El Poco Cantina will convince you to make every day a taco day
Hearty, fresh, and full of well-rounded flavors, that’s how one describes the experience of eating Mexican food. Prior to the Hallyu food craze that is going on in the Filipino’s dining scene, tacos, quesadillas, burritos, among others, have tickled our tastebuds and have proven their comfort food status. Much like our local cuisine, Mexican dishes merge heritage and spice making it hard for us not to fall head over heels for them whenever they grace our mealtime. If you’re in the mood for them, this humble food spot on Taft Ave. deserves a visit or an online purchase.
Established by couple and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde alumni Richard Ramirez and Bi Urbino in 2019, El Poco Cantina not only promises a trip to Mexico through great dishes but also a dining experience people are definitely craving for since the start of the pandemic.
And while many businesses have shifted their operations online, the couple bites onto the challenge of launching a new store amid the COVID-19 climate, a brave step considering how the pandemic caused their first restaurant to close its doors and move to offer its meals as to-go and for-delivery items.
“We didn't really have much of a choice during the first wave of the pandemic,” Richard tells Manila Bulletin Lifestyle. “We were at our peak engagement at that time and people were out there talking about our small store and brand. It was tough and very emotional for both of us because we risked everything to open up our first store.”
With the opening of the taqueria’s new space, it is slowly becoming one of the best places to dine in Pasay City’s foodscape. Definitely, they are back stronger and eager to serve more customers.
According to Richard, the food spot’s name, which means “a little kitchen” in English, is an ode to their first intimate 10-sqm. space in La Salle. The idea of opening a Mexican food place sprang to them when they were on a trip to Laguna and saw a stray red ear turtle and got inspired by its hard shell body.
“I jokingly said to open up a taco shop instead. Fortunately, my partner had prior experience working in a Mexican restaurant before and the brainstorming started there,” Richard says. “We initially wanted to try Mexican food in Taft but sadly there was only one option at that time and thus we pushed through with the idea of creating a Mexican-based cuisine.”
That they did successfully. Today, El Poco Cantina brings to the table a bigger menu that caters to birria lovers, vegetarian lovers, with their OG menu, in the new space. A true hit is its cheesy Birria Tacos. What not to miss as well are the store’s Pork Carnitas Street Tacos, Asian Pulled Pork Burrito, Bacon Quesadilla, Chicken Quesadilla, Horchata, and Tortilla Chips.
“Through the help of our community that supported us during the pandemic, we were able to gather enough resources to renovate and create the newly El Poco Cantina - Taft, alongside our first business venture, our chicken joint shop, Ken Ken Fried Chicken Pasay,” Richard muses.
“We made the brand not solely for the purpose of profits but also to create a culture and experience in our community,” he adds. “We are proud Benildean small business owners and we wanted to make El Poco Cantina a staple brand for Taft people that they can be proud of. Aside from the culture, we believe that we are part of the conversation that serves Birria Tacos that will leave you a good impression and we still serve the most explosive Pork Carnitas in the metro!”
El Poco Cantina is located at 1806 Taft Ave. in Pasay City and is open for dine-in from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and online until 11 p.m. Get to know more about its offering @elpococantina on Instagram.