COCONUTS HOT SPOT — Alley in the Grove Ortigas can easily win your heart with a Reuben sandwich.
With additional dishes on the menu, however, the 6-month old neighborhood eatery is giving diners more reasons to brave the C-5 traffic and enjoy Chef Thirdy Dolatre’s cooking.
Initially launched as a sandwich shop, Alley is now taking a more bistro approach to food. Considering that the restaurant is at a residential building (The Grove by Rockwell), the tweak in the concept makes sense. It’s the perfect spot for home-style food lovingly cooked from scratch.
So what are the items they added?
For starters they are now offering squash hummus (PHP229) peppered with Moroccan spices, topped off with toasted seeds and served with pita bread. For something lighter than that, they have grilled chicken ceasar salad (PHP279).
Healthy eaters will be excited to hear that Alley now has a caprese sandwich (PHP279), made with beefsteak tomatoes, mozzarella, goat cheese feta, pesto and greens, all drizzled with balsamic syrup. Those looking for something a bit heavier may enjoy an egg salad sandwich (PHP249) with mustard dressing in a brioche bun.
For chicken-lovers, The Firebird sandwich (PHP379) is a good choice. As the name suggests, it is made crispy chicken fillet slathered in spicy aioli and topped with pickled chilies slaw.
A new pasta dish made of cheese, cheese, cheese and cheese will surely win hearts. Made with parmesan, cheese pimiento, chedar and mozarella, the 4 cheese mac (PHP279) is great for cheat days.
There are several new mains too.
Served with with French fries, a salad, and béarnaise sauce, the New York Frites (PHP399) is the perfect bistro items for those who want a good serving of New York striploin steak.
The crispy pork belly (PHP359) served over tomato orzo with mint is a very interesting item. It’s good for those who want something heavy but don’t want to indulge in rice.
For those who want familiar flavors, the beefsteak rice (PHP329) is a good choice. It’s braised beef marinated in soy-calamansi and topped with a poached egg and crispy onion rings.
Want something sweet? They added two new items at the dessert section as well!
The affogato (PHP249) consists of house churned coconut ice cream with dulce de leche and poured over with a shot of espresso. Chocolate lovers will enjoy the Dark Chocolate Crème Brulee (PHP249) with olive oil and sea salt perfectly infused together and torched to achieve its caramelized hard topping.
Aside from the new menu, Alley now has extended eating and drinking hours. The restaurant is now open until 1 am everyday except on Sundays, when it closes at 11 pm.
G/R Retail Row, The Grove by Rockwell, C-5, Pasig; +632 5323928, Facebook. Daily 11am-1am(Mon-Sat), 11am-1pm (Sun)
