Spanish Food and Exciting Workshops at Mateo's

A family with a passion for good food has set up their own restaurant featuring their heirloom recipes in Diliman, Quezon City.

Joining the list of family houses turned into restaurants, this rustic and homey establishment can accommodate 20 people in its main dining room. Bigger groups of 30 - 50 pax, especially during special occasions or private events, may be accommodated in their function rooms. They also host fun and interactive activities during the weekends, three of which I will share as you read along :)

One of the restaurant owners, Sir Miko, told us the story behind Mateo's. To make the long story short: their great grandfather Mateo Del Castillo went to the Philippines and put up restaurants in Batangas, all of which were sold to help fund Hukbalahap (Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa Hapon). Who would have known, right?

[caption id="attachment_4330" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Enjoying a caramel macchiato and Senoritas while listening~ :)[/caption]

Let's dive into our first activity - Gingerbread House Making! We were given a quick demonstration, grouped by table and was tasked to decorate our own within 20 minutes.

[caption id="attachment_4329" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Demo[/caption]

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To me, gingerbread house making is not common in the Philippines and this was my first time to participate in such activity. Ate Lourdes of Nanay's Lunches with Love and Alice of Photoescape Travels were the ones in charge of decorating the house while me and Stephanie of Sumptuous Style assisted them and decorated snowflakes and gingerbread men :)

And here is everyone's gingerbread houses! We didn't win but that didn't matter 'cause we had fun! :)

[caption id="attachment_4333" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Ours is the rightmost one :)[/caption]

After the activity they brought out two starter dishes:

The Creamy Spanish and Mushroom Quesadillas (P195) comes with (l) homemade Hummus dip and (r) Greek yogurt sauce. I can't get enough of this <3

Tortilla Espanola (P150) is Spanish omelette with potato, onions and paprika (not spicy people, just the right kick).

Up next is the crochet workshop with Teacher Rosey! Given the limited time we have, I don't think we'll be able to learn how to crochet. Instead we brought along our gadget's chargers and did DIY cord protectors using yarn!

[caption id="attachment_4334" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Sample crochet creations with charms and a variety of yarn balls <3[/caption]

This activity reminded me of the time during grade school where we would seek making bracelets during class. Also, for some reason I find yarn safer than its plastic counterparts and I can customize to my heart's desire <3

[caption id="attachment_4315" align="aligncenter" width="427"] Teacher Rosey has been crafting for 15 years :)[/caption]

You can see more of Teacher Rosey's works on her Instagram account @craftedbysari. Better yet, join her on January for Crochet Workshops at Mateo's!

I finished the cord I was working on the day after the event. I'm currently 60% on another charger cord and halfway my cousin's long Samsung charger cord which I hope to finish in a few days. My mom also wants to have her charger cord protected so that's one on queue as well :)

I was starting to get engrossed with finishing my DIY cord protector when we were given hand outs for our last activity. As a child I would browse thru old books used by my aunts and uncles on different subjects including Spanish 1 and 2 but never had someone to learn it with.

Much like everyone else, learning a new language feels scary. Senorita Kara, a graduate of European Languages in UP Diliman and a scholar of Salamanca Spain, made it fun and interactive that during the role play, everyone was more at ease to carry a simple conversation.

Interested to learn Spanish in an intimate group? Join her on Spanish Saturdays this coming January 10 and 24, 3:30 - 6:00pm. For P950, you will get handouts, tapas, Paella, a glass of red wine or Sangria and new friends! :)

And what've all been waiting for.. food tasting / dinner! :P

The Caesar's Salad Supreme (P195) has Romaine lettuce, croutons, and crispy okoy.

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Spaghetti Ala Puttanesca (P210) and Spaghetti Ala Vongole (P250)

Take your pick: Mateo's Spanish Paella and Paella Negra (P495). Both have shrimp, clams, squid, chicken and chorizo.

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Special Kare Kare (P450) is served with homemade bagoong and two cups of steaming rice, good for 2-3 persons. Meat was tender and the vegetables were cooked well.

For dessert we had the smooth Blueberry Cheesecake and cream cheese-filled Ensaymada with Queso de Bola on top.

In between bites I had their house blend iced tea.. and another after the meal haha!

Verdict

• Accessible and in a safe area


• Has free WiFi


• Good lighting


• Good ambiance


• Instagram-friendly interiors


• Lots of yummy Spanish - Filipino food to choose from!

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1600"] Old and new blogger friends! Photo credits to Patty :)[/caption]

Menu

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Mateo's Restaurant Cafe

76 Malakas St., Diliman, Quezon City

Open from Mondays to Sundays, 10AM to 10PM

mateosph@gmail.com | Facebook | Instagram