The Alley by Vikings Is the Buffet You Didn't Know You Needed

The Alley by Vikings
2/F Phase 2, UP Town Center, Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City
Contact: 0917-673-5888, 0918-907-888, 277-1888, 277-2888
Open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

IMAGE Majoy Siason

(SPOT.ph) Just when you thought they’ve done all the iterations of buffets you can imagine, Vikings pulls another card from out of nowhere. Inspired by street food from around the world, The Alley is a new take on the all-you-can-eat experience. Instead of a DIY spread, you can order small servings of a la carte dishes from their different stations, which allows you to maximize your P688*, and taste all there is to taste—and is there ever a lot to taste. It's just another win by Chef Jonathan “Boom” Jota.

IMAGE Majoy Siason

IMAGE Majoy Siason

IMAGE Majoy Siason

There's something for everyone at The Alley, from dim sum to dirty ice cream. There's even a drink of the day over at the Kegz stand, which in our case was a Mojito that you could drink like juice and a Margarita you'll feel in your chest after a couple of hours.

IMAGE Majoy Siason

IMAGE Majoy Siason

Atching Lilian

Frituen Batsoy

For your Kapampangan fix, stop by Atching Lilian. Like dishes from most Philippine provinces, everything is sauce-heavy, succulent, and unbearable without rice. A little off to the side stands Frituen Batsoy, the stall that bagnet built. There's hardly a bagnet concoction that isn't on display here. On your second visit—a near guarantee—you could just end up staying in this corner. A fishball cart completes the street vibe, and your dessert can also come in the form of dirty ice cream. Or, you could fulfill the ultimate Filipino culinary dream: All-you-can-eat taho. Just imagine.

IMAGE Majoy Siason

New York Pizza

Buono

Wander a little more and you'll find your favorites from the West. New York Pizza serves up their best next to Buono, which offers a little twist on the immortal pasta and garlic bread, one we're dubbing the Killer Carb Combo. They bake the bread over the pasta, sealing in the heat and keeping it fresh. A little over to the side is Antipasto Blvd., where the salad of your dreams is just within reach.

IMAGE Majoy Siason

Monte Calvo

Monte Calvo is a nod to our Spanish roots—it's still a historical sore spot, but hey, we got to keep the fiestas and the food. You’ll keep coming back for the Paella Negra, which is usually one of the quickest dishes to disappear, and they haven't even been open for a month. 

IMAGE Majoy Siason

Lost & Pound

O'Sean 11

A little further West are Lost & Pound and O'Sean 11, and if the puns aren't enough to convince you, then the food definitely will. The former serves sliders and wings like the East Coast in miniature. For the bayside vibe, the latter is ready with their seafood specialties; the Giant Squid is a must-try!

IMAGE Majoy Siason

IMAGE Majoy Siason

Hao Chi

Bringing it all back East, though, they've got a whole row dedicated to Asian cuisine. Street Wok carries your general Southeast flavors, notably Pandan Chicken, while Yatai meets your nautical needs with classic tempura and sushi platters. Hao Chi, we feel, is a lucky place to finish with, if our cultural predilection for Chinese food is anything to go by. After all, #HakawIsLife.

IMAGE Majoy Siason

IMAGE Majoy Siason

IMAGE Majoy Siason

Hunneycomb

Hunneycomb stands right in the middle of it all, almost reassuring us that there is always room for dessert. The Creme Brûlée is to die for; we're almost sad that the servings are mercifully small, but the beauty of eat-all-you-can is you can always come back for more. The ice cream fixings are too fabulous not to post on Instagram. There's no doubt that you'll be back at the Nord's coffee bar as well; the Americano seems to have been made with the novice coffee drinker in mind. Made with beans from Sagada, the hit is almost meditative. Have at it!

Covering almost all the dishes you can think of, from East to West, The Alley seems like a great place to go for the indecisive—but with how tasty everything is, it just might actually be the worst. You'll just have to go twice.

*For the full list of rates, log on to The Alley by Vikings website.

Photos by Majoy Siason