Spanish Cuisine has always been a family favorite.  The family is a purist when it comes to things.  we always opted for authentic and traditional rather than modern and fusion.  And when searching for authentic and traditional Spanish cooking, you can start your list with "A" for Alba Restaurante Español.  


Although Alba is one of the first Spanish restaurants we've tried and frequented as a kid, we haven't tried it since the branch near us closed down.  So when we had dinner at House of Wagyu Stone Grill, we planned to dine there at the Prism Plaza branch for a lunch buffet which was fortunately materialized a few months ago.

I noticed that it has maintained its classy baroque-styled ambiance.   Red is the predominant color that of the place.  Staffs are also matching that color motif.  At night, it offers a romantic setting with its dim lighting and candle lighting.

It has a chiller where they display chilled wine, cold cuts and sausage similar to that of a typical deli.

They also sell whole cakes too.

The buffet table is found at the end of the room which makes it visible from the entrance still.  The dishes are organized from appetizer to main course and there is separate section for desserts. 

Food

Tabla de Embutidos

They offered an assortment of their home-made cold cuts: Pamplona, Mortadela, Salchichon. 

Quesadilla

I'm really impressed with their organized system and monitoring of the dishes.  Plates are rarely empty and the dishes are freshly cooked.  The Quesadilla was crunchy in every bite.

Spread

They offered a variety of spread to match their pastries.  I enjoyed the prawn spead the most.

Escalivada

The Escalivada is roasted vegetables with anchovies.  Perhaps this is the one of the rare circstumances where I'd say skip the veggies for the more sinful ones.

Croquetas de Pollo, Almejas al Horno and Albondigas de Vaca

I enjoyed these three especially the Croquetas de Pollo.  Too bad, I had to save some space for the rest.  Otherwise, I would've loaded up with these.
 

Lenguado Meuniere and Pollo Frito

The Lenguado Meuniere is dowry fish.  Though the blend is right, I'm just not really a fan.  I found nothing special with the Pollo Frito which is their version of fried chicken. 

Steamed Vegetables and Lenguini Carbonara

I got some veggies and tried the Lenguini Carbonara.  But, I think the right move should be skip the pasta for the paella. 

Lengua Sevillana and Callos a la Madrileña

These two are my all-time favorite Spanish viands!  You can imagine my excitement upon seeing these. 

Cochinillo Asado

According to my family, the ones they got had crunchy skin and tender meat.  But, mine wasn't. =( 

Paellas

Paella Valenciana

I'm a huge fan of the flavorful paellas.  The Paella Valenciana is a carb dish, I would never regret having.  Every spoonful of it is a blissful moment for me.


Postres

Flan al Caramelo

What I Had

Upon being seated, we were served prawn bisque which was delicious!

My Appetizer Plate

My Main Course

My Dessert Plate

I usually stay away from meringue cakes because I find them too sweet.  But, Alba's Canonigo is now my favorite!  Ooh... it's soft and mellow fluffiness is simply delightful.  The Tarta de Chocolate Al Cointreau is dark and rich with a pleasant hint of orange liquor.  The Maja Blanca and Lemon Square, does not disappoint too.

My Fruit Plate

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
We really enjoyed our lunch buffet at Alba Restaurante Español.  The offerings may not boast of quality, but quality is assured.  Considering that Spanish cuisine is usually at a higher range than others, the ambiance and service, I'd say the price is worth every peso.  Their service is top-notch.  Upon being seated, we were quickly served our soup, our glasses were filled with water, and we were assisted with our napkins.  The empty plates were cleared as soon as we leave the table for another helping too.

For quite some time, House of Wagyu Stone Grill has been on our family wishlist after being recommended by relatives and friends.  So, when we were considering where to celebrate my little sister's birthday, we thought it was the perfect candidate.

The House of Wagyu Stone Grill at Prism Plaza was brighter than I expected but still cozy with its yellowish lights.  It had paintings on hanged on its walls.  Tables are quite distant from one another.  Their leatherette chairs are big and soft.  They had Wifi too but our seating area was beyond its coverage.

We arrived early for dinner so the place was nearly empty.  We were quickly ushered to our seats.  We passed by their steak and wine chiller on the way which got us all excited.

Food

Complimentary Bread

Soon after our orders where taken, we were served two baskets of complimentary bread.  We were also provided with our own bread plate with butter.  The bread served warm and had a crispy crust and soft dough.

Complimentary Broccoli Soup

It wasn't long before our Complimentary Broccoli Soup arrived.  It is topped with brocolli and some croutons.  It was creamy and tasty!

Appetizers

Oyster Rockefeller (450 php)

The Oyster Rockefeller are huge and succulent baked oysters topped with parmesan, creamy white sauce and bacon bits.  We all loved this!


Salad

♥ Scallop and Shrimp (400 php)

 This is one of the rare occasions where we'd find something more enticing in the salad menu other than our favorite Caesar Salad.  Our boldness in trying out the Scallop and Shrimp was well rewarded!  It was drizzle with an exquisitely delicious strawberry vinaigrette dressing.  It was bountiful in terms of ingredients too.  It had romaine lettuce, pan seared scallops, butter poached shrimps, cubed mangos, sliced crunchy cucumbers and riped tomatoes.

Pasta

♥ Alfredo Con Funghi (395 php)

The Alfredo Con Funghi is a pasta with creamy white sauce topped with fresh mushrooms.  This is search with two slices of garlic bread which is quite customary for a pasta dish.  The pasta was cooked al dente.  Although I'm not a fan of white sauce, I enjoyed this one because the light sauce was complemented by the fresh mushrooms well. 


Wagyu Stone Grill Steaks

♥ Tenderloin Grade 8 350 g (4,195 php)

Before our steaks arrived, we were assisted in wearing our House of Wagyu aprons.  It was quite useful since the juices from the steak seems to splatter as it is being cooked on top of the stone grill. 

♥ Tenderloin Grade 8 350 g (4,195 php)

My family which are wary about fats prefer the Tenderloin Grade 8.  It was a nice marbled cut.  They flipped it just in time for it to be evenly cooked medium.  We were advised to cut it one piece at a time to preserve its juices to the fullest.  It was really tender and tasty!  With steak as good as this, there's no need for a sauce.

♥ Ribye Grade 8 350 g (4,095 php)

I, on the other hand, prefer my Ribye Grade 8 steak.  I love the fatty parts that make it the steak juicier and savory.  

Vegetable and Mashed Potato Side Dish

 Each steak is served with a Vegetable and Mashed Potato Side Dish so its a complete meal in itself.



Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Our fine dining dinner experience at House of Wagyu Stone Grill is definitely top-notch.  The food is of superb quality and the service was excellent.  Sure, we were a little bit carried away and exceeded our budget but it was certainly worth it!