The food place that we're talking about is located at the Cubao Expo (formerly called Marikina Shoe Expo). Cubao Expo is a nice place because not only does it have restaurants that will cater to your hunger, but also boutiques and dress shops that are open until late in the evening. One of the shops you'll find here is the food place known as Alan's Grill. At night, this food place is jam packed with customers, because it's also a perfect inuman place for people near the area. Their dishes are affordable and very Pinoy, some already good for 2-3 persons. Alan's Grill is most famous for their Kare-Kare and Crispy Pata. When it comes to these two dishes, Alan's Grill is a place to beat. When we were there, they had a Kare-Kare and Crispy Pata promo for a cheaper price. Nevertheless, when we were there, we tried other dishes. We wanted to know if Alan's Grill's rice meals are also as delicious as the famous Kare-Kare and Crispy Pata.
The place is filled with paintings. Even the tables have some kind of abstract art. We're not sure if they are for sale, or if they're just for design. Most of these paintings are good, though. There also is a function room upstairs, which is for rent for a very reasonable price. In general, Alan's Grill gives more of an 'inuman' type of vibe, since most of the people who eat here come in groups and usually order beer and 'pulutan'. Nevertheless, there are still some people (usually the office folks) who come here for a nice and satisfying meal.
Anyways, here's what we tried:
Iced Tea, 50 php
Glutton Guy and Glutton Girl: Alan's Grill's iced tea has a different flavor as compared to the usual powdered tea. The color, too, seemed different. It tasted good, though. They probably had their own special concoction. It did taste a little bit sweeter than we expected. However, it's still a nice drink to try at Alan's Grill. : )
Chicken Barbecue with Java Rice, 147 php
Glutton Guy: This tasted like normal chicken barbecue. It's like the kind of chicken barbecue that you would taste at an ihaw-ihaw. The chicken, in my opinion, would have been better with barbecue sauce on the side, instead of achara (I'm really not a fan of it hahaha). The java rice, however, was very delicious. It made the meal a whole lot better. If the rice would have been plain, I wouldn't enjoy the dish. But with the java rice, I'd say it's a good addition to the meal. The servings was not enough for me, though. : )
Glutton Girl: Nothing out of the ordinary for me as well. The chicken lacked flavor, for me, probably because it was dry. Glutton Guy is right on the sauce issue. It probably would have been better with barbecue sauce. The rice was okay for me. I wasn't jumping up and down for it. Overall, I would say that it's an okay dish. It would be better to try other dishes on the menu, in my personal opinion.
Fish Fillet Rice, 147 php
Glutton Guy: Delicious dish! I love fish fillet and I love fried tofu. So, there's no better meal for me than this. The fish was cooked perfectly. The outside was crunchy, while the inside was hot and soft. The tofu made the dish more delicious. Its outside was also a bit crunchy, which is a good thing for me. The sauce was what gave the dish flavor. For me, though, the dish lacked sauce. However, I still enjoyed the dish. I removed the black beans since I don't eat those (especially when I see them in the dish hahahaha). Adding more sauce would definitely make the dish perfect. : )
Bangus Belly Rice, 147 php
Glutton Girl: I liked this dish. The fish was very crunchy, which is a good thing. It was Alan's Grill's version of 'Bistek Bangus'. The onions, the potatoes, the sauce, it all worked perfectly. It complemented the fish very well. The onions, which were caramelized, gave that added crunch. The potatoes were soft and weren't mushy. Like Glutton Guy's fish fillet dish, however, this dish also lacked in sauce. I would have preferred more sauce on my rice meal. But, it's a delicious dish that you guys should try.
Overall, our experience at Alan's Grill was a great one. It might not be the best, but it's one you wouldn't want to miss. Alan's Grill offers affordable and delicious Filipino meals that you'll definitely love, even if you see and taste these dishes most of the time. So, next time, when you visit the Cubao Expo to look around for some rare finds, be sure to check Alan's Grill as well. We assure you, you'll definitely want to know what's cookin' in this place.
Rating: Buddhalicious!
(Alan's Grill is located at the Cubao Expo Shopping Center, General Romulo Avenue, Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City.)
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