It seemed like the dinner collaboration between the two chefs, called Beijing x Manila, was written in the stars.
When the book Where Chefs Eat: A Guide to Chefs’ Favourite Restaurants was released back in 2018, Discovery Primea’s executive chef Luis Chikiamco was surprised and delighted to find their modern European and Asian restaurant Flame to be on the list, as a top recommendation by chef William Mahi.
And then last March, Charles Tiu, Strong Group head coach and whose family owns the Discovery World Corp., nonchalantly asked Chikiamco if he was open to doing a collaboration with international chefs, to which he easily said yes, having already worked before with the likes of Vicky Cheng of VEA in Hong Kong and Woo Wai Leong of Restaurant Ibid in Singapore. After some time, Charles came back and presented the opportunity of doing a four hands dinner with Mahi.
“I readily said yes since I knew him and admired his work,” says Chikiamco. The French chef wasn’t really a stranger to Luis and the Philippines since he once was stationed here before moving to China to run his one Michelin-starred restaurant.
“I worked in Manila from 2014 to 2018, where I opened The Tasting Room at City of Dreams and later, 210 Kitchen and Drinkery in BGC,” Mahi recalls. “Some of my fondest memories are centered around the wonderful guests who dined with us. The warmth and appreciation they showed for our food made my time here truly memorable. It was always a pleasure to see guests enjoy our creations and hear their feedback. The connections I made with so many of them are what brought me back for this special dinner, to share new culinary experiences with people who have a deep appreciation for good food.”
Getting a chance to touch base with them again and in a place that has been a significant part of his career was something he just couldn’t pass up. “I am mainly focused on my work at Jing at the Peninsula Hotel in Beijing, but I also choose to participate in collaborations that offer meaningful experiences.”
Their four hands ran over three days (August 29 to 31), serving 50 guests per night, not only to allow Mahi’s friends and former regular patrons to reconnect with the chef and his cuisine, but to let more diners experience their well designed and thought out menu.
The multi-course repertoire consisted of the finest ingredients hailing from different parts of the world, including a Gillardeau oyster from France and Wagyu beef tartare lubricated with a caviar sauce, Jade abalone from Australia served in a black pepper cauliflower “chawanmushi” with Jamon Serrano, a rich bisque culled from langoustines from Brittany along with a sweet potato puree and curry, a Chilean sea bass with chorizo “cappuccino” and pickle pesto, slow-cooked French farmed pigeon with duck liver and pigeon leg confit stuffed with pine nuts and sunflower seeds, A4 Sendai Wagyu short rib with celeriac and truffled potato fondant, and for dessert, Auro chocolate with fresh berries and mint.
“When creating the menu for this collaboration, I focused on what would delight our guests: I took into account the preferences and tastes of those who would be attending, blending my own style and French techniques with ingredients I know they love. My focus is always on creating a memorable experience for the diners, ensuring each dish has a distinct touch that connects with them,” claims Mahi.
The stellar meal was matched with select wines from Premium Wine Exchange, including Champagne Palmer & Co. Brut Reserve, Pierre Vincent Girardin Bourgogne Chardonnay, and Chateau Chantalouette.
The chance to collaborate with the Michelin-starred chef is something Chikiamco will truly honor and treasure. He says, “It was an awesome experience. I learned new dishes, techniques, flavor combinations, plating styles, etc. He was patient in showing his cuisine to my staff and I. So the experience was great because, as I’ve said, I’ve always looked up to and admired him as a chef and a person.”
Perhaps, fate had something to do with it.
