We Filipinos are very close to our Spanish decendents, in terms of food we definitely got the love for spices. Afritada, Caldereta and Lechon are just some mouth-watering dishes we eat and makes us proud to cook. But sometimes, we truly search for the proper cooked and seasoned ones for everyone to taste the real thing.
Fortunately Alqueria is a Spanish themed restaurant to satisfy your home inspired and slightly exotic dishes such as
We were invited to taste some of their dishes and take a look of our experience.
Salpicao – Php445 (Good for 2-3)
Salpicao was the first in our menu and it really set the bars up. The perfectly toasted garlic marinade sautéed imported tenderloin paired with olive oil delivers a mouth watering experience. Served with bread, its perfect to set your tastebuds for more.
Gambas Al Ajillo – Php375 (Good for 2-3)
Just in case beef is not your liking they also have shrimp, sauteed in olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes and paprika finished with white wine and butter. Quite a unique combination of salty and spicy, but worth trying indeed.
Paella – Php885 (Good for 5)
Of course rice isn’t missing in the dishes so Paella is the star of the night. A choice of wild or short grain rice cooked in saffron-infused stock and pomodoro topped with shrimps, mussels, squid and fish of the day. Definitely not to miss out when trying out Spanish food.
Cochinillo Belly – Php888 (Good for 3-5)
For meat nothing beats pork belly. Marinated to be crispy on the outside while still being juicy in the inside is the best experience. Taste focus more on the filling rather than the skin, something different as usually we save the skin for the last. Served with corn and special gravy, you won’t complain of any lack of taste here.
Paella Queso Manchego – Php540 (Good for 2-3)
Simmered rice in saffron-infused stock topped with chorizo and melted manchego cheese. Something different aside form the usual Paella, definitely go easy on the cheeze if your eating alone here.
Lengua Estofada – Php470 (Good for 2-3)
A mini-fear factor entered my mind when I saw this dish. Knowing its tongue made me a bit hesitant, not that I’m not eating tongue before but this is the first I encountered as a full dish. If your curious what it taste like, the description is “Imported ox tongue simmered to fork tender with mushroom and potatoes finished with a dash of red wine.” Taste wise, its very intriguing yet delicious. The unique texture of the tongue along with the sause gave it a very unique and light taste. Nothing to worry about, definitely a good experience to eat.
Manchego Cheesecake – Php230
You can’t beat all those dishes by ending with something sweet. Alqueria’s Cheesecake is very moist and flavorful. The cheese stands out among the sweet cream flowing, quite a delight every bite.
Pudin – Php160
A dessert like this is the delight of the meal. Topped with mint leave, ice cream and oozing chocolate pudding with dark chocolate is heavenly like experience.
That’s pretty much it, Alqueria also has more dishes to serve other than what is shown here. So if you like what you saw, try out their dishes at the 3rd floor of SM Megamall Fashion Hall. Average cost per person will be around 500 pesos if you will be a group of 4, so technically its not bad for a well deserving food trip.
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