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Churros — crisp and delicate outside, soft and buttery inside. When dipped in thick, hot Spanish chocolate, ooooh is all I can say. Churros bring me back to my childhood when I’d spend afternoons with my Dad at La Cibeles on Mabini St. in Ermita or at Dulcinea beside the Rizal Theater in Makati. Theirs are the standards by which I measure the churros in today’s churrerias.

And I can’t think of a better way to spend a rainy afternoon than sitting by the window of a cozy and homey churrería, watching the world go by and enjoying crisp and buttery churros dipped in warm, rich, dark chocolate?

I like the churros at La Maripili. They’ve got what for me is the perfect crunch and light doughiness and buttery flavor. Unlike the heavy-handed doughy mixture that’s compensated for with flavored sugary sprinkles served in fast-food churro outlets. And you have your choice of the delicious churros — classic, filled, sweet, and even savory. I munched first on a dark-chocolate-coated churro, while going through the list of churro choices in the menu. Do I go with classic churros and an accompanying dip? Which dip — dark chocolate, Suizo chocolate, or salted caramel? Hmmm, I want to try them all! But, for now, I tried Suizo. Lovely! But I prefer it WITHOUT the whipped cream.

They also offer filled churros — Catalan cream, chocolate and chili mousse, dulce de leche, and more — as well as churros with savory toppings like Jamón Serrano or Chorizo and honey! And if that’s not enough to make my head spin, they also have churros with your choice of coating — dark chocolate, dark chocolate with flaky sea salt and olive oil, white chocolate, strawberry, mango, and hazelnut! Arg, I want to taste them all!!!

Obviously, one visit is simply not enough. I came back a second time, this time to try their other fare, such as their choices of Huevos dishes and their pastas. Although the chorizos and jamón serranos were generous, I do wish there were more huevos than queso in their servings. If there were, then it would really be great breakfast fare, washed down with yummy Spanish chocolate. And I do give two thumbs up for their Mac & Cheese, with its triple-cheese bechamel (gouda, cheddar, and mozzarella) and the addition of chorizo and a dash of chili. I could easily finish up 2 servings of this — really good! And the fresh-baked, perfectly toasted breads that accompany these are excellent, created by their master bread baker Chef Bruno Tirel.

On the downside, though — we found out only too late after we had run up a hefty tab that they do not accept credit cards! What restaurant that’s been up and running for about a year now does not have credit card amenity? I would have appreciated it if the cashier or the manager had told us beforehand. Thankfully, we had enough cash among us to pay for our feast.

But all that aside, if I were jonesing for churros, La Maripili is my “pili” (choice in Filipino).

If you want to know more about churros, read about it at http://theprisma.co.uk/2011/07/17/churros-a-secret-history/

La Maripili is at the ground floor of the Sykes Bldg., at the Alabang Town Center. For reservations, contact +63-905-5187422 (not that you really need one as it is seldom full). Another branch has opened at the Ayala Malls the 30th in Pasig.