Alley

Ana Maria Agnasin

4.0

I think the Year of the Monkey is my website year. Just last weekend alone, I managed to visit 5 restaurants on my must visit list. Among the restaurants I have been eying is Alley, one of the new players at The Grove. Hello, Alley!This adorably designed restaurant serves several light snacks. Or so I thought.It opened its doors just a few days ago but I am already familiar with its offerings thanks to my stalking skills. (Okay fine, it was because of Chef Angelo Comsti’s mouthwatering photos of Alley’s dishes.)I went here after finally visiting Asakusa since I wanted some sweets to cap the night. I was a bit disappointed though that they only have two desserts to choose from, Financier (PHP229) and Caramelized Banana Bread (PHP249). I went with the latter because “house-churned cashew ice cream” sounds so delectable. (I was warned by the server that the banana bread is huge. It made me wonder if it’s because I smell like tempura or if the phrase YOU-MUST-DIET is plastered all over my face.) I also ordered a cup of Cappuccino (PHP139) to balance the sweetness of my dessert.First served was my cup of cappuccino and it was lovely. I got regular instead of decaf and it’s still not that strong making it “night-friendly” if there is such a term. I didn’t get to appreciate the aroma though as I was about to get sick that night. Also, serving size is a tad too small for the price.My dessert was served right after and the server was right. It was HUGE and definitely good for at least 3 hungry fellows.I first took a spoonful of the walnut ice cream and it was scrumptious! I love the nutty taste of the walnuts and the creaminess of the ice cream. You could tell that it’s fresh as it had no icy texture. It was a scoop of creamy heaven.The banana bread was thick and indeed very heavy. I love how dense it was and that it was served warm creating a very nice contrast with the cold ice cream topping. It wasn’t sweet too except the outer part of the bread with a nice caramel glaze and nuts.I can’t wait to go back to try the other dishes! See you again soon, Alley.

Eatingonabudgetph

3.0

Laid back dining still defines the website scene as we know it; Alley takes that a step further, dispensing with fuss and but not the flourish - though I find their food still needs tweaking.Alley starts off strong with fresh, high quality ingredients, from the red ice salad leaves and beetroot in my salad, to creamy, parmesan flavored polenta under a beautifully cooked piece of Chinese-style pork belly.I felt however that the dressing in the salad lacked contrast and viscosity, while there was too little polenta to go with the hefty piece of pork. I respect nouvelle cuisine portioning, so I made do with the pork and the coleslaw and slightly pickled radish placed on top of the pork, so I was full, but not satisfied.But good things end well, and my dessert order of freshly baked financiers, whipped cream on the side, was just perfect. Rustic in style (not quite fine, the crumb), it was warm, buttery, and reflective of the effort the kitchen puts into their cooking.I'm looking for a bit more punch in the flavors - which is ironic, coming from me - but a bit more exuberance would help the cooking style at Alley, which I already like and want to like some more.

Süleyman Koşar

4.0

Wow. A rare gem in the city. This is their one and only location. I love the food. I ordered the Black Vongole and their Reuben sandwich and both was super delicious. I literally devoured everything. Lol. Both dishes are a must-try! Thumbs up for great service as well. Thank you The Cranky website for the reco.