When I’m feeling down, blue, stressed, and lonely (or when I’m PMS-ing), the easiest way to cheer myself up is to eat good food. And by good food I mean the most flavorful, most savory, and richest I can find. I mean carbs, meat, and anything loaded with garlic and cheese.

Unknown to me until last week, I can find all of these in the Spanish restaurant Alqueria, located at the 3rd level of SM Mega Fashion Hall. One of the latest from the SumoSam Group of Restaurants founded by Marvin Agustin, Ricky Laudico, and Raymund Magdaluyo, Alqueria opened in January 2014 in partnership with other celebs like Charo Santos, Liz Uy, Mylene Dizon, and Agot Isidro.

Alqueria is an old Spanish term that refers to a type of farmhouse that resembles a small castle and once served as home to many rural families in Spain. Today, alquerias have supposedly been converted into social gathering places.

Alqueria is known for its paellas. But its extensive menu, conceptualized by Executive Chef Chris Oronce (who once worked in famous US restaurants like Mesa Grill Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas with celebrity Chef Bobby Flay and Nobu in New York), also boasts of a prime selection of tapas and bistecas. Their dishes showcase the different flavors of Spain, meant to satisfy your craving.

Here are some of the dishes I tried:

TAPAS

Salpicao (P445)

I generally like salpicao, so I was excited to try Alqueria’s version, which used cubes of sautéed imported tenderloin marinated with garlic, Spanish paprika, and olive oil. The first thing that hit me is the strong garlic flavor that made me fall in love with it quickly. The meat is delightfully tender, juicy, and savory. The last thing you’ll notice is the slight heat at the back of your throat as you swallow it. It’s really good, and I’m guessing it will go well with garlic rice, although I didn’t get to try it.

Gambas Al Ajillo (P375)

It’s easy to please my palate: Just assault it with the bold flavor of garlic and I’m pretty sold. That’s what these soft shrimps did to me. The fresh white river shrimps are sauteed in garlic, along with olive oil, red pepper flakes, and paprika, then finished with white wine and butter. I couldn’t get enough of it; good thing the shrimps are bigger than what other restaurants use for their gambas.

Pulpo a la Gallega (P288)

I’m more adventurous with food than the average person, but I’m usually wary of dishes that use not very common ingredients, like octopus. I’ve tried octopus before, and it’s easy to get it wrong (read: tough and hard to chew), but Alqueria cooked their octopus well, so it’s easy to eat. I guess it also helped that they chopped it into really small pieces. It kept its strong seafood flavor and distinct texture, even while paired with the salty grated manchego cheese and smooth potato gratin on which it lay—the tastes of cheese, octopus, and potatoes interestingly complement. Every mouthful of this new dish delivers a burst of flavor in your mouth with a slight heat.

Queso Fundido (P210)

Easily one of my favorite items on the Alqueria menu, both the manchego cheese dip with pimientos and jalapenos and the spiced chips that came with it won me over at first try! The chips, dusted with paprika, pack in at least medium heat, but before your palate even has time to feel the sting, it’s tamed by the rich, gooey, sticky, tasty manchego cheese. Delicious.

PAELLAS

Paella Valenciana (Small, P560; Medium, P910; Large, P1,480)

Alqueria’s must-try paella is made of simmered rice in saffron-infused stock topped with a generous serving of clams, mussels, shrimps, chorizo, and chicken. The star here is actually the rice! There’s a slight sweetness to it, and it brings a bit of heat to the back of your throat. It’s tasty and filling; whichever size you order is bigger than its counterpart in other restos that serve paella. You don’t even need to order another main when you get this, TBH.

NEW WORLD PAELLA

Carne Mechada (Medium, P950)

If I liked the rice of the Paella Valenciana, in this paella, the braised short ribs on top is the scene-stealer! The meat is well-done and has a nice char to it. It’s bursting with so much flavor—I even get a hint of herbs there—it spreads to the lighter tasting soft rice, which is cooked with sofrito and simmered in saffron-infused stock and pomodoro, topped with grilled tomatoes and confit potatoes. Their standard medium serving is huge—it can feed at least six, and you don’t even need to order another main dish. Ulam na ‘to!

