Dos Lobos in Pasig Serves Lechon Tacos and Quesabirrias Worth Seeking Out

(SPOT.ph) Dos Lobos is not the first taqueria in the Philippines to make all of its tortillas fresh—but they do take it several steps further. “Everything we make here is made from scratch,” says the owner, Nicole Girvin, with more than a little hint of pride. They nixtamalize (a process of preparing maize and other grains) their own corn, making their own masa harina for their corn tortillas. They even have farmers in Isabela growing Mexican corn for their tortillas.

“It’s definitely a challenge,” Girvin says, citing inconsistent harvests and the learning curve that comes with nixtamalization. But Girvin has a history of doing this kind of thing. It’s the same impulse that led to the bean-to-bar chocolate donut in Molly’s Donuts (their sister brand), for example. Or the matcha ice creams in Lady Luck (also part of the family tree). If she can figure out how to do it from scratch, that’s just what she’s going to do.

And so, with Dos Lobos, you are not just getting a taco. You are getting the result of extended research and experimentation, with the tortilla built from literally the ground up.

Dos Lobos tacos are distinct not only for the tortilla: they are Oaxacan-style, which is a little different from the kind of taco that everyone here is familiar with. “Oaxaca is the food capital of Mexico,” Girvin says. “We learned that over there, they have a holy trinity: mais, which is the corn that goes into the tortilla, the chile, and the frijol, or the beans.”

This combination shows up in all the tacos. What you get is a taco with earthy flavors, with the fresh corn tortilla; the beans that change the complexion of the dish completely; the roasted eggplant, which Girvin explains, is a stand-in for what in Mexico would be a mole; and the taste of smoke on the meats that come together in a melange that calls to mind the origins of the food itself.

Tacos, after all, are the food of farmers, and their taste should evoke the very ground from which the ingredients were grown.

There are three taco variations on Dos Lobos’ menu. There is a Pollo al Carbon (P235), a char-grilled chicken that really puts forward the flavor of smoke, which Girvin admits is a tribute to local Inasal. The Al Pastor (P255) is slow-cooked beef tenderized with pineapple. The one to get, though, if one can only have one, is the Lechonettá (P275), which is Dos Lobos’ take on carnitas. Lush confit pork, bringing a noticeable richness that plays well with the earthiness of the other ingredients.

An order is three tacos or two tostadas. The tostadas have the fillings on top of a crispy flour tortilla. All the tacos are served with red and green salsa on the side, and you can adjust to taste.

For those looking for something more familiar, Dos Lobos offers a Quesabirria taco in either chicken (P265) or beef (P290). “These days, you have to have Birria,” Girvin says. There are also quesadillas, though there’s a little twist in that they add fajita vegetables. The same proteins available as tacos are also served up as family-style mains. That smoky Pollo al Carbon is just as good served atop a generous bed of Mexican rice.

The highlight of the mains section, though, is the Sopas de Tomatillo (P575), a rich broth made from charred tomatillos and tamarind with taro, radish, and chunks of smoked beef belly. It’s served with plain rice, though Girvin recommends ordering an extra side of their corn tortillas. It is a wonderful, comforting soup that feels like it would be perfect to have on a rainy day, or any day that calls for something to make one feel better. It is deeply savory, the umami punch of the smoky beef belly delivering a decadence through which the bright flavors of the tomatillo and tamarind cut through. 

On the drinks side, they make their own Horchata, in which the Summer (P135) version is as classic as horchata gets, while the Classic (P135) and Cacao (P145) are made distinct with the use of toasted corn milk.

There's also a Tepache lineup, a fermented drink made from pineapple skins, and it serves as a base for a variety of drinks at Dos Lobos. They mix it with coconut cream, for example, to make Piñalada (P150), which is basically an alcohol-free Piña Colada. In Té Fresco (P135), they add tamarind and black tea.

Girvin admits that a lot of this is still a work-in-progress. They’re still wrestling with the temperament of nixtamalization, for example, and dealing with issues with corn harvests. And they’re still not quite sure if people will take to their version of Oaxacan cuisine. But she seems convinced that it’s worth trying, and her team seems to be really putting in the work, to the point of growing their own corn for their fresh tortillas—a painstaking process that says a lot about how seriously they’re taking this and where they want Dos Lobos to go.