When I first heard of Haliya, the new restaurant that opened at Nuwa Hotel, I immediately said to myself, “Wow, there’s a restaurant now that specializes in jam or jelly” because that’s what the word means to us, Cebuanos.
But I found out later that the restaurant is named after the Warrior Goddess of the Moonlight, one of the most beautiful deities in Bicolano mythology. Certainly fit for a goddess, the plush 40-seater restaurant displays the touches of luxury in its well-appointed interiors, a characteristic of any Forbes Five-Star-rated hotel.
As I entered, I was immediately dazzled by two large festive murals by Filipino muralist-painter Yana Ofrasio, which fused patterns of the colorful vintas of Zamboanga and other elements depicting the celebratory spirit of Filipino fiestas and the artist’s affection for colors. The impressive visual display of a slice of Philippine culture instantly gave me a hint of the richness of the Philippine cuisine I was about to partake of.
Haliya’s modernized Filipino cuisine offers everyone a new culinary adventure. Popular dishes on Filipinos’ dinner tables are made to stand out even more by the kitchen wizardry of Chef de Cuisine Edmundo San Jose. He made subtle innovations on 20 of the most well-loved Filipino dishes by infusing unique add-ons and garnishing, using the freshest mix of local and imported ingredients.
Honing his 24-year culinary career in banqueting and all-day dining restaurant operations in the Philippines and Middle East, he was exposed to various cuisines and techniques in international hotels.
During the 10 years he worked overseas, Chef Ed mastered his craft and reaped awards, particularly in live cooking competitions at the Horeca Kuwait Culinary Show from 2013 to 2015. In fact, in 2016, his first year as City of Dreams Manila’s Chef de Cuisine of banquets, he led his Dream Team to win the gold medal in that year’s Philippine Culinary Cup.
Haliya’s generous portions of classic Filipino dishes are served with creative interpretations and surprising elements that excite the imagination of diners and redefine the Filipino dining experience to a new level. I really enjoyed the dishes I ordered for lunch. I started with Binalot na Cochi, which has shredded cochinillo (roast suckling pig) and adobo flakes in a bed of butter lettuce topped with achara (pickled green papaya), red onion, and pork liver salsa.
This was followed with the mouthwatering kare-kare, made of 24-hour slow-cooked US Angus beef brisket, asparagus, baby Baguio pechay and fried eggplant sitting on top of a luscious roasted and crushed peanut sauce and paired with finely blended bagoong (shrimp paste). I also had Adobo, which features twice-cooked chicken, garnished with foie gras, grilled pineapple, shallot confit, baby bok choy, marble potatoes, set in adobo glaze and enhanced with golden crispy garlic chips. Of course, I had these delectable specialties with Tinapa (smoked fish) rice which is cooked with aligue (crab fat) and tinapa salsa.
When Chef Ed declares that the menu items in Haliya make customers experience Filipino dishes in a refined setting, yet, still bannering the country’s elegant heritage and vibrant culture, I believe him completely.
One of the dessert items I tried was the Chichingka, which is bibingka and cheesecake magically blended together and served steaming hot on a native burner. For those who don’t have to worry about their body sugar, I recommend the Buron, which is glutinous rice with chocolate filling, dipped in dulce de leche sauce.
There are many other indulgent choices of Filipino specialties to enjoy at Haliya and I assure you, when these start tickling your taste buds, you wouldn’t care anymore which meaning of Haliya is most appropriate for this new dining venue. You’ll be too busy singing Hallelujahs with each delicious bite, as you find yourself happily levitating in culinary paradise!
Due to limited seating and restricted capacities for indoor dining, reservations are encouraged through 8800-8080 or guestservices@cod-manila.com
For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com