ALQUERIA (TAPAS, PAELLAS Y BISTECAS)

One supposed to be busy Tuesday, ERICJAZ FOODIES were invited to try out the hottest Spanish dishes in the metro in ALQUERIA (TAPAS, PAELLAS Y BISTECAS). I was psyched because I've been seeing the mouth-watering dishes of ALQUERIA in the net and I was so raring to sink my teeth on all those rich food.

Never mind that I was dieting....
Never mind that I MIGHT be coming out late from work...
Never mind that traffic was horrendous...
Never mind that it was the little lords' exam week...

(What the...????)

But yes, we are going to have dinner at ALQUERIA that night! There's no looking back.

And yes, I even wore my latest slimming corset to get ready for it!

HA!

 

ALQUERIA (TAPAS, PAELLAS Y BISTECAS)!

 

ALQUERIA is located at the SM  Mega Fashion Hall where some of the hottest restaurants are settling in.

 

Come in and get ready to indulge in scrumptious Spanish cuisine here in Metro Manila!

 

Forget about the dark smokey bistros that some Spanish hubs have been known for. ALQUERIA has that sophisticated feel to it that makes you think you're in a 5-star restaurant.  

  

 Fear not because prices are really on the "fine" side that you could still treat your family, friends, lover, or even boss here!

 

Tables are open though so you cannot play footsie...

.... with your lover I mean.

 

Feel like whipping up a Spanish meal at home? Then shop around at ALQUERIA!

 

 

ALQUERIA Executive Chef Chris Oronce was at the helm making very sure that all dishes coming out of the kitchen was up to his standards.

ROLL CALL!!!!

 

THE TUMMY TRAVELER and ALL CHUCKED UP! 

 

THE FOOD ALPHABET missing his wife Joan!!!! 

 

Plus GOJACKIEGO, COFFEEHAN, and CANDISHHH TALES!!!

Cooolllll!!!!! 

 

AND of course, ALDUB!!!

Tee hee!!! You watchin the popular Kalyeserye now? We definitely ARE!!!!!

 TIME TO ORDER!

 

ALQUERIA menu!

 

 

ALQUERIA menu one...

 

ALQUERIA menu two...

 

ALQUERIA menu three...

 

 

ALQUERIA menu four...

 

 

ALQUERIA menu five!

 

 

ALQUERIA menu seven!!!!

 

 

ALQUERIA lunch specials!

 

I think it's mighty cool of ALQUERIA to include recipes for some of their bestsellers. Not only would you be relishing the deliciousness of Spanish cuisine but you'll also learn how to make it at home too.

But I'm too lazy to do that so I might just make an ASAP return to ALQUERIA! 

  

Feel like starting your HAPPY HOUR early? 

 

 

Even though I don't drink too much, I sort of agree with this.

I'm sure Cersei of GAME OF THRONES feels the same too!

OH YES. I will NEVER move on until season 6!!!!

 

For your next potluck, you may want to keep ALQUERIA in mind!

 

After we have all settled in, it's time to eat!

YOHOO!!!

 

 

First on the table were skillets of ALQUERIA Tapas! 

What first caught my eye were these plump shrimps swimming in buttered olive oil and fried garlic. 

 

 

ALQUERIA Gambas Al Ajillo (Php375)

If this was a preview of the dinner to come then I'm going to stand up, open my arms wide and declare "Walang Himala!" 

THIS is the reason I pushed aside my weekday whatevers and have dinner here at ALQUERIA!!!!

Inangko, this is just SO GOOD!!!! 

Just give me THIS with rice and I'm going to mix it all together for my dinner!!!! And I'm going home a happy lady.

With or without the Yubhub!!!

Tee hee!

 

Oh bread with garlic and olive oil... I heart you.

 

 

Up next is another hot skillet of  ALQUERIA Pulpo ala Gallega (P288.00)!!!

  

To be honest, when THE TUMMY TRAVELER raved about this I was not particularly enthusiastic to try it because it's octopus and cheese. 

BLECH right?

But after one mouthful, dangnabbit, IT WORKS!!!

The octopus was mighty tender and perfectly infused with the flavor of garlic and olive oil. Then, the sharp taste of the cheese just gave a nice contrast to the seafood even adding a bit of creaminess to it!

Once you go ALQUERIA'S OCTOPUS, you'll always say THAT'S DELICIOUS!

Tee hee!!!!!

The third and final winner for our tapas that night was the ALQUERIA Salpicao (P445.00)!

 

Uber tender chunks of imported tenderloin sauteed in garlic with spanish paprika... It might just make you want to do a "Sally" as you scream "More... more...more.......

...extra rice please!"

Tee Heee!!!! 

Oh it's THAT flavorful! Honestly I'm torn which of the three I'd take with me to a deserted island because they are all seriously good!!!! But if you're a definitely carnivore then choose this very tasty Salpicao. It is so savory and very well seasoned. I'll not be surprised if you take home the lot of it even before your companions have a taste of this dish!

 

Though my cute but puny brain has been mentally signalling for "rice", this extra plate of bread with spread certainly satisfied us for the night. I love the crustiness to it that even if I dipped this fine carb on the flavorful oils, it still maintained the crunch and texture I love in baguettes!

  

My "melba" plate. Hi hi hi!

