Alegria Cantina
Molito Lifestyle Center, Madrigal Avenue, Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City
Contact: 0977-106-1152
Instagram: www.instagram.com/cantinaalegriamnl
Open from 5 p.m. until late; last call for orders at 10 p.m. (Monday to Sunday)
(SPOT.ph) It’s hard to miss the custom parilla, or Argentine-style woodfire grill in this spot. The kitchen is open to the main dining area, which is colorful and comes furnished with everything you’d find in a living room: a couch, throw pillows, carpets, paintings hung on the walls, a small coffee table with books and other trinkets piled atop. Diners get a front-row seat to watch a live fire do its work. Wander up to the second story and discover a graffiti-covered brick wall and a sleek bar.
The entire experience is interactive, approachable, and fun. Forget everything you know about buttoned-up steakhouses—Alegria Cantina is a cheeky, playful, delicious party.
Also read: 50 Local Restaurants We Can't Live Without
Make your way to this new Asian and Latin American restaurant in Alabang for wood-fired dishes and spunky flavors:
This new eatery, located in Alabang's Molito Lifestyle Center, does refined comfort food in a Latin American-meets-Asian approach, where a woodfire kitchen takes center stage.
“I wanted it to be an extension of people’s homes,” says founder and Grupo Alegria executive chef Charles Montañez. “The open kitchen is there so you can walk up and interact, as if you were walking into your own kitchen at home.”
Alegria Cantina is a sub-concept of the umbrella Alegria brand, which includes Alegria Manila in Bonifacio High Street, Alegria in Singapore, and Café Alegria on Forbestown Road. “All concepts beat the same heart of Latin American food and culture, colorful design, and Asian influence,” Montañez expounds. “Here, we use locally-sourced santol, camias, and apple wood to fire up the meats the traditional asado way and serve them tableside.”
The vibe is anything but intimidating—Latin pop plays as your food is prepared, and you can browse the art that fills the walls of the space while waiting (if any pique your interest, you can always inquire!). The team is engaged and focused, and banter is customary. Fittingly, Montañez and his team are the types to break out into dance when that Bad Bunny drop hits.
The best way around the menu is to order wood-fired dishes along with sides and small plates, often greens and veggies to compliment the meats.
For starters, go for their Elote (P350), which is grilled and doused in chipotle mayo and punchy housemade furikake for a spiced, umami whole; or the Coal Cooked Potatoes (P305) which are crisp-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside garlicky bites covered in housemade nam prik pao (Thai-style chili jam), fried onions, and garlic aioli. The Jamon (P430) features prosciutto di parma, lime-compressed honeydew, white balsamic-marinated tomatoes, and air-dried olives. Go ahead, get a bit of everything in each bite for the best experience.
And say what you will about veggies, but the Grilled Romaine (P295) is a standout. Here, a creamy sauce made from smoked mussels is smeared through each layer of an entire romaine heart, then topped with pecorino, capers, and hazelnuts. It’s smoky, decadent, and packs a powerful punch.
“There’s a place for vegetarians here, too,” says Montañez. “The vegetable dishes can really be stars on their own.”
Other small plates feature fresh market fish, like the Ceviche (P375), which is playfully vibrant and tropical. It’s topped with crisp plantain chips and cured with leche tigre, a curing liquid of lime, coconut, and aromatics for brightness. The Aguachile (P380), on the other hand, features shrimp, aji amarillo (a yellow chile from Peru), and crunchy corn nuts.
To round out your starters, order a tipple or two: Our recommendation is the Maiz con Yelo (P350) for a sweet whisky-based drink with a touch of corn syrup, or the Te Negro Arce (P350) for a mix of gin, black tea, maple syrup, and cardamom. The bar program features Caribbean rum and Mexican tequila, so options are plenty. Looking for something booze-free? Go for their Strawberry Cucumber or Passionfruit Mango Lemonades (P150).
The wood-fired menu has options for every type of eater: there are chicken, pork, beef, plant-based, and seafood options.
The Squid and Shrimp (P490) is a crowd-favorite for a reason: shrimp is cooked directly on fire until tender, and sofrito de calamar or lightly fried squid is mixed into the black rice to infuse umami-packed flavor into the dish. It’s topped with garlic aioli and fried basil to tie the different elements together.
For lovers of porcine there's the Kurobuta Pork (P1,750), a high-quality cut rubbed down with housemade Mexican adobo, which includes a variety of spices like cumin, achiote, coriander, garlic, and chilies. The meat is fired up to get a good char on the outside, while maintaining a buttery-soft interior when carved and served tableside. Though decadent, it's balanced out by its companions—namely a black garlic sauce and a light ensalada of cucumber, red onion, tomato, and herbs.
The Chicken (P665/Half) is Jamaican jerk-marinated—think earthy, with a touch of spice and an undertone of sweetness. It’s served with apples fermented in ancho chile, and a garlic emulsion with a touch of 30-day fermented black garlic.
Pasta lovers also get an option here with the Ricotta Gnocchi (P550), a distinct take on the Italian dish with Japanese elements. It's got meaty mushrooms cooked over an open fire, 30-day fermented miso that’s pressed into the gnocchi dough, pecorino, and ohba (a.k.a. shiso) leaves.
The newest item on the woodfired menu was inspired by Montañez’ love for Singapore’s hawker food: the Grouper with Laksa (P950) has tender whole fish sitting atop a velvety, flavorful laksa sauce made with shrimp heads. The grouper is topped with a salad of crunchy tofu, coriander, coal-cooked bean sprouts, and Chinese black bean sauce—all the components of a bowl of laksa, built different. Don’t leave without ordering this.
“Chef Potz [Isaac] will eventually helm Alegria Cantina, so there will aways be space to play around and do seasonal dishes—something to look forward to,” Montañez adds. “And don’t skip dessert, because we let our pastry chef Chico [Orcine] do his own thing.”
And that "own thing" is a lineup of sweet plates that take after classic combos while incorporating playfulness as far as textures and visuals go. The Fresas Con Crema (P375) is an upscale version of the Columbian street food of the same name—literally just made of strawberries and cream. Chico’s take includes frozen white chocolate mousse with fresh strawberries inside, basil-strawberry compote, strawberry consommé, and crema or whipping cream.
The Brazo de Mercedes (P300) will have you see the well-loved cake in a more refreshing light: it's a square brazo cake with yema, caramel, housemade barquillos, and vanilla limon sorbetes.
Lastly, for the chocolate-obsessed: the “Foi Mal!” (P350) translates to “My bad!” in Spanish—Alegria Cantina’s metaphor for saying “My bad for ruining your diet.” (Everything in moderation, we say!) They are chocolate tacos whose components are made of chocolate and nothing but. Pick it up like you would a regular taco, and indulge in 63% dark chocolate mousse, 63% dark chocolate ganache, dark chocolate sable, and mocha sponge.
Despite Alegria Cantina serving seemingly high-brow, chef-y food, all dishes feel comforting and inviting. In fact, the space breathes life into the dining scene in the South and is a welcome, delicious, fun addition to the community.
Photos by Majoy Siason
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