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So Retro: Alexei's Diner and Cafe
Alexei's Diner and Cafe
7 Gil Fernando Ave., Marikina Heights, Metro Manila
We visited the restaurant on a Sunday lunch. We arrived Alexei's at around 1pm and parking spaces were available. We then entered the diner and found it empty. A few groups then started coming in after we sat down, although not enough to make the diner too busy and noisy.
The two-floored place is quite cute, with all the simple and retro decorations. I also found a small, separate room outside the restaurant, which I believe is for catering small groups. The diner also shares a space with an auto center (I guess there is only one owner for both the shop and the diner), which kinda explains the numerous car magazines in the diner's book rack (that my boyfriend enjoyed).
Their menu is so adorable! That's what we thought before we really pondered on what to have for lunch. We then decided on ordering their grilled porkchop, beef tapa, and chicken longganisa.
Grilled Porkchop P195
The Porkchop was okay. It wasn't as tender and easy to cut, but it was good enough for the price. It was served with garlic rice and gravy. I wasn't too happy with the dish, because the porkchop lacked a little flavor and the gravy wasn't able to rescue it.
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| Grilled Porkchop P195 |
Chicken Longganisa P140
This was more of a deconstructed longganisa _ it wasn't placed in a "wrapper". It was just okay, although I found it really flavorful. It was served with an egg and garlic rice.
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| Chicken Longganisa P140 |
Beef Tapa P145
Their tapa was served with garlic rice, an egg, and a tomato vinaigrette. I actually found the beef tapa flavorful and sweet on my first few bites. At first I thought I liked it that way, but then I realized that the sweetness of the tapa was very strong. I tried using the tomato vinaigrette to counter the sweetness of the tapa, yet it was of no help.
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| Beef Tapa P145 |
They also have some pastries and coffee, perfect for those who just want a quick and lite snack break.
The food here is very very reasonably priced. Actually, we found it cheap since the serving size wasn't bad as well. Service was okay, and the ambiance was nice, especially outside where the picnic table is. You can check my photos for you to see. The place also has a clean restroom.
I will comeback to try their burger, as I think this is a must-try. This is based from what I've read from reviews. I also heard the other customers order this to take home. Too bad I wasn't in the mood for a burger during our visit.
My score:
Pricing – 4/5
Service – 4/5
Ambiance – 4/5
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