It was a collaboration that took half a decade in the making. But it was, in more ways than one, meant to happen.
At Acacia Hotel Manila, the country’s first all-Filipino five-star hotel, Chef Pablo “Boy” Logro brought to life Spanish-inspired dishes with a Filipino twist reflective of the country’s diversity. His was a special menu for a special occasion: the hotel’s fifth anniversary.
“For five beautiful years, Acacia has remained true to our belief that an all-Filipino hotel can make it. There is that wrong impression that we need a foreigner to make our hotel better. But Filipino hospitality is already world-class, so that makes us at par if not better than other hotels,” said the hotel’s general manager Bobby Horrigan who, despite his foreign-sounding name, is a Filipino.
“So we were thinking: who can represent our philosophy best in terms of food? And while there are several other Filipino chefs who could easily fit the bill, we felt that it can only be Chef Boy – he has a lot of heart and charisma, and that’s what we are all about, too, as a hotel showcasing great Filipino hospitality and serving great Filipino food,” Horrigan added.
It was also a reunion of sorts for Logro and his former colleague and kumpare, Aldo Palaypay, who is now Acacia’s executive sous chef.
Using locally-sourced ingredients, Logro came up with his own creations exclusive to the hotel: cream of corn soup with avocado and shrimp tartar; grilled rack of lamb with potato malunggay purée, asparagus, cherry tomatoes and guava mint glaze; spiced coffee-rubbed baby pork ribs; soya-poached chicken with kailan leaves; turmeric lentil-crusted snapper fillet; pan-fried tilapia with chorizo and bean ragout topped with citrus Beurre Blanc (white butter with citrus juice); and a trio of appetizers – beef salficados, grilled German sausage with sauerkraut, and nacho crispy shrimp popper. But it was Logro’s rabo del toro or oxtail stew that was the real pièce de résistance of his special menu: the meat was tender and flavorful, and paired really well with the sliced chorizo.
“Don’t be afraid to use local ingredients. You get the freshest possible items, plus you end up helping our farmers, too,” Logro told Manila Standard in an interview.
“We have lots of fruits that are in season. There’s avocado and guava so there’s no need to use bottled or canned imported fruits. Malunggay grows abundantly in our country, and it is a good, healthy alternative to basil or tarragon,” he added.
For dessert, Logro decided to use the native table to create the Kahlua chocolate marquis.
“Allow yourself to innovate, but not too much to the point that your guests no longer recognize their food. You can be creative in your presentation without sacrificing the essence of the Filipino dish,” he said.
To mark its fifth anniversary, a three-course set menu is offered at The Lobby at Acacia or A Steakhouse for just P 980+ per person while Acaci Coffee Shop presents a different buffet spread for just P1,395 featuring hot dishes curated by the culinary tandem of Logro and Palaypay.
Acacia Hotel’ slogan – Filipino like no other – could very well have been coined with Logro in mind. The chef has come a long way from the 13-year-old houseboy who also had to mix dough for siopao. That boy eventually became a dishwasher who ate leftovers to learn the taste of good food, and years later, the head chef at the palace of Omani Sultan Qabass bin Said.
“We have the same philosophy, Acacia Hotel and I. I believe the Filipino food is now ready for the global dining scene. We have to respect and give importance to our own dishes,” Logro said.
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P.S. Now it can be told. It was at Acacia Hotel where President Rodrigo Duterte stayed for five days while his transition team was still arranging his room in Malacañang. And despite the culinary spread of the hotel, the kitchen was not prepared for Duterte’s orders: nilagang mani and monggo soup.
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Photos by Sonny Espiritu