#pacificlounge

The Pacific Lounge has an amazing view of the Manila skyline from its surrounding floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Hotel guests will find it very relaxing to sit on the comfortable chairs and sofas while sipping their favorite coffee or beverages.

Together with my blogger friends and other hotel guests and media, we were treated to a cozy evening sampling the exquisite food and beverage lineup of the Pacific Lounge.

The Pacific Lounge offers unlimited cocktails from 6:00pm-8:00pm daily including two free items from the Chef’s Menu for only P750 per person. This is such a bargain for a hotel of this stature and I am sure most of its hotel guests, as well as other travellers or businessmen in the nearby areas usually avail of this offer. This month of June, the Chef’s Menu will consist of Middle-Eastern dishes as a testament to the growing number of Arab guests that are staying in the hotel and visiting the country.

You can choose from an assortment of beverages including cocktails, beers, wines, juices, and sodas which are all unlimited. How great is that?

Pan Pacific Manila’s general manager Mr. Richard Masselin, formally opened the night with a warm welcome and the introduction of Pan Pacific Manila’s new sous chef, Tarek Alsarraj, who will be responsible in conceptualizing and creating new dishes for Middle-Eastern guests.

He also introduced Pan Pacific Manila’s new Sales and Marketing Director, Ms. Jane Perez (middle) who will be responsible in leading the Sales and Marketing team.

We got to sample some of the exotic cuisine at the special buffet prepared by Chef Tarek. I am not really familiar with Middle-Eastern cuisine so I was also looking forward to trying these new tastes and flavors. We started with the  Maza Platter, a combination of Arabic appetizers which included Hummus, Mutabal, and Baba Ghanoush, served with Pita bread. All the dishes presented here are certified Halal food.

I liked the Beef Sambusa which has ground beef and Arabic spices wrapped in spring rolls then deep-fried. They also have the Vegetarian Sambusa which has mashed potato, carrots and green chili wrapped in spring rolls.

A medley of Arabic Mix Grill were on the table including lamb rack, beef kofta, lamb kofta, chicken shish tawouk, shrimps and grilled vegetables. I particularly enjoyed eating the grilled shrimp and this was obviously my favorite for the night as I kept going back for more. 

The Samak Harra is quite different from the usual seafood dishes I am familiar with. It has snapper or grouper fish with bell peppers, tomato sauce, and Arabic spices. 

I also liked the Chicken Kabsa which is cooked with bell peppers, tomato sauce, and Arabic spices. It lies on a very flavorful Basmati rice and this is a complete dish by itself.

A sample of Middle-Eastern desserts were also on display and they were all very tempting.

These desserts are (clockwise from top left) Umm Ali or “Mother of Ali warm pudding”; Tulumba; Turkish Pudding; and the Baklava. These items are all part of the Chef’s Menu for the month of June which you can order a la carte at the Pacific Lounge or as part of your unlimited cocktails.

You can enjoy these Middle-Eastern delicacies daily for the month of June while sipping your favorite cocktails and beverages.

I also got my first taste of Turkish Coffee which is served straight from their coffee pot. I’m not a big coffee drinker, but it actually tastes more like tea with a ginger flavor. 

One of the new features of the Pacific Lounge is the Shisha Bar. You can choose from a variety of Shisha flavors and I was really curious to see how it all worked. Shisha sessions are available at the Pacific Lounge Garden or Gazeebo located just outside the main lounge from 6:00pm to 10:00pm daily until August 31. No other hotel in Manila and Malate areas offers these Shisha sessions.

The garden of the Pacific Lounge is a beauty to behold. This is a great place to relax and unwind especially during sunset with the cool and gentle breeze blowing. If you prefer to have your drinks outdoors then this is the best place to have it.

The garden can also serve as a function area for small private events as it can accommodate around 20-25 seats. 

Now it was time for me to try my first ever Shisha session! We had our Shisha at the Gazeebo and the server first prepared the burning hot coals that would be used for the Shisha.

The Shisha is available for only P500 nett per flavor and you also get a complimentary appetizer from the Chef’s Menu. Each pot can actually be shared among friends and groups so that is a very affordable price. I saw a lot of beach bars and restaurants offering Shisha when I went to Boracay last month at much higher prices, so this is really a good deal.

Pan Pacific Assistant Manager for Marketing Communications Mr. Ernie Bigay demonstrated for us how to use the Shisha. He says that it is quite similar to smoking tobaccos or cigarettes but it comes with different flavors. In the Arab world, the smoking of shisha is a part of traditional culture, and is considered a social custom. Here, we enjoy eating out or drinking beer with friends, and Shisha smoking is also similar to that.

I took my first puff from the Shisha pot and did not really feel or taste anything at first. There was just this scratchy feeling on my throat and a slight taste of the flavor, but it was not really that strong.

I tried puffing out the smoke but I couldn’t really see it. I guess I had to inhale more and blow it out stronger to produce the kind of smoke that Ernie did. It took a couple more puffs and some help from my friends before I finally got the hang of it. 

I don’t really recommend smoking as a habit, but for non-smokers like me, it’s a good experience to try the Shisha just to be familiar with different cultures and their activities. I really enjoyed our Shisha session that evening especially since I had it with friends. If you want to learn and experience Middle-Eastern food and culture, then I suggest you visit the Pan Pacific Lounge and give their food and their Shisha a try. It’s definitely an experience you won’t regret. 

Pan Pacific Manila

M. Adriatico corner Gen. Malvar St., Malate, Manila

Contact Nos: 318-0788

www.panpacific.com/manila