My Saturday this past weekend was a bit off the ordinary as our family celebrated three happy occasions - my brother-in-law's birthday, nephew's birthday, and another nephew's graduation from college. My kuya (elder brother) decided to treat everyone at Alqueria, a restaurant serving Spanish cuisine at the SM Mega Fashion Hall.
I'm not very fond of this type of cuisine but it was a welcome change
from what we usually eat when we go out as a family.
from what we usually eat when we go out as a family.
What we had:
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Calamares |
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| Chorizo croquettes |
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| Soft tofu |
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| Paella Valenciana |
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| Cochinillo sisig |
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| Lengua |
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| Callos |
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| Churros What I loved about Alqueria? The food is fresh and well-executed. Every dish is beautifully plated and served, too, giving each one its own "personality". In other restaurants, dishes come in uniform plates but here at Alqueria, the serving plates come in different shapes, colors and patterns. For some people, those are well, just plates. But to me, they show creativity and add a little more excitement to eating which, together with the ambiance of the place, put the over-all dining experience a notch higher. But going back to the food, it was remarkable that all the dishes have a clean taste - they are delicious without going overboard on the flavors. My favorite though was the Lengua because of the gravy-like sauce, sliced button mushrooms and baby potatoes. I also loved the Cochinillo sisig which had a crunch to it and a bit of zing. I loved, too, the paella, which might as well be the "queen" of Spanish cuisine, plus the black-as-night calamares - each piece bathed in its own ink - what else? The churros, is of of course, a signature Spanish dessert-snack that provided a nice ending to our equally nice lunch. But wait, there's more! We had another dessert - a chiffon cake topped with lots of fruits which my brother's wife ordered from Cakes by Miriam. It's called the Merry Berry cake and is topped by fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and kiwi and grapes. I loved it as it's not too sweet and because there's a lot of fruits, it's healthier than most other cakes.  
Inside Alqueria
 Wines on display   Try Alqueria, folks, and up the ante of your dining out pleasure. Best to go with family or friends because the order sizes are meant for sharing. Prices may be a little steep but remember whom Spanish food is for - the Ilustrados! Haha! Just kidding. For food so good, Alqueria is worth the price. Happy eating! |
