A Michelin-star chef's stellar cuisine makes Sense

MANILA, Philippines - To savor chef Kenichi Takase’s dishes is to accompany him on a culinary journey — from the earthy, bustling streets of Hong Kong, to the hypnotic, dazzling skyscrapers of Tokyo. His career accolades have certainly put him at the pinnacle: as chef de cuisine of Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo’s Sense, he has earned for the Cantonese restaurant a Michelin star for three consecutive years since 2009. The eminent chef is currently in Manila as the guest chef in Mandarin Oriental, Manila’s Tin Hau restaurant for a six-day stint until June 26.

The soft-spoken 45-year-old Japanese chef, whose love for Cantonese cuisine began 25 years ago, explains this passion, via an interpreter: “I believe Chinese food is the best cuisine there is. If you trace the roots of Japanese food, in fact, it goes back to China,” he says. “When I go to Hong Kong, I always explore the city streets, because this is where I am most in touch with Cantonese cuisine. However, I don’t think I can ever compete with traditional Chinese chefs.”

Hence, chef Takase brings centuries-old cooking into the modern times as he infuses flavors of his native Japan into his menu. He eschews the traditional Chinese family-style, lazy Susan service in favor of individual, elegantly plated presentations. The result is a cuisine that is light, yet bursting with flavor — the gourmand’s equivalent to “classic, with a twist.”

Beef up: Savor chef Kenichi Takase’s sautéed beef fillet with wasabi soy sauce, seasonal vegetables, and taro potato at The Pen’s Old Manila.

In Tin Hau, chef Takase creates a seven-course dinner set menu that starts with a platter of bite-sized portions of Sense’s recommended seafood, barbecued meat, and seasonal vegetables. The barbecued pork would be the common favorite of many Filipino diners, with the crispy skin, melt-in-your-mouth fat, and hearty pork. But somehow, with chef Takase’s take on this age-old favorite, it feels fresh and light in your mouth, and you would be tempted to ask for seconds.

On the platter as well is sliced and perfectly tender abalone, its sweet, briny flavor tempered by spinach and nametake mushrooms. Soy chicken with sesame sauce, and sautéed pumpkin are also on the plate. The standout in the selection, however, is the cucumber-avocado salad, with its rich green-ness. Curiously, there is the soft, squishy meat that delightfully teases the palate into thinking it’s pork fat. But no, it’s squid!

The classic shark’s fin soup is amped up even more. Black vinegar addicts no longer have the need to add the favorite condiment. Shredded abalone and seaweed added to the umami flavors, while a homemade steamed egg tofu at the bottom of the soup give it a rich, thick texture.

Diners will discover the virtues of Japanese Yuzu Pepper, a sauce made from a small, citrusy fruit. While its sauce is served in slivers beside the sautéed scallop, prawns, and green vegetables, it nonetheless punctuates the delicateness of the dish with a spicy, albeit elegant kick. Then comes the steamed grouper fillet with tofu, fresh leek, ginger, and batter-fried okra. The surprise here? A beautiful broth made of black vinegar, Japanese Ponzu sauce, and Philippine fish sauce. Yes, this Michelin-star chef loves the salty, commonplace patis!

What follows is the sautéed beef fillet with wasabi soy sauce, seasonal vegetables and taro potato. As expected, the meat is that perfect, melt-in-your-mouth tender. However, it is the fresh wasabi (flown in from Japan) that gives it the unanticipated extra bite. The taro is steamed and mashed, in a delicate and creamy consistency.

Friandises: (Clockwise, from top) Strawberry ball with red bean filling; green tea cookie; mochi ball with cherry blossom leaf

As with traditional Chinese meals, the rice is the last savory dish to be served. Chef Takase’s fried rice is prepared with salmon, seasoned cod roe, plum and lettuce, topped with dried seaweed. The cod roe gives the rice a wonderful, salty taste, and the salmon only adds to the richness of the dish. If put plainly, it would be the more sophisticated older sister to both yang chow and salted fish fried rice.

For dessert, he serves lemon jelly in watermelon puree, basil seeds, and collagen with mint sauce.

“Basil seeds make you feel full,” points out chef Takase, referring to its aesthetic characteristic. It is a refreshing meal-ender, followed by Sense friandises — kind of like an Oriental petit fours: a green tea cookie, a sweet strawberry ball with red bean filling, and what clearly can become everyone’s personal favorite: a mochi ball wrapped in a cherry blossom leaf.

The dinner set menu is at P2,380. The seven-course lunch set menu, priced at P1,880, also lists equally scrumptious creations. An a la carte menu is also available, if you would like to order items in the set menus individually. Prices are exclusive of applicable taxes and service charge.

For the rare Michelin experience with chef Takase, visit Tin Hau this week. For reservations, call 750 8888.