‘Filipinas’ puts women chefs and their stories at the table

Seven women chefs interpret Filipino cuisine through dishes shaped by memory, leadership, tradition, and the stories they hope to carry forward

In professional kitchens, stories are often carried through technique, memory, and the ingredients chefs choose to return to. For seven women at Conrad Manila, those stories became a way of tracing beginnings, growth, strength, and the things worth passing on.

Their reflections now shape “Filipinas,” the hotel’s new multi-course dining experience at Brasserie on 3, which brings together regional influences and personal interpretations of Filipino cuisine.

Launching Sept. 12, “Filipinas” brings together Rachelyn Bautista, Monica Francesca Manaig, Patricia Joson, Via Angelica Dalida, Kristine Davis, Jazzel Jane Borcelis, and Doreene Ien Valencia from different corners of the hotel’s culinary operation.

Rather than organizing the experience solely around the usual progression of courses, the chefs tell the story through seven chapters, namely Simula (Beginning), Pagbukas (Opening), Paglago (Growth), Sandali (Pause), Direksyon (Direction), Lakas (Strength), and Pamana (Legacy).

Conrad Manila’s female culinary team brings personal experiences and regional influences together in ‘Filipinas,’ a dining concept built 

“Each course is anchored in the heart of the Philippines, but more than the geography, this menu is about the stories, the hands, and experiences behind the scenes,” guests were told during the preview.

Those ideas took on different meanings as each chef introduced her part of the experience.

For executive sous chef Kristine Davis, Direksyon became a reflection on what happens as a chef moves into leadership and begins guiding the people coming up behind her.

“Success becomes less about what we achieve in our work and more about how we help others grow with us,” Davis said.

She also spoke about finding new ways to carry traditions forward rather than abandoning them in pursuit of something new.

Junior sous chef Patricia Joson approached Paglago from a similar perspective. For her, growth involves evolving and striving while remaining connected to one’s roots.

Meanwhile, chef de partie Via Angelica Dalida interpreted Sandali as a chance to stop in the middle of that progression.

“Every journey deserves a moment of pause for us to appreciate how far we’ve come,” Dalida shared.

By the final chapter, chef de partie Doreene Ien Valencia widened the idea from individual experience to what Filipino cooks inherit and eventually leave behind.

“Legacy isn’t limited to one place. It is a collection of ingredients, recipes, and stories in different parts of the Philippines and what we choose to carry forward,” she explained.

Conrad Manila general manager Rupert Hallam said the hotel hopes the experience can foster cultural connections by allowing its female culinary team to reinterpret local cuisines.

“Filipinas” makes its debut with a seven-course Chef’s Table experience at Brasserie on 3 on Sept. 12 at 6:00 p.m., priced at P4,488 nett.

A four-course set menu will also be available beginning Sept. 12, with appetizer and main course choices alongside fixed soup and dessert courses.

Vegan selections are available, with prices ranging from P3,088 to P4,088 nett depending on the chosen main course. — Angelica Villanueva