New Restaurant Alert: Buen Comer at Teachers Village, Quezon City

Buen Comer 
Mapagkawanggawa Street corner Mahabagin Street, Quezon City 
Open from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. (Wednesday to Saturday)

(SPOT.ph) This restaurant is essentially a sidewalk cantina, the kind with stools lined up at a very narrow counter and a foldaway window. At the corner of Mapagkawanggawa and Mahabagin, Buen Comer is painted in unassuming black with scene-stealing paintings à la Mexico's decorative calavera or colorful skulls. If you're lucky, you'll find them open just when you're craving something new at Teachers Village. 

Calavera and other Mexican-styled paintings mark the spot.

The menu is a sparse set of eight dishes—but all eight are exceptional, paid a great deal of attention, and carefully prepared. Even the simplest option—Nacho Potato Crisp (P88)—deserves love. They're freshly sliced potato thins, fried to golden beauties, then topped with a generous drizzle of homemade sauces, plus peppers, the usual suspects.

Nacho Potato Crisp

Of course, you'll want something else to go with these babies. The Chicken Quesadilla (P128) is hefty enough to be a meal, but still light enough to leave space for Buen Comer's other delectable options.

Cheesy Quesadilla (P98)

Taco Spring Rolls (P88)

Kare-Kare Burrito

For the meat of the matter, you can opt for the Kare-Kare Burrito (P138). This is hardly your favorite ulam inside a crusty tortilla. Buen Comer squishes tasty, crunchy pieces of lechon kawali in between veggies and peanut sauce-slathered rice in the wrap. It comes with the customary bagoong, as well as the house sauces!

Peri Peri Chicken

If you're more of a rice person, Buen Comer offers Peri Peri Chicken with Dirty Rice (P138). It’s reminiscent of our chicken inasal, but seasoned with that Latin American flair.

The day's Chef's Special: Pad Thai

Longganisa Soft Taco with Mango Salsa

It's best to come here on a very hungry day. The menu is so compact that you'll want to try everything. Or ask for the Chef's Special. It's an off-menu item that changes every day and will keep you constantly excited to come back to this neck of Teachers Village. Though, we must say, the Longganisa Soft Taco (P108) does just that, too. 

Photos by Chris Clemente