Alegria Keeps the Fire Burning With Bolder Plates + a Balisong on Their New Tasting Menu

(SPOT.ph) We’d reached the end of the strip of Uptown Bonifacio. It was a Tuesday night—a dull night for most, but not for Alegria Manila, which was as vibrant as ever with its purple lights peeking out and calling us in. Chef Charles Montañez was waiting for us by the front counter, his doggo Salsa in hand. “Come on in!,” he invites us. It’s only proper that we take up his offer.

Warm and affable as he goes around from table to table, Montañez isn’t one to shy away from showcasing his personal side—evident in the restaurant’s debut degustation, which married his Filipino roots, love for Latin American flavors, and penchant for cooking with fire (by way of the parilla grill in their kitchen). The story of Alegria Manila, however, is far from over. The young chef and his team pick up from where they left off with the arrival of their new tasting menu—one that ups the ante and displays the Alegria team's ongoing, long-burning flame. 

Also read:
10 Essential Tasting Menus in Metro Manila to Try Right Now
A Wood-Fire Grill Brings Out the Natural Affinity Between Filipino + Latin-American Cuisines at This Degustation Spot

Chef Charles Montañez’ Alegria Manila has come out with a new tasting menu:

Alegria Manila’s first degustation was in many ways explosive in itself. Filipino and Latin-American flavors were crossed over; classic dishes were reimagined as hip and happening plates; cooking with the parilla lent smoky soul to every course on their lineup. The new menu (P3,600/seven courses, P4,950/14 courses) continues on the said voyage—it retains many core elements, among them its predominant Filipino-meets-Latin American motif that draws from history, and Montañez’ mischievous streak as far as playing around in the kitchen is concerned. This time, though, they’re going for bigger mains and bolder flavors, and incorporating more interactive elements into the concierto.

Careful thought is put into every course and detail from start to finish. Their brioche-based interpretation of Putok eases you into the meal, accompanied by tapsilog-style cured carabeef, fermented rice with mango, and butter infused with fresh and confited garlic. Bites follow, marrying Filipino and Latin American elements in clever ways—think Smoked Eggplant, Oscietra Caviar, Sundried Tomatoes, Yolk Drops on corn and chives bread that plays on the different meanings of word torta in different languages (in Spanish and Latin cuisine it refers to a sandwich, in the Philippines it can refer to an omelette); and the Cassava and Prawn “Satti” that takes the idea of Zamboangan meat skewers called satti and interprets it as fritters of cassava—also a staple carb of Latin American cuisine—topped with satti-flavored prawn tartare on a stick.

Though Filipino and Latin American influences dominate the menu, there are occasional East-Asian elements. Japanese ikura or fish roe add pops of brininess—not to mention ups the eye candy—on the Tanigue, Blood Cup, Ikura, Aji Amarillo, an update of last season’s Dinuguan Sinuglaw. The savory egg custard known as chawanmushi also inspires the Chicken Sphere, Chicken Chawanmushi, Chicken Flax Tostada, which hides under a stone sphere waiting to be uncovered.

Dining at Alegria is as much about taking pleasure in the flavors as it is about learning more about Filipino and Latin-American cuisines. For one, Montañez rightfully showcases elements—in turn educating diners—about lesser-represented regional Filipino cuisines. Strips of etag or Cordilleran smoked pork, for instance, are the star in the dinakdakan-inspired Jowl Etag, Pickled Earl Grey Tea Grapes, Burong Singkamas, Rice Puff, Truffle; hidden as the cured meat is under a foam of burong singkamas (which illuminates the plate with its sourness), its telltale smokiness and meaty chew are unmistakeable—and make for an beautiful pair with the aromatic truffle and juicy grapes.

Soon he tells us about the tool called molcajete, or Mexico’s own mortar and pestle. It’s said to produce more flavorful salsas the older it gets as spices get “stuck in the rock”—and while we don’t have a solid point of comparison, we can definitely say the salsa molcajete accompanying the Aged Comte, Goat Cheese & Raclette Muscovado, Flour Tortilla, Salsa Mojcajete plate delivers a full-bodied hit with a welcome touch of heat. Tomatoes, lime, onion, garlic, and habanero peppers come together in the condiment. Even small dollops breathe feistiness onto every bite of the savory-sweet quesadilla-piaya hybrid (stuffed with the three cheeses plus muscovado) it accompanies.

Like Filipinos, Mexicans love their salty-sour-sweet treats—just look at the prevalence of tamarind confections in their cuisine, as well as condiments like chamoy sauce and tajin seasoning. It’s no surprise, then, that the palate cleanser of Mango, Apricot, Chamoy & Pecorino is easy to relate to. Here, a mango sorbet makes for a sweet and icy base and dried apricots cooked in kiamoy sauce deliver a mouth-puckering sourness—both tastebud-tickling stuff, at least before a shower of subtly funky grated Pecorino cheese bridges the gap between worlds.

