La Barra Food House; brings the goodness of Spanish dishes closer to foodies

The Philippines was a Spanish colony from 1521 to 1898. Our country cannot be a colony for over three hundred years and not imbibe the culture of the colonizer. 

Spain not only brought the Catholic religion to the Philippine islands, it also brought with it its culture and its cuisine.

The impact of the Spanish influence on local cuisine is very much evident not only in the households but also in different food businesses around the country.

I am one of the many Filipinos who also embraced the Spanish cuisine, which is why upon discovering a new Spanish-inspired food house somewhere in Marikina, I immediately packed up all my things and visit the place, not even wondering the distance I have to travel.

The food house, "La Barra" is located in a food park called "Tableria" in San Roque Marikina City. La Barra is a small store but it looks clean and inviting. The Spanish-inspired theme of the store - from the tiles to the decorations is really nice, you will feel that the owner is really passionate about Spanish cuisine.

So what did we feast on?

Of course my most favorite among the Spanish dishes - Paella Negra, a Valencian and Catalan dish made with seafood and rice with squid ink. We also had their Pork Adobar, a fried marinated pork topped with their special sauce - Lalaland and also the Chicken Skillet which is the chicken version of the Pork Adobar. For dessert, we had Crema Catalan, a custard dessert very similar to creme brulee.

Paella Negra 

Solo - P190  

Medio - P370

Grupo - P560

This Paella Negra is medium sized which is good for 3 persons, but if you are not really an eater with a very big appetite, this can be good for up to 5 persons. We were 3 girls, but we only ate around 70% of it and we're already full. Their negra tastes really good. The seafood was fresh and there was a generous amount of it on top. I enjoyed their negra because the rice was perfectly cooked with just the right blend of the taste of seafood and spices. Don't be afraid to try this black dish, peeps because it doesn't smell and taste "fishy."

Pork Adobar - P150

Chicken Skillet - P140

Pork Adobar and Chicken Skillet are both served with steaming hot rice. The meats are topped with their original salsa, Lalaland sauce which is blended by their in-house chef. Both are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside and also savory and flavorful because of the different herbs used to marinate the meat.

The Crema Catalan is different from the usual creme brulee many restaurants and hotels offer. It is not sweet, but it is topped with burnt sugar and that's what makes it really enjoyable to eat. You can have it for only P75. Pls watch the video to see how La Barra makes their Crema Catalan.

So here is my overall rating:

► Place is clean, organized and friendly.
► Taste of the food is above average because they don't shortcut the process of cooking and especially the ingredients.
► Price is reasonable, won't hurt your budget.