Sharwin Tee had quite a change in mentality as a chef. 

The seasoned cook admits to being averse to Chinese-Filipino food growing up. But, that has changed for the better, he said. 

 “I have been cooking Chinese-Filipino food for several years. It’s been a crazy journey. I grew up ashamed of our food. But now I’m the one propagating it. It’s quite a change in mentality,” he said. 

Tee collaborates with The Westin Manila in offering an eight-course Chinese-inspired vegetable and meat pairing menu that highlights farm-sourced ingredients with the help of the Agribusiness and Countryside Development Foundation. 

“If we want people to support our local farmers, it’s always nebulous. ‘We want to support,’ but what are we doing? The easiest way is to buy from restaurants that get directly from farmers. That way, more restaurants are incentivized to buy directly from them. That’s what we are trying to promote here with the help of ABCD. We’re tapping into local farmers, asking what vegetables we can use. These are easy-to-find vegetables, we’re just going to present them differently,” Tee said.  

The second iteration of CuiSCENE is offered at Seasonal Tastes. At its helm, with Tee, is executive chef Rej Casanova. 

 “As a chef, I want to create delicious, nutritious and sustainable dishes. One of the ways to achieve this is to source ingredients directly from local farmers who can provide fresh, seasonal and organic produce. This benefits the community by providing farmers with jobs and income, reducing food miles and carbon emissions, and safeguarding biodiversity and agricultural land. There are numerous advantages to sourcing food from local growers. We also get to channel our inner creative by cooking with seasonal, regional and unique varieties of vegetables and herbs that are not available in conventional markets,” Casanova said. 

CuiSCENE no.2: Farm-to-table Contemporary Chinese Degustation Menu consists of Handcrafted Dimsum (Pork siomai with seared goose liver and black vinegar glaze; Mushroom and peas with truffle essence; Lobster and chives); Lettuce and Kiniing (Poached romaine, iceberg and Lolo rosa lettuce; Benguet kiniing XO sauce, lollo rosa oil); Chicken & Corn (Poached chicken terrine in sesame sweet corn glaze; Marinated cucumber and cabbage salad, sesame dressing); Tofu & Mushrooms (Twice-cooked tofu, mushroom tofu mousse, shiitake mayo sauce, friend oyster mushrooms); Fish & Kale (Sous vide Asian seabass; Organic kale XO sauce, kale purée, crispy rice cracker, fish milk broth, scallion oil); Beef & Broccoli (Angus ribeye steak, roasted broccoli, oyster flavored oyster sauce, cauliflower purée, “Gardinera” cauliflower); Carrot & Egg (Carrot noodles, carrot ginger sauce, cumin-spiced BBQ carrots, 63°C sous vide egg); and Mango & Sago in 8 Textures (Mango parfait, pomelo salad, tapioca crisp, mango caviar, mango cream). 

These meals will be paired with Henri Milan Le Grand Blanc or Judith Beck Pinot Noir. As part of a Chinese dining tradition, the restaurant team will give out homemade fortune cookies bearing well wishes and messages.

CuiSCENE no.2: Farm-to-Table Contemporary Chinese Degustation Menu is available at Seasonal Tastes on 31 January and 7 February from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The dinner is priced at P4,800 net per person.

For table reservations and inquiries,