Latin cooking and Asian flavours have more in common than you think. Both have a penchant for herbs and spices, and embrace the balance of savoury and sweet. And these global influences meet at Alegria to create new tastes; the Manila-based restaurant brand opens its first international outpost at Keong Saik Road, bringing to Singapore an eclectic menu that blends flavours from around the world.
The adventure might start with nacho ($16). Usual triangles of tortilla are swapped for an oversized oval of masa chip, studded with prawns and slathered with creamy guacamole and cheese. Depending on how the base shatters, bits from the edges provide a firmer, chewier texture, while those in the middle are crisp and light. Elote ($15) is also a fun discovery. Char-grilled corn is coated with chilli and cheese for a salty-sweet snack. But suddenly, a hit of umami develops – from furikake and bits of chicharron. Bites of ceviche ($22), made with tuna and scallops, come enlivened with mango, coconut, and lime for a bright tropical burst.
Tacos, too, are charged with Asian flavours. Hand-rolled tortillas, sturdy yet soft, can come topped with beef tataki and wasabi aioli ($10); or filled with sisig-inspired pork belly ($8). And on Taco Tuesdays, the juicy parcels go for just half the listed price.
With roots in the Philippines, dishes like the duck Inasal ($35) might make sense. The meat, while sinewy, comes slick in an appetising glaze, and served with coconut-scented rice topped with sakura ebi. A tender octopus tentacle ($40), sous vide for some five hours, then paired with sweet sambal-like mole, is also worth a try.
Chase down the smoke-kissed plates, packing in full-bodied flavour, with some downright refreshing cocktails. Gin-based Callista ($24) is lifted with fruity, floral notes from umeshu and elderflower tonic; and Senor Montanez ($18) is an easy-to-love combination of gin with spiced lavender tincture, peach, and lemon.