Love at First Bite: Alley

I think the Year of the Monkey is my foodie year. Just last weekend alone, I managed to visit 5 restaurants in my must visit list. Among the restaurants I have been eying and finally visited is Alley, one of the new players at The Grove.

Hello, Alley!

This adorably designed restaurant serves several light snacks. Or so I thought.

It opened its doors just a few days ago but I am already familiar with its offerings thanks to my stalking skills. (Okay fine, it was because of Chef Angelo Comsti’s mouthwatering photos of Alley’s dishes.)

I went here after finally visiting Asakusa since I wanted some sweets to cap the night. I was a bit disappointed though that they only have two desserts to choose from, Financier (PHP229) and Caramelized Banana Bread (PHP249). I went with the latter because “house-churned cashew ice cream” sounds so delectable. (I was warned by the server that the banana bread is huge. It made me wonder if it’s because I smelled like tempura or if the phrase YOU-MUST-DIET is plastered all over my face.) I also ordered a cup of Cappuccino (PHP139) to balance the sweetness of my dessert.

First served was my cup of cappuccino and it was lovely. I got regular instead of decaf and it was still not that strong making it “night-friendly” if there is such a term. I didn’t get to appreciate the aroma though as I was about to get sick that night. Also, serving size is a tad too small for the price.

My dessert was served right after and the server was right. It was HUGE and definitely good for at least 3 hungry fellows.

I first took a spoonful of the walnut ice cream and it was scrumptious! I loved the nutty taste of the walnuts and the creaminess of the ice cream. You could tell that it’s fresh as it had no icy texture. It was a scoop of creamy heaven.

The banana bread was thick and indeed very heavy. I love how dense it was and that it was served warm creating a very nice contrast with the cold ice cream topping. It wasn’t sweet too except the outer part of the bread with a nice caramel glaze and nuts.

I can’t wait to go back to try the other dishes! See you again soon, Alley.

Alley is located at The Grove by Rockwell, 117, E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue, Ugong, Pasig City.