Date # 63: Hermanos Taco Shop

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            Hermanos Taco Shop is a quaint, seemingly out-of-place Authentic Mexican Taco Shop located near a gas station. Purists would normally scoff at other Mexican restaurants and say that Hermanos Taco Shop is the only real Mexican taqueria in the city. But we’re not one of them. We always say that “just because it’s authentic, that doesn’t automatically mean that it’s better”—because time changes all things, and sometimes even for the better.

            True to the theme, a Filipino-Mexican mans the cashier. The restaurant has a self-service set-up, where customers would line up and order their food at the counter and wait for their meals to be served at their table.

The interiors of Hermanos Taco Shop are reminiscent of a local canteen. There’s really nothing fancy: simple metal chairs and tables, wood accents, a large mirror, plus a few posters that showcase trivial information about Mexican ingredients.

Douglas ordered a lovely serving of Beef Quesadilla (P250) for himself. Each piece was packed with a hefty amount of shredded beef, accented with flavorful melted cheese, and then finally balanced off sour cream and tomatoes. I’m not sure yet about what kind of cheese they used for this dish, but surely, it was the element that made this quesadilla hit home.

            Douglas also got a glass of House Horchata (P95) to go with his meal. Horchata is actually a traditional Spanish and Latin American drink that can be made and served in several ways. Hermanos Taco Shop makes it with a combination of rice, cinnamon, and sugar. Douglas said that he initially thought that cinnamon wouldn’t work as a drink, but he later thought that it was a nice touch. It was a unique and refreshing drink.

            For my meal, I got an order of Carne Asada Tacos (P150). The taco shells they used were soft and chewy, unlike the crunchy ones that we often see in fast food Mexican chains. From what I heard, that’s really how they do it in Mexico. I like it better this way, since I’m not fond of anything crunchy. The shells also had a strong corn flavor that made up most of the taste.

            The bowl of salsa served with my tacos was much spicier than the mild one served with Douglas’ dish. I personally like my salsa more, because it packs a lot of heat and flavor.

          People sometimes say that the worst thing that people have done to Mexican food was that they made it unhealthy by dumping unbelievable amounts of cheese and cream to the dishes, whereas real Mexican food only makes use of light and healthy ingredients. I’ll leave you to decide which side you’re on.

Edit: The servings are only good for one person, but if you’re a hungry mouse like me, they’re probably only good for half of a person :P

Overall Verdict: I’m not going to say that I prefer Hermanos Taco Shop over my other Mexican restaurant favorites. I’m just saying that being the only authentic Mexican joint around makes it unique. In the end, though, weren’t exactly blown away by our experience, but we’re not disappointed, either.

Hermanos Taco Shop
#27 Granada Ave. corner Jose O. Vera St., 
Brgy. Valencia, Gilmore, Quezon City
Landmark is the Petron Gasoline Station and JT’s Manukan.
Telephone:             +632 570-8425      
FB: www.facebook.com/hermanostacoshop
Email: hermanostacoshop@yahoo.com

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With and For Love,

Rina Caparras and Douglas Chong

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