Seda Vertis North Sets To Open Chinese Bistro By The End Of 2019

With the growing need for an upscale Chinese dining in northern area of Metro Manila, Seda Vertis North in Quezon City gave a taste of its upcoming specialty restaurant to be helmed by its new executive Chinese chef Hann Furn Chen

In a cosy East-Meets-West dinner collaborated on by Seda Verts North’s executive chef Kerpatrik Boiser and executive Chinese chef Hann Furn Chen, the braised seafood soup with pastry puff, wok-fried lobster with chilli sauce, and golden chinese buns were exciting portents of things to come. Just as the homegrown Seda brand by Ayala Land has earned its rightful place alongside global hospitality names in many key business districts of the country, the five-star Seda Vertis North intends to be recognised as another key destination for a multi-course lauriat serving as the centrepiece for a wedding, corporate or social event, according to Seda Vertis North’s director of sales and marketing Cinty Yniguez, the evening’s host.

Above Chef Hann Furn Chen and chef Kerpatrik Boisier in the middle, preparing the sorbet with the kitchen team

“Moreover, exceptional Chinese cuisine is best enjoyed in the contemporary but welcoming setting of Seda Vertis North,” she observes.

The seafood soup made of prawns, scallop, sea cucumber, and fish maw or the air bladder—a certified Chinese delicacy—was clear evidence that it had every right to aspire for this honour. The aromatic broth was a delightful balance of flavours but had none of the expected sharksfin. Yniguez explained that Seda supports the environment by avoiding ingredients that may endanger a species such as sharksfin.

Above Prawn ravioli with salted egg beurre blanc

Above Caesar salad with crispy shimeji mushroom

The lobster entrée was inspired by the iconic Singapore dish, chilli crab. A mélange of spicy, sweet, and sour notes, the velvety chilli sauce highlighted the market-fresh lobster, Chef Chen’s substitute for crab which takes skill to devour with grace. It was served with homemade pillowy mantou bread which begged to be dipped in the creamy and spicy sauce, the result of Chef Chen’s long experience in running highly-rated, fine dining Chinese restaurants and organising well-lauded banquets in Indonesia, Singapore, Dubai, and Manila. His clientele included many taipans and their families, he smiles.

Above Braised seafood soup with pastry puff (Old Beijing style)

To prepare the palate for the Chinese dishes, Chef Ker who has had over a decade of experience in global hotels began the meal with a playful appetiser of creamy ravioli filled with prawns on a crunchy bed of almond and parmesan cheese contrasted with salted red egg. This was followed by caesar salad with crispy shimeji mushroom zapped with Chinese spices. After the seafood soup and lobster, Chef Ker’s signature US beef short plate–a delightful balance of lean meat and flavourful beef fat in a red wine sauce—rounded out the menu.

Above Wok-fried lobster with chilli sauce and golden Chinese bun (Singaporean style)

Above Calamansi sorbet

Above Braised short plate with mashed potato and seasonal vegetables

The Chef’s Table was capped by mango sago collision, a playful take of the well-loved dessert. The concoction transformed into a mousse was served with a twist of honey-basil sauce or a balsamic reduction, whichever one fancied.

Other entrees to watch out for in Seda Vertis North’s new repertoire of dishes are the melt-in-your-mouth steamed lapu-lapu, barbecued pork using Chef Chen’s own marinade, hand pulled noodles, mushroom bun and other dim sum, Peking duck and a prawn dish with mayonnaise. The last two dishes helped Chef Chen make a name for himself over the nine years he satisfied the cravings of Filipino-Chinese captains of industry. These and a full range of other dishes will also be served in a Chinese restaurant at the hotel to open before year end.

Above Mango sago collision

The apt setting of the gastronomic East-Meets-West experience was Seda Vertis North’s 160 sqm Presidential Suite which includes a well-lit living room and dining table for eight.

The suite, alongside an extensive range of well-appointed and spacious venues, which can be booked for meetings and special occasions features contemporary and streamlined interiors, all a fitting backdrop for the two chefs’ modern food presentations—and other culinary feasts that guests may desire.

Tatler Asia

Seda Vertis North Sets To Open Chinese Bistro By The End Of 2019