Lamondays is back, and we found ourselves exploring the chilly night of Manila in search of new spots with good food for a good price. While it’s easy to get lost in the city, Lost Spirits lounge sits atop, awaiting with a cozy space where the food is curated just for the modern student’s palate, with the decor is a picturesque masterpiece.
Overlooking a platter of beautifully crafted dishes awaits a variety of finger foods and hearty snacks, taking inspiration from Nordic and other multicultural cuisines. In an official interview with The Benildean, co-owner and Industrial Designer Aldrich Ng shares the story beyond the quesadillas, the snowy mountain mural, and the consistently “en-deering” decor.
Hiking up to the rooftop
“When people’s spirits are lost, we’re here to comfort them,” Mr. Ng said, pointing to the Nordic-campfire theme surrounding the overall ambiance. “We want people to have a warm place to go to [...] like going out with your friends on a campfire trip.”
While the place itself is already adorned with different nicknacks everywhere you look, it’s when the night falls that Lost Spirits lounge indeed shows its colors. LED lights turn on, music starts pumping out, and the stage is set. The lounge, like their menu, looks like a beautiful mix of different styles with a vast mural of a snowy mountain up top and floral decor by their bar.
Different areas of interest can keep anyone entertained, a balcony that overlooks the nighttime cityscape of Manila and a wonderfully situated bathroom hidden behind a bookshelf—wink.
Palate perfect snacks
Coming in hot with a short menu of food ranging from a price of ₱149 to ₱449, the different dishes are given Nordic names like Bjorn Liver Chips or Adeline Quesadillas, but the cuisine mixes different types into a fusion.
Curated by Masterchef Philippines’ 4th placer, Chef Myra Santos, the menu was made not to fill guests too much but to let the quality speak for itself with a reasonable price—keeping their surrounding area with schools in mind.
The Adeline Quesadillas became their best seller, fusing traditional flour quesadillas with Lengua. “It’s literally ‘Quesa-Dila.’ The insides of the Adeline Quesadilla is ox tongue [...] it’s a mixture of truffle oil and also lengua,” he said, joking about not sharing the other ingredients that make it theirs.
Since their opening this year, Mr. Ng speaks of expanding their menu, wanting to explore the campfire theme of the lounge further with more skewers like their Mediterranean, Filipino, and Japanese platters. “We’re trying to reach the other countries [...] we’re planning to add US and Korean,” he shared.
Quick tips for lost spirits
Music plays when the night begins at 7 p.m. and lasts until 3 a.m. when the lights slowly dim and the chilly night welcomes the new day by the balcony’s view of the cityscape. Visit Lost Spirits lounge at 1290 Florentino Torres, Osmeña Highway in Manila.
Luckily enough, for Benildeans and Lasallians, Tuesday nights are exclusive for students from Benilde and De La Salle University-Manila. Differently-themed events are also held for different occasions, including Halloween parties that encourage visitors to dress up in spooky costumes!
Do yourself a favor; catch the comeback episode of Lamondays and explore the realm of Lost Spirits for yourself here.
