Le Chef who made Manila fall in love with foie gras and souffle

LEGENDARY Chef Billy King, one of the pioneers of fine dining in Manila and Baguio, still reigns supreme. —Photos by Margaux Salcedo.

I had not been to Baguio since before the pandemic so it was both exciting and nostalgic to be back last week. I used to visit almost every month and loved checking out the restaurant scene. But this time, I just focused on that one shining epitome of everything that is good about Baguio: The Manor at Camp John Hay.

From the minute I stepped out of my car, everything felt the same. It was like coming home. The bellboys were alert and witty. The lobby, with its stone walls and uber high ceiling, was rich yet warm. The garden that seems to venture out into the mountain fog was not just relaxing but uplifting. And most of all, I was the luckiest girl in the world to chance upon the legend: Chef Billy King.

Yes, the legendary King of Fine Cuisine is still around. The secret to longevity is the discipline of coming to work early everyday—he was up at 5 a.m. the day that I saw him and at work before 7 a.m.—and personally guiding his team which now numbers almost 350.

Excited to eat his latest creations, I asked for recommendations. He replied, “That is hard because I have over 140 items on the menu.” And even harder because everything is good.

The menu spans the best of all nations: Filipino, complete with congee that can compete with PAL lugaw for the morning buffet; American, with perfectly cooked steak; Mediterranean; Japanese; even Lebanese!

“We like to have something for everyone,” he explained, “because people who come here can be very well-dressed, expecting fine dining; or they can also be more casual, coming from a day of touring.”

Indeed, that is the magic of Le Chef at The Manor. You can be yourself, yet the restaurant maintains its elegance. And I think it’s because of the food: no matter how casual the diner is, the dinner is always exquisite.

His sea bass remains exemplary—it melts in your mouth. The lamb is so beautifully cooked and not gamey at all. And the steak, even when cooked medium well, is so exquisitely tender.

What perfection means

LEGENDARY Chef Billy King, one of the pioneers of fine dining in Manila and Baguio, still reigns supreme. —Photos by Margaux Salcedo.

Chef Billy King also maintains legendary high standards with ingredients. He shared that a shipment of ingredients from Manila comes almost everyday. And he uses these brilliantly. For instance, I had the pleasure of enjoying German asparagus, which is literally larger than life in terms of asparagus size, an entree with Madagascar pink peppercorn, Italian sea salt, Chilean sea bass, and the list goes on. There is also a commitment to using fresh local produce: all the greens and, of course, the strawberries are fresh from Baguio. There is also local seafood such as prawns from Bohol.

His mastery of balance remains perfect. But he has his own definition of perfection: “Perfection to me means that you can’t get a better dish anywhere else.” And that’s exactly what he serves. Consistently. Still. Even after over 40 years of cooking.

For those who had not yet been born when Chef Billy King established himself in the Manila restaurant scene, in the 1980s he was the chef of a fine dining restaurant named Prince Albert at the Intercon and he made Manila fall in love with foie gras. After Prince Albert, he introduced even more elevated dining with Truffles, his first restaurant. Then in the 1990s, he opened Le Souffle, and he made everyone fall in love with the souffle. While others were doing the classic beef carpaccio, Chef Billy King also introduced his signature salmon carpaccio to the restaurant scene. (His beef carpaccio, by the way, to this day available at Le Chef at the Manor, is another must-order!) He also opened The French Corner in Alabang, which was another great French restaurant.

In 2001, he joined the Camp John Hay family and opened Le Chef at the Manor. It has been 23 years! Most restaurants nowadays fold up after two to five years. But Le Chef has not only survived; it has thrived and is constantly improving.

During the pandemic, Chef Billy took advantage of the lull and expanded the garden area of the restaurant. Now there is a huge tent that allows maybe 80 to 100 more people to dine at the resto. It’s amazing how he accomplished this without the tent looking tacky. It’s a beautiful garden setting.

But then again, it’s difficult to diminish the beauty of The Manor. After all these years, Bob Sobprepeña and the team of Camp John Hay Development Corp., with The Manor’s General Manager Ramon Cabrera and team, and of course Chef Billy King and his team, have done a stellar job of keeping the beauty of the Baguio that we knew growing up — pristine and just perfect — vibrant and alive.

I’m terribly missing my dad Ephraim Salcedo, Camp John Hay’s Boysie Yniguez, members of our jazz family—jazz singer Arthur Manuntag, jazz guitarist Jun Viray, legendary jazz pianist Romy Posadas—and everyone we made memories in Baguio with. Thank you, Manor, for all these unforgettable moments. Here’s to making new ones!!

Long live Chef Billy King!