December 4, 2011

Bienvenidos! Alba- Restaurante Español since 1952

We would always pass by Alba in going to Tomas Morato but we never really tried eating there. One reason is that I'm not really into Spanish cuisine and a Spanish buffet is something I think I would not enjoy. I also thought that I would not be able to eat a P765 worth of pure spanish cusine.


But when Deal grocer came up with a buffet deal from Alba for only P425, I immediately purchased one. I was supposed to get 2 but when I tried purchasing another one, it was sold out already.

Luckily, I was able to get another 2 vouchers from someone selling hers online for the same price.

We invited my brother to join us the night of our reservation.

The place had dimmed lighting and ancestral interiors. Think of the Spanish Era and Intramuros.. It was like dining in Jose Rizal's house.


We were served with a bowl of Onion Soup before heading to the buffet tables.

We started with the tapas (Spanish appetizers), specifically the Tapas Frias which are the cold appetizers. 


They have Atun Escabeche which is tuna in olive oil,vinegar, herbs and spices. It is their version of our kilawin.


Tabla de Embotidos which is a variation of Spanish cold cuts.


Coca de Berenjenas- Marjorcan pie with cheese, eggplant and leeks.


They also have some tossed salad, soft rolls and tostadas(toasted breads) to go along with 3 kinds of pate.

I personally like the Quezorizo Pate which is a smooth blend of cream cheese and sobrasada (a chorizo like Majorcan specialty).

Aside from the Quezorizo, they also have the Pescado which is a fish pate and Champignon Pate which is a mushroom pate.

Then we moved on to their Tapas Calientes which are the hot appetizers.

They have Croquettes with Aioli sauce which D said was beef. I could not really remember but I was sure it was not ham and cheese. I did not quite like it maybe because it was not that hot anymore losing the crunchiness it should have. 

Their Champignon al Ajillo- button mushrooms in olive oil, garlic and chili pepper was a great appetizer too. 

Lastly, the Fried Spring Rolls which like the croquetas were no longer crispy.


For the main course, we started with their Paella. they have 2 kinds of Paella that night which is the classic Paella Valenciana and Paella de Buddin.



What's good about the Paella Valenciana is that it has all the good toppings on it. Chicken, pork, vegetables and lots of seafood such as shrimp, mussels and squid. However, I liked the Paella de Buddin better which is Paella with Spanish ham. It was more flavorful compared to the Valenciana and I also love the pesto taste of it. 


For the main courses, they have Spaghetti in Tomato Sauce and some Mixed Vegatables in Cream Sauce.


They have chicken dishes in tomato sauce and brown sauce. I forgot what it was called but the taste was forgettable.



Caldereta de Vaca- stewed beef in spicy sauce and Lengua Sevillana- stewed ox tongue with mushrooms in rich sherry brown sauce.

I love lengua however, I only got to eat a piece of ox tongue that night. I don't know but the three of us felt so full already after one round. I don't know if it was due to all the carbs we consumed or their dish were really heavy to eat.


The Cochinillo Asado- roasted suckling pig was fatty and the skin was no longer crispy.The Roast Turkey on the other hand was ok, a bit dry but still ok. 


And while enjoying your dinner, a trio of musicians would serenade the tables for a more romantic dining experience. 



An added touch and an added cost too. Since they sang about 4 songs for each table, it was only appropriate to give them some tip. We saw that the table next to ours gave more than a hundred pesos. We only gave P40 :)

I am not really against this kind of thing but I just felt that diners are cornered this way and are compelled to give them some tip. After their last song, they were looking at us and still hesitant to move on to the next table as if waiting for us to give them some token of appreciation. 

For their Postres (desserts), they have Chocolate Cake, Canonigo, Lychee Gelatin and Assorted Fruits.





 I love the Lychee Gelatin and the Canonigo but I thought Damaso's Canonigo is still the best :)



Overall, I was still happy that we finally tried Alba. I'm just not sure if we would be visiting anytime again soon.  I felt that their food were mostly carbs if not too oily making us consume less but making us feel so full in an instant. 


Alba Restaurante Español
Tomas Morato
cor. Lozano St. Qc.
9251912, 4117052

38 Polaris St. 
Bel-Air, Makati
8966950-51, 8904372

Westgate Center, Filicity,
Alabang, Muntinlupa City
7712178-79

6 comments:

  1. I'm not really big on Spanish foods too, but the buffet looks enticing enough ah.. :) Would love to try the tapas and the desserts the most.. ^^

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  2. @Sumi Go
    Ang bigat nya tlga sa tyan swear! Parng feel ko ang konti lg ng nkain namin but we went home feeling so full! :)

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  3. everything looks so appetizing! would love to try the desserts especially the lychee gelatin, our fave! :)

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  4. @MarLiesTravels
    Yummy! it also has a hint of orange :)

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  5. Is it a good thing or a bad thing that they have a Branch in Makati, cause right now I'm tempted to drag my friend or boyfriend to pig out there! Kahit paella lang, sobrang nagcrave kasi ako for a good paella lately. :)

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  6. @Madz
    I must say good thing since you don't have to go all the way to morato to satisfy ur paella cravings ryt? :)

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