At Mamacita, the Tacos are Delicious and Come with Lots of Drinks
It’s never been a better time to be a taco lover. Wherever you are, you are always just a few steps away from a delicious filling-topped tortilla, from the fancy food courts of Makati to the alleys of San Juan. Fundamentally, the taco is meant more to sustain than to please. The filling can be made with any protein, enriched with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, greens, coriander, onion, tomatoes, and, of course, chillies. It’s cheap food; it’s great food because each little pocket can pack a ton of flavor even with the most indiscernible ingredients.
But the taco’s best traits can also be its worst. At some point, maybe by your fourth or fifth, the jalapeños and avocados begin to muddle the tastes. Is it the margarita or is your carnitas starting to taste remarkably like the al pastor?
Not at Mamacita, though. These aren’t your momma’s old tacos.
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Unlike many of the cramped taqueria nooks in Metro Manila where the lack of elbow room is part of the “authentic experience,” Mamacita is bold and big, a bright splash of orange and red in the middle of Forbes Town Road. Inside, one will find cushy terracotta couches, dusty-blue chintz chairs, calaveras from the shelves to the walls, versions of La Catrina all over the stairs, and an impressive wall-to-wall bar (co-owner Ulysse Jouanneaud is an award-winning bartender and bar owner). These are, after all, a collaboration by the same people behind Dr. Wine.
Chef Charles Montañez channels Mamacita’s swagger with a menu that doesn’t waste words—or ingredients. If you’ve ever tried any of Montañez’s previous work (the cross-cultural Alegria, perhaps?), then you know he understands how to stand out amid a glut of competitors. Every dish speaks with purpose, delivering big flavors in just the right measure.
Montañez starts with 20 distinct sauces—the cornerstones of the menu—that you’ll find in one item or another. He pushes the ingredients hard, making practically everything in house.
He skips the short-order style of cooking that is traditional of tacos to deliver distinct flavors. He uses the peanut-laded salsa macha in his camarones, a smooth salsa blanco to emphasize the steak and Mexican chorizo in the campechano, while the combination of cilantro crema, pickles, and pineapple salsa lifts the gentler profile of the lapu-lapu in the fish tacos.
Strangely enough, the most compelling part of this taco isn’t the toppings. It’s the tortilla—a sturdy, chewy foundation that refuses to buckle under the weight of salsas and fillings. It’s built for those who prefer their tacos intact rather than disintegrating in hand. Like many top taquerias, Montañez relies on corn and masa harina, but he’s cagey about his precise methods.
“After studying different types of maize flour, I went with something a little more resilient,” he says. “I had to think ahead, especially if we decide to offer takeout and delivery.”
His elote, which at some point a few years ago became a dime-a-dozen in the city’s hot-ticket restaurants, surprisingly comes with the husk and cob and homemade Doritos. The chicken mole is smoky, rich, satisfying, and can give those tortillas a run for their money.
There is no dessert at Mamacita, but there are drinks—lots of them—to soothe your excited tastebuds. You can choose from the over 200 agave-based spirits, carefully curated to include everything from premium mezcals to indie producers.
Taquerias, even the ones no bigger than a closet, have elevated the humble taco to become an art form in the Metro. But as you make your way through the city’s mushrooming taco shops, you’ll find yourself craving the more unique ones, the ones you remember. Mamacita just hits different.
Mamacita is at Forbestown Road, Taguig; open daily from 12 p.m. to 3 a.m.
