MANILA, Philippines - Food lovers need not travel far to experience authentic Chinese dining. With the return of Jade Garden, fine-dining connoisseurs can experience Cantonese cuisine at its traditional core, coupled with well-executed innovations.
The iconic restaurant serving traditional and contemporary Cantonese cuisine has welcomed back its loyal clientele and been steadily building a new batch of patrons. On any given day, Jade Garden plays host to memorable get-togethers, from business meetings over lunch to celebratory family gatherings and even romantic dinners for couples.
The newly opened Jade Garden owes its grand comeback mainly to the leadership of executive chef Ho Chi Kwong and assistant executive chef Keith Lau, both having undergone proper training with the prestigious food conglomerate Maxim’s Caterers Limited in Hong Kong.
Established in their own right, it is the chefs’ culinary expertise that makes authentic Chinese flavors come alive at Jade Garden. Kwong revealed that seafood dishes are a main draw, citing the rock lobster, which can be baked with butter and garlic, deep-fried with chili and pepper, or steamed with minced garlic, and the lapu-lapu with French bean, as all-time crowd pleasers.
Kwong, in particular, is very familiar with the local palate, given his length of stay in the country, going all the way back to the early ’90s when Jade Garden first came to the Philippines.
“Filipino food culture is big on fried food and dipping sauces, which is almost the exact opposite of the foundations of Cantonese cuisine, with its focus on freshness and subtlety,” he adds. “We always strive to strike that balance and make certain adjustments to please our diners while maintaining the quality and essence of the food we serve.”
He also shares that he has to keep studying and learning about new food preparation techniques and trends to keep the menu interesting. As far as inspiration goes, Kwong makes it a point to check out the restaurants around the area, read various cookbooks and watch his favorite cooking shows.
The ever-growing menu incorporates new dishes every month or every two weeks, sometimes upon the request of its loyal diners. “Sometimes they request for something else apart from their go-to orders and we take it as a challenge to come up with something new. Other times we introduce certain dishes to them as part of our seasonal menu,” he says.
Making for a superb dining experience at Jade Garden are the sophisticated ambience and plethora of offerings, made with the freshest-quality ingredients using top-grade equipment and handled with utmost precision and technicality.
“In our day-to-day operations, it’s SOP to practice the ‘first in, first out’ system, in that the goods that are delivered the earliest are the first to be prepared and served,” Kwong says. “This helps to ensure our guests are always satisfied with the food and service, and from the feedback we get, we know they are.”
Jade Garden is located on the 2nd level of Glorietta 2, Palm Drive corner West Drive, Ayala Center, Makati.
For details and reservations, contact 843-1361 and 955-1808.