Chef Heny Sison and Cong. DV Savellano had high hopes when they opened the doors of their authentic Spanish restaurant Deo Gracias. Launched last October 2021, at 12 11th Jamboree St., QC, so much was still up in the air in terms of what sort of reception they would elicit. Deo Gracias (DG) occupies a house that’s been converted into an eating establishment. There’s an inviting ambiance, with al fresco tables and a second floor that works as function rooms or additional seating capacity.

At the start of this year, during the height of our Omicron health crisis, the restaurant actually shut down for two weeks. Thankfully, they got back on track. I got to talk to Chef Heny, she was in good spirits, reflecting on how Valentine’s Day onwards has been quite good—and that word of mouth has been a constant encouragement. I was happy to hear that, and glad to reconnect with DG Chef Alex del Hoyo Gómez who unveiled some of the new dishes that are still off-menu—but should be strong favorites in no time at all.

The new Carpaccio is thinly sliced beef, with morsels of mahón cheese, whole almonds, and a truffle mustard dressing. Thanks to the whole almonds, I would rate this one of the more interesting versions of Carpaccio I’ve tried, and I’ll be heading back to order this soon.

The Paella Verduras is an excellent combination of rice, fennel, cauliflower, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and asparagus. You’ll love the use of a shallow paellera, and how so much of the rice is toasted to a delicious crisp. It’s a vegetarian option that works, without any loss of flavors.

Look out for the Piquillos Y Bacalao as it’s Piquillo peppers stuffed with cod fish stew, a seafood bechamel, and sprinkled with bits of cod fish chicharrón. Given the stew filling, expect this to be soft and mushy, and to be ready to be blown away by the bechamel topping.

While those three were the new off-menu dishes; DG already holds fond memories for me, so there were a smattering of ‘old favorites’ we added to our lunch. The Ensalada de Queso de Cabra Y Nueces should be on your list of dishes you can’t miss. It’s arugula, fried goat cheese, walnuts, quince, sun dried tomatoes, in a honey mustard dressing. It's easily one of my all time favorite salads.

The Gambas Al Ajillo Y Gulas solves the perennial issue of whether to order Gambas or the Angulas, as you have them both in this hot tapas dish. The Pulpo a la Gallega ‘Deo Gracias’ is another can’t miss. It’s octopus strips served in potato and sobrasada cream, with pimenton oil. Decadent and delightful!

A new discovery from the existing menu is the Ensaladilla, potato salad with tuna in olive oil and alioli. Served cold, it’s a refreshing non-meat dish to share in between courses or as one of your appetizers.

Thanks to my middle son who’s a chocolate and churros fan, we ordered the Deo Gracias Churros. It's a combination of the traditional sugared churros, and cold chocolate churros. Decadent options are welcome at our table, and this one is highly recommended.

Deo Gracias may not have hit the half-year mark yet but discriminating QC diners have already marked their territory. I hear that in spite of the expansive seating capacity, it’s best to call and reserve a table and not just show up unannounced. Joking with Chef Alex about this and saying it’s a good problem, he was all smiles and happy to find his brand of Spanish cuisine is being appreciated.

I had my three sons with me for our regular Sunday lunch, and I can say here that by the time the main courses were being served, they were unanimously super happy to have made the trek to QC from Makati. Authentic Spanish cuisine, served family-style, in a casual setting, with an adventurous chef turning up the mélange of ingredients, flavors and tastes, is always a good thing, and Chef Alex is a master of his 'kingdom.'