Although we Filipinos are generally heavy rice eaters, I'm quite surprised that there are hardly any Mexican restaurants around.  So I'm always happy to discover more.  And, I'd like to thank Food Panda Magihawa Food Crawl for my latest discovery.

With a facade that's simple, the hat, name and color instantly hints out that they serve Mexican dishes and they specialize in Quesadillas.

You can opt to eat out al fresco style but on a hot day, I'd suggest eating inside.  I like how they made the place feel Mexican with the red bricks, orange tone and Mexican art. 

Food

Quesadillas

Mexican Beef Quesadilla (110 php)

The Mexican Beef Quesadilla has salsa, beans and ground beef.  This is their specialty item.

♥ Spinach & Chicken Quesa (130 php)

 The Spinach & Chicken Quesa is the champion of quesadillas for me.  It had oozing melted cheese, tender ground chicken and slippery spinach bits.

Beef Yakiniku Quesa (140 php)

I think they made a risk to fuse Japanese and Mexican with the Beef Yakiniku Quesa.  Well, it was a risk well-taken because it works!  The tiny beef slices and caramelized onions delivered sufficient savory flavors to make it interesting and fun to munch.
 

Home Made Hot Sauce

If you want to add some spice to any of their dishes, try their Home Made Hot Sauce.  It's not very spicy but does the job of adding tingling appetizing hotness.

Burrito

Chicken Burrito (120 php)

If you want a heavy meal that's bang for the buck, go for their Burritos.  The Chicken Burrito is loaded with tender chicken chunks, salsa, cheese, yogurt sauce and flavorful rice.
 

♥ Mexican Beef Burrito (130 php)

The Mexican Beef Burrito has the same composition as the Quesa but with yummy rice to boot.

Side Orders/Others

Ultimate Nachos (130 php)

The Ultimate Nachos with zesty salsa, ground beef, beans and cheese is great for sharing.

Salsa and Yogurt Dip

You can dip the nachos to the Salsa and Yogurt Dip.   My companions liked the diluted and sweet Yogurt Dip but I personally prefer the rich and tangy type.

♥ Dynamite Beef Rolls (99 php)

The Dynamite Beef Rolls is a special kind as it has ground beef bits on top of the usual chilli and cheese.  I don't find it compatible with ketchup though.


Drinks

Unlimited Iced Tea (50 php)

For drink, you can go for Unlimited Iced Tea to replenish your taste buds especially from the spicy dishes.

Order from Casa Quesadilla Through Food Panda
Food Panda is an online delivery service available in over 35 countries. Craving for Mexican?  You can order hassle free from Casa Quesadilla through Food Panda. 

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Casa Quesadilla is my kind of hole-in-the-wall Mexican House. The price is so reasonable that student's can frequent the place as much as they want.  The portion and taste is quite satisfying too.

It's funny how timely opportunity seems to just knock on my door.  Just a few weeks ago, my friend Hana, her better half Kyle and I were planning to go for a Maginhawa food trip.  A week later, we all received an invited along with our blogger friends to go join their Food Panda Maginghawa Food Crawl.  I'm so glad Food Panda organized such a gastronomic adventure because we would never have made an itinerary as awesome as they did!  Our first stop was Katz Diner. 
  
Katz Diner is located in Malingap Sikatuna Village (within the Maginhawa area).  It has two parking slots and an al fresco area which you can visibly from the outside.

Inside, you'll see that it's no ordinary hall in the wall.  It's very bright, warn, colorful and cozy with nice frames hanged on its walls and quirky displays.

Simple but very pleasing to the eyes right?


Food

Entrees

Grilled Pork Steak (260 php)

The Grilled Pork Steak is a plateful of sweet marinated pork cuts which is great when dipped in the vinegar-based sauce.  It is also served with a cup of rice, fried egg, pickled radish and carrots and fresh slices of tomatoes and cucumber. 

♥ Roast Pork Belly (290 php)

Isn't the Roast Pork Belly just stunningly beautiful?  We all had a few seconds just looking at this to appreciate it before digging in.  Some of the skin delivered a crackling sensation.  The roast pork belly was so soft and so flavorful as it was swimming in gorgeous, gratifying although quite guilt-bearing oil.  The oiliness was properly subdued by the delicious sweet potato puree, gravy and chimchuri sauce.  It also comes with a cup of rice, fried egg and pickled cucumber.


All Day Breakfast

♥ Longganisa (185 php)

My favorite among our orders would be the Longganisa.  Although my mom is from Ilocos Sur and we regularly cooked longanisa at home, I super rarely eat them because I'm not much of a fan.  I'm so glad that Katz' Longganisa is unlike any other.  It is deconstructed into bits and mixed with a delicious salsa.  It actually felt like eating a Filipino-style taco but with scrambled egg and rice instead of cispy taco shell or soft tortilla.


Dessert

♥ Lava Cake (100 php)

Save room for dessert because there's the Lava Cake!

♥ Lava Cake (100 php)

The Lava Cake has a rich, sweet, gooey chocolate fudge that oozes out in every forkful.  Yum!

Drinks

♥ Brewed Tea (80 php)

For drinks, the hot Brewed Tea is highly recommended!  You can choose between black tea or oolong tea and they serve it with a mix of creamy sweet milk.

Tea-Based

Citrus Tea Pitcher (140 php)

I found the Citrus Tea a bit too sweet but I liked that the citrus flavor was bold enough to be distinguished.

Yakult-Based

♥ Green Tea Yakult (90 php) *Sample size only

The Green Tea Yakult we tried was at a sugar level of 25%.  It was just right for me.  I liked their blend.  I could sense the floral flavor of the green tea and at the same time, recognize the sweet and tangy flavor of the Yakult.


Order from Katz Diner Through Food Panda
Food Panda is an online delivery service available in over 35 countries.  If don't want to hassle yourself to go Maginhawa (I personally find it difficult to commute in that area), you can easily order from Katz Diner through Food Panda. 

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
If you're looking for a diner that serves hefty breakfast with a nice atmosphere to brighten your day, then consider Katz Diner.  It's also an ideal place to just chill (they have a very good air conditioning) and relax.  Their drink selections are very affordable and really good.  But, I can't say the same for most of their food items.