Alegria Fires Up Their Parilla for Lunch Specials Like Smoky, Wood-Fired Pulpo

(SPOT.ph) Lunch tends to be a harried affair for most folks, especially on busy weekdays when it tends to be more an afterthought to bridge the morning mayhem and afternoon rush. But on days when you’ve got a little more time to spare at lunch hour—and happen to be in Taguig—you’ll want to hit up Alegria Manila for their new lunch specials, available on selected days of the week.

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Take a look at the lunch and ala-carte specials at Alegria Manila in Uptown Parade, Taguig:

Alegria Manila made a splash with their remixed Filipino-Latin American tasting menu as they opened their doors in 2022. For their ala-carte selections, Chef Charles Montañez and the team go by pretty much the same philosophy—namely, the use of a parilla in the making of selected components; their taking-inspiration from Latin-American and Filipino cuisines; and taking the time make most elements (salsas, tortillas, even their sausages!) from scratch and in-house. As these are meant for ala-carte orders, though, you can select exactly which dishes to have on your table—not to mention the portions are bigger, ergo perfect for sharing. (They also recently acquired a cooking chamber for smoking meats and other ingredients.)

Start light with the Octopus Carpaccio (P520), where tender sheets of octopus get amped up with melon aguachile and dots of compressed honeydew and tomato gel; pair this with a cocktail like the Sinigang Express with a tamarind-gin base and tomato "caviar" and go to town. Alternatively, there’s the Queso Fundido (P590), which pairs piping-hot churros (in their crisp-on-the-outside, airy-inside, pecorino-topped glory) with a spunky dip of Huancaina cheese and chorizo.

Corn is known to be Montañez’ favorite ingredient, and he shows his love for the crop once again in the Prawn Esquites (P480). It’s all about the pairing of seafood and corn here, with its mix of corn kernels, prawn mayonnaise (made with oil infused with the prawn heads),  an “ash” out of burnt onion and garlic, and dehydrated shrimp shell powder. Scoop some over the yellow and blue corn tostadas and take a big bite for the best sensation of crunchy, crisp, smoky, and creamy.

It’s 2023; plants are happily deserving of the spotlight, and we’ve gotta give it to Alegria for their great hand at veg. Go garlicky with the Grilled Eggplant (P400) underlined with garlic-achiote oil, salsa roja, and black truffle, or surprise your taste buds with the unexpectedly harmonious combo of grilled cabbage, hazelnuts, and mole blanco (i.e., mole with white chocolate!) in the eponymous Grilled Cabbage (P450). Don’t you miss the Burnt Carrots (P430) either; this small plate delivers feisty flavors through and through thanks to curry butter, whipped ricotta, toasted coriander seeds, and basil bringing out the natural sweetness of the root vegetable.

Of course, their wood-fired proteins are the star of the ala-carte menu—and in particular, their treatment of seafood, where they go unorthodox in flavor combos as far as the components go—while allowing the natural taste of the seafood to shine. In the Pescado Zarandeano (P900), market fish (apahap, during our visit) is filleted, cooked just a tad while retaining its buttery bite, topped with a five-herb salsa, and surrounded by mole de mejillones (mollusc mole) and bottarga-crowned grilled cabbage wedges. And—seeming simplicity of the Ulang (P1,500) aside—it's not one to underestimate. Not with how the local langoustine is breathed smokiness by the parilla, then brushed with langoustine head butter and given a sprinkling of deeply savory Vigan longganisa they make in-house.

And then there’s the glorious Pulpo (P1,250). This strikes the senses as soon as it arrives, what with the charred, smoky exterior on the octopus, plus its vivid toppings of salsa de cangrejo (crab fat salsa; oh, they went there), homemade bonito-sesame-sunflower seed furikake, fried onions, and pico de gallo. Alegria even lends you one of their balisong for cutting the mollusc, plus their homemade corn tortillas on the side for assembling tacos with—use your hands for the best, most carnal experience. It's also well worth pairing this with the Chochoyones (P600)—Mexican dumplings (made with squash and corn in this case) similar to Italian gnocchi, lent umami and depth by 30-day fermented garlic miso and wood-fired mushrooms.

Alegria doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to their desserts, either. There’s the Pan de Elote Cheesecake (P450) that uses a nutty corn crumble in place of the typical graham-based crust, and a topping of majarete (corn pudding) crème anglaise. Its more refreshing sibling is the Suspiritos (P450)—where a sheet of red jelly in a star-like formation makes way to a vibrant-tasting base of compressed pomelo, meringue, cilantro-lime yogurt, and mint.

We say call the gang over, save a date, and make those reservations, stat. These specials are available at lunch time, from 12 to 3 p.m. from Wednesdays to Sundays and for ala-carte orders at dinnertime from Tuesdays to Thursdays and Sundays. 

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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