Photos by Sonny Espiritu
At the heart of this city resort hotel that is Edsa Shangri-La Manila is a happy place called HEAT Restaurant. Even from its rotunda-like entrance, you can hear the cheerful sounds of breakfast, lunch, or dinner echoing amidst the chatter, the laughter, and the clinking of cutlery against fine china.
HEAT is popular, too, with families and friends who prefer to celebrate their milestones and special occasions here. Evidence of that delicious choice is the happy birthday song that regularly punctuates the lunch crowd. HEAT even has its own birthday song, much to the delight of celebrants who can now enjoy a new tune, refreshingly different from other renditions sung ubiquitously enough in other restos, bars, and franchises.
Of course, HEAT offers not only the warmth of a family atmosphere. This all-day dining restaurant serves up an eclectic array of global cuisine that takes your palate on a literal taste trip.
Some diners usually make a beeline for the Japanese section, where sushi and sashimi and maki and nigiri reside beside seafood resting on ice. The European appetizers, wheels of cheese, pates, and salad greens line up the remaining space of the center counter.
By the main entrance, Chinese, Filipino, Thai, and Malaysian comfort food beckon to sample the familiar; the tandoori section lights up its own little corner with the rich aroma of spices, curries, skewered meats, samosa, and breads.
Heads up at the carving station, where prime cuts of beef, lamb, turkey, and the iconic Pinoy lechon reign supreme. And don’t forget the heady laksa, simmering and bubbling at the soup station, enticing lovers of this Malaysian favorite to sip on the spicy broth, bite into plump shrimps, chewy egg noodles, and chunks of vegetables. Leave room for dessert, though. That sinful array of sweets can tempt you off your resolve with rows and rows of cakes, cookies, candies, chocolates, and even local delicacies.
Heating up the kitchen
Now, if those selections were not enough, HEAT rises to greater culinary heights as the hotel’s international chefs show off their signature dishes in its lunch and dinner buffets.
Edsa Shangri-La’s Director of Food and Beverage, Nicola Coccia, explains this novel concept of HEAT. “Many hotels in the city have chefs from different nationalities. But those chefs would only focus on their own restaurants. So what we have done here, we’ve actually put the chefs of the restaurants in charge of some of the dishes in the buffet. By holding them accountable, we asked them to create a dish especially for HEAT.”
Coccia emphasizes that all the dishes were created specifically for HEAT. “For example,” he continues, “the dumpling is not available at Summer Palace, where the chef is the resident chef of that restaurant. He does not have that dish in his menu. We wanted to make sure that we don’t steal the business from the restaurant, from Summer Palace into HEAT; but at the same time, we wanted to have a different cover here.”
The proof of the proverbial pudding
So you say “prove it!” And that is why, the chefs of Edsa Shangri-La snapped their aprons on, rolled up their sleeves, and cooked off an enticing sampling. The tasting was an international culinary tour that everyone at the table was most eager to take.
Chef Andy Liu’s Curry Seafood Dimsum started the ball rolling. Similar to a xiao long bao, it nurses hot laksa broth, defining “heat” in two dimensions: best enjoyed piping hot, while chilies prick the taste buds, but with just enough teasing for you to want some more.
Following on the dimsum’s heels were Japanese Chef Yusuke Hino’s signature Maki and Magic Cube Roll. Like a checkerboard lying on a banana leaf carpet, the roll dipped in wasabi-laced soy sauce echoes the spicy theme but on a more savory note. After enjoying the last bite, don’t be surprised when fluent Tagalog speaking Chef Hino inquires: “Masarap?”
From the other side of the globe, German heritage is highlighted by the Cheese Spätzle and Curry Sausage of the hotel’s new Executive Chef, Tobias Unger. Trust a German chef to show off his skills with cheese, sausage, and yes, pasta! And trust a German chef to do it so scrumptiously well!
But wait, the Italian Executive Chef Marco Ghezzi has his own pasta dish with which to dazzle diners. He takes fresh, juicy clams and snuggles them into al dente spaghetti’s embrace to create a simple yet hearty Spaghetti alle Vongole, reminiscent of simple rustic Italian cooking. Tear off some bread and sop off those clam juices, quick!
Now, back to Asia, as Indian Chef Fanishwar carries in some sizzling chicken Tangdi kabab, still on the long spear on which it was grilled. With effortless aplomb, he relieves the long metal stick off its load and plates the chicken meat flavored with select spices. Applause was definitely called for, and given.
Executive Chinese Chef Tony Sum took a swing at Singapore’s favorite coffee spareribs – and hit a home run. The sweetish caramelized coating of the pork was gently balanced by the bitterness of the coffee, each flavor alternately taking center stage without stealing the thunder from each other.
Executive Sous Chef Roxanne Castillo may be the lone woman on the hotel’s international chefs lineup, but she is actually the Boss in the kitchen. Coaxing out those sophisticated flavors while keeping a tight ship, she presented her masterpiece: Adobo Marinated Prime Rib with Garlic Yorkshire, Roasted Tagaytay Vegetables and Adobo Beef Jus. Such a mouthful to say, quite the tender and succulent meat that melts in the same mouth. All around the table, the only sound was “Hmmm…”
But wait, there’s one more dish to taste. It may be the last, but certainly not the least. Pastry Chef Martin Frowd’s Raspberry Molted Brownie Double Shot Vodka Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce was greeted with “ooohs” and “aahs” for its delicate and aesthetically pleasing presentation. At first, no one wanted to ruin the artwork on a plate. But a reminder that dessert is for eating and not for ogling at relieved everyone from the guilt of taking a spoon and attacking the cheesecake and all its components with much gusto.
While recovering from this gustatory exploration, Coccia’s words recall the mood, the preparation, and dedication of the chefs: “It’s very nice to see before the service starts, before 11:30, all those chefs from the Chinese, Japanese, Italian restaurants, they all come down here to check, mise en place (put in place or set up), to check on the buffet. I think that’s what makes the restaurant different from all other restaurants in the city at the moment. We really have the commitment from a specialty chef.”
HEAT has a seating capacity of 426 people, including two outdoor patios that offer garden and pool views. It also has four private rooms for exclusive groups, named after weather gauges: Celsius, Kelvin, Rankine and Fahrenheit. For inquiries or reservations, contact Edsa Shangri-La Restaurant Reservations and Information Center through call (63 2) 633 8888 ext. 2740 / 2741 or email heat.esl@shangri-la.com. Visit www.shangri-la.com/manila/edsashangrila or stay connected, like Facebook.com/edsashangrila, follow @edsashangrila on Twitter and @edsashangrila on Instagram.