For a while I was under the impression that Alchemy Bistro Bar, located along Durban St. in Makati City was just a place you go to when you want some hardcore partying with friends on night outs. Little did I know, aside from cocktails and bar chows, Alchemy also serves impressive dishes perfect enough to enjoy if you want some quiet and relaxing meal time during day light.
Yes, although Alchemy Makati is known as one of the best places to spend your party night on, they also do lunch - and an impressive one at that.
It was a Saturday when I visited Alchemy for an early lunch. We were the only guests at that time which I thought was pretty understandable since they just opened at around 11am. Yet after our meal, I realized, if people only knows how great the food is at Alchemy and that they are open to cater to lunchtime crowd, the place could have been so packed even before it opens.
Judging from the charming eclectic decors and the color palette of the place, I could imagine how beautiful it is when night time strikes and the entire place would just illuminates from the blending of light fixtures. However, that is not to say that the place lacks beauty in broad daylight. As a matter of fact, the opposite is true.
Despite the absence of artificial lighting, the place still hold its natural charm.
The first floor features comfortable seats of different variations mostly in gray colors which compliment the burgundy shade of the wall.Bar stools, armless chairs, and vintage couches give character to the place the same way the interesting wall decors do.
The well-stocked bar could easily be the main attraction of the floor with its impressive lines of alcoholic beverages and spirits. But a mini stage will of course steal away the spotlight once the bands and other performers took it for their nook while entertaining Alchemy's guests.
I could imagine how cool it must be to spend a great night at Alchemy with some friends. I should probably visit one of these days to check out the happenings during night time with some performers on the house.
The second floor which also happens to be the roof deck of Alchemy features the most interesting mural I have ever seen recently. Thick vintage hardbound books and some chemistry apparatus makes an eye catching painted wall-to-ceiling decor, very befitting of the name Alchemy.
There is another bar at the roof deck and an al fresco area where guests may enjoy their night away. Live DJ performance are also being held at the area.
Going back down stairs, there is also an al fresco dining area where people who wants some natural fresh air while dining can opt for. The main attraction of this area is the fully functional brick oven where delicious creations such as pizza are actually cooked in.
Alchemy has an impressive menu which boasts of French cuisine. They do
offer some lunch specials on the menu but that day, we feasted on some
of Alchemy's best seller.
We started with Wood Fired Quattro Formaggi Pizza (Php480). A great start since it blew me away with its flavor and the goodness of it's freshly made thin crust. I am not exaggerating when I say that it is the best Quattro Formaggi Pizza I have eaten recently because it really was the best no matter how simple looking it is.
I guess it has something to do with the quality of the cheese they use which are Mozzarella, Gorgonzola, Parmesan, and Tallegio. Or maybe it could be because of the crust which has the perfect balance of crispness and softness. I swear, to this day, I am still dreaming about this pizza.
Next came the equally impressive Baked Oyster (Php350/6pcs). Big pieces of oyster topped with spinach, hollandaise sauce, and gooey cheese, this one also stole my heart away considering I am keeping my oyster consumption at bay.
The oyster in itself were big and plump and it tasted as if it was freshly harvested. I love the fact that Alchemy incorporated some Hollandaise because it adds some texture to the dish and it tempers the usual saltiness of the cheese. It was a perfect Baked Oyster dish, to be honest.
The Bolognese Pasta (Php345) leaned on the savory side of the spectrum which I find palatable. The sauce was loaded with bits of U.S. ground beef adding not just texture but flavor to the sauce as well. The garlic bread was a thoughtful addition and I appreciate that it tasted good as well.
First of the main dishes that graced our table was the Pan Seared Salmon (Php465) which comes with vegetables and creamy mashed potato. I could only utter immense gratitude for the heftiness of its serving because it was a great dish all things considered.
The Dill Beurre Blanc sauce that comes with it was a perfect accompaniment that it even goes perfectly well when eaten with the mashed potato.
The meat lover in me rejoiced when we were served the Slow Braised Lamb Shank (Php775) served with Mediterranean Couscous and some vegetables on the side. The lamb meat was very tender and succulent with flavors that obviously permeated in every strand of it.
I couldn't think of anything perfect to go with the lamb than the
perfectly cooked Mediterranean Couscous it was served with. It only goes
to show that this dish was well thought of and thankfully, beautifully
executed.
For dessert we had Far Breton (Php205) a traditional cake from Britanny which has rum infused prunes inside and served with vanilla ice cream on the side. This piece of heaven sort of reminded me of a beautifully cooked bread pudding only several times better. The vanilla ice cream was a perfect match since the cake wasn't overly sweet.
We also had the super simple and yet very satisfying Creme Brulee (Php210). I love that just like the Far Breton, it was not too sweet. Unlike the usual creme brulle which excessive sweetness turns me off, this one was just perfect.
It was too early for some cocktails so for drinks, I opted for Cucumber Delight (Php210) which is basically a refreshing drink made out of cucumber, mint, and lime. I love cucumber on my drink hence I find this one really enjoyable. I also got to try the Alchemy Smoothie (Php180) which was made out of mixed berries, orange, banana, and yoghurt.
All in all I was really impressed with Alchemy. The food was superb and priced competitively. The service was professional and thoughtul at the same time. It was the food attendant named Anna who assisted us during our visit and I find her very knowledgeable about the food at Alchemy which I really appreciates.
The fact that I was impressed with the day time service at Alchemy made me itched to go back there and check out their night time happenings.
Alchemy Bistro Bar
Durban St.
Poblacion, Makati City
Contact No.:
Operating Hours: (02) 500-7398
Mondays 5pm to 2am / Tues. to Sun. 11am to 2am
Mondays 5pm to 2am / Tues. to Sun. 11am to 2am
Facebook: /alchemybistrobar
Twitter: @alchemybbar
Instagram: @alchemybistrobar
