Alab

Nilüfer Şekerci

4.0

Ginataang Monggo by Alab: YEYI think I have my new favorite pinoy restaurant, not that i ever had one, but now i do. Alab had a modern Filipino vibe with familiar bits and pieces of our national memory sprinkled here and there, such as the giant jackstone hanging on the wall, the bugtong on the placemats and the contemporary use of wood in the interior design. The closest reference I can think of is Ka Tunying's but minus the bakery and cafe.The menu was an interesting mix of regional dishes from north to south, albeit done with a twist. But since I am not that familiar with Filipino dishes (or at least the traditional way of doing them), most of the modernity is lost on me. I guess that's a good thing since these dishes taste so familiar that you'd feel at home regardless of how they were reimagined.Now, to the monggo. This is the best tasting restaurant monggo I've had, bar none. I was told this was a Bicolano version, but my mom said there are also versions of this in some Visayas provinces.This is less watery than the last one we had (as I mentioned in a separate post, i usually dine in a place twice before I do a review) but the taste was deliciously the same. There is some sorcery involved in this dish, i swear, on how they were able to cook the gata just right. The coconut milk tasted fresh almost sweet. However, it had that deep rich taste you get from gata that has simmered long, almost to the point of breaking out (the oil separating from the soup). It was short of magical. The monggo was soft and plenty while the flaked tinapa gave that salty, tasty and smoky flavor. You have the usual suspects which are the garlic, tomato and the onion for the aromatics while the ampalaya leaves finish everything with that mild bitter taste.This is such a wonderful dish that we always get this everytime we are at Alab regardless of the other things we order.Kamote Okoy by Alab: YEYI should be mad, really. As far as I know, Okoy should be made out of shrimps. So in that sense, I was duped. But believe me, I'll be the first one to call it out if I feel I had been cheated out of my food. That is not the case here. As far as I am concerned, whoever thought about this kamote okoy is a genius.Okoy is usually served as an appetizer. But this thing is so good I was happy making it an ulam. It was crisp and starchy sweet, the batter was minimal, only enough to bind the ingredients together. The shrimp, which was dismal, was more of a supporting character in this story. Surprisingly, it was just enough to make the okoy interesting. The camote was cut julienne, helping it cook evenly. The okoy was thin and not densely packed, with the onions and togue giving a contrasty toasted taste as they cook faster than the camote.The vinegar dip is zesty, with the cool clean taste of the cucumber playing with the sharp heat from the green chili slices.This camote fritter is such a delight as an appetizer or a viand. Everything here is masarap. Heck, even their rice was masarap. In my book, the rice is just as important as any dish that comes with it. Alab's was puffy, fresh, and fragrant. I recommend this restaurant for people looking for authentic(-ish) Filipino food or for those who just want to have that warm feeling you get from home-cooked food.Penuneng by Alab: MEHIt was very hard for me to give a Meh for this one. Agonizing, really. I started my review of Alab with such great enthusiasm, with rah-rah and all, and suddenly, I find myself here, giving this gem of a restaurant a Meh for one of its more promising dishes. Sad, sad, sad.Let me start with this. Imagine an ilocos longganisa, with its garlicky, savory, and greasy goodness. Then imagine a dinuguan, dark, rich and piquant. Marry them together and you'll end up with a pinoy blood sausage. There goes your Penuneng. It should be that simple, right?There lies the disappointment. It didn't taste good as a longganisa, and obviously it can't be a dinuguan anymore because of its current form. There was nothing wrong with how it was cooked. It was fried perfectly. It was dry and crumbly on the outside and moist and warm in the inside. It was just really the taste.I was looking for the garlicky taste, perhaps, of the ilocos longganisa, which obviously it was not. the meaty taste is there, with the all the good fatty parts. I think it was the vinegar. you know the taste of vinegar on meat when it's not cooked enough? that's how it tasted. also, a little more salt and pepper wouldn't have hurt. and more seasoning. basta, there was something more i was expecting.or maybe it's me which was the problem. i was expecting it to be something it wasn't. i feel really sad about this dish. i'd understand why some people wouldn't eat this (because it is blood and innards and meat) but the last thing I would expect is for its appeal to fail because of the taste. there was so much hope on this one. weaker dishes have received better treatment from me. hay. oh well.House Blend Iced Tea and Lemonada by AlabThese were really awesome drinks. The house blend iced tea tasted like burnt caramel (similar to that in a gulaman) mixed with pandan, brewed and chilled. It was complex (you don't get a description for iced tea like that everyday) and refreshing. The lemonada was a mixture of all things citrusy: lemon, lime, dalandan, and calamansi. You'd expect it to be very sour and yet it was actually sweet. We were told there were no sweeteners used but I'd wager there was some kind of syrup used in that drink. Maybe tubo, even. It tasted refreshingly natural (without the tart you get from powdered drinks), and cozy (it's not everyday you get to describe a fruit juice that way, either). The mint leaves leave a clean finish.Wow, Alab. Wow ka. Babalikbalikan kita.#website #websitefudihan #websitefudihanMNL #filipino #filipinofood #penuneng #okoy #ginataangmonggo #monggo #taguigfoodtrip #bgcfoodtrip #mckinleyhills #venicegrandcanal #alab #eatingmyfeelings @foodgrammer.ph #foodgrammerph #foodgram @bookyapp @alab_ph @whattoeatph @thewebsitestation

Mia And Jas

3.0

We have not really planned on eating here tonight but since the resto preferred restaurant also have the longest waiting line around the Mall we decided to search for a place that could accommodate hungry appetite. Service was good we were immediately sited next to a giant jackstone wall decor. We even get to choose tables since the first one offered to us was adjacent to the kitchen. My first impression was, as they handed the menu was, wow this place looks expensive but their menu is so affordable it looks too good to be true. So as a result of that first impression I immediately ordered the most expensive item in the menu entitled Bandehadong Inihaw. By the sound of it, we are supposed to expect a serving in gastronomic proportions. It was partially my fault as my expectations would have been aligned if only I did a few swipes on website's photos. To my dismay that "bandehado" was no bigger than a small chopping board where assorted cheese are to be served. The only reason I gave a medial rating was that the food was not bad despite of the frustrations that I felt. So pwede na!

Erika Alice Huang

3.0

This restaurant has a great view of the venice canal as it is elevated, and the ambience of the place would make you feel like you are dining at the comforts of your own home. Food serving though is too small.