Food with a capital F

MANILA, Philippines - When we first met Best Western Premier F1 Hotel general manager Chad Davis, he promised that their flagship restaurant called F would aim for culinary offerings of the strictest quality.

Davis shared, “We aim for higher quality in our foods and source the best products we can find.”

On our next visit to F, we finally got to sit down, sample the promised food quality, and declare that Davis was true to his word. So when he said before that F is all about “fresh, fabulous food,” we have to agree.

Ensuring that F maintains its culinary integrity is its executive chef, Niño Ante, a kitchen whiz with a lifetime of food expertise behind him. During the lunch, he was doing the rounds, happily carving meats from the rolling buffet table.

Japanese and seafood station

“This is the only hotel that serves buffet jamon Serrano,” Ante announced. “Carving, whether jamon, US prime rib, suckling pig or salmon, and Asian foods are signatures of F. This is a feast. I want to treat my guests as kings.”

By that, Ante means serving nothing but the highest quality and the finest ingredients on a plate. “I serve premium-quality items in F. I want to position this restaurant as such because, aside from sitting in the most expensive property in the country, we want to set the standard high here at the Fort,” he said.

He also said that once the restaurant is fully launched in February 2012, people will definitely see how different F truly is. He is confident that his Asian dishes will be a hit among the discriminating crowd. After all, he has trained with the strictest, perfectionist chefs in Shanghai where he also ran the first Filipino restaurant in the city, as well as an Australian chain of restaurants. “I apply the same discipline here at F, being dedicated to the art of serving consistently good quality food.”

‘I serve premium-quality items in F. I want to position this restaurant as such because, aside from sitting in the most expensive property in the country, we want to set the standard high here at the Fort,’ says Executive Chef Niño Ante.

He likewise assured us that everything on the menu is made from scratch. “I do not buy ready-made stuff. When I cook, I simply enhance the flavor. It is still traditional. I am not a fusion chef because that is confusion,” he said. “I also want F to be known as a good Asian restaurant.”

Told that F does not seem to scrimp on the ingredients as evidenced by the full-bodied, well-portioned dishes, Ante laughed. “Holding back is not in my vocabulary. We are setting the trend at F. I want my guests to feel satisfied.”

As if to prove this point, he picked out the chilled crabs and prawns from the buffet and had them steamed and spiced. He said, “People do not normally go for food displayed like that. What I want it to be: ask the chef to cook it for me. F is like home, your home. I am very open since I consider myself a customer, too. Variety is important for us, too. So we change the menu every month.”

Chefs on parade in F’s open kitchen.

For the coming Christmas holidays, Ante is excited about F’s offerings. The food will be twice the amount and there will be a hut for bibingka and puto bumbong outside. There will also be barbecues, kebabs, and shawarmas.

Absolutely fabulous stuff worth watching out for. He concluded, “F is all about freshness. We keep it simple and straight, no fuss and no shortcuts. Guaranteed.”

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Best Western Premier F1 Hotel is located at 32nd Street corner Bonifacio Boulevard, Global City, Taguig. For more information, call +632.928.9888 or visit its website at http://bestwesternpremierf1hotel.com.

Dessert station