Cocina Juan: Central American Flavors in Maginhawa Quezon City (Food Panda Maginhawa Food Crawl)

Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines

 Cocina Juan is one of the pioneers in Maginhawa since its onset of being an eat street in 2008.  


cocina juan
Before Cocina Juan, I don't think I've encountered any establishment serving Central American Cuisine before.  Although it's similar to Mexican and Tex-Mex, it is from a completely separate region (Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Belize, and Costa Rica).

cocina juan
With limited spacing and an al fresco area, this is Cocina Juan's interiors.

cocina juan

Love the color matching bottle-turned-vase and plates. =)

Food

Aperitivos (Appetizers) Inspirations
nachos supremo todo
Nachos Supremo Todo (249 php)
The Nachos Supremo Todo is loaded with nacho cheese sauce,salsa, jalapeno, grated cheese, chili con carne,  refried beans and aioli sauce (mayonaise with a hint of garlic).

dinamita
Dinamita (139 php)
The Dinamita is really explosive!  The cheese is not as much as expected so I was surprised upon first bite at how fiery this is.  This is the spiciest dynamite I've ever encounteredGood thing it is served with aioli sauce that neutralized the spiciness.


Taco Inspirations
quesadilla mixto carne
Quesadilla Mixto (Carne) (169 php)
The Quesadilla Mixto (Carne) are filled with cheese and beef.  It's served with salsa cruda.  This is really hearty especially for meat lovers.

quesadilla con tomate
Quesadilla Con Tomate (149 php)
If you want something light, go for the Quesadilla Con Tomate.

Tortilla Inspirations
beef burrito grande
Beef Burrito Grande (199 php)
The Beef Burrito Grande is a hefty burrito filled with grilled beef, grated cheese, tomatoes, aioli sauce and lettuce.

 
chicken burrito grande
Chicken Burrito Grande (199 php)

The Chicken Burrito Grande is an alternative if you prefer grilled chicken.  Both are equally good.

La Parilla "Grilled Meats" Inspirations
churrasco fiesta platter
Churrasco Fiesta Platter (549 php)
The highlight of our meal is the Churrasco Fiesta Platter which is a gigantic (and literally heavy - couldn't lift the platter!) serving that's good for 4-5 persons.  It has a local garlic sausages, grilled beef, chicken and pork skewers with aioli sauce, sliced onions, zucchini, tomatoes and bell peppers.  Everyone loved the beef slices.  It was the one that was emptied in a flash.  These are best dipped on their chimichurri sauce (Argentinean sauce with finely chopped parsley and garlic in olive oil and lime juice) and chirmoi sauce (Guatamelan sauce with grilled tomatoes, pepper Jalapeno mixed in olive oil).  For staple, it has gallo pinto rice and crispy potato wedges (quite addictive!).  It also comes with a salad with tomatoes, buttered corn, onions and greens.  

I've encountered churrasco which meant grilled in Spanish and Portugese before at Brazil! Brazil!.  I've noticed that the Brazilian churrasco is grilled barbecue with a sweet and savory marinate.  While, the churrasco of Cocina Juan is Nicaraguan-style which is grilled like steak and spiced with parsley, garlic and peppers.

Drinks
Cucumber Lemonade (65 php/glass)
Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Cocina Juan is a place to appreciate Central American cuisine.  Once you've tried it you'd want to try some more.  I know I do.  The price isn't budget-friendly but definitely worth the experience.   

Tsinoy Foodies Review Rating Cocina Juan Menu
Ambiance Menu 1 | Menu 2
Taste
Service
Price
=Favorites or Recommended 
Cocina Juan
Business Address 100 Maginhawa St., Maginhawa, 
Quezon City, Metro Manila
Business Hours 11am-10pm
Payment Options Cash
Service Charge
Budget/Person 200-800
Free WiFi No
Unlocked Foursquare Perks None
Contact (02) 434-3911
Other  Facebook Fan Page
Disclosure: Everything was arranged by Food Panda under the terms that we are to simply share our own insights and experience.

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