Hand-pulled noodles pull the strings at Seda Vertis North’s Pin Wei restaurant
Just before the year ended, I managed to tick off one item from my bucket list: making hand-pulled noodles. And it happened in the back kitchen of Seda Vertis North’s Pin Wei (“Good Taste”) restaurant, the newest Chinese haunt in the heart of QC.
With the prodding and cheering of fellow lifestyle writers and the guidance of the hotel’s two executive chefs Kerpatrik Boiser and Han Furn Chen, I bravely took up the challenge and turned a clump of twisted dough (prepared by the sous chef) into strands of silken noodles. All this using a single tool: My fingers.
The end product wasn’t as perfect as the chefs’, but I swear it was edible.
Noodles,Dim sums and more
Dim sums are the big draw at this modern, comfortable, family-dining Chinese restaurant, yet it’s those hand-pulled noodles that pull my strings. I just couldn’t get enough of their spicy home-style noodle dish with sliced beef short ribs cooked Sichuan-style. The good news is you can have this hearty one-dish meal for less than P400.
“Even if we have fine-dining chefs here at Seda Vertis North, our new restaurant isn’t fine dining,” says Seda Vertis North group general manager Brett Patrick Hickey. “At Pin Wei, we serve good, value-for-money food. My idea is that for less than P400, diners will get to enjoy a delicious and filling dim sum treat and a really nice bowl of hand-pulled noodles.”
Before, QC residents such as myself had to go all the way to Chinatown in Manila or Greenhills in San Juan to partake of comforting Sino-inspired dishes. Thank goodness for Pin Wei, we need not brave heavy holiday traffic to satisfy are noodles and dim sum cravings.
At its helm is executive Chinese chef Hann Furn Chen, who worked for nine years at Mandarin Oriental’s Tin Hau restaurant. Chef Chen has extensive culinary experience in various countries, including Singapore, Indonesia and Dubai.
“Filipinos love dim sum and noodles and this restaurant specializes in that,” noted Hickey. “We even hired a dim sum chef. And another one who specializes in hand-pulled noodles.”
At the formal launch of Pin Wei, chef Chen teased our palate with specialties he’s quite known for, such as xiao long bao, a delicious medley of shrimp and pork with a warm comforting broth; the flavorsome siomai combo of caviar tobiko, baby abalone, scallops and shrimps; the Deep-fried Prawns in Mayonnaise and Golden Corn Flakes, which my tablemates and I devoured in 60 seconds; and the Pinoy all-time favorite, sweet and sour pork.
“This dish appears to have a following only in the Philippines, but not in Indonesia, Singapore or Dubai,” noted chef Chen.
Aside from these dishes, chef Chen woos diners with a wider selection of barbecued meats and duck, seafood and beef dishes, all paired with the finest collection of teas and wines.
There’s definitely something for everybody — whatever he or she may be craving.
Together with chef Chen, the Seda Vertis North food and beverage team intend to complement the evolving menu with attentive and friendly service in a contemporary but warm setting.
At Pin Wei, there’s none of the lacquered dark wood furniture favored by traditional Chinese restaurants. Instead, natural lighting from floor-to-ceiling windows is reflected by the bleached wooden panels and streamlined seats with woven rattan backs.
The restaurant, with its delectable offerings, modern interiors and impeccable service, is indeed a special place for diners with “good taste.”
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Pin Wei is on the second floor of Seda Vertis North, Quezon City.
For reservations, call 7739-8888.
