We recently enjoyed our FoodStreet Food trip with the family last Sunday Night. For P500+, we got to enjoy American Food from Buffalo Wings N Things and Mexican Food from Jalapeno Cantina Mexicana. Both menus are already tailor-fit to the Filipino palate and are very affordable. These are the two interesting restaurants worth going to at the Ortigas Home Depot Food Street. The cool thing is you can sit in any of the two restos and order from either one because they are beside each other.
Jalapeno Cantineta Mexicana Menu Front | Menu Back
Most of the restaurants along Food Street are themed, have a small first floor, a bigger second floor dining area and an al fresco area. Above photo is the second floor area of Jalapeno where you can reserve it for a family function or event.
The first floor dining area of Buffalo Wings n Things is set up like a canteen with a diner ambiance.
Grilled Chicken Mexicana (P175) Grilled Chicken Fillet, Corn Relish, Mexican Salad with choice of Mexi-Rice or 2 pcs. Tortilla
This is one of the best sellers of Jalapeno because the chicken itself is juicy and spicy without the need for the sauce. The salsa tasted like sweet tomato ketchup, which the kids loved. 🙂 We love everything in this meal except the refried beans, which tasted like beans fried for the 10th time.
Pepper Steak Burrito (P175) 8 in. Tortilla, beef tenderloin, mexi-rice, refried beans, onions, cheese, salsa and sour cream.
A classic steak burrito made delicious by the sweet salsa and sour cream. It is not exactly as freshly made as Ristras but this is the Filipino version of the Burrito we grew up with.
Tortilla with Salsa and Sour Cream (P55). Extra Tortilla is P15 and Extra Dip is P20
One of the things about Mexican restaurants is that most of the dishes are spicy and the kids hate them. We had to innovate by ordering additional Tortilla with Salsa and Sour Cream inside.
The kids were happy. Joshua was able to eat the mexi-rice and corn salad while Aidan enjoyed the Salsa and Sour Cream Tortilla.
1/2 Pound Champion Buffalo Wings (P125) Firehouse Classic Sauce.
We loved this because of the cheese that tasted like chiz wiz with chili. 🙂 Next time, we will order the Nuclear super hot sauce (see Buffalo Wings n Things Signature Sauces)
Buffalo Wings n Things
Food Street, Ortigas Home Depot
Julia Vargas, Pasig City
Telephone: +632 994-8887.
Email: buffaloswingsnthings@gmail.com
Jalapeno Cantina Mexicana
Food Street, Ortigas Home Depot
Julia Vargas, Pasig City
(right now, they are only open 6pm onwards)
Telephone: +63920 6089571 / 63906 5768094
Email: jonah.trinidad@gmail.com
Food Street
Ortigas Home Depot
Julia Vargas, Pasig City
Parking is free but, just a tip, don’t go there on a Saturday Night…
Live an Awesome Life,
Text and Photos by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2009.
blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
prof. blog: AntonDiaz.com
mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
email: anton@diaz.ph
i love jalapeno’s grilled chicken mexicana. chili lovers should try their mexican bean soup. yummy! perfect when paired with a mojito. i love the kind of soft tortillas they use. reminds me of the mexican restos in california. great mexican food at a surprisingly affordable price. i hope they open somewhere in fort or makati soon!
ive tried the buffalo wings and things and my hubby keeps wanting to go back. we should try jalapeno, the pepper steak burrito looks yummy!
Hi anton! You can also try Brazil Brazil at Metrowalk in ortigas..they have a unique way in serving there food..You might want to give your review about it!
Jalapeno is the perfect place to hang out! cheap food and very cheap beer! my friends and I are there almost every week and we’re always surprised when the bill comes coz its lower than expected!
ambiance is perfect for laid back get togethers!
can’t get enough of those quesadillas! open one in the fort or makati so we don’t have to travel so far anymore!
THOSE WINGS SURE LOOKS SCRUMPTIOUS!! IM GONNA TRY THAT SINCE IM JUST IN EASTWOOD =)
HI THERE! WUT U DOIN?! 🙂
http://www.kumagcow.com
COME BY MY SITE TODAY PLEASE!
Speaking of Mexican food, I’ve been looking for a decent chimichanga apart from Mexicali’s version. I loved the one by Miggy’s but the only branch I know of is in BF, which feels like a world away.
Any suggestions?
