A ‘Blue’ gem at Conrad Manila

The newly opened Conrad Manila, located in the heart of the Mall of Asia complex in Pasay City, welcomes Chinese celebrity master chef Jereme Leung, who has personally curated the menu for China Blue by Jereme Leung, the hotel’s premier Chinese restaurant.

China Blue presents a modern interpretation of the traditional and provincial Chinese cuisine. It is reportedly the first time for a Chinese restaurant in the Philippines to partner with a celebrity chef. China Blue elevates the local dining experience to new heights with the restaurant’s tastefully authentic dishes. These treats are coupled with the restaurant’s plush modern interiors, which feature the signature blue chandeliers and floor-to- ceiling glass windows that offer panoramic bay views.

An award- winning and renowned chef in the culinary industry, Jereme Leung is hailed as one of the most creative Asian pioneers of modern Chinese cuisine, blending it perfectly with classical Chinese dishes. The Hong Kong-born chef has made his rounds as a Chinese executive chef in luxury hotels around Asia before putting up Jereme Leung Concepts Limited J.L., a food and beverage consultation company based in Shanghai, China. Since then, Chef Jereme has become instrumental in curating restaurant and menu concepts in various parts of Asia and even the Maldives where he created the concept of Conrad Maldives Rangali Island’s Ufaa restaurant.

Chef Je reme wa s the Chinese executive chef at the Mandarin Oriental Hotels in Indonesia. He also led the Chinese kitchen team at the

Excelsior in Hong Kong and was the Chinese executive chef at the Four Seasons Hotel in Singapore. In 2000, he joined the ranks of Charlie Trotter, Wolfgang Puck, Jean-Georges

Vongerichten and Paul Bocuse upon receiving the Star Diamond Award from the American Academy of Hospitality Science, naming him one of the “World’s Best Chefs.”

He moved to China in 2003 where he created his own rest aurant concepts including YanYu in the W in Guangzhou and Grand Dragon in Hangzhou. He was also the consultant to Le Chine at the Waldorf Astoria in New York.

I had seen so many photos on Instagram and Facebook about China Blue and its droolworthy dim sum! I finally got to try some of them. Two of my favorites were the mushroom truff le buns and the black gold egg custard buns (with a heavenly salted egg custard inside it).

At the successful launch of China Blue by Jereme Leung were Conrad Manila general manager Harald Feurstein, its culinary team led by executive chef Thomas Jakobi and restaurant manager Mary Jane Domingo. “It is certainly an exciting time for Manila to finally have a Chinese restaurant with an international celebrity master chef at the helm,” said Feurstein. “With the worldclass culinary innovation that chef Jereme Leung is known for, we are excited to introduce a remarkable twist to a cuisine close to the palates of the Filipinos,” he added.

Here are some of the mouthwatering dishes created by Chef Jereme. Go ahead, drool or just head to China Blue soon!

Photos by PEPPER TEEHANKEE on a Canon PowerShot S120 Master chef Jereme Leung (third from left) with (from left) China Blue by Jereme Leung restaurant manager Jane Domingo, Conrad Manila marketing and communications manager Mica Cordero, GM Harald Feurstein, director of F&B Adam Lifschitz and director of...

China Blue by Jereme Leung executive Chinese chef Eng Yew Khor, Mica Cordero and Jereme Leung.

Crispy fried shrimp with wasabi and mango salsa.

Black gold egg custard bun.

Double- boiled crab claw with sea treasure in morel mushroom consomme.

Steamed shrimp dumpling, steamed mushroom truffle bun and taro dumpling with scallop.

Tofu gelato with bacon crisps, warm ginger egg custard with peach gum.

Pork floss fried rice with X.O. sauce and sea treasures.

Sweet and sour Chinese plum wolfberry sorbet.

Goose liver mousse, cherries and squid ink crumble.

Shanghai- style soyabraised fish.

Fried eggplant.

Stir-fried shiitake mushrooms in sweet vinaigrette sauce.

Slow- cooked wagyu beef cheeks.