You Gotta Try This: Filipino brunch at 27 Aluna at Octane in Rockford
You Gotta Try This is the Rock River Current’s occasional dining feature focused on signature dishes at your favorite local restaurants. Want to see one of your favorites here? Email news@rockrivercurrent.com to suggest a local staple.
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — A downtown restaurant enters a new era today with a name change and a shift to Filipino cuisine.
Octane, 124 N. Main St., is now 27 Aluna at Octane. The name is derived from chef and owner Patrick Alberto’s address in Manila in the Philippines.
The new concept also comes with a new focus on brunch, which is served Wednesday through Saturday.
More news: Rockford area restaurant recap: A look at new restaurants and other food news from the past year
What to try: We had the chance to sample a range of dishes off the almusal (the Tagalog word for breakfast) menu, including losilog, pancit umaga, lonnganissa sliders, enseymada, cornislog and the sweet turon crepe, which works as a meal or a dessert. Drink options include aperol spritz, espresso martini and Choccy Milk for Grown Ups, among others.
What’s in it: Turon crepe is served with caramelized bananas, vanilla ice cream and macerated strawberries ($11).
The losilog comes with garlic rice, two eggs and longganissa, a Filipino sweet sausage patty ($13).
Lonnganissa sliders have that same sweet sausage patty drizzled with a spicy garlic sauce ($15).
The pancit umaga is a breakfast noodle dish with sesame chicken, bacon bits and scrambled eggs ($16).
The enseymada is a house brioche bun with cinnamon sugar spread, blueberry compote and shredded Edam cheese ($12).
The cornislog is corned beef, garlic rice, fried hash brown and two eggs ($15).
The espresso martini has Rockford Roasting Co. espresso, vanilla vodka and Sabroso coffee liquor ($13).
The Choccy Milk for Grown Ups is Rockford Roasting Co. coffee, bourbon and Milo chocolate milk topped house salted caramel whipped cream ($12).
The aperol spritz is made with aperol, Pierre Deliz Brut, soda and a slice of orange ($11).
Where: 217 Aluna at Octane, 124 N. Main St.
More food news: Daiquiri bar coming to former Kryptonite space in downtown Rockford
Owner: Patrick Alberto
Hours:
- Tuesday: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
- Wednesday: 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for brunch; 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. for dinner
- Thursday: 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for brunch; 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. for dinner
- Friday: 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for brunch; 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. for dinner
- Saturday: 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for brunch (closed 2-5 p.m.) 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. for dinner
Closed Sundays & Mondays
Online: octanerkfd.com
Contact: 815-965-4012; emma@octanerkfd.com
On social: @OctaneRkfd on Facebook; @OctaneRkfd on Instagram
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
