Stay a While for a Long and Leisurely Lunch with New Dishes at Txoko Asador

There are days when a long and leisurely lunch is just what you need. And for those days, Txoko Asador is always the perfect spot... 

A glass of wine sets the tone for a relaxed and casual lunch of authentic Basque and Castilian specialties at one of the metro's finest Spanish restaurants. Txoko Asador serves up new dishes for Dia del Padre or Father's Day alongside classic all-time bestsellers for even more reasons to enjoy a long and leisurely lunch with friends. Read on and join us for a laid-back lunch...

A part of the Bar Pintxos Restaurant Group, Txoko Asador is a Spanish restaurant with a unique yet traditional asador concept of grilling or barbecuing assorted meats served alongside popular Spanish staples and dishes. Hearty and savory dishes fresh off the grill, that's what awaits diners at Txoko Asador built around and leveraging on the authentic Spanish flavors of set by Bar Pintxos (for more on Bar Pintxos, see my post, Tasty Bites and Soothing Sips at Bar Pintxos Y Mas, Now Open at 8 Rockwell).

Drawing inspiration from the Basque culture where friends come together to cook, experiment with new ways of preparing dishes and enjoy each other's company, "txoko" is a social custom where people gather and share their passion for good food. This is recreated at Txoko Asador with its passion for Basque and Castilian cuisine weaving local ingredients with modern techniques for classic and traditional dishes. It's the old and the new coming together in a lavish yet and seamless blend at one of the metro's authentic Spanish establishments.  

Inside Txoko Asador's elegant space, the comforting warmth of wood tones contrast with the bold palette of greys, blues and blacks for a dramatic stage of authentic Spanish flavors. Recently honored as The Best New Restaurant in 2022 by The Tatler Dining Guide, Txoko Asador promises a memorable dining experience the minute you enter. 

The clean and uncluttered layout with its contemporary and modern vibe already sets Txoko Asador apart from the other establishments in the busy Legazpi Village area of Makati making it the ideal spot for a business or casual lunch with friends. 

Txoko Asador also has private function rooms for business meetings or more intimate gatherings with friends and family. It's a lavish spin on private dining with that elegant style of Txoko Asador.

A glimpse of the kitchen reveals Txoko Asador's secret...

Chef Medz Medina proudly showcases the Josper Grill, a unique charcoal grill and oven in one adding a unique layer of smoky hints to Txoko Asador's specialty offerings while keeping the asador's craft and tradition alive and well with each savory dish.

Classic Starters at Txoko Asador

Setting up for a long and leisurely lunch requires the right and proper starters. At Txoko Asador, you can choose from their wide selection of specialty Hot and Cold Starters to get you and your friends on the right track. The Pulpo Carpaccio (P 520) with paper-thin slices of tender octopus, crisp strings of potatoes and paprika is the perfect start to any dining experience at Txoko Asador.

Elegantly plated, the thinly sliced octopus delivers a fresh burst of briny sweetness followed by the subtle smoky hints of paprika while the crisp potatoes round out the dish with both added flavor and texture. Enjoy another bite with one more glass of wine, time just stops at Txoko Asador. 

No one does the traditional Patatas Bravas like Txoko Asador. The delicately layered Patatas Bravas (P 320) with fried potatoes dabbed with Salsa Brava and Aioli first feeds the eyes before the palate. 

A closer look reveals the intricate layers of delicately crisp potatoes topped with Salsa Brava and Aioli for rich, bold and flavorful notes with every bite. It's the little things, down to the minutest details that make dining at Txoko Asador different and special.   

The parade of flavors and textures continues at Txoko Asador with the Pan Con Tomate Y Jamon (P 495), another intricate creation with a soft and lightly crisp bread pillow filled with tart tomato foam and wrapped in Serrano Ham served with Iberico oil. 

