Experience authentic Mexican cuisine with Hermanos Taco Shop
Thanks to three centuries of Spanish colonization, Philippine cuisine bears the imprints of profound Mexican influence. History buffs should have no trouble remembering that Spain governed the Philippines through the Viceroy of Mexico and that the famous Galleon Trade involved Manila and Acapulco. Hence, we can thank our Hispanic hermanos and hermanas for delicacies like arroz a la valenciana, escabeche, menudo, among others.
Having said all of that, it’s not surprising to find out that a lot of Filipinos have a special affinity for Mexican cuisine. Thankfully, one restaurant in the heart of Quezon City offers exactly that.
Started in 2010, Hermanos Taco Shop serves its clientele a wide variety of authentic Mexican foods including tacos, but also burritos, quesadillas, tamales, menudo, and a whole lot more. The restaurant’s owners, through The Big Difference Communications, invited selected bloggers for a food tasting event last June 10.
Ms Cathy Mora, a former actress, said her family first became interested in the idea of putting up a Mexican restaurant when they moved to San Diego, California during the 1990s. “Everyone in our family loves to eat and loves to cook,” she said, adding that the famous El Torito restaurant served as one of their inspirations. Hence, the restaurant’s name shouldn’t be surprising (“hermanos” means “brothers” in Spanish).
Ms Cathy said she decided to take the plunge in 2010. The first task, according to her, it to persuade her Mexican stepdad Oscar Rodriguez to quit being a chef in the United States and instead lead the operations of Hermanos Taco Shop. “That was a risky gamble on our part, and luckily, it paid off,” she said.
In the past months alone, Spot.PH and ABS-CBNNews.com listed Hermanos Taco Shop as among the top Mexican restaurants in Metro Manila, specifically lauding their famous nachos. That matters a lot according to Ms Cathy since the shop doesn’t engage in intensive promotional campaigns.
Asked about the restaurant’s advantage over its competitors, Mora mentioned three points: the quality of their food, the ambiance of the restaurant, as well as the good service of their staffers. “We import ingredients like dried chili and enchilada sauce from the United States,” she said. She added that it is their priority to make their customers feel at home inside the restaurant.
As for the company’s expansion plans, Mora said they plan to open another branch in Makati Avenue (the other one is in Alabang). Penetrating campus cafeterias like the one at the Ateneo de Manila Unviersity is also being considered. Never forget to check out the following if you get the chance to visit Hermanos Taco Shop soon:
Visit Hermanos Taco Shop at #27 Granada Avenue, corner Jose O. Vera St., 1112 Quezon City. It is open everyday from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Like Hermanos Taco Shop on Facebook and follow them on Twitter to stay updated on their latest offerings!
PS: Once more, special thanks to the team behind The Big Difference Communications (Ms Cherry Bustamante Burwell, Kezia Bustamante Lucas, and Arnold Aesna) for organizing this event.
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