Aranos: Auténtico La Comida Española

Yes, it is THAT door. It took some time before my girl friends took the courage to open that door while I was assisting with the parking matters. That night was my second time there. First time was lunch with the colleagues, which I really prepared for. If you want Spanish dishes, this is where you should eat in Cebu.

Situated in a very residential location in Guadalupe, Aranos is one of the many hole-in-the-wall places in the metro. I was not lucky enough to talk a lot with the Senyor since he seemed busy with company during my second visit and with a movie on the first one. He  did open the door when we went there for the first time, so we did not have any hesitation at all.

 The doorway at night

The signage (which is kind of small) 

The way the doorway is designed as well as the wood bearing the restaurant's name seem to be designed to keep the place a secret. Somehow, it dares the person to enter and discover Aranos. For those who did, the rewards truly justify it.

Paella (Good for 5 people, Consumed by 6)

  

Baked Stuffed Chicken

 Lengua

Croqueta de Carne

 Gambas Con Pasta

Tortilla de Patata

 Callos

Steamed Chicken

Crema de Mangga

The paella is my favorite. The one we had was good for 5 people, but it was more than enough for the six of us. I had the baked stuffed chicken ordered the day before because I have read of really good reviews about it online. It did not fail. The entire chicken, which was served whole, was thoroughly cooked. The mushrooms, potatoes and other stuffing inside really added flavor to the entire dish. My friend specifically noted how the unpeeled potatoes actually tasted better than the usual peeled ones. The lengua was tasty, and the croqueta de carne brought a fresh taste. I cannot explain it, but the softness of the potato meat blended well with the ground pork. There is no regrets at all about getting that one. The gambas con pasta was one of my friend's carbo load for that night since she does not eat a lot of the paella. I did not get to have a taste of that though. The callos was greasy in a good way. It heightened my appetite. The steamed chicken, which was served with french fries because they did not have mashed potato that day, was a favorite of a colleague. The garlic was there not only for decorative purposes but to add some more flavor to the dish. For dessert, we had the Crema de Mangga, which was mango float with the cream really frozen. I love mango float, and despite how hard it is to eat this one, it was a delightful treat to share with friends. 

Here is their menu.
As for the ambiance, it is great for groups, families and romantic dates especially at night. Upon entering the door (entrance), one gets inside a room where around 10 guests can be accommodated. A door leads to the backyard, where more tables and chairs are set up. At night, the lighting is bright enough to make eating easy yet dimmed a bit for a more romantic feel.Getting a reservation is highly recommended to ensure that you get accommodated. With the good food that they serve at such great prices, I absolutely doubt that are days Aranos is not filled with diners.

I like how the whole place is so unassuming. The servers are dressed casually but neatly. They are also very polite, accommodating and friendly. We even joked with the guy who was serving us that night about how their paella pan looks nice enough to bring home (thanks to my dear girl friend who dons really large bags). 

To rate Aranos:
Billed: P200-P250 per person. Definitely not bad considering how we found it hard to stand up after all the good food. The food is really affordable. We were just ordering a lot. I was able to take home a part of the baked stuffed chicken, which my brother devoured with gusto for late dinner that night at  home.
Service: Great! This is one of those places where you feel really comfortable all throughout because of how nice the staff are. They are modest, polite and smiling. 
Ambiance: Another perfect place for soon-to-be boyfriends of my dear gal pals. 



Aranos 

Fairlane Village, Guadalupe, Cebu City
Contact #: (032) 256-1934
Open until 10pm
Mode of Payment: Cash


Directions: Right across Guadalupe Elementary School is a San Jose Bakeshop. Beside it is an eskinita (which can accommodate the regular-sized 4-wheel vehicle). Go straight into that eskinita then turn right. Go straight until you see the door in the first image in this entry.


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