The F restaurant highlights an international dining flair. Photo By Chari Villegas

MANILA, Philippines — Through the years, the Bonifacio Global City has become one of Metro Manila’s key hubs. A short drive from the business districts of Makati and Ortigas, this patch of land in Taguig has been the home of international offices, as well as a number of upscale shops, restaurants and pretty soon, hotels.

Enter the Best Western Premier F1, the “first” hotel to open in this burgeoning patch of land in Taguig. A five-star hotel with 243 rooms and a modern vibe, it promises its guests a contemporary approach to luxury. To illustrate, the hotel has been whipping up gastronomical feasts every day in its in-house restaurant, F. The aim is to highlight a worldly perspective toward dining through good food and service.

“The restaurant’s concept leans on personalized service,” says Niño Ante, executive chef for F, who previously worked in fine dining restaurants overseas. “It goes with home-style cooking, in a sense that every ingredient we have for our dishes is high-quality. We even serve authentic Jamon Serrano here from Spain and the restaurant’s staff can carve it in front of you.”

Chef Ante envisions F to be an international restaurant with a distinct Asian flair, in order to cater to a tropical country like the Philippines. “I’ve been capitalizing mostly on Asian cuisine because it’s very light in nature. It goes with the Filipino lifestyle,” he says. On a larger aspect, diners can still expect a wide array of cuisines in the restaurant, taking them into a culinary journey that spans continents.

The magic starts early in the morning, when Chef Ante and his team cook around 150 dishes for international-style buffet breakfast. “We even serve turkey bacon,” he shares.

The F restaurant offers both buffet and ala carte meals every day, from morning till night. On a wider scale, Chef Ante says that the restaurant wants to give its customers a flexible dining experience. “We’re not a typical buffet restaurant,” he says. “If a guest wants to have a buffet of appetizers and desserts only, they can have it.” Normally, when people go to a buffet restaurant, they are obliged to pay a buffet rate that is good for all dishes. But for F restaurant, diners may choose to avail of something that can be good for appetizers and desserts only.

It’s really about giving Filipinos more choices. “Filipinos want to have easy food,” Chef Ante observes. “Young people are busy working so they just want quick-to-grab items on the side. So I also made a menu that consists of sandwiches and pasta dishes. Here in Bonifacio Global City, most people are either westerners or young professionals who work in multi-national organizations, so they also want something that’s easy to take away.”

Best Western Premier F1 is located at 32nd Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. For more information, visit www.bestwesternpremierf1hotel.com.