DISCLAIMER: We judge based on our own criteria!
When we first stumbled upon the soft-opening announcement by The Alley via FB, which offered a 50% off on the original price upon the 2 days before their grand opening, we immediately cleared the date in order to try and review this well known buffet by Vikings! We have already tried the The Alley at UP Town Center, but we wanted to know what could possibly be a difference between the two. We were able to get seats for lunch on time, but when we came in we were still too tired due to lack of sleep. So we opted for some coffee before we get our judgment game going!
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| Some desserts for the little lady |
The Alley by Vikings is located at 2F Ayala Malls Cloverleaf, Balintawak! You can easily spot the mall from the lrt, which also provides a shuttle for you near the station for the price of 5php. Very convenient for commuters. They have a parking lot for car owners of course since it's a mall. When we first entered the buffet establishment, we first noticed it had a high ceiling which made us think it had a 2nd floor for more tables. But the reason for it was because they had a New York theme going on that made the place a little more real with their decorations (lamp posts, neon signs, back alley new york wall decor), it was remarkable because it had a sense of uniqueness.
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| Very New Yorkish! |
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| Dining area near the entrance |
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| Tables for 2 are separated by a divider and positioned diagonally |
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| The middle dining area from our seats |
The food varied from Filipino, Japanese, American, and Chinese food, which all had stalls of their own. This was the most challenging for us because the lines for each booth can get very long! Which often results with the chefs rushing to get orders out, they will provide you with an electronic number card but it is often useless. A good reason we had coffee first was so we can wait for the crowds to thin out, waiting in line can take the fun out of eating.
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| The seafood booth |
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| Chinese food |
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| Pastas and Filipino food! |
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| Japanese food |
Now, time to judge the food. The first thing we ordered was the steaks! It had the shortest line, we first noticed they have a small menu for you to distinguish what meat they had available today!
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| Beef tenderloin, pork steak, or salisbury steak |
I had asked for the beef tenderloin and Salisbury steak, which came with some steamed vegetables and mashed potatoes with some delicious pepper gravy. When we ate the steaks, we first noticed it was incredibly bland! It was just steak cooked without any seasoning, which was very disappointing! We had asked for some salt and pepper, but they didn't provide us any. If it weren't for the gravy, the steaks would've been a very bad way to start the meal. We went out again for a seasoned meal, and was greatly met with the pasta! They provided a small menu and display of the pasta dishes so you'll have an idea of the dish if you didn't know the fancy kinds. The bestseller there was the lasagna, which will not disappoint! If you're parched you could always refill your drink at the drink station located near the bar, which they also provide beer on tap. They have wine, but has a separate price, but they have a cocktail of the day that you can drink over and over again!
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| The bar is the biggest booth |
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| Customers are free to eat at the bar |
The longest line we experienced was at the japanese food booth, which was because of the delectable sashimi! The sushi was also stressful because they always had to refill it after 2 to 3 people. It took us 15 mins at least just to get some sahimi and california maki. My partner really loved the chinese food, most especially the bean curd which was also always out of stock! But be sure to try all of their offerings because you wouldn't want to miss anything. They had a few selections for desserts, mostly cakes, and berry or chocolate mousses, which is a perfect pair for their wide selection of coffee, but they have tea if you would rather prefer that like us. We wouldn't want to spoil some of their surprising booths so it would be better if you checked it out yourself! They have a lunch and dinner service which you can attend via reservation or walk-in!
Adult Weekday Lunch: 688 (+5% service charge)
Adult Weekday Dinner: 888 (+5% service charge)
Adult Weekends/Holiday Lunch & Dinner: 888 (+5% service charge)
KIDS RATE:
Kids below 3 ft: FREE
Kids 3 ft - 4 ft Weekday Lunch: 188 (+5% service charge)
Kids 3 ft - 4 ft Weekday Dinner: 288 (+5% service charge)
Kids 3 ft - 4 ft Weekends/Holiday Lunch & Dinner: 288 (+5% service charge)
Kids 4 ft - 4 ft 4.6" Weekday Lunch: 388 (+5% service charge)
Kids 4 ft - 4 ft 4.6" Weekday Dinner: 588 (+5% service charge)
Kids 4 ft - 4 ft 4.6" Weekends/Holiday Lunch & Dinner: 588 (+5% service charge)
