Some places become instant must-visits when you see them pop up on your feed—such is the case with the restaurant Asador Alfonso. Located in Cavite, this restaurant has dominated Instagram of late, as Architect Carlo Calma’s creation transcends the notion of what a restaurant should look like. More interest has been generated about the venue, however, and not as much about the food—which we have to say isn’t anything to scoff at.
Chef Chele Gonzales of Gallery By Chele fame runs the restaurant side of Asador Alfonso. He offers a traditional Spanish-tasting menu with the headlining feature being the use of a traditional brick oven (with imported bricks) for the centerpieces: their lechazo, or slow-roasted Spanish suckling lamb rack, and their cochinillo, a slow-roasted baby pig.
So what did we think of Asador Alfonso as a destination restaurant? Read on to find out.
The drive
The drive was a bit more involved than your typical Tagaytay fare. It is about 75km from Manila, and about two to two-and-a-half hours travel time, subject to traffic conditions. The drive starts with an expressway blast down the South Luzon Expressway and Cavite-Laguna Expressway onto Silang. From there, you would have to deal with some traffic from town centers until a long and wide four-lane bypass road that offers some flowing corners and easy overtaking.
Just note that at one point in the route, you will be driving on a dual carriageway with no shoulder, and sheer rock faces on each side. Those with larger vehicles would need to take extra care. Overall, the drive was engaging, but traffic on the way back to Manila extended travel time to about three hours.
Parking and accessibility
As the venue has limited seating, parking was easy in a gravel lot just by the gate of the restaurant. There are ample slots, and more important, spacing between cars to comfortably park.
There is a sheltered dropoff point at the entrance of the restaurant, but designated drivers should note that there is a short fifty-meter walk from the parking to the entrance. Bring an umbrella if the weather turns while you are eating.
For those with physical disabilities, there are no steps to contend with for ground floor dining, and an elevator for those fortunate enough to have a reservation on the second floor.
Venue
Undoubtedly, the headlining feature of Asador Alfonso is the design of the venue. Architect Calma was inspired by the Taal volcano complex, and it shows. Sharp angles and flowing lines converge to showcase the skill and vision that went into making the restaurant stand out from any other venue. The outdoor lounge area has seating perfect for relaxing with a coffee after a long drive, and it also provides the best views of Asador Alfonso.
This attention to detail and design extends to the interior, with cove lighting and rounded wood carvings highlighting the dining area and open kitchen concept. Everywhere you look, you will find something interesting that you can take a quick snap of; the entire venue is definitely IG-worthy.
Food experience
So, how does the food hold up? We ordered two versions of their tasting menu, one where the main dish was the lechazo (the slow-roasted lamb), and the other set where the main dish was the Japanese wagyu ribeye. We also added a quarter of a cochinillo ala carte, too, as an add-on to our meal.
Each menu starts with sourdough and anchovy butter, followed by a selection of tapa. From Japanese wagyu jamon to heirloom tomatoes with olive oil, the tapa were all generally amazing in terms of taste and presentation. There was, however, a slightly long wait between the tapa and the serving of the mains, but that also gives you more time to appreciate the venue.
The tasting menu with the lamb also had carabinero, or flat-grilled Spanish red prawns, which were succulent and tasted amazingly fresh.
For the mains and between the lamb and the ribeye, we definitely preferred the lechazo. The lamb was seasoned perfectly, and roasted in the brick oven, had a unique taste that most other places could only dream of.
The wagyu ribeye, unfortunately, was a bit of a miss. It had some uneven seasoning, so while some of the slices of beef were seasoned perfectly, half the slices had none at all and tasted a bit bland.
Overall, the food was great, but there were some teething issues which are common in newly opened restaurants. Service was impeccable, and the staff were knowledgeable about the food and attentive to our needs. They seem genuinely interested in how they can improve in the future, and we hope that these kinks can be ironed out with time, as the potential of this restaurant is clearly there in terms of menu offerings, service level, and quality of ingredients.
Value for money
At around P5,900 per person for the tasting menu (without VAT and add-ons), it is quite expensive, but you do have to take into account the effort that went into the venue, as well as the ingredients and offerings. Once you do, the price somewhat makes more sense, at least compared to fine dining options in the metro. For an experience in a one-of-a-kind venue, it is a great overall experience for the price.
Verdict
Asador Alfonso is one of the most unique venues you will find. Thankfully, the food, for the most part, lives up to the IG-worthy venue. There were some slight issues with the cuisine, but otherwise, it is worth the trip if you’re looking for an experience just a small jaunt from the metro. Good luck finding a reservation, though, as we have heard that the restaurant’s starting to get pretty packed.
Score: 8.5/10
Travel time from metro Manila: 2-2.5 hours
Budget: P7,000-8,000 per pax
Website/reservations: reservations@asadoralfonso.com or +63917 150 7621
More photos of Asador Alfonso:
