Abi Balingit's award-winning desserts hit Lobby 385's menu

New York-based Chef Abi Balingit, fresh off a 2024 James Beard Emerging Voice Award for her dessert cookbook Mayumu, is teaming up with Filipino chef and restaurateur Kalel Chan to introduce two remixed Filipino-American desserts to Lobby 385 in San Juan City.

Balingit, well-known for recipes like Baked Alaska Halo-Halo, Adobo Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Thai Tea Kutsinta, brings her boundary-pushing flair to this special collaboration.

Welcoming guests and media for a preview of Balingit's sweet treats and highlights from his menu, Chef Chan explained that Lobby 385 was inspired by hotel lobbies — places where anything can happen and that see all types and cuisines of food being served. This whimsical yet homey concept provides the perfect backdrop for welcoming Balingit’s inventive desserts.

Tsokolate pandesal pudding

This spin on the traditional Filipino breakfast of rolls dipped in hot chocolate layers just-bitter-enough chocolate sauce, toasted marshmallows, and a sometimes fluffy, sometimes toasty pandesal interior. It's comforting, nostalgic, and just the right amount of sweet.

Ube macapuno molten lava cake

For a showstopper finale, this purple creation topped with whipped cream and a cherry reveals a sticky ooze of ube and macapuno strips as soon as it’s cut open. Ube may already be a star ingredient in American dessert circles (thanks, in part, to Balingit’s innovative recipes), but the soft, jelly-like macapuno — a naturally mutated coconut cultivar — adds another underrated and distinctly Filipino twist that’s sure to delight even the pickiest first-timers.

Worth mentioning, too, is how your run-of-the-mill chocolate lava cakes tend to have a cakey or frosted exterior. This magical orb instead presents a crustier outside that soaks up the cream and serves as a launching pad for the gooey interior.

Chan's steak mastery

Outside of Balingit’s inventive treats, Chef Kalel Chan also showcased 28-day aged T-bone steak, served medium rare alongside a hot stone so diners can fine-tune their preferred level of doneness. Red wine salt, yuzu paste, and hot mustard let guests customize the flavor even further.

Other highlights from Lobby 385’s menu include bacalao croquetas with prosciutto and a Mediterranean salad with labneh and olive oil — testament to Chan’s range and reinforcement of the idea that a lobby really can serve any type of food.

Those eager to experience the new desserts and Chan's lovingly-crafted menu can head to Lobby 385, open from 11 AM to 11 PM, Sundays through Wednesdays, and 11 AM to 1 AM, Thursdays through Saturdays. He recommends making a reservation on weekends.

Whether you’re a fan of Balingit’s whimsical dessert inventions or hungry for a carefully aged steak, this collaboration promises something deliciously new on the Manila food scene.