I'm on a diet kasi e (Maria Clara giggle).

 

 

I was really tempted to order wine or sangria that night but since i will be the one taking care of the kids for school the next day, I opted for a very refreshing ALQUERIA iced tea with mint leaves (P88.00).

 

The Yubhub on the other hand was acting all pacutesie tootsie and had this ice cold mason jar of Grape Shake (P188.00).

 

See?

PA-CUTE!!!

It's okay. He IS cute anyway.

Not ALDEN RICHARDS cute but you know what I mean.

Hi hi hi! Kidding!!!

 

 For the mains, we started off with an order of their Prime Ribs Solo (P1,499.00) that was really enough for 2 people. 

This may be off the menu but I do suggest you try it if you're feeling ravenous in ALQUERIA!!! 

Just looking at all the fat and marbling is enough assurance that this will be a tender chunk of meat.

YOWZA!

And just in case you're not in the mood for steak (how could you????) there are other options for the meat lover in you.

  

One pleasant surprise for me that night was this claypot of ALQUERIA Caldereta de Cabrito or Goat Stew (P698.00)! You see I'm not really fond of lamb or goat for that matter because not only is it politically incorrect but I always find a gaminess to it. 

 

But such is not the case with this hearty dish from ALQUERIA. If I may be so bold to say, I find that it has the taste of the perfect tomato based stew for me that I kept on ladling the thick sauce on my plat.

Seriously, I doubt if it even IS goat meat because it was fork tender! I did not detect even an itty bitty gamey thingy at all! It was just so thick, hearty, and satisfying that I might even look for this dish the next time I'm in ALQUERIA!!!!!!

Don't judge it till you try it!!!!

 

 Another ALQUERIA that made our eyes widen is this board of  Vientre Extra (P905.00) or crispy pork belly!!!

 

Don't be discouraged by the fattiness of this dish because it has a side salad and topped with green herbs anyway. 

See? Anything with the color green IS healthy!

But seriously speaking, at first crunch my husband raved at the juiciness of the pork and reached out for another thick slab. IT WAS SOOO GOOD (he groaned a little too much). He loves lechon and THIS certainly answered his craving for the month.

Of course, he removed the greens. It was still uberly fine without it. 

 

 I know I have been ESP-ing everyone out for some rice and yes it finally came!!!! When you're in ALQUERIA, you cannot NOT order a serving of their delicious paellas. And if you're more craving for bold flavors that could stand alone for the whole meal, go for the Paella del Carne (small - P480.00 / medium P715.00 / Large P1,150.00)

 

This rich specialty is loaded with chorizos, chicken, smoked bacon, and pork spareribs. I bet that just by reading all those meats alone will make even the most devoted vegetarian drool... even just a little.

 

As I was going for something light to go well with the other rich food on the table, I was more inclined to help myself more with the Paella Valenciana (Small P560.00 / Medium P910.00 / Large P1,480.00). 

 

This is another best seller from ALQUERIA and I'm not wondering why. The rice was packed with the saffron-infused stock flavors and every spoonful gets you a significant helping of the clams, mussels, shrimps, and chicken!!!

Yes!!! If you plan to order something else from ALQUERIA, have this paella to go with it. So delicious till the last grain!

 

My plate! My first of MANY servings in ALQUERIA!!!! 

  

Oh! Ain't this perfectly pink meat so perfect????

TEE to the HEE!

 

ERICJAZ FOODIES with KTG blogger peeps in ALQUERIA!!!!!

 

Lots and lots of food...

 

 

Same goes for the other table!!!

  

For dessert we had the ALQUERIA 5 pc churros (P108.00) with chocolate dip (medium - P108.00)

 

By this time my corset is almost popping out of my tummy but I still got a serving of these churros with the very thick chocolate dip! YUM!!!! 

 

OH. YEAH.

 

Besides the nummy yummy churros, we also got the ALQUERIA Canonigo (P218.00) which was similar to our Brazo de Mercedes. This was made more special with the caramel sauce and candied bananas. 

  

My husband attacked this Crema Catalana which tasted like a very light leche flan. He loved the sweet sugary crust holding the creamy custard. He cannot stop helping himself with it even if the night was already over. 

NOOOOOH!!!!

 

Of course, as with every dessert, I ordered a cup of hot coffee warm up my abused tummy. 

 

I got the cappuccino since it's the only one I understood from the selection. Tee hee!

Sorry. I'm just THAT full that my brain is hardly functioning. 

 

My friend, THE HEFTY FOODIE, opted for a cup of hot chocolate (P88.00) that was made with Valor from Madrid, Spain. Such a treat!!!!!!!! 

 

And now we're done!

 

It was so thrilling too to finally meet some of the lady bloggers that I would always stalk online.

OOPS... I shouldn't have said that. They might block me AGAIN.  

 

This was a very enjoyable dinner at ALQUERIA! The husband and I were not sorry for disavowing our diet and treating ourselves in the middle of the work week.

Oh by the way. Just in case you believed my weirdness, the husband studied with the little lords first before going here. See? We're not THAT bad. Tee hee!!!! 

SO. THERE.

ALQUERIA TAPAS, PAELLAS Y BISTECAS

Third Floor, Mega Fashion Hall, 

SM Megamall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City

02 2469069 ext:100


ALQUERIA FACEBOOK PAGE