Chef’s table a highlight of new Seda hotel
SEDA MIGHT be a relatively young hotel chain in the country but in the six years since it opened its flagship Bonifacio Global City property (which is now being expanded with the construction of a new tower), the brand has evolved from being a boutique businessman’s hotel to a full-fledged Filipino hotel chain that could “more or less rival international brands,” said the hotel’s designer, after the opening of its newest property, the Seda Vertis North in Quezon City
The 438-room hotel inside Ayala’s new Vertis North Township, located near TriNoma Mall in Quezon City, is a departure from the usual Seda hotel properties which are billed as businessman’s hotels, as it is the first of the brand’s hotels to have ballrooms — all others have, at most, small- to medium- sized function rooms and meeting rooms.
“The [ hotel] is almost an art gallery as art pieces are the focal points,” said Edwin Yabut, head of the Ayala Resorts design team, during a media visit in September.
While still decked in Seda’s neutral beige, black, and white theme, the Vertis North hotel is also highlighted with pops of colors from the Kevin Cobonpue furniture. There are also Vito Selma pieces such as the wood
Adam & Eve statue on the floor where the pool, gym and spa are located.
Ayala patriarch, Jaime Zobel de Ayala, an artist himself, was said to have chosen the artworks to be placed in the lobby.
But aside from the design elements that make this Seda property different from the other six, the Seda Vertis North proposition also offers a service that many hotels in the country might not yet offer: a Chef’s Table.
Not to be confused with the Netflix show of the same name, the Chef’s Table is a dining option for guests who want to experience seeing how the kitchens at the hotel prepare their food — a select number of guests will be able to dine at the hotel’s banquet kitchen on the second floor.
The setup, which can accommodate 14 to 18 (“If we stretch it,” said group general manager Brett Hickey), will also include a special lunch or dinner menu.
And while the experience was novel, the food also did not disappoint as the media — during the dinner set (another group had Chef’s Table for lunch the next day) — were very happily satisfied with the eight- course meal.
Starting off the meal was a Tuna tartare where chefs called the diners to the preparation table and fix their own appetizer which was served over bread, then we were seated at a table with a country setup.
Though this writer was seated unfortunately close to a contraption that made a clattering noise every 20 minutes or so, it was an enjoyable dinner, highlighted by the fact that the diners could surreptitiously watch the chefs heat the soup for the Seafood soup (which was very hearty) and the sauce for the Penne Tartufo.
The Guyabano sorbet served between the main course — a braised beef short plate — deserves a special mention because it was very good: there was an abundance of ripe guyabano flavor in the sorbet which almost made one feel as if they were taking a bite from the fruit itself.
Another pleasant surprise was when two of the kitchen staff decided to sing Matisyahu’s “One Day,” and while it isn’t exactly hygienic — singing so close to the food being prepared — it was certainly entertaining.
Seda Vertis North is a brand first for a lot of things and Mr. Hickey said the hotel is now considered a standard for what other Seda properties — in larger cities — will look like in the future, and judging from what has been done in the Quezon City property, it’s something many would look forward seeing. —
The Chef’s Table is a dining option for guests who want to experience seeing how the kitchens at the hotel prepare their food — a select number of guests will be able to dine at the hotel’s banquet kitchen on the second floor.