Light Eaters 1: Òrale Taqueria Mexicana

July 2, 2011 

I came across this restaurant with a friend while looking for a place to eat before a shoot at Bonifacio High Street. Initially, I thought the place was nothing different from the other Mexican restaurant option that we have here in Manila. It was partially hidden from plain sight, so one might easily miss it. I was in for a great surprise though.

One will quickly notice the bright, orange ambiance of Òrale Taqueria Mexicana with its lights, tables & murals. Pretty much the whole menu was in Mexican, which made choosing a bit harder to do; it took a while for me to notice the translations at the corner of the menu.

My friend & I needed a heavy dinner for the long night ahead, so I ordered a grande beef chimichanga (essentially a fried burrito). I know they have a name for the particular dish, but I forgot to keep the receipt. Service was noticeably slower than the “other” Mexican restaurant in Manila – but my questions were answered when my order arrived. The chimichanga was huge! It looked & tasted the part. The rice was remarkable & the beef, perfectly cooked. I’ve never been to Mexico or been to a restaurant that served truly legit Mexican food – but the chimichanga tasted more Mexican than anything I’ve eaten before. The nachos that came with it were noticeably thicker & better than any of the nachos I’ve tried before inside or outside of a restaurant. Needless to say, nothing was left of my order after my long (tasty) battle against my chimichanga. With a chimichanga this good, I wouldn’t think twice about paying over 300 pesos for one again.

We also had small talk with the owner before we left, who was just as pleased as we were. Òrale Taqueria Mexicana is a truly special place; one that I hope to visit again in the near future.

Òrale Taqueria Mexicana is at the Fort Strip, 7^th Avenue corner 28^th Street, Bonifacio Global City.