Chowtime said
Ive been there twice already. 1st was very impressing and the wings was awesome. 2nd time I went back, I find it disapointing as the food wasnt as good as 1st time. the exterior portion of the wings had a flavor but inside it, not flavors at all. Plates and utensild were greasy and dirty. Too bad I thought we finally found a place for the ultimate buffalo wings.
Jalapeño is the best! You should have let the kids try the tomato and cheese quesadilla, not spicy and definitely worth every penny! I personally like the pepper steak fajita… and the grilled chicken you mentioned.
Drinking with friends is good too, as I love their mojitos especially with chips and the baked jalapeno cheese dip…. 🙂 I’m there at least once a week and they’ve never failed to impress!
Jalapeno is my favorite place to eat when craving for mexican food. You should have tried their Steak fajitas one of my favorite dish to order when im there. Its really nice cuz i get to make my own burrito kinda thing.. Another must try is the enchilada. But yeah i agree with you on the beans and salsa hope they work on that other than that i highly recommend Jalapeno!
you gotta try sombrero plato/fiesta – whatever. all meats are there, all dips and sauces too. make ur own fajita/burrito/whatever you want! if you’re hungry, this should be the best meal for you (two to three of you actually) – really fun to eat for intimate gatherings, pair it with the herbed lemonade….. aaaaahhhh…. =)
Tried it last night…loved the mexican bean soup, mexi-rice and the not-so-overpowering sour cream 🙂 I wish it had more vegetarian dishes on the menu…PARKING AT THIS AREA SUCKS BIG TIME!!! They should do something about it. There are so many restaurants and very limited parking space 🙁
I am not a big fan of Mexican food but Jalapeno totally changed my perception on the said cuisine…the flavors are not overpowering and it had a good mix of salty, citrus-y and sweet taste in my mouth on each bite of the tortilla wrapped chicken mexicana. The burst of salsa and sour cream in my mouth was enough to entice me to come back and try other entrees. The porkchop was another revelation on itself…the right amount of spice on the very tender juicy meat partnered with the mexi-rice…how can you go wrong! Wash everything down with not just a glass but order a pitcher of the herbed lemonade and for sure you will thank me for saving you a couple of bucks.
Allow me to post a separate comment for wings n things…I have tried the garlic parmesan and I liked it only if they did not use weeks old cooking oil. It totally masked and drowned the parmesan taste and left a dizzy-ing effect after 3 bites. I hope the owners or atleast the kitchen staff can look into the number of times the cooking oil is being used because the flavor is there but the after taste of the cooking oil does not round up the flavor you are expecting to have when you had your first bite.
i liked it for the first 1 minute, then it was all downhill from there.
the presentation of the burrito was great, as the growing mound of ingredients made me anxious to grab it and eat it as is. when i got to taste it, i was overwhelmed with all the flavors in my mouth. i liked it. after about 2 more bites though, the only truly mexican thing i could taste were the beans. the steak was better off with garlic rice or some other starch. it went from hero to zero in a minute. even the salsa was too sour, tasted like it had those kalamansi concentrates. i know mexican dishes are meant to be a little messy when eaten, but this was way over the top. that said, i didn’t even bother finishing the other half.
i also tried the tacos…. not ordering that again. tasted like a fusion of some sort (corned beef tacos? i dunno…). the 2nd one was too soggy by the time i was ready to eat it, which wasn’t that long anyway. my friend had the fajitas. he thought too that it was great, and i was thinking i ordered the wrong thing. then all of a sudden, about halfway through, he stopped eating and he wanted it taken away. no explanations, he just didn’t like it anymore. i didn’t ask why, it happened that way with me too.
i also don’t know why someone commented that jalapeno was how mexican food should taste, that nothing comes close to competing with it, and started bashing tia marias and i think mexicali… they are way better, in my (and my friend’s) opinion. even chillywilly’s was much better. of all the mexican restos i’ve tried, i doubt i’ll ever go back to jalapeno. also, i thought i read somewhere that all their ingredients are fresh and they were saying something about not even having a can opener. did you guys not see the cans of tomatillo, jalapeno, etc. displayed there behind the counter?
bottomline, too much hype. i wanted to like it considering i live near the place, but i don’t think i’ll ever go back. last note, i hate the plastics.
mulato,
this was my exact same post in ristras, only the word “ristras” became “jalapeno”! how amazing, how two people can have the same experience! relax mr. owner, some people do like ristras… i’m just not one of them.