Pick it up gently and take it in one bite and experience a pop of vibrant flavors from the tomato foam followed by the mild salty hints of premium Serrano Ham for rich and balanced flavors. For that extra savory bite, squeeze some Serrano oil and just sit back followed by another sip of wine. It's this elegant weave of textural contrasts and flavors from the freshest and premium ingredients that makes the Pan Con Tomate Y Jamon a must-try at Txoko Asador.

Txoko Asador offers so much more from their Hot and Cold Starters selection like Boquerones (P 750) or marinated anchovies, Tuna Tartare with Salmorejo (P 580), Gambas Asadas Al Ajillo (P 580), Chorizo A La Parilla (P 490), Foie Gras Escalope (P 620), Escalivada (P 345) or Josper grilled eggplant, Terrina de Cochinillo Confitado (P 650) and Foie Gras Micuit (P 750) but you can't go wrong with the trio of Pulpo Carpaccio, Patatas Bravas and Pan Con Tomate Y Jamon.  

Chef Medz then served one of the new dishes from the Dia Del Padre menu...

...with a slab of bone marrow on crisp salad greens. The ingredients are always the star of the dish at Txoko Asador and the presentation looks impressive no matter how simply plated the dish is, but the real proof of the pudding is in that first bite. 

Created specifically for the new Dia del Padre menu, the Steak Tartare Y Tuétano (P 950) is a savory starter with steak tartare, grilled bone marrow and rich yolk sauce on a bed of garden fresh and crisp mesclun greens. Take a piece of crusty bread and top it with a spoonful of steak tartare and grilled bone marrow with some salad greens and yolk sauce and enjoy fresh, clean yet bold flavors with each bite.

The steak tartare just melts in your mouth while the grilled bone marrow adds a rich and buttery finish with subtle smoky hints from the Josper Grill. The fresh greens and yolk sauce completes the indulgent flavors. 

Another glass of wine? Make that a bottle for a long and leisurely lunch at Txoko Asador...

Savory Mains at Txoko Asador

Two more dishes from the Dia del Padre menu were served, starting with the Arroz Meloso Con Mariscos (P 850) with large succulent grilled Tiger prawns and Idiazabal cheese on creamy seafood rice topped with garlic and parsley for a hearty and comforting feast at Txoko Asador.

The soft and moist rice with its creamy risotto-like texture drapes the palate with a smooth and indulgent finish. A gentle squeeze of the grilled lemon cuts through the richness with its tart and smoky hints. The large succulent Tiger prawns, romanced by the fiery charcoal of the Josper Grill, brings a fresh and briny layer of flavor to the dish along with just a hint of smoky notes. It's a complete meal in a bowl if you don't mind sharing. One bite, and you'll want this bowl close to you.  

There's more from the kitchen of Txoko Asador, with the third dish from the new Dia del Padre menu...

The Paella de Setas Y Tuétano (P 970) is a variation on the classic paella topped with nutty and earthy mushrooms, grilled bone marrow and rich truffle aioli to round out the new Dia del Padre menu at Txoko Asador. The deep flavors of mushrooms accompanies each tasty bite and spoonful with the gilled bone marrow adding a layer of smoky and buttery richness further intensified by the truffle aioli. it's just one layer of richness after another with the Paella de Setas Y Tuétano at Txoko Asador for a refreshing new spin on paella.

And that crusty bottom, the crisp soccarat, delivers even more concentrated flavors infused from the various ingredients of the dish. The new Paella de Setas Y Tuétano is a tasty addition to their paella offerings, with its unique notes from the mushrooms, bone marrow and truffle aioli. Known for their lavish paella dishes, Txoko Asador also offers classics like the Paella Verduras (P 780) with vegetables and mushrooms, Paella Negra (P 790), Paella Butifarra (P 840) with sausages and pork trotters, Paella Campero (P 860) with chicken and chorizo and Paella de Rabo (P 890) with tender stewed ox-tail. 

