For decades, we've grown to love Racks for living up to its promise of delivering the best ribs in town.  Then surprise surprise, a new cooler and younger brother called Rackshack comes along. 

Like all younger brothers, there's a bigger pressure of living up to the expectations set by its older brother. 

With a brighter and hipper vibe and long tables allowing for social eating, it bears no influence of its older brother.

Aside from the name, I bet you couldn't tell just by the looks of the place right?


To properly differ from its good and stable older brother, it also offers booze to heighten the social and dining experience. 

Food

Ridiculously Good Appetizers

♥ Ridiculous Nachos (365 php)

Being born after an older brother, Rackshack sure knows that sharing is caring!  It offers appetizers that are fun to enjoy with company like the Ridiculous Nachos...

Onion Strings (135 php)

Onion Strings...

Skinny Fries (95 php)

and Skinny Fries.

Street Corn Salad (195 php)

Its salad isn't as grand but it is more affordable than what Racks has to offer.

Pork Ribs in Hoisin Sauce (Sampler Only)

Rackshack offers 5 sauces: Mother Sauce (signature house blend), Spicy Mother Sauce, Hoisin Sauce, Carolina Gold (mustard base) and Kansas Sauce (sweet and spicy).  I

♥ Creole Garlic Shrimp (Sampler Only)

 I enjoyed the Creole Garlic Shrimp.

Crack Fried Chicken (Half 345 php)

If I recall correctly, Racks also has an item similar to the Crack Fried Chicken.

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
So that's what you can expect from Racks cooler and younger brother Rackshack.  Should we welcome it with open arms and love it just like its older brother?   Hmm... I wouldn't want to spoil it so I'll be honest with my opinion that it has yet to convince many that it can deliver consistently like Racks was able to.  But price-wise, it is a bit cheaper.

The family is huge fan of shawarma so even though Liberation Shawarma isn't the most popular with the crowd at Hole in the Wall, we just had to try it.

Checking out the reviews, many seems unsatisfied with this joint.  There were no lines too. Being a concept by Chef JP Anglo of Sarsa, I was in huge disbelief.


Shawarma Rice

♥ Beef Rice (260 php)

I'm glad we tried the Beef Rice because it was a huge hit for the family.  The meat was savory, well-spiced and tender.  Their yogurt sauce is so good!  And the portion as you can see if good for sharing if you're not a heavy eater.


Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Liberation Shawarma doesn't offer much variety.  It's a very narrowed down and specialized shawarma joint.  When craving for shawarma which we for often do, we wouldn't mind dropping by here when in the area.

As the name indicates, Cova Tapas Y Sangria boasts of their tapa selections and Sangrias.  The owners Tatyana Guevara and Patrick Hesse went to Barcelona after graduating from Enderun to learn more about Spanish cuisine.  During their stay in Spain, they noticed that tapas bars are everywhere and they believed that the Philippines is ready for one too.  Afterall, we Filipinos always have our pulutan (finger foods) whenever we drink right?

Tapas which means "lid or cover" can be any dish served in small servings.  It is intended to be partnered with wine and to encourage conversations among people. In case of big groups, Tapas can also be upgraded to a bigger portion like racion or whole. 
Cova Tapas Y Sangria emits an elegant yet cozy feel with its mellow lighting and modern interiors.  It has a distinct ceiling that reminds me of a stalactite cave or the mouth of a whale.  It has a nice seating area on the sides and tall chairs and tables on the center which allows diners to stand and socialize.  The acoustics of the venue is superb.  Despite being surrounded by conversing groups, the place felt serene.  The owners are very hands-on too as they entertain the customers personally.  

♥ Huevos Cabreados (260 php)

The Huevos Cabreados  is a tower of fried potato strings, friend egg, chroizo bits, spicy brava sauce and aoili.  Since it was our first time to try this, we asked the servers assistance to prepare it for us.  

♥ Huevos Cabreados (260 php)

We found out that the beautiful tower of Huevos Cabreados has to be demolish and mixed to be enjoyed.  Amidst the sporadic bits, we found a treasure of flavors and textures.  We enjoyed this to the very last potato string.  This is a must order!

Ravioli de Rabo de Toro Racion (480 php)

The Ravioli de Rabo de Toro is not your ordinary ravioli. These are crispy fried ravioli cubes filled with ox tail, foie gras and shitake mushroom that will raid your taste buds with its valiant meaty flavors.  Try this with the balsamic cream and aoili to enhance the experience.  

Pintxo de Queso Frito Racion (360 php)

♥ Cap I Pota Racion (500 php)

Although Cap I Pota means head and leg of a pork, Cova's version offers more than that.  It has ox tripe, ox cheeks, jamon, blood sausage, tomatoes, sulatanas and pine nuts.  These hoard of ingredients will definitely triumph over your appetite with its zesty, sweet and nutty flavors.  Moreover, its chewy tripe and cheeks will make you fall head over heels with this viand.  It is served with your choice of bread or rice.  

♥ Espuma Bacalao (380 php)

The Espuma Bacalao which means salted cod in foam is served in a glass.  It is best enjoyed spooning to the very bottom to scoop out the salted cod along with potatoes, garlic confit and olives.  Although the salted cod could be overpowering, it is contrasted by the soft and airy foam bringing the taste to a perfect smack.

Crema Catalana (200 php)

The Crema Catalana is the Catalonian version of creme brulee.  Underneath the thin sheet of crystalized sugar is a sweet and tangy orange custard that's soft but a bit coarse.  

♥ Cova Red Sangria 1L (895 php) and ♥ Summer Peachy White Wine Sangria 1L (895 php)

Of course, we had some Sangria to accompany our tapas.  Though I'm not much of an wine drinker, I found myself dazzled by the sweet, luscious and fruity flavors of the Summer Peachy White Wine.  On the other hand, the my male companions preferred the Cova Red Sangria for its sweet and astringent counter balancing attributes.  Whichever variety we preferred, we all agreed that Cova's Sangria is one of the best available in the country.  Perhaps, it is because Cova's wines are all sourced from Spain and their Sangria are made fresh everyday.  

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Cova Tapas Y Sangria offers the one of the best modern tapas selections and Sangrias.  In addition, it offers a great ambiance unlike any other.  In terms of price, it is quite reasonable considering that Cova does not scrimp on ingredients and source most of them from Spain.