THE Korean Wave is reaching new heights, thanks to various K-pop acts and all other aspects of Korean culture arriving on our shores. Conrad Manila is jumping on to the wave with the final part of their Legendary Chefs Series promotion, this time a showcase of Korean cuisine.

A previous version of the series brought in a Thai chef from Conrad Manila’s sister property, the Waldorf Astoria in Bangkok. This quarter, they’re bringing in Younghun Hwang and Junmok Lee from Conrad Seoul.

The Korean guest chefs will present some of their must-try recipes such as yukhoe (Korean beef tartare), sundubujjigae (soft tofu in spicy stew), bibimbap (steamed rice bowl with vegetables), and dakbokkumtang (braised spicy chicken stew), among others. The promo includes a roster of Korean street food, including tteokbokki (rice cake, fish cake with red chili sauce), eomuk (fish cake with soup), dakgangjeong (fried chicken with sweet chili sauce), and gimbap (rice rolled with various vegetables). All of these will be shown off at Conrad Manila’s buffet at Brasserie on 3, from Oct. 5 to 13.

TRYING IT OUT
During a tasting on Oct. 4, BusinessWorld sat down to starters of Gujeolpan (“platter of nine delicacies” — a name more fanciful than it is, as it was a mixture of meats, vegetables, and mushrooms wrapped in a pancake) and Saengseonjjim (steamed fish with vegetables). The fish was very flavorful, contrasting with the mild soup, with just a hint of heat from chili.

We rose to the buffet, where the rest of the treats were: a beef stew and a chicken porridge were comparatively mild; while a Korean fried chicken dish was perfectly crispy. Of all these, however, the clear standout was the ganjang sawoojang (soy sauce-marinated raw prawn). We’d never had anything like this before, though seatmates at the table remarked that it was related to our nilasing na hipon (“drunken shrimps” or shrimp marinated in alcohol). It is not much to look at, all bluish-gray and looking like it came out from an alien movie. But it is surprisingly good despite its odd appearance — it’s slippery, sweet, and spicy, with a delectably firm flesh.

Fabio Berto, general manager of Conrad Manila, told BusinessWorld, “We’re actually quite blessed, being part of a global company. What we do is, as we provide experiences, we have the opportunity to bring people from our sister properties. In this case, it’s Seoul.

“We bring experiences to Conrad Manila, so that for people who might not be able to travel overseas, they will still be able to find great experiences locally,” he said.

It’s also a great opportunity for the local culinary team to expand their horizons: “When the chefs come over, our culinary team here is there to sort of foster their cooking skills, learning different types of food, so we can master those skills and bringing them into being innovative.”

CONRAD BAGS AWARD
In other news for the hotel, the Conrad Manila bagged the award for Best Business Hotel – Philippines at the 33^rd Annual TTG Travel Awards 2024, held in Bangkok, Thailand. Mr. Berto accepted the award at the event on Sept. 26. He told us, “It’s a great recognition for the work that we do as a team here at Conrad Manila, in the sense of providing exceptional experiences to our guests. I think to be recognized for that is a great feeling for the entire team.

“We are very lucky to be operating in a very great environment,” he said.

In a statement, Conrad Manila lines up their advantages: “its array of modern meeting spaces, equipped with advanced audiovisual technology, high-speed internet, and flexible layouts, tailored for conferences, board meetings, and corporate events of all sizes. Complemented by personalized business concierge services, the hotel ensures seamless event execution, from strategic planning to customized catering and luxurious guest accommodations.”

“The service is really eventually what makes the impact (for) our guests and to the experiences. We’ve been really focusing on that,” said Mr. Berto.

The Korean-themed buffet spread at Brasserie on 3 is available for lunch (noon to 2:30 p.m.) and dinner (6 to 10 p.m.), available daily. The lunch buffet from Monday to Saturday is priced at P2,900 net per person and P3,400 net per person on Sunday. Meanwhile, dinner buffet rates are P3,200 net from Monday to Thursday and P3,600 net from Friday to Sunday.

For more information and table reservations, call 8833-9999, e-mail conradmanila@conradhotels.com or visit https://eatdrinkhilton.com/brasserie-on-3-conrad-manila/. — Joseph L. Garcia

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KIWAMI in BGC is dropping its “food hall” branding and adopting the new name Kiwami: Japanese Master Kitchens. In addition to the rebrand and a renovation, they’re also adding in a new member to The Standard Hospitality Group (which brings in Japanese specialties to the Philippines), Koyo.

“We didn’t like calling ourselves a ‘food hall’ anymore, so we dropped that… nothing against the concept, it just didn’t properly explain what we do,” said Michael Concepcion, head of Business Development and Creative Director for the group.

Koyo, a sushi handroll concept, comes from New York-based chef Mark Manaloto. It’s rice and sushi in a handheld roll, with the nori seaweed wrap wrapped again in plastic to ensure crispness and firmness. During a tasting on Oct. 1, prior to the Oct. 7 media preview, we were shown how to eat it. One pulls a corner of the plastic wrapping to release it, slowly pulling the other corners apart afterwards. If one sees the filling slipping out, one pushes it back in while still pulling at the nori. While apologizing for the potential mess, we conclude that it’s part of the experience.

We can say that confidently with their Tuna Edamame wrap, with a crispy nori (that needs not be unwrapped), which tastes perfect eaten by the beach. A California Crunch with kani and mango, is refreshing and crisp, while a salmon aburi wrap has spinach and a mayonnaise sauce and was quite tasty.

Other guests took seconds of the Ebi Furai wrap, and for good reason: aside from the shrimp, it had creamy crab on top and a cured egg yolk. Another favorite was the Mackerel Binchotan, a tangy wrap topped with grilled mackerel.

The Oct. 7 preview also saw a launch of their Hibachi sharing plates, a partnership of Standard Group with Sydney-based chefs Max Smith and Douglas Barker. These included Kampachi (longfin yellowtail) collar, blue marlin, porkchop, and chicken, grilled to perfection with Japanese charcoal and drizzled with their homemade sauces.

The concept of Kiwami, then and now, is to bring Japanese restaurants, experts at a singular family of dishes, under a single roof. There’s The Standard Group’s initial offerings, Yabu: House of Katsu, and Ippudo, serving ramen. Other concepts that have since been included are Hachibei, grilling meats since 1983, and Hannosuke, which has been serving tempura since the 1950s.

Asked about the family’s attachment to Japanese brands, he said, “We happened to travel to Japan 10 years ago, and fell in love with the way of life. The discipline, the way we saw restaurants were operated — that was very new to us.

“We fell in love with how the Japanese do one thing, and they like to be the best at it. It’s a single-dish concept. It’s the idea of mastery, specialization; the idea that you spend your life doing that one thing, and you become the best at it,” said Mr. Concepcion.

Mr. Concepcion’s father, John, was the ice cream man for decades, as managing director and CEO of the Selecta ice cream brand (they’re also members of the Concepcion cooling family), and now CEO of the Standard Hospitality Group.

“My dad’s business philosophy, having built Selecta, was always that. His business mantra, he likes to just focus. Everything’s about focus,” said the younger Mr. Concepcion.

According to him, they have a few new concepts still under wraps, but we’ll hear about them surely in six to eight months.

The Alabang branch of Kiwami is also getting a touch-up and an expansion, having gained the space of the store next door, as well as a new brand specializing in rice bowls and baos (buns).

“We’re opening in Mall of Asia. Really beautiful space as well,” he added.

Kiwami is located in Bonifacio High Street Central in BGC, Taguig, and in the Alabang Town Center. — Joseph L. Garcia