Fresh from the Josper Grill, the Secreto Iberico (P 1,490) is a fork-tender and juicy slab of premium beef served with potato and pineapple gratin for a taste of the asador's craft at Txoko Asador. Perfectly grilled to medium rare with a juicy pink center, the buttery texture of the premium beef drapes the palate with a savory richness washed down perfectly with another long sip of wine. The long and leisurely lunch at Txoko Asador is well on its way to becoming one of the memorable dining experiences so far on your list. 

A good steak doesn't need much, and the Secreto Iberico is one of those steaks you don't clutter with extraneous elements like extra sauce. That's almost a crime. A perfectly seasoned good steak like the Secreto Iberico is best enjoyed on its own, pure and uncomplicated. Like butter, one bite melts in your mouth releasing a savory beefy richness. 

There's just nothing like a comfortingly familiar dish recreated with authenticity to warm both the palate and heart. The nostalgic and savory Callos (P 750) is probably one of the best in the metro with tender ox tripe, pork mask, trotters and chorizo topped with 65° egg adding even more richness to the lavish dish. The protein-loaded stew with its medley of ox-tripe, melt-in-your-mouth pork mask and collagen-rich trotters are tempered by the sharp notes of chorizo simmered in an equally rich and thick sauce best enjoyed with a slice of crusty bread. The egg adds a silky smooth layer of richness to the dish, making this one of the best examples of Callos in the metro.  

The Canelones Txangurro (P 765) completes our long and leisurely lunch at Txoko Asador with canneloni stuffed with succulent crab meat and draped with seafood Bechamel sauce. The mildly sweet and briny flavors of succulent crab meat are complemented by the richness of the seafood Bechamel sauce to cap our long and leisurely lunch at Txoko Asador.

Other must-try savory mains from Txoko Asador include the Pulpo A La Brasa (P 890) or grilled octopus, Besugo A La Orio (P 2,200) or grilled sea bream, Grilled Tomahawk (P 6,700), Entrecote Txoko (P 3,400) with premium ribeye, Cuarto de Cochinillo (P 2,450) or suckling pig quarter and Cuarto de Lechazo (P 7,500) or suckling lamb quarter. 

One more glass of wine followed by a soothing cup of freshly brewed Latte signals the next round of indulgence from Txoko Asador. A much needed and well-deserved long and leisurely lunch gets a sweet ending with the decadent desserts at Tsoko Asador..

Sweet Endings at Txoko Asador

The Milhojas De Manzanas (P 320) is an indulgent layered creation of baked apples with rich Catalana cream wrapped in light, flaky and crisp pastry. Intricately layered, the thin slices of apple deliver a tart sweetness smoothened by the luscious Catalana cream pairing well with the robust notes of the Latte.

The Espuma de Yogurt y Fresas (P 290) is another decadent creation with yogurt foam topped with macerated strawberries and drizzled with red wine vinegar reduction. The lavish creamy notes of the yogurt foam are balanced by the vibrant flavors of the fresh strawberries and red wine vinegar reduction for that balanced indulgence from Txoko Asador. 

The Burnt Cheesecake (P 460) is Txoko Asador's own version of the Basque dessert with mango puree and almond streusel for another excellent sweet option. The creamy cheese with its lightly charred crust brings deep flavors to the palate kicked up by the sweet mango puree...

...while the Chocolate Texturas De Plato (P 380) is a silky smooth chocolate ganache and bananas with contrasting textures in a decadent and seamless blend. 

From hot and cold starters to savory mains and desserts, these dishes clearly validates Txoko Asador's selection as the best new restaurant in 2022 by The Tatler Dining Guide. But don't simply take my word for it, try it for yourself and discover the asador's craft and tradition with the specialty dishes of Txoko Asador...

Txoko Asador is located at 102 Esteban Street, Legazpi Village, Makati or call 0956 047 3224 for inquiries and reservations. You can also visit their FB Page at https://www.facebook.com/txokoasador and website at http://www.txokoasador.com/ for updates.

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