Conrad Manila, part of Hilton's luxury Conrad Hotels & Resorts portfolio, is placing its female chefs front and center with "Filipinas," a new set menu at Brasserie on 3 that celebrates Filipino cuisine through the hands of the property's women culinary talents.

BusinessWorld attended a luncheon on Aug. 24 that served as the preview for the menu. The seven-course meal will be offered at a special dinner on Sept. 12 at 6 p.m., while a smaller four-course menu will be available starting Sept. 12, until further notice.

Guests received menus printed with a map of the Philippines, with a dot marking the region from which each dish — or the chef who made it — comes. Every course carries a Filipino name.

Rachelyn Bautista, Chef de Partie of C Lounge, created the starter, Simula (beginning): a take on tokwa't baboy — a dish combining tofu and pork — rendered not in the familiar cubes but as a wrap filled with minced etag (a smoked, cured, and dried pork dish from the Cordilleras) and tofu skin. Monica Francesca Manaig, Junior Sous Chef of Brasserie on 3, made Pagbukas (opening), a tuna kilawin. Patricia Joson, Junior Sous Chef at the Banquets Kitchen, made Paglago (growth), a mushroom and cheese ravioli. Via Dalida, Chef de Partie at the Pastry Kitchen, made Sandali (pause), a calamansi sorbet served as a palate cleanser. Kristine Davis, Executive Sous Chef, made Direksyon (direction), pairing maya-maya (red snapper) with alugbati (Malabar spinach). Jazzel Jane Borcellis, Sous Chef of Brasserie on 3, made Lakas, plating laing (a coconut and taro-leaf dish) alongside tenderloin. The meal closed with Pamana by Doreene Ien Valencia, Chef de Partie at the Pastry Kitchen — a dessert combining cacao cream and guyabano chiboust.

The Dishes

The starter proved a strong introduction and set expectations high: it tasted much like the tokwa't baboy diners have grown accustomed to, albeit smokier, with a refinement and novelty usually not found in the dish.

The tuna kilawin course arrived wrapped in a corn husk. It met the expectation of how kilawin should taste (fish cured or cooked in citrus), but extra ingredients such as popped sorghum and corn added a little oomph in texture, making the dish come out new.

The ravioli had an impressive pillowy texture, its mushroom and cheese accompanied by a salted egg crème that gave the mild dish a jolt — though despite its comforting taste, it faded into the background next to the menu's more flamboyant flavors.

Ms. Davis' fish and alugbati course, meanwhile, expertly melded the flavors of each element, all standing on the solid ground of heirloom black rice. The laing and tenderloin dish showed the level of refinement a humble dish can take on when made with care.

The dessert — which would otherwise have been avoided because of the fruit — turned out to be quite delightful, presenting a new way to enjoy chocolate.

Inspiration

Conrad Manila General Manager Rupert Hallam spoke about the inspiration behind the menu. "I don't think Filipino food is celebrated enough as it should be," he said. "There's a resurgence of Filipino food, and I think it's something to be very proud of. We're certainly proud of the ladies putting the food together, and the passion behind it."

That resurgence is visible internationally: Chicago's Kasama became the first Filipino restaurant to earn a Michelin star in 2022, and Manila's Toyo Eatery has been a repeated presence on the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list — milestones that have coincided with Filipino cooking appearing on more menus abroad.

Ms. Davis told BusinessWorld, "Each course is personal to the chef who made it." The ingredients she used were always present at her home, she said, while Ms. Borcellis' laing dish was inspired by a memory of her father making it for her.

Before joining Conrad — she has been at the property for less than a year — Ms. Davis worked in the United States for about 15 years in the same industry. "I've done other cuisines, but I always somehow come back to Filipino cuisine," she said. "It's the perfect time for me to highlight what we already have. It's already a beautiful cuisine."

Drawing on her own experiences, she tried to define Filipino cuisine: "The approach is always about the flavor," she said. While one can apply different techniques to make a Filipino dish, as long as one pursues the original flavor, it is still Filipino.

"It's all about showcasing the flavor itself, and not focusing on the technique," she said. "It doesn't always have to be served in a specific way," she added. "It's so versatile that you can always apply different techniques. As long as you have flavors in mind — and in your heart — you can showcase Filipino flavors wherever you are."

A Tough World

Speaking as a woman who has worked in big kitchens for quite some time, she admitted, "It's a tough world to move in."

Her assessment matches a documented industry pattern: women have long made up only a minority of chefs and head cooks in United States labor statistics, and their share thins further at the top of fine dining, where only a small number of kitchens worldwide are led by female chefs holding three Michelin stars.

"It's very difficult for me, as a Filipina: not only as a woman, but as a Filipino woman," she said. "There are a lot of people who are very good. (But) the approach is always very manly. To me, I'd like to approach things in a very motherly way. I'd like to approach things with care, and a lot of passion. Not necessarily yelling, and always angry," she said, pointing to stereotypes of male chefs always making a ruckus in the kitchen — not to mention the usual representation of chefs as male in the media.

"It's all about just making sure you are seen in a way that you put your heart in everything that you do," she said.

Pricing and Details

The dinner on Sept. 12 will be offered between P3,088 net and P4,088 net, depending on the selections. Kordero at Piyanggang (a lamb and blackened coconut stew) is also on the menu, driving the price up to P3,588 net. Choosing the vegan and Maya-maya at Alugbati selections sets it at P3,088 net, while opting for Baka at Laing increases the price to P4,088 net.

For more information, call 8833-9999 or e-mail ConradManila@ConradHotels.com. — Joseph L. Garcia