Waterfront's new ingredient for good food

Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino has got something new up its sleeve. This time, the surprise comes in the form of an energetic young man, armed with smiling eyes, a spring in his step, clad in a chef's outfit. Swedish Chef Anders Hallden is Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casinos' newest member of the team, living it up as the Hotel's new Executive Chef. After graduating from culinary school in Sweden in 1989, 35-year old Chef Anders has been actively involved in the hospitality business and has been busy whipping up tasty dishes and developing his creativity in a string of posh hotels and restaurants in Norway, Latvia, England, Switzerland, Thailand and China. Being quite the traveler that he was has helped mold his proficiency in the kitchen, enhanced his know-how experience in collaborating with different cooks, and refined his wisdom of the ups and downs in serving people of all colors, shapes and sizes.

Chef Anders also experienced opening and managing his own restaurant and guesthouse in Phuket, Thailand. He then proceeded to being the Executive Chef for Holiday Inn Zhuhai, and more recently, the Crowne Plaza Hotel Fudan Shanghai, which was one of his busiest times, as he was a crucial member of the Hotel's pre-opening team. He accomplished setting up the Hotel's various restaurants, as well as putting together a fierce and proficient kitchen staff. On lighter notes, this Chef has also cooked for the Pope's Cardinals in one of his visits to Latvia. He regards this challenge as one of his most memorable ones.

Chef Anders moved to the Philippines primarily because of the Filipinos he has met and worked with through his years of work and travel. He feels at home with the little bits of knowledge that he has gained about the Filipinos, which he deems as a people that are warm and friendly, people who know how to put quality in life. In the same way that he hopes to be able to share his aptitude on taking Asian dishes to another level by infusing Western techniques, and the other way around, this Chef also looks forward to working with a group of people he has high regards for, and he is bent on working closely with his kitchen staff to keep each and every member enthusiastic about their everyday tasks.

Asked what his cooking style is, Chef Anders casually shrugs and says that he loves to create and innovate. "I like to try out new ideas and improving on certain dishes," he states. A few of his loves though are Asian-Western food, and he also likes to cook with fish, seafood and game, which is a bulk of what he has learned and continued to be interested with in the countries that he has previously lived in.

What does this Chef do during his free time? Chef Anders likes to spend his free time sitting in a cafe with his customary cup of coffee, anywhere between 5 to six cups, while nibbling on small dishes and people watching. "I love people," he shares, "To me, people are interesting in their own way, I like to study and observe what makes them who they are." He also enjoys reading biographies and watching documentaries. And when it comes to music, this Chef enjoys having a bit of Raimstein, ACDC, Billy Idol and the poetic music of Canadian song-writer Leonard Cohen in the background.

"I hope to be able to inspire new and fresh culinary standards in the Hotel," he says, when asked about what he hopes to contribute to Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino. "I'd like to help create and foster a finer identity for the Hotel, in terms of good food and impeccable service. I aim to take food and service to the next level by honing in on the guest, and making sure that I build an atmosphere for them that is a home away from home, by fulfilling their culinary wishes to perfection."

What makes him tick? "I love planning menus, coming up with new ideas and seeing these ideas come alive, I enjoy executing what has not been executed before. I don't only get to please my guests, but I get a priceless trade-off: learning something new each and every time. But the most worthwhile reward would be an empty plate," he says, "An empty plate is equal to a happy customer. For me, that's more than personal satisfaction. "

It's no wonder that Chef Anders has this quick wit and a knowing saunter that's common to a man on a mission. He has an unmistakable twinkle in his eye that seems to say, when it comes to food, to borrow the words of Leonard Cohen, one of his favorite musicians, "I'm your man."