Jalapeno ROCKS!!! and i don’t care what some bashers up there say. It is now officially my favorite mexican resto! i love the grilled chicken mexicana and the strawberry herb lemonade! YUMMY! And the great thing is, here, you don'[t have to go bankrupt to enjoy good food!!! Love the place, LOVE the food! Love everything! =) just make sure you go there early on the weekends (or at least call to reserve a table!) aside from the parking problem at ortigas home depot, jalapeno gets pretty packed on fridays…=)
gotcha! wait for my reply to you mr. know it all. mr restaurant basher. mr perfect. chief promoter of a hard to sell, super inggit with ristras restaurant called JALAPENO. im gona get you later buddy wait and see
thanks for the heads up again Anton!!
Jalapeno has a distinct character of its own. The homey feel of the resto and the warm lighting makes it a suitable place for dinner with friends and family. I have read and heard good reviews on the place and its understated appeal makes it a good place to enjoy a hearty meal. I get more bang from my buck with the resto’s price point. I always start off with my baked jalapeno cheese dip with dark rhum mojito as my poison of choice. Then, I move on to the soft tacos and finally to their banana-nutella-crepe dessert which is just prefect to cap off my meal.
seems like there’s some rousing argument about what’s currently THE best mexican restaurant in town.. well, lets hear it from this guy who knows his mexican grub, and who was in mexico last month for a vacation. i’ve been to ALL three mexican restaurants in the metropolis and i must say, the BEST, hands down, is what sandy daza’s drooling all about:
WORD OF MOUTH : Satisfying that Mexican craving
By Sandy Daza
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Posted date: July 24, 2009
MANILA, Philippines—Recently, my family and I spent a wonderful week in Mazatlan, Mexico. The Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay resort, where we stayed, had all the facilities you could imagine. The weather was perfect, and the food was simply divine. Of course we were out to discover authentic Mexican cuisine.
Our daily routine: Tessa and I would wake up early and cook breakfast for the kids. Then, we’d go to the beach or hang out in the pool. At 5 p.m., we would take the bus to town, where we would try a different Mexican restaurant every evening.
Advantage
A surprise favorite was Pollo Loco—their version of Bacolod Chicken Inasal—which we visited three days in a row! It was a beautiful culinary experience. It was an advantage that we knew what authentic Mexican cuisine tasted like. The disadvantage, though, is that it’s now harder to please our palate when we crave for good Mexican food.
Back home, when fellow badminton addicts, Lawrence and his wife, Monet, recommended this new Mexican place in Greenhills called Ristras Mexican Grill, they were sure I would find it interesting. Armed with deeper knowledge of Mexican food, I visited the place reluctantly—but was pleasantly surprised to discover that they were right!
The ingredients they put in their Mexican wraps are displayed in front, and all you have to do is choose from their wide selection. I had a burrito, which was made from real flour tortilla, cilantro lime, chorizo brown rice, vegetarian black beans, red and green chili, diner’s choice of meat (beef, pork or chicken—I had the latter), corn salsa, guacamole, shredded cheese, sour cream and lettuce—enough to feed two people. I loved it!
Interesting dish
Another interesting dish was the quesadilla—which is usually small, but theirs was thick and loaded with filling. It was delicious and was quite close to those we tried on the streets of Mazatlan. Now, I know where to go when I crave for Mexican food.
To get there: From Ortigas, take Wilson down to Alex III. Turn right, and Ristras will be on your right. Viva Mexico!
I don’t understand why there is a clamour for trying to stress who’s the best mexican resto when in fact there is a big market for mexican lovers in the country. It is only now that we consumers are given a wide selection of cuisines to enjoy. Ethically, you have to give utmost respect to new entrants in the market who are budding entreprenuers. So if you are the owners of ristras (mulato and sentrodosbeses, since you’re so defensive and currently on attack mode) stop the crab mentality and focus instead on what you can do to improve your restaurant so we consumers can enjoy what each one has to offer. Stop the name calling and stop trying to prove who’s who because at the end of the day you are only good as your last meal served. You are very off-putting! Ugh!
i am certainly not the owner of ristras.. i don’t even know who he is. all im saying is i’ve tried all three mexican restaurants in the metropolis and i like ristras. i am just a consumer like you and i pay good money for what that restaurant and the two others i’ve gone to serves. so if you’re turned off, well, that’s you’re problem, not mine. again im just saying ristras, where my own subjective taste is concerned , is THE best. if you like the food in ristra’s competitors, good for ya. and did you hear me knocking their fare? enjoy your life baby, haha!
