The Philippines and Mexico have a lot in common: both colonized by Spain in the 1500s and linked across the seas by the Galleon Trade, linkages in the two countries’ culture and practices are bound to occur.
One such linkage is found in food.
Filipino and Mexican cuisines are both heavily influenced by Spanish culinary traditions but are still grounded on local tastes and ingredients.
It would take only a little leap, then, to add Filipino twists to Mexican food and come up with exotic viands made familiar and palatable to the Pinoy palate. And so we have Fil-Mex cuisine such as the food that can be enjoyed at the recently opened restaurant in Tomas Morato called El Chupapi.
A hole-in-the-wall taqueria along Scout Albano Street, El Chupapi offers a place where workers from nearby offices and local residents can enjoy a quick and easy lunch or some after-hours pica-pica with their favorite cerveza (which usually happens to be San Miguel Beer, and you can’t get any more Pinoy than that, hahaha!).
Step inside and you’ll be welcomed by vibrant colors that characterize Mexican culture, most notably the mural of Santa Muerte that occupy an entire wall.
I’ve experienced both kinds of dining opportunities at El Chupapi: first, when I joined my team mates in a post-work Anti-Burnout get-together; and second, when I grabbed a quick lunch here together with my office buddies.
Among the Fil-Mex dishes I have sampled here are:
Fries Overload (Php180). A mixture of ground beef and melted cheese poured over freshly made French fries. This is great for sharing and mindless munching (like I often do)!
Tacos Locos (Php149 for 2 pieces). My friends and I took advantage of an ongoing Booky Buy One Get One deal for these meaty and cheese hard-shell tacos so we got four tacos for the price of two.
Salmon and Cream Cheese Aioli Soft Tacos (Php175). Two pieces of pan-seared salmon fillets on top of shredded cabbage and onions, doused with garlic mayo to be rolled inside a lightly toasted tortilla.
Chicken Wings (Php195 for 6 pieces | Php360 for 12 pieces). Tender and juicy chicken wings flavored with your choice among four sauces: Mango Habanero, Garlic Parmesan, Salted Egg and Mexican Barbecue. Thanks to a lucky decision to have lunch here on a Wingsday Wednesday, my friends and I got twelve pieces of El Chupapi’s wings (6 pieces Garlic Parmesa and 6 pieces Mexican Barbecue) for just Php195. These go so well with steamed rice.
Dessert Quesas (Php180 each). Sweet takes on the classic quesadilla – Blueberry Cream Cheese and Himalayan Salted Caramel (which was quite salty) – topped with a hefty dollop of vanilla ice cream. Both serve as great bookends to a satisfying Fil-Mex meal.
My friends and I are quite satisfied with our El Chupapi experiences in terms of the quality of food and pricing. I also appreciate its Buy One Get One offers that help more people enjoy its offerings without being to heavy on the wallet.
So, how about popping by in Tomas Morato and giving this Fil-Mex resto a try?
El Chupapi is located at No. 7 Scout Albano Street, South Triangle, Quezon City, open Mondays to Saturdays from 11am to 11pm.
Jellybeans in the City 