At Conrad China Blue, renowned Chef Jereme Leung creates an exceptional dining experience with his innovative culinary skills.
Chef Jereme Leung returned to Conrad Manila’s China Blue to unveil a new multi-course menu focused on creativity and reinvention, making Chef Jereme Leung Conrad China Blue a destination for culinary innovation.
Leung does not believe in repeating dishes. For nearly a decade, he and his team at Chef Jereme Leung Conrad China Blue have committed to creating menus that are entirely new each time they return to the kitchen.
“We wanted to implement a menu that had not been done before,” Leung said in a recent interview at Conrad Manila, a luxury retreat located within the prestigious Mall of Asia Complex in Manila, offering stunning views of Manila Bay and the city skyline. “What we serve today at Chef Jereme Leung Conrad China Blue is a completely new creation. Over the last nine years, we’ve made it a point not to repeat a dish.”
This constant reinvention, Leung said, is part of the excitement — and the challenge. “Every time we come back, one of the criteria is that we do something new — new ingredients, new season, different place,” he said. It’s part of the fun, although it’s extremely hard to execute. “Every year, the question is: What haven’t we done yet?”
Despite the creative rigor, accessibility remains a guiding principle. “One of our key goals at Chef Jereme Leung Conrad China Blue is to make our dishes unique but still accessible,” he said. There are a lot of fine dining restaurants that make things too complicated. The dish might look beautiful, but it isn’t tasty, or it’s served at the wrong temperature.
For Leung, taste and temperature always come first. “If I’m making you soup, I focus on making sure it’s hot,” he said. “If the cutlery isn’t the most beautiful, I really don’t care. I would rather make sure the food is delicious.” He added, “Our dishes are made for eating — not for pictures.”
Asked about the Philippines’ push to be included in the Michelin Guide, Leung expressed cautious appreciation. “There are two schools of thought,” he said. “In Europe, Michelin-starred restaurants are traditionally small, fine dining spots — often family-owned. It might be a husband-and-wife team with 26 or 36 seats. If the owner isn’t there, the restaurant doesn’t open. You can consistently achieve a certain level of service and personalization.”
But in Asia, he noted, the restaurant scene operates at a different scale. “Look at this restaurant — 300 seats and hundreds of people each meal period,” he said. “To judge it using the same criteria isn’t fair. Michelin in Asia has become very commercialized. It’s more of a marketing tool.”
Leung said he expects the Michelin standards in the Philippines to diverge from those used in Europe. “Yes, it’s good to receive recognition,” he said. “But that wouldn’t be my guiding principle. I’d rather have a restaurant that my local guests love coming back to. If we get a star along the way, great. If not, it really doesn’t bother me.”
He gestured to a wall lined with honors and certificates. “There are plenty of awards here already,” he said with a smile. — With Tatung Sarthou
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