I’ve loved Mexican food since I was a kid, and grew up with restaurants like Mexicali and Miggy’s. After trying Jalapeno, I was happy that a new Mexican restaurant finally opened in the metro with good food, AND good ambience. My personal favorite (apart from the chicken and pork chop) is the chili beef burrito. Don’t need the utensils. I use my hands and fill each bite with salsa, sour cream, and their hot sauce (which according to their staff is home-made)!
My wife and son love the steak and cheese quesadilla (must-try!). My friends’ favorite beer match is the potato wedges. Comes with salsa, jalapeno peppers, and special sauce on top of the wedges, which is a healthy serving good for at least 3 people.
Net, net, try it! The Mexican casita ambience inside makes the food taste even better!
anton,
time for a series on MEXICAN or TEX-MEX restos!
be careful though, a lot of purists
will be on your back if your mix up the two “,)
but for me,
until a so-called mexican joint starts serving
real mole with chocolate,
i’ll be happy over a taco bell!!!
joel/karlo/mark has the same URL thumbprint. just 1 person hiding under 3 aliases…. funny! it’s the caligraphy design beside your name that gave you away. if you really want to tell the whole world that your restaurant serves really good food…. let your costumers speak for you. (WAG KA MAGKARGA NG SARILING BANGKO) at wag maninira ng ibang nananahimik na restaurant. galit si lord may karma yan.
Elbert, i dont know where you get all this things that karlo, mark and i are the same person, if you have doubt why not ask anton he would know. and whats up with the calligraphy design your talking about. if you have a grudge with someone don’t bring me in to that. Im just a fan of mexican food and Jalapeno happens to be the restaurant i like to dine in. stop bashing other people who read this blog and care to comment a thing or two on their experience regarding the topic.
Yes, all of the people are different and we all don't know each other. I usually allow conflicting points of view as long as we continue to respect each one's view. Also, as long as there are no vulgarities even in the comments.
Zapata’s in Pampanga for me is the best mexican restaurant. But Jalapeno comes close. Their price range is very affordable. No need to wait for a special occassion to eat here. The cheesy potato and the chicken enchilada is very good. Stop fighting on who is the best mexican restaurant! There is room for everyone!!! Each have their own regular customers.
I would agree that Zapata is still the BEst Mexican around the Philippines!
You're welcome Franny!
Thanks for sharing Kathy! Yeah I agree on the parking issue that's why we go on a Sunday night, hehe..
ditto in opening a store in the Fort or Makati! Go Jalapeno!
Yeah I've tried it before but not sure if their quality of meat has been sustained or improve. Sige, I'll do a post on Brazil Brazil one of these days.
Yeah, masarap yung burrito… Try it and let me know, what you think about it…
I haven't found a good chimichanga place yet…
Sige we will try Steak Fajitas and Enchilada next time… Thanks for the comment, Joel 🙂
Jalapeno Cantina Mexicana: great food and not expensive at all. the Pepper steak burrito and grilled chicken mexicana are must tries. went here one random weekday and left the place a fan.
very relaxed ambiance and stellar service. Congrats!
i actually go all the way to zapata too when in need of a good mexican fix, but Jalapeno doesnt disappoint at all. must-try for those who love quality mexican food!
Yeah using weeks old cooking oil actually spoils the taste of the wings… thanks for sharing!
OK will try the sombrero plato/ fiesta then …
Hi Anton!
Sharing my post on Jalapeno http://www.janedchua.com/2009/06/01/jalapeno/
Have you tried Agave Mexican Cantina in Shangri-la or Eastwood?
I noticed that there’s been quite a sprout of Mexican spots in the Metro.
another mexican thread…. You guys just don’t quit do you. The owners of this place probably have gone through great lengths to give back to the Philippines market of what they have learned from abroad.
You guys should be lucky that there are people that are willing to share their culture with you all. If you don’t like it, don’t eat it. If it weren’t for these guys giving back, you would all be eating adobo everyday at home.
