Now this relatively new Mexican restaurant in Rockwell got my curiosity since S was telling me about how fresh the ingredients were. Being in love with Chipotle, I love burritos and Tex-Mex type of dishes. They always tend to be rich in flavour and come in huge servings. I mean, really, what’s not to like?

I was warned that the servings are huge, by the person who also ordered food I believe was good for 4 people. The problem was, there were just the two of us at that time. But the good thing was, I got to try everything good. It’s quite sad that the pictures did not do justice on how good the food were as these were taken by a camera phone.

When I came in, there was this basket of nachos with a side of cheese dip and chipotle salsa ready for me to dig in. It was called Fundido Chorizo (Php 375). The cheese was a mix of quezo anjo and goat cheese, with chorizo bits all over. It was really good and addicting, albeit very sinful I bet. I think this is the ultimate appetizer / starter to get. I honestly would go back just for this.

We ordered Achiote Chicken Burrito (Php 375) and asked for it to be sliced in half. Said to source free range chicken, the burrito was quite good. The meat was marinated in lime, garlic, achiote seeds and cumin. The freshness of the ingredients could not be denied. It contributed to the over-all flavour of the burrito. Inside the wrap were some chorizo rice, refried beans, salsa, cheddar cheese, sour cream and some lettuce. The serving was really big, too much for one person in my opinion but we ended up finishing everything.

S added Taco Carne Asada (Php 350) thinking we might not get full by just eating a shared burrito. We had the soft pita kind with grilled beef steak that was marinated in lime, garlic and cilantro. It had generous amount of cheese and delicious guacamole. The meat was tender but there was not anything quite distinct about the dish. But then again, it’s a taco. I appreciated the ingredients but I still prefer ordering the burrito.

Aside from the grilled chicken and beef steak, a variety of meat (or non-meat, for vegetarians) were offered such as grilled, slow-roasted or braised pork, slow roasted beef, ox tripe, beef tongue, and roasted free range chicken. Also, aside from burritos, you may opt for tortas, tacos, caldos, quesadillas, or enchiladas.

I ordered their Tamarind Iced Tea (Php 70) which had that mixed flavour of sweet and sour, but mostly sour. It surprised my taste buds but I think a better complement with the food would be a glass of margarita! Hehe.

Be warned though, the dishes are quite a serving, especially the burritos and enchiladas. But what I loved about Achiote dishes is the freshness of the ingredients. It did not hurt that the staff were well trained to answer queries of the customers. They also checked on our table to see how we were doing and they have put up with me for changing plates several times (sorry, little quirk of mine).

Achiote Taqueria
Stall 148B R1 Level Power Plant Mall
Rockwell Center Makati City
(63 2)8221242 / (63 2)8220273

Now I was told that this was originally from Cebu. As to why the name is spelled with 3 letter O’s? That I’m intrigued to know. Davao’s branch is located at then newly opened mall by Ayala called Abreeza. We lacked sleep that day and was looking for a place to eat that all 6 of us would agree. Luckily, everyone’s in the mood for the same thing… Mexican.

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First time I entered Ristras at their Fort branch, it reminded me of my Chipotle experiences I had in New York. It is a self service establishment that prepares ordered food in assembly and customized. Ristras also serves Margarita (virgin or spiked) which I found thematic.

One thing that should be noted before ordering, is that the serving here are quite huge. Let me correct that, really huge. A burrito is already good for two people with normal appetite (now, don’t ask me to quantify “normal”, but just check it out to know). Just to give you an idea, an order of quesadilla was as big as half of a 10” pizza.

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The following are not New York exclusive, however, I tasted them all in Manhattan and want to share the experience with you just the same.

Chipotle Mexican Grill

I’d like to think that this is America’s version of Mexicali… but I tell you, it is way, WAY better. This place is known for serving Mexican dishes, fast-food style. The burritos here are just amazing. They are huge and very tasty! You also get to choose what goes in your burrito. I think it really is what their sales pitch is… customized burrito.

So what’s inside your burrito? It is all up to you. You can choose among chicken, pork and steak. The chicken meat is said to be marinated overnight so it is guaranteed to be really taste-y. This is what I always get when I order a burrito. For the carnivore at heart, they have a medium rare steak marinated beef and barbacoa which is the spicy shredded kind. If you prefer pork, they have carnitas which is shredded and is guaranteed to be really tender.

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