did not share but he was so happy he was tugging me to go back the next day!
Chips and Guacamole PHP 95
I like my guacamoles chunkier than Ristras’ version. Chips are amazing, surprisingly not oily at all.
Brahma Beer PHP
It was my first time to drink beer again after sooo many years. I love Brahma because it’s so light and no bitter taste! Might develop a beer belly because of it.. eeps.
Corona Beer PHP
It wasn’t even a week yet and Bubba and I went back to order two burritos to go. Unfortunately, they ran out of Brahma beer, which I wanted paired with my delicious burrito again. Next week, we are bringing Bubba’s DLSU group to try it out.
Come experience different wraps of good eats at the Burrito Paradise, Ristras!
Ristras
J. Abad Santos St. Corner Lopez Jaena
San Juan City
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Fran’s How To Make Best Burrito in Town
Our Awesome Planet’s Ristras Mexican Heaven
Good food, poor service 🙁
the food was really good but the service was not!!! appraise those person who do the cooking and preparations,,,, and pull out those in dinning that just keep on chatting each other than to assist their customers.