Next time you guys criticize, know the cuisine first. Actually, better yet, go to mexico and experience the great mexican foods. They all serve in plastics except in the fine dining restaurants such as hotels.
DAMN!!!! You guys are a Piece of work!!!!!!
Jalapenos, much props for taking the risk and giving back.. Don’t listen to these guys who think they know it all.
I’m about to try Agave soon 🙂 thanks Jane for sharing the link…
Guys, just relax for a bit and take a deep breath. I think all of us have our own preference when its comes to food. Im sure all us won’t agree on what’s the best italian, japanese or chinese restaurant is here in the Philippines right? That’s because there are so many to choose from unlike mexican restaurants. In the past only tia marias, mexicali and migi’s were serving mexican food which in my opinion is not even close to the mexican food in LA, San Diego much less Mexico. Now we have Mana (boracay), Zapata, Ristras, Baja, Agave and now Jalapeno. I have eaten in all of them at least 3 times to give my fair assessment. Yes, I am a mexican food lover having lived in LA and San Diego for studies and a few years of work, mexican food is like a staple food for me. Mexican food is really really big there because of its proximity to the mexican border. Im just happy that there are new Mexican restos in the country and they keep getting better!!! Now like I said, I tried each 3 times because i want to give them a fair chance. Some drastically improved, some improved a little, others stayed the same, while some really just didn’t cut it. The one I like the most now was the one I gave a failing mark the first time I tried it. I think they were open for only 4 or 5 days at the time. I tried it again last Sat and it just blew me away. The place was packed with americans and fil-ams. There was also a long wait outside and I said to myself that this resto has come a long way in a months time. Chatted with some filams outside while smoking and the consensus was it was really close to what we used to have back in the states. This is now my hands down favorite. My second favorite is a long drive away to pampanga. Their food has always been good and consistent but the Tortilla of my number 1 choice is much better. My 3rd choice is like chipotle back in the states. They have big servings and good ambiance but the price is a bit on the high side. Taste is satisfactory and I love their selection of beer!! I didn’t give the names of the restos anymore because of so much heat with Mexican resto debate.
Im just happy that now there are more to choose from than from a year ago. Lets just enjoy this dining experience and give props to the owners of these restos. I wish you guys the best and I hope you don’t rest on your success but keep trying to improve the quality of your food and service.
wow, lots of conflciting posts! i think that THE MOST IMPORTANT Mexican item is Corona! so long as they have Coronas, ayos na lahat!
its hard to park at home depot to get to Jalapeno but the price and the taste justifies the trouble! Jalapeno should have a promo for their coronas! hehe but i’d still go back again and again!
You can try chimichanga of Agave. Bf and I always order that when we dine at Agave Mexican Cantina in Eastwood.
hi trina,
may i invite you again at buffalo’s? your meal is on us..
i assure you that we dont use week old oil for frying, and im still trying to figure out what went wrong with your experience.. allow us to make it up to you..
sonny
hi 1st timer,
we’d like to invite you to reconsider us as your ultimate buffalo wings destination.
your next meal is on us! drop us a line!
we hope to see you
I tried WIngs N Things a while ago as it is located very near my office and since I got all hyped up because of the great reviews Ive been seeing about it. I am also a fan of buffalo wings thus the excitement.
However, I was very disappointed with my Wings N Things experience. The flavor was all on the skin and the meat part was very bland…no taste at all. I ordered the New York’s Finest flavor and although the sauce tasted really good, it wouldve been better if it had tastier chicken meat.
My top pick for Buffalo Wings is still FLAMING WINGS located at Katipunan, in front of ADMU. I always go there on fridays as they never disappoint. Although their wings arent of superior quality, I believe you get MORE THAN what you pay for. Plus, they serve RICE 🙂
I have to commend WIng N Things though with their Bleu Cheese dip… that part of the meal i really enjoyed. 🙂
My girlfriend and I love buffalo wings and things so much that we even have a “Wings Night” date 🙂
I love buffalo wings n things, but I’ve only tried the BF Homes-Paranaque City branch. It’s along Aguirre avenue in Phase 3. When we went there during a weekday, we were almost the only people there. But on Saturday night, it was chaos, and it took a long time for the food to be served. Anyway, good tasting food. 🙂 And we got free nachos with salsa drip on our next visit. They give away coupons.
Wow with your stamp of approval, I will definitely get the deal here! http://tinyurl.com/3fcoxb4