Lunch Buffet at Acacia Hotel's Acaci

Real women eat! Five course meal? So yesterday. I'm talking about the real deal. The don't-sneeze-because-a-piece-of-beef-will-come-out-of-your-nose type of eating. Real women do buffet...hard.

That has always been my excuse for over indulging on smorgasbords. They're really my thing. The sight of overflowing array of food laid out perfectly in front of me is downright exuberance. 

To celebrate out 13th wedding anniversary last weekend, Hubs booked a room at Acacia Hotel. Good reviews have been coming out as of late about their rooms, service, amenities, and more importantly, their international buffet at Acaci.

The first thing I noticed once we reached the Acaci on the second floor is the appropriateness of the buffet set-up. The stations grouped the food by course. The set-up makes it easy for even the ones who are ignorant about which table to attack first. No judgement there by the way. I was once like that too.

The first table to greet you is the appetizer table. They have different kinds of meat, fish, and vegetable antipasti as well as cheeses, gravlax, and hot appetizers. 

Gravlax

Smoked Chicken

Smoked Salmon and Parma Ham

Sushi and Shashimi Station

Vinegar and Oil-Based Salad Dressings and the different kinds of greens (Romaine hearts, little gem, butterhead, and oak leaf). They also have creamy dressings on the other side of the greens. This Salad Station at Acaci, by the way, is the first of many create-your-own stations they have. 

 Entrée Salads, Pasta Salads, and Fruit Salads

Bread and Cheese Station

Don't you just love cheese? They make everything taste good! The magnificent taste of cheeses (gorgonzola, brie, swiss, cheddar) made-up for the limited selection at Acaci. They have numerous breads, nuts, and dried fruits though. 

Hubs almost did a cartwheel when he saw the Taco Station. I've lost count of how many times he went to this station. 

The Pasta Station is another hit for both my husband and I. Their pesto and alfredo sauces are wonderful! I paired both with penne. I like penne the best because the sauce oozes out from the hole when you bite it. Ravioli is missing from the bunch. I hope they add that one soon. 

I just asked the chef  at the Mongolian Station to whip out something that will surprise me, and surprise me it did! He created this delicious stir-fried chicken, fish, and beef with a couple of veggies and some sweet and spicy sauce!

They had roasted chicken and top blade steak at the Carving Station that day. Both were well-marinated . The chicken meat was juicy and tender, while the steak was so dry and tough. A second visit is needed even for just the steak alone.

Mixed Tempura Station

Noodle Soup Station

Seafood Station

You can either eat the cooked shrimps and mussels as it is (plus an optional dipping sauce) or you can request to have it cooked it in whatever way you prefer. I requested for a garlic and butter fried shrimps. So good!

There were about eight dishes for the mains. I liked the beef broccoli and pan-seared dory the most.

Here comes my favorite part of the buffet! Desserts!

Let's start with the healthy kind first so that we can get it out of the way and move on to better things. Fruits. Next please!

This Willy Wonka Station (just made it up) will surely give kids something to smile about!  They have a lot of  treats to cover with chocolate! Try the brownies. You won't regret it and forget it. Be prepared for it will haunt your dreams!

Crepe Station has a multitude of fillings and toppings to choose from.

I fell in love with the strawberry bars and crème brûlée. My heart sank a little when I found out that they're not selling strawberry bars individually or by the box. 

A hoard of students came by that day from a culinary school and got free desserts as part of their trip. While looking at the empty crème brûlée platter thoughtlessly, the manager approached me (I probably looked like I was about to cry) and asked me what I needed. I asked if they were still going to refill the crème brûlée platter since it was already a couple of minutes past two in the afternoon (cut-off time for lunch buffet). He said that they weren't going to anymore. I gave him a quick thanks and just asked for coffee. After a few minutes, he gave me five "soup spoon creme brulees" and a cup of coffee! Thank you!

My preciousssssss

The amount you'll pay coincides well with the food you're going to get. It was worth every cent and all the extra flabs. 

The thing that I appreciate the most is the excellent service. I don't go back to any establishment that gives bad service no matter how good their food is. That's just my thing.

Acaci's service is truly worth an extra commendation. I was not treated well with the knowledge that I was gonna blog about it. They didn't know that I'm a blogger. One of the main reasons why I choose to be anonymous is to avoid any form of special treatment when I go to a restaurant (the first time) which might taint whatever review I'll make. When I get asked to visit the establishment again, I go and introduce (read: reveal - with fireworks and a dance program) myself without any apprehension knowing that I've already done an honest review.

Kudos to the staff of Acaci! Please forgive me for forgetting your names. I've always been bad with names and that's the reason why I'm not in politics. I don't wanna single out anyone because all of you did a great job anyway. Subtle excuse right there.

Quality: 4/5

Service: 5/5

Price: 4/5

Ambiance: 5/5

Cleanliness: 5/5

Acaci
Acacia Hotel Manila
5400 East Asia Drive corner Commerce Avenue, Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City 1781

Tel nos.: 720.2000, 588.5888

Facebook: Acacia Hotel Manila

Twitter: @AcaciaHotels

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