USDA Prime meats, premium seafood, delicious trimmings and more await the steak lover hungry for a refined and luscious meal in Alabang.
A Steakhouse is Acacia Hotel Manila's latest dining outlet located at the lobbly level of the five-star hotel. Acacia transformed last December a portion of its spacious lobby area into the premium steakhouse, and has since been offering a unique steak dining experience to its diners in the south. There are no walls or large signages for A Steakhouse that divide it from the hotel entrance, giving the establishment a more welcoming feel. Making your lunch or dinner at this steakhouse more intimate are plush wingback chairs to sink yourself into, creating a cozy divide among the other tables.
Every feast at A Steakhouse begins with a complimentary appetizer and a bread basket that comes with a couple of dips for spreading. For lunch that weekend, our amuse-bouche was an eggplant roll with tapenade stuffing. The tapenade, quite addicting, was also served alongside chicken pate for the breads. It was delicious nibbling to start our meal that I had to pace my bread intake — one can easily get full with these free bites before the steak is served.
To sip, my glass of Acacia Goddess (P300) was a good mood booster. The healthy juice is part of their Wellness Drink list, and it is a refreshing mix of pineapple, fresh apple, orange, carrots, and watermelon. It didn't necessarily transform myself into a goddess after one glass, but it surely made my palate feel revived and beautiful with its burst of fresh flavors. Other wellness drinks include Penata Senstation (P300) to decrease blood pressure, Veggy Delight (P300) for glowing skin, and Stress Buster (P300) best to perk you up after a week's worth of work.
I absolutely enjoyed every spoonful of A Steakhouse's Lobster Bisque (P250), its velvety and creamy soup brimming with flavors from fresh lobster meat. The little elegant touches of the restaurant, like serving a clean bowl with lobster meat then the careful pouring of the thick soup, are appreciated by many senses: vibrant orange, mouthwatering aroma, and then, a taste of the umami-filled bisque.
Another order to appreciate even before digging into it is Tableside Caesar Salad (P350/to share). This salad, good for two to three people, is prepared by your tableside as its name suggests. A small table is rolled out and propped beside the diners, and the dressing made from scratch and to your very own liking (lots of garlic and anchovy for me, thank you). Housemade caesar salad dressing really makes a difference, and the theatrics of someone preparing it, mixing expertly right in front of you, makes the salad memorable. Another highlight — customizing how much parmesan cheese, bacon, and croutons to top your mountain of crisp greens. More bacon, please!
From a fresh and crisp salad, we move on to our meaty main. For your fill of protein entrees, A Steakhouse has a lineup of USDA Prime Grilled meats: T-Bone Steak (P2,950/400g), Rib-Eye Steak (P1,650/240g), Fillet Mignon (P1,600/200g), Lamb Chops (P950/P200g), and Glazed Chicken (P450/400g Leg Quarter). For serious steak lovers, USDA Prime is a preferred grading, as the diner is assured of top-notch meat quality. USDA Prime is a grade that is appointed by the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) through their beef grading program, which gives specific value to the beef's quality — the better the grade, the better the meat experience is with its melt-in-your mouth, juicy slices bursting with flavor.
All the Steaks, Chops & Chix orders allow you to choose two from among seven sauces (demi glace, mint jelly, wild mushroom, red wine, bernaise, peppercorn, horseradish cream). An order already comes with either a Mashed Potato or Baked Potato, but if you want other trimmings in particular or want to make your feast even heavier, there are many starch options and vegetable sides to choose from. For a less overwhelming portion of meat or seafood, A Steakhouse offers Chef’s Choice (P999) where you select an appetizer (Acacia's French Onion Soup or Acacia Steakhouse Salad), a main course (Honey Glazed Chicken Legs or Atlantic Fillet with Teriyaki Miso Glaze) and dessert (Apple Pie ala Mode, Chocolate Cake, or Chilled Tropical Fruits) portioned just right for one customer to feast on.
Our USDA Prime Grilled T-bone Steak arrived on a wooden board, accompanied by Baked Potato with melted cheese and sour cream and Wild Mushroom and Red Wine sauces. We wanted further assistance in flavors to play off with every bite of the beef, so we had Grilled Zucchini & Carrots (P80) and Baked Macaraoni & Cheese (P180) as trimmings. Our t-bone was gorgeously charred and grilled to medium, and I found there was no need to coat the juicy beef with sauces.
What stole the show was surprisingly the humble bowl of mac and cheese, unsuspectingly delicious (it's a common side for meats) but my, it had a lot of stories to tell my tastebuds once a spoonful of the gooey pasta entered my mouth. It was a beloved bowl of gloriously gooey baked macaroni that is not shy with its clingy relationship with cheese. So much cheese! Every chewy, cheesy morsel made me feel like a kid again, the way comfort food works its magic on one's tastebuds.
Rounding up our leisurely Sunday lunch is Apple Pie ala Mode (P180). "I'm afraid we ran out of vanilla ice cream," our server says apologetically, "do you want to have a scoop of chocolate instead?" While the vanilla would absolutely tie altogether the classic treat of a freshly baked apple pie, I shrug and willingly have it replaced with a big scoop of chocolate ice cream (it's summer anyway, I'll take my ala mode in whatever way possible). Warm pie meets cold and melting ice cream in my spoon, and it was a luscious way to end a great feast at the newest steak house in the south. Already I dream of what steak to devour next to partner with that unforgettable macaroni and cheese.
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A Steakhouse is open daily for lunch (12nn to 2:30pm) and dinner (6pm to 10pm). Call 720-2000 for reservations. A Steakhouse is located at the lobby level of Acacia Hotel Manila, 5400 East Asia Drive cor. Commerce Avenue, Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang. Visit www.acaciahotelsmanila.com, like Acacia Hotel Manila in Facebook (/AcaciaHotels), and follow on Instagram and Twitter (@AcaciaHotels)
