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.

Rizki Ramadhan

2.0

I find the food here lacking in the savory quality a Typical Filipino dish has. Ordered molo soup which was just okay; I find pomelo salad lacking in sauce. Actually it does not have any which I find a little strange. Crispy pata was not so good and align lie rice lacks flavor. For the desser, we tried bibingka cheesecake which is a novelty but u can't seem to appreciate bec u love my traditional bibingka

Nikko Dumo

2.0

My 2nd time, didn't know my friend was taking me here for lunch. If I knew I would have asked her to go somewhere else -- food is ok, nothing great. I thought the service in this branch would have a slight improvement from UP Town branch, but nope - disappointing!

Umut Berk Alkan

1.0

Food is overrated. The price is expensive for its serving. The grilled platter costs more than 700php & you only get one of each (shrimp, liempo, chicken inasal) nothing so special about their food, actually it's like an eatery in a very decent location. Their okoy (see picture) is sweet potato, flour, and some dilis. I wish they just served sweet potato to meet the expectation. Sinigang na baka is so so, meat though was tender. Service was very slow.

Erroll M. Roque

2.0

Matagal na kaming kumain dito at ang naaalala ko lang ay yung server na kinamay yung kanin. Good thing hindi namin order yun, nakita ko lang na may kinuha sya sa kanin. Hindi ko sure kung may inalis lang syang dumi, pero dapat chineck muna nya bago iserve at dapat hindi nya ginamit yung kamay nya. Konti na nga lang kami na kumakain that day eh ang bagal pa din ng service. Ok naman yung food, masarap but pricey. Hindi sya reasonable price lalo na dun sa mga drinks nila.Lahat halos nang tinanong namin na nasa menu ay not available, bumagsak lang kami sa mga ordinary foods na lutong bahay.

Andryan Gilbert

3.0

Alab by Chef Tatung, is a fiery restaurant featuring Filipino dishes with a kick and a twist. Located at Venice Grand Canal Mall in McKinley Hills, it offers a view of the canal and passing gondolas. Staff were welcoming and warm, and quick to inform us which dishes were not available that day. . Lovely view of the canal, seen from Alab.

Asad Khan

1.0

I think this is the very 1st or maybe 2nd time i will give this rating. Me and my partner decided to watch a movie in Venice Mall. Since i love Filipino food then I suggested to eat in this restaurant. When I came in there are a lot of mishaps and mistake until me and my partner came out.1. They don't have an employee to welcome you and make you feel excited to go inside and dine in plus they don't have enough seats in their waiting area.2. Staff is not friendly and is passive. They are more like robot and will make you feel that they are in turmoil of doing things hence they will forget your requests and the food you ordered. I heard banging in the kitchen and a glass that broke. Service staff keeps on shouting table number 1 yet the other server still doesn't know who ordered iced tea. I'm the one who actually pointed that it is for the guy at the back of our table.3. They have good interiors along with the view of the canal yet they don't have ac. They used electric fan and this issue is still ongoing cause 2 months ago we we're there and they offered the same thing.4. A lot of my favorites is not available on the menu. I love their Prichon cause back during the beginning when I saw this on KrisTv, we immediately put up a schedule to visit their tomas morato branch and it was soooooo perfect. Now it's different. Food presentation is soooo lousy for the amount that you have to pay. Food quality of taste doesn't also match their expensiveness. We ended up ordering pork sisig and binusog na pusit yet after going there, we decided to buy some food to eat inside the cinema. In short, they were not able to satisfy us in quantity and quality that they serve. Sooooo disappointing after a perfect experience in their quezon city branch.5. This is the worst among the experience. There's this one server who will look at you as if hes mad of people flocking the restaurant. When he saw me at the door he looked at me as if I'm an additional obligation. When he saw my facial expression of disappointment when I was informed that Prichon is not available, instead of being apologetic he called someone else and told the other server to tell me what's not available on the Menu. He was impertinent and lacks empathy. We are in a hurry cause we have a schedule at the cinema yet it took my partner to raise his hands more than 3 times for someone to get our bill. This server looked at my partner as if we are bad people.Soooooooo disappointing!!!!!

Ömer Gökalp

1.0

Nung June, pinahanap kami ng boss namin ng restau malapit lang sa mall entrance. Ito agad yung restau na nag ok samin kasi filipino food then decent naman sya for dinner meetings. Nagvisit kami ng tanghali para macheck muna ang place nagdecide kami na ipareserve yung table malapit sa cashier. Nung pagdating namin ng gabi sabi ng boss ko wag daw kami sa table na yun kasi mahirap daw pag may nagCR tatayu lahat hindi kasi sya single na upuan yung isang side pag may umalis tatayu lahat kaya nakiusap kami na pwedeng lumipat since may mga unoccupied tables pa sa baba. May isang group din na nakain sa baba nakadikit dikit yung tatlong table so ganun na rin yung ipapaarrange namin para mas ok. Nakiusap na kami na pagtabi tabihin na lang ang table pero yung mga waiter iniinsist na hindi daw pwede kasi walang dadaanan. Nakasimangot na yung dalwang lalaking waiter na matangkad tsaka yung maliit buti na lang makulit yung mga boss ko mga halos mga senior citizen pa naman kaya di na lang pinansin. Yung mga boss ko panga din ata tumulong para maayus yun. Sobrang laki pa ng space ng daanan e pede ka pang humiga OA lang sila..yung sa pagkain naman di naman ganun kaspecial pero naiinis talaga kami sa mga waiter na pawala wala lagi kasi silang nandun sa taas kaya pag me additional order o papasuyo or bill ppntahan pa namin sila. Ang dami na ngang hindi available sa menu nila eh tapos ang init pa ng place kasi sira pala aircon. Kasalanan namin na mga staff ng boss namin kasi di namin na check na sira pala ang aircon at mali rin yung table na pinareserve namin. Pero customer kami na nakiusap ng maayos, kumain ng nakaelectricfan na walang reklamo. Sana sa mga server nila magapproach ng hindi nakasimangot tsaka wag naman nila iparamdam sa customers nila na hindi sila welcome. Sa lahat ng restau siguro na napagdinner meeting namin ito ang pinakaworst. Oh baka sabihin bakit hindi na lang kami lumipat sa iba. Kung kami nga lang staff ang masusunod lilipat na lang kami kaso sobrang babait ng boss. Sinabi na lang samin hayaan na lang daw at wag pansinin ayaw din nilang magpalipat lipat. Basta binilin samin na dina kami babalik dun. Imemo daw sa buong kompanya :)