Secret of the Alley: Ally's All Day Breakfast Place!
Ask anyone about their favorite meal of the day, and probably 9 times out of 10, breakfast is the easy choice. That one who chose otherwise might even pick brunch, so technically, it's still breakfast. Personally, I could eat breakfast fare any time of the day, even midnight! But, for some strange reason, breakfast food tastes so darn good when you have it just around noon, when your stomach is growling angrily, your mouth salivating copiously, and your vision getting dim. It's the perfect time to pig out and break the "fast", pun intended.
The strongest evidence that breakfast is widely popular is the burgeoning food fad of the all-day breakfast. Long before IHOP stepped on our shores, local joints like Pancake House were already dishing out your favorite silogs and waffles and pancakes at your whim. Soon however, local entrepreneurs got wind of this craze and established their own novel shops.
Located in the heart of the vibrant food center that is Teacher's Village, Ally's All Day Breakfast just recently opened its doors to the hungry public. As a common practice nowadays, these newbies in the food scene offer discount vouchers on group buying websites. So I grabbed one when I saw it, having read about Ally's on some food blogs.
Can't miss the sign.
Barely occupying half a block, this quaint little spot appears to have sprung out of somebody's house along Malingap Street. Yet despite its diminutive location, its bright orange and yellow pastel signage attracts attention even at high noon. I would have missed the spot if not for that sign. Inside, the cheerful vibe bursts forth with the yellow plastered walls and orange plastic seats. The shop is indeed small, seating only around 16 to 18 people inside and perhaps 10 more outside. It was a humid day, so we picked the seats inside. Plus, it's more colorful there.
Breakfast will break your diet.
Someone's got an eye for the jar of M&Ms.
In keeping with its simplistic theme, the menu is quite straightforward. On one side, the familiar silog rice meals and pancakes dominate the page. On the reverse, waffles and all sorts of sweets tempt the weak of heart. At this time of day, rice meals are the easy choice.
Only Oreo. Makes me weak on the knees.
Even though it labels itself as a breakfast place, it was surprising to find a few items that seemed a bit out of place, like french fries and spring rolls. Nevertheless, everything appeared honest-to-goodness and homey.
Classic Beef Tapa, P130
It would be a mortal sin not to order the Filipino all-time favorite tapsilog. It's obvious that in our country, each shop in each area has their own version on the beloved tapa, with each one of course claiming to outdo the other. Ally's version isn't flashy and appears to stay true to tradition (hence, the "classic" label).
All members of the trio are present, with two eggs done your way, an ample serving of beef, a small portion of tomato and bell pepper sides, and of course steamed rice garnished with crunchy garlic bits. A colorful and complete meal indeed. The beef was tender and soft, thankfully. However, after a few bites, especially without any rice, the saltiness goes overboard. Maybe it's just me, but I prefer my tapa on the sweeter side, having grown up in Paranaque where it is typically sweet and even shredded into a flaky texture. Adding the garlic on top of it must have enhanced the salty taste, almost transforming it into beef salpicao. With eggs. Nevertheless, there's nothing our friendly Datu Puti couldn't resolve, and a few dips on the vinegar eases away some of the briny taste.
Sweet Pork Tocino, P130
Of course, no Filipino breakfast would be complete without the porky partner of the tapsilog. The Sweet Pork Tocino marries luscious cured pork, two eggs done at your whim, and a heaping scoop of garlic rice. By some accident, my order of eggs got mixed up and it came out scrambled. Never did I regret it. The scrambled eggs were moist and fluffy, nay, even dreamy.
But the tocino stole the show. The serving was generous and aptly portioned, with just the right amount of cloying fat, its edges perfectly charred into a crisp texture. The meat itself was sweet but not overpowering, tender and freshly pink. Perfectly executed, I must say, the way the Filipino tocino should be.
Iced Tea
Each meal already comes with a cold glass of their house blend iced tea. It wasn't too sweet, and a bit on the bitter side, exuding the leafy goodness of real tea. But, this was not the only sweet treat for that day.
At Ally's, you can opt to create your own pancake! Once you've decided to order, the servers hand out a small piece of paper to tick your choices, complete from batter to toppings and guilty add-ons (M&Ms and whipped cream, anyone?). We elected to go for a more conservative approach. Those who are too lazy to even think of their own concoction can just pick their specialty pancake creations, ready-made for your degustation. Here's our creation, the Banana Nutella mix!
Our own concoction: Banana Nutella Pancake (2 pcs.)
To start off, the pancake itself was divine. It was fluffy but not too airy, and sweet on its own. Remarkably, it resembled the fluffiness of IHOP. Yes, IHOP. Believe me when I say it. If not for its thinner texture, it could masquerade as the cheaper version of IHOP, without sacrificing the taste. It's that good. The slices of banana were fresh and plump. The Nutella spread was, well, Nutella (surprise, surprise!). Sadly, they scrimped on the spread, lathering the top pancake only while completely forgetting the other one. Even the top spread was too thin for the price tag (P35), I would say. We topped off our creation with chopped walnuts and crushed graham for a contrast in texture. Oh yes, crushed graham goes well with Nutella and maple syrup. That was a sinful combination.
The wall says it all. Breakfast love!
Ally's All Day Breakfast Place is a homey, down-to-earth addition to an already muddled competition of all-day breakfast joints. With a smaller up-keep, a strategic location, and a more directed target market, it has found a niche despite its young age. The create-your-own pancake concept is novel and simple (I would rather have them cook it for me rather than me doing the cooking, take that Slappy Cakes!). But the praises for the cakes don't end there, as their batter is light and fluffy, reminiscent of the more famous versions. The rice meals are probably hit and miss, but likely more hits. But just for the pancakes, I would definitely come back.
Ally's manages to avoid redundancy in the already repetitive world of breakfast places. Its cozy spot attracts those who wish to avoid the crazy lines and even crazier price tags of the popular breakfast places. It's comfort food done well. It's breakfast you can have any time of the day, as if you were simply at home. Or maybe, this is home.
Jones
Ally's All Day Breakfast Place
50 Malingap Street, Sikatuna Village
Quezon City
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