Road to Ristras

A girl from the south adventures north on a quest for some serious Mexican. The promise of super-stuffed burritos, ice-cold brew, and mountains of guacamole await her at RISTRAS.

By Aym Bagatsing

We left hungry, and arrived starving. This southern girl (and a willing compatriot) braved the bridges and overpasses of EDSA only to get lost in the winding side streets of San Juan. As we hung a right on Jose Abad Santos and saw a red-peppered sign on the corner, our stomachs yelped “Andale, andale!” Not to fancy myself an expert on Mexican cuisine, but having had a summer sojourn in California, I had certain expectations. A colorful palette of textures and flavors characterizes Mexican food; the grainy flour tortilla wrapped around tightly packed rice, beans, fresh corn and veggies, and melted cheese. And, as with any authentic Mexican joint, you will know it’s good if you leave stuffed.

Ristras has a very warm, welcoming interior, and we entered into a full house on that balmy Saturday evening. Families, couples, and friends basked in the glowing lights and hanging dried pepper fixtures (the restaurant’s eponymous namesake), eating heartily. As we stood in line, I studied the menu excitedly. It was refreshingly simple—it offered all the usual suspects: burrito, chimichanga, quesadilla, fajitas, and enchiladas—but with an interesting twist.

All the food is prepared in an open area as you order it, with the yummy options spread out in front of you. The burrito can be made to your taste, with a varied array of choices suitable for any diet. There are five ways to fill your burrito: steak, chicken, vegetarian, barbacoa (shredded beef with onion, chipotle, adobo, cumin, cloves, garlic, and oregano) and carnitas (naturally raised pork seasoned with thyme, bay leaves, orange juice, cracked black pepper, then braised for hours). Pair this with either cilantro or chorizo brown rice, topped off with fresh lettuce, corn, and jalapenos for the perfect wrap.

For the Php 290 price tag, the portions are more than plenty. We decided to split it into an extra-spicy vegetarian half (only black beans and rice), and a barbacoa beef burrito with chorizo rice smothered with ranchero sauce.

Our second menu item was the chimichanga, which is basically a burrito but deep-fried. As sinful as it sounds, we consoled ourselves by going for a healthier filling choice of chicken. Quesadillas rounded off our meal, and both dishes were served with generous sidings of sour cream, salsa, and my favorite, guacamole.

To whet one’s whistle, you can choose from sodas, fresh lemonade, and a selection of imported beers and ales. With our refreshments ready, I was set to conquer our feast south of the border (or North, in this case?). The burrito delivered an explosion of flavors in every bite, from the salty cured meat to the sweet yellow corn. The quesadillas were extremely fresh and had just the right amount of cheesiness. With a dollop of sour cream, guac, or their signature garlic sauce, a new taste would be brought out. The chimichanga proved to be deep-fried perfection—with its crunchy tortilla crust that breaks to reveal smoking cilantro rice and chicken chunks.

Delicious? Yes. Authentic? Definitely. Filling? For sure. Ristras exceeded every standard I had. This young, hip, Mexican fast-food bistro that has only been around for seven months is filling seats and tummies with their huge servings and genuine gringo flavor. It was worth every peso, every kilometer traveled, and definitely worth driving back to. Trust me—I was smiling the whole way home.