Blinking lights and the persistent din of the machines at the Resorts World Casino fade away one elevator ride up to the second floor of the Maxims Hotel in Newport City. Through a cream and canary yellow lobby, tall doors slide to usher guests inside a commodious room with crimson carpet, high ceiling and a neat assembly of tables and chairs. Paper lanterns hang near the door, like little red globes softly swaying in welcome. The restaurant is called Passion and there is little doubt the proprietors invested much into the newest fine dining Chinese-themed restaurant in the city.
“This restaurant is patterned after the Xi Yan restaurant in Hong Kong,” says restaurant manager Richard Hong. “We serve Cantonese cuisine as well as some Southeast asian inspired dishes.” Kitchen manager Hubertus Cramer adds that they strived for authenticity in every aspect of the food at Passion. “We believe consistency is key. With Passion, we have the largest team of Chinese chefs anywhere in Manila. The kitchen is designed by chefs, for chefs. For those who can appreciate Cantonese the way they make it in Hong Kong, we provide a venue for people to enjoy the same level of taste here. Now they don’t have to hop on a plane and travel all the way to Hong Kong.”
The restaurant uses authentic crystal goblets and exquisite silver on every table. Many of the ingredients at Passion are flown in from Hong Kong, particularly the seafood, which are kept alive in tanks in the kitchen until they are ready to be cooked. This guarantees absolute freshness: a solemn promise that the proprietors make about every food they serve to their guests.
