lengua – Jellybeans in the City

Considering how Spanish cuisine has been a huge influence on Pinoy food, it’s a wonder that I didn’t get to eat often at Spanish restaurants, even during pre-pandemic times.

From Spain’s richly storied culinary heritage as well as the influx of new ingredients courtesy of the galleon trade, we get the rich and colorful dishes that we have adapted and oftentimes reserve for special occasions.

Since the 1950s, Alba Restaurante Espanol has been the go-to place for authentic Spanish food. Established by Don Anastacio Alba over sixty-five years ago, this restaurant has been satisfying the Filipino palate with tasty Spanish comfort food.

A few years ago, before the lockdowns which arose because of the pandemic, my officemates and I were able to expand our culinary horizons by having one of our happy lunches at Alba’s Tomas Morato branch.

Recently, I was able to revisit Alba’s cuisine for my second quarantine birthday, when my boss had a Paella Valenciana (Php580) delivered to my home as a birthday treat. It’s a show-stopping rice dish made with chicken, pork, seafood and veggies that’s hearty enough to satisfy the whole family, but whetted my appetite for more of Alba’s offerings.

Fortunately, with GrabFood’s Taste the World campaign, I was able to sate my craving for Spanish comfort food. The campaign’s last leg featured European food and granted 50% discount (maximum of Php150), for orders made from 10am to 2pm.

With Alba’s Eatancia branch available for long-distance delivery via GrabFood, I was able to treat the fam to a delicious taste of Spain right in our home, which included:

Salchichas con Champignon (Php250). A tapas caliente (hot appetizer) made with slices of Spanish sausage sautéed with mushroom, garlic and chili.

Gambas Al Ajillo (Php370). Another tapas caliente made with shrimps sauteed in olive oil, garlic and chili, which is definitely becoming a family favorite, especially when paired with hot crusty bread.

Callos ala Madrilena (Php420). Stewed ox-tripe in a rich tomato sauce.

Lengua Sevillana (Php500). Stewed ox tongue with mushroom and olives in a rich sherry brown sauce.

Paella Negra (Php650). Paella given its distinctive dark hue and rich umami flavor by squid ink, stuffed squid and shrimps.

There’s a reason why most of these dishes are only served during special occasions: it’s the sheer amount of time, effort and expertise that go into preparing these dishes. But simply by coursing your order from Alba via GrabFood, you can enjoy these delectable viands in the comfort of your home.

Plus, be sure to take advantage of amazing offers such as Taste the World and GrabFood Signatures to get amazing deals on your food delivery orders from your favorite restaurants.

So go ahead and take your tastebuds on a gastronomic adventure just by ordering via GrabFood!

This Alba branch is located at Level 2, North Wing, Estancia Mall, Capitol Commons, Oranbo, Pasig City.

Other branches are located at:

38 Polaris St. Bel-Air Makati City
Tomas Morato corner Scout Lozano, Quezon City
Westgate Center, Commerce Ave., Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City
4th Level, Prism Plaza, TwoEcom Center Building, Bayshore Avenue cor Harbor Drive, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City

About Grab

Grab is the leading super app in Southeast Asia, providing everyday services that matter most to consumers. Today, the Grab app has been downloaded onto over 185 million mobile devices, giving users access to over 9 million drivers, merchants and agents. Grab offers the widest range of on-demand transport services in the region, in addition to food, package, grocery delivery services, mobile payments and financial services across 339 cities in eight countries.

About GrabFood

Operating under the Grab super app, GrabFood is an online food delivery service that connects local food businesses to people. GrabFood presents a variety of food based on what’s available around consumers: Filipino, Western, Asian, European, Fusion and so on. Today, GrabFood’s services are available in areas of Metro Manila, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga, and Cebu, with plans to continue expanding to reach more areas in the country.

Download the Grab app here.

Disclosure: A gift voucher was provided to facilitate the order experience.

There are places and food that just become family favorites.

Take Bistro Charlemagne, for example.

I had my first taste of its unique and tasty takes on Asian cuisine in its then newly-opened Ayala Malls Feliz branch and it was only a matter of time before my whole family got hooked. Since then, we have visited this resto again and again for intimate dinners or big celebrations with the extended family. We even stopped by for a meal at its Ayala Malls Solenad branch on our way down from Tagaytay.

Unfortunately, it had to pause its operations during the enhanced community quarantine. The fam missed our enjoyable dinners there (and I missed my chance to celebrate my birthday in our favorite place). Sigh!

Thankfully, the metro has transitioned to a general community which provided people some freedom of movement and less restrictions on dining out. That said, I still have qualms about my family, especially the kiddos, leaving the safety of our home.

Well, the solution came when I heard that Bistro Charlemagne has re-opened and has made most of its menu items available for delivery and pickup.

Just in time, too, for my daughter #ExhibitA’s natal day. (She has been hounding me about having her faves from this resto for her birthday lunch.)

And wouldn’t you know it! Ordering was so easy: I just called the Ayala Feliz branch at +63 956 4507704, gave my orders, and then paid via GCash. On the day of my daughter’s birthday, I simply booked for the pickup of my orders from Ayala Malls Feliz Loading Bay for delivery to my place.

Just as #ExhibitA wished for her birthday, we feasted on several orders of:

Drunken Lengua in Brown Mushroom Sauce (Php415). Tender pan-seared ox tongue with mushrooms and asparagus in white wine sauce. This dish is particularly memorable for #ExhibitA, as she was the one who picked this dish out from the menu when I took her and her brother to eat at Bistro Charlemagne a few days after my first dining experience there.

Tenderloin Beef Rolls with Cheese (Php415). Tender, thinly sliced beef wrapped around cheese and sauteed in teriyaki sauce. This dish is absolutely irresistible for my little boy #ExhibitB, who just can’t keep himself from putting roll after roll onto his plate.

Japanese Beef Rice (Php135). Japanese rice, ground beef, mixed veggies and egg, all mixed together in one flavorful rice dish. This goes so well with the other viands that we can’t imagine our meal without this!

I may not be able to bring the whole fam outside yet, but I’m glad I was able to bring one of the best dining experiences home to my family.

Miss dining out? Bistro Charlemagne is also open for dine in and follows strict sanitation and physical distancing protocols for your safety.

This Bistro Charlemagne branch is located at Fifth Floor, Ayala Malls Feliz along Marcos Highway, Dela Paz, Pasig City. Call in your orders or book your table by calling +63 956 4507705 or +63 2 77299496.

Other branches are located at:

GFF-6, Building B, Ayala Malls Solenad 3, Nuvali, Don Jose, Santa Rosa, Laguna. (Tel: +63 049 2580846 or +63 917 8334223)
Lot 2, Third Floor, Cinemas Building, Ayala Malls Manila Bay, Entertainment City Paranaque (Tel: +63 2 79149082)

Bistro Charlemagne also delivers via GrabFood, LalaFood and FoodPanda.

Download the Grab App and get a discount on your first food order when you use my code: GRABJELLYBEANS.

Use this link to download the FoodPanda app and get Php100 off your first order.

Download the LalaFood App and get a free delivery coupon when you use my code: BEINGJMR53.

Tag: lengua

A taste of Spain with Alba and GrabFood

Got our food faves from Bistro Charlemagne at home