BISTECAS

Rib Eye (P2,030)

Who can say no to 300g of black angus USDA prime grade steak? I certainly can’t, even if I was already full sampling the dishes I’ve mentioned above. The meat is served medium well, yet it was tender and full of flavor, it didn’t even need sauce. It’s served with veggies, but I preferred to eat it with mashed potatoes.

Lamb Chops (Half Rack, P1,310; Full Rack, P2,380)

In full disclosure—which I usually make when I’m sampling a lamb dish—I am not fond of lamb. But, I went ahead and had a few bites of Alqueria’s lamb, which they got from Ann Creek Farms in Australia. When it was brought to our table, it was medium rare—madugo-dugo pa! Some of us loved it this way, as it’s at its most tender, but the rest of us (myself included) wanted it well done, hehe. I’m glad it wasn’t as gamey as I feared, which is what makes me stay away from lamb. There’s a hint, but I could still eat it, especially when I put the refreshing yogurt sauce and ate it with the mashed potatoes served with it.

LUNCH SPECIALS (10AM to 4PM, Monday to Thursday):

Caldereta Cabrito (part of their Set C)

Goat meat is another thing I rarely eat, but I had to try Alqueria’s version of kaldereta, which comes in a fairly large bowl. The meat is very tender, as expected, and also bony, which is how goat meat is, I’m told. It’s not as gamey, which I like; if it was, the light tomato sauce and the wealth of other ingredients tossed in masked it well.

POSTRES (DESSERTS)

Churros: 3pcs (Classic, P138/Chocolate, P158); 5pcs (Classic, P158/Chocolate, P198); 10pcs (Classic, P228/Chocolate, P298)

Take-out box for the Churros

I’ve always loved churros, but—I don’t know if it’s just me—it’s hard to find a place that does it right. I can only think of one, top of mind. At least now I have another go-to place for churros, and that’s Alqueria. And I think they’re the only ones that use Valor chocolate for their dip, and I guarantee it’s so good! It’s satisfyingly thick, sinfully rich, and dark—I can eat the dip on its own, but why would I do that when I can dip the long, crispy, sweet churros sprinkled with sugar and a little bit of cinnamon and enjoy a more delectable dessert? Make sure to eat it while it’s warm!

Dine-in serving

We tried another version but the chocolate dip is not that rich or thick—it’s more like a drink. It’s definitely easier to eat with the churros, since it coats the churros easily and evenly. But I would rather make the effort to dip into the thicker, richer Valor chocolate dip for a tastier experience.

Manchego Cheesecake (P230)

At this point, I noticed that Alqueria definitely loves manchego cheese by the sheer number of dishes, from tapas to dessert, that have it! Lahat na yata ng pwedeng may manchego, nilagyan na, haha! And they definitely did well melting it and mixing it with cream chease, as it’s more flavorful than your usual cheesecake. You can really taste the saltier manchego cheese, and somehow it’s more delectable and chunky, making the texture more interesting. The nice surprise for me is the hint of coconut on the cheesecake—perhaps from the cream drizzled on top.

BEBIDAS (DRINK)

Cinnamon Iced Tea (P98)

So, what did I wash down all of these dishes with? I chose their house blend cinnamon iced tea because it’s really sweet and it’s great for taming the heat from the spicy dishes I sampled. I must warn you that you have to have a sweet tooth to enjoy this and that you won’t mind the strong cinnamon flavor, enhanced by the sprinkling of cinnamon powder on top. I like the added touch of slices of apple. This is one very interesting iced tea.

HAPPY HOUR:

I’m always on the look out for places with happy hour, and Alqueria has one! From 2PM to 7PM daily, get three bottles of Estrella Galicia Pilsen or two bottles of Maeloc Sidra for P450, and you get free tapas of the day, too!

Alqueria’s interiors provide a cozy ambiance perfect for families and those looking for a place to unwind. It’s usually busy from Thursday to Sunday, with light to moderate crowd on Monday to Wednesday.

Alqueria Restaurante is located at the 3rd floor of Mega Fashion Hall, Building D, SM Megamall. Please text or call +63916-5062659 for reservations and inquiries.

Photos by Trixie Reyna