Happy Tummy at 'The Lobby at Acacia'

Earlier this month, I got the chance to visit (and try out!) the newly improved lobby restaurant at the Acacia Hotel Manila. The restaurant got a name that simply yet perfectly captures its whole concept — The Lobby at Acacia.

The Lobby Food Review Acacia Hotel Manila Alabang events parties Weddings philippines hotel restaurant 2 — Those paisley-printed high chairs! The hotel still looks new even as it enters its **fifth year** in operation. That says a lot especially with the **reintroduction** of **The Lobby at Acacia**‘s revamped menu and a specialized shop called **Souk** that offers locally made artisanal products.

Should you visit the restaurant, one thing that will stand out is how reasonably priced the menu items are given their premium quality. Prices range from Php280 to Php1,595. The new menu, according to Head Chef Aldo Palaypay, maintains the same kind they used to offer — appetizers, local and international bestsellers, and desserts — but with more creative options inspired by Asian and Western cuisine. This, I must say, is true. 🙂 It’s always hard to review dishes when dining is by invitation but you can just imagine my sigh of relief when I loved every dish I was made to try. I have to admit, I secretly wished I wasn’t the type who easily gets full because thoughts of my leftovers haunted me when I went home.

Here are the ones that definitely made a mark:

CRISPY NORI SHRIMP SALAD 2 The Lobby Food Review Acacia Hotel Manila Alabang events parties Weddings philippines hotel restaurant.jpg — THIS. Even as I moved on to the other dishes, I kept on reaching for more of this **crispy nori shrimp salad**. That says something, right? The sweet-sour-and salty combination is perfect for me.

BRAISED ASIAN DUCK QUESADILLA 2 The Lobby Food Review Acacia Hotel Manila Alabang events parties Weddings philippines hotel restaurant.jpg — **Braised Asian duck quesadilla.** Love the strips of soft beef inside seasoned with a hint of sweetness amidst the salty set. The drizzled sauce breaks the sweet-salty mix with some sour flavor.

CRAB MEAT LASAGNA 2 The Lobby Food Review Acacia Hotel Manila Alabang events parties Weddings philippines hotel restaurant.jpg — **Crab meat lasagna.** As a seafood lover, I’m struggling to find the right words to describe this one. Just like with the salad, even when I was supposed to have moved on to another dish, I kept on getting some more of this. That generous amount of crab meat in your lasagnaaa! Can you blame me for saying, “Last!” before reaching for some more while declaring, “Super last!” 🙂 Given that I couldn’t finish the whole dish because there were more stuff to try, this is one of those that haunted me later on.

PAN FRIED SNAPPER The Lobby Food Review Acacia Hotel Manila Alabang events parties Weddings philippines hotel restaurant — **Pan-fried snapper with marinara risotto.** This perfectly cooked fish (firm golden crust + the soft texture of the fish meat!) with asparagus and the risotto can serve as your lunch alone!

CREPE The Lobby Food Review Acacia Hotel Manila Alabang events parties Weddings philippines hotel restaurant.jpg — **CREPE.** A party in the mouth. This light and fluffy dessert was the perfect way to end my meal. The **sweetness was subtle** and I won’t forget how I loved the crunchy sugar bits getting together and perfectly complementing the pillowy soft layers of crepe. No leftovers for this one!!! 😉

MUST-TRY: My photo of the beef steak does not do justice to the dish so I’m embarrassed to share it here. I just have to emphasize how softly cooked the meat was and the sauce had just the right amount of sweet and salty flavor. Best eaten with plain rice!

Other stars of the menu:

ADOBO PIZZA Acacia Hotel Alabang The Lobby Random Republika — Adobo Pizza

MEATBALL SPAGHETTI Acacia Hotel Alabang The Lobby Random Republika — Meatball Spaghetti

MONTE CRISTO Acacia Hotel Alabang The Lobby Random Republika — Monte Cristo with Blueberry Compote

ROSEMARY SALMON 2 Acacia Hotel Alabang The Lobby Random Republika — Rosemary Salmon

OXTAIL KARE KARE Acacia Hotel Alabang The Lobby Random Republika — Oxtail Kare-Kare

SEAFOOD LINGUINE 2 Acacia Hotel Alabang The Lobby Random Republika — Seafood Linguine

BULALO Acacia Hotel Alabang The Lobby Random Republika — Bulalo

CAPELLINI A LA GAMBA Acacia Hotel Alabang The Lobby Random Republika — Capellini a la Gamba

AROMATIC BRAISED BEEF Acacia Hotel Alabang The Lobby Random Republika — Aromatic Braised Beef

TEMPURA ICE CREAM Acacia Hotel Alabang The Lobby Random Republika — Tempura Ice cream

CHILEAN SEA BASS WITH CREAMY MASHED POTATO Acacia Hotel Alabang The Lobby Random Republika — Chilean Sea Bass with Creamy Mashed Potato

PENNE SAUSAGE BOLGNESE Acacia Hotel Alabang The Lobby Random Republika — Penne Sausage Bolognese

CHICKEN CAPRESE Acacia Hotel Alabang The Lobby Random Republika — Chicken Caprese

BLT Acacia Hotel Alabang The Lobby Random Republika — BLT sandwich

Cassava Cake Acacia Hotel Alabang The Lobby Random Republika — Cassava cake

Check out the menu:

Shop with a heart. At Acacia Hotel Manila’s Souk, you’ll find Pinoy-made products that are perfect pasalubong finds. The brands involved not only promote Filipino artistry and ingenuity but at the same time give back to marginalized communities. Every time you buy an item, you contribute to a cause.