Long as the moniker of the next course—the Hokkaido Scallop, Heart of Palm, Salmuera, Chicha de Jora and Prawn Head Broth—might be, it makes for one soothing interlude. Montañez makes noodles out of heart of palm (a.k.a. ubod) and layers them over woodfire-cooked Hokkaido scallops before pouring over a subtly sweet broth of prawn heads and chicho de jora (fermented corn beer). And just when things feel too familiar, Alegria’s house caviar made with corn, kombu, and fish bones take you out of your comfort zone just enough.

Though the previous numbers have primarily been on the light, bright, and/or vivid end of the spectrum, the A4 Wagyu Carpaccio, Adlai, Smoked Tripe, Enoki, Shallot, Bone Marrow is where Montañez goes all-out rich. A risotto-like adlai mix underneath makes for a stick-to-your-ribs backdrop—the warmth of which subtly cooks the thin but substantial sheets of Wagyu as they're mixed in. Corn husk oil gives a nutty aroma, and you're more than welcome to dollop over chunks of the roasted bone marrow served alongside for even more unctuous spoonfuls. Look, you're already here; might as well go all the way.

We're on an indulgent high by the end of the previous dish, but only for so long; Montañez has us back on our toes as we move onto the Fish Moqueca, Laing Tetela, Sibujing, Dende Oil. Moqueca refers to a traditional Brazilian fish stew that Alegria takes the flavors and fashions a sauce out of; this dresses a strip of cod fish that's cooked just until succulent. Underneath is tetelas—think Oaxacan quesadillas, or blue-corn tortillas stuffed with laing duxelle. This ain't fusion just for the sake of fusion; connecting the worlds of moqueca and laing are the similar dominant ingredients of seafood and coconut milk. Finally, a condiment of sibujing or native onions from Mindanao, dolloped on top, delivers the earthiness that rounds out the mix.

Before bringing the next course, servers come over to your table holding what looks to be a treasure chest, within which lies—wait for it—mini versions of the traditional Batangas knife known as balisong. You’re to take one and utilize it as you take down the Iberico Pork, Salsa Vera Cruz, Horchata, Kale Chicharron, Quinoa, Red Pepper & Corn Sabayon, so as—in Monañez’ words—“to mimic the butchery feel.” Granted, the pork is buttery-soft enough that it hardly requires much effort to cut, but there's something about using the traditional knife to knock down the meat that appeals perhaps to our carnal side. Go ahead, channel your pent-up angst and stress here—to the plate of course, not your seatmate—and see how the pork contributes a smoky character to the piquancy of the tomato-olive-caper based salsa, the subtle sweetness of the sabayon, and the nutty horchata foam. 

You’re more than welcome to play with your food here, and perhaps the most fun of the lot is the next number of… drumroll please: Tacos. Yup, in a degustation. This is a DIY affair whose proteins, ensaladas, and sauces change every day; in our case, we found ourselves assembling bites out of chicken barbacoa (roasted with aguacate plus pasilla, ancho, morita, and ajillo chilies), pico de gallo, salsa roja, salmojera, and tepache-soaked escabeche. Hell, we’ll do away with the fancy descriptions here; tucked into Alegria’s scratch-made blue and yellow corn tortillas, everything comes together for high-spirited, impactful bites. And, this being a build-your-own taco situation, you also get to put as little or as much of the different components as you please.

The team, of course, knows how to please the young generation—and it’s worth prepping your phone cameras for the Tsokolate, Caramel, Vanilla & Pineapple dessert courtesy of Pastry Chef Chico Orcine. You’re initially served a shallow bowl with flash paper draped on top—which intrigues, but also deceives, for initial plainness. But of course that’s just the beginning; the server soon lights a matchstick and ignites the paper, burning it away to reveal what’s really inside: tsokolate de batirol, a vanilla-white chocolate mousse, and a sunflower-like round of caramelized pineapple cooked sous vide for over 36 hours with rum, muscovado, and pink peppercorn. A generous amount of coconut sauce is spooned over the top before tablea is grated over. You get a curious but ultimately harmonious mix of bittersweet and tropical here, with the pineapple’s tanginess illuminating the dusky, robust tsokolate. The Strawberry, Basil & Tea takes us back down to earth with its creamier character, without diminishing the impact of the meal in its entirety.

Novelty and tradition are both given representation in Alegria’s new menu, but never in ways that alienate. And perhaps that boils down to how, at the end of the day, Montañez admits he gets much inspiration from his own personal preferences, or simply put, what he likes to eat. Still, you can't discount the young chef's imaginativeness in finding smart yet spunky ways to present them to a modern-day crowd. It's a flame—a passion—that we're happy to say continues to burn as intensely as ever.

Alegria Manila is at G/F Uptown Parade, Uptown Bonifacio, 9th Avenue Corner 38th Street, Taguig City. For more information, check out Alegria Manila's Facebook page.

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