Alan's Grill at the Cubao Expo

Where is the best place to eat and drink in Cubao? I don't know. But a good idea will be Alan's Grill in Cubao Expo. No, it's not a knock-off of the big chain of bars Gerry's Grill.

Offering some decent Filipino treats to go along with buckets of beer, this place seems always full of people during the peak night time hours. The crowd is mostly made up of college to young office workers just out to have a good time. Probably also because they don't have very high budgets as well.

If you thought that shot of the outside looked like crap then how about this side?

Am I in somebody's home?

The food is actually good but very simple for their more than 100 Php price tags. The Daing na Bangus Binalot sa Dahon (wrapped in banana leaves) was nothing special. It was straight up fillet of milk fish and cooked like how most Filipino households do. Hell I think my mom's is even better! The Liempo tasted very nice but also a bit dry. The seasoning was spot on but I would like some type of sauce. While we're on the subject, these dishes are supposed to come with steamed rice, salted egg, fresh tomatoes, and bulalo (beef shank soup). We didn't get the bulalo.

Masabi lang na binalot

The Pancit Malabon was a heaping bunch for only 215 Php. At first bite you get hit with a ton of good flavor. But as you keep on eating you quickly realize that you're just getting a lot of chicharon (pork rinds) that have been dusted on everything. You only get a hint of shrimp flavor in the sauce and I feel cheated. Rounding it all off with the Special Halo Halo made the meal feel all so stereotypically Filipino.

Couldn't even scoop the ice cream in

Is it good? You definitely need to set your expectations. But I now understand why college kids would like to drink here. It's simple, straight-forward food served with affordable beer. It's not full of snooty people and you can just enjoy the company you are with and just be young. It reminds me a lot of the places I hanged out in while studying in Manila.

Have you tried Alan's Grill? How did you like it? Let me know on the comments or send an email to FiredSalt@gmail.com and you can also follow @FiredSalt on instagram and twitter!