Chef William Mahi has been cooking since he was 14 years young in his hometown of Bidart, France. Being raised by conscientious foodies, he grew up with an appreciation of good, all-natural fare.
“I was raised to eat green, eat good,” Chef William told Coconuts Manila. “Ever since, I only make dishes from scratch using the best available ingredients.”
His love affair with cooking started at a very young age and propelled him to work and train with Michelin Starred restaurants in France, Lebanon, China and Greece. It’s the same love that brought him to the Philippines as the executive chef of The Tasting Room at City of Dreams Manila.
His stellar cooking — and love for interacting with the diners — earned him quite a loyal following. So when it was time to hang his chef’s jacket at The Tasting Room, his friends and followers urged him to stay and start his own place in Manila.
And 210 Degrees Kitchen + Drinkery was born.
“We don’t want to say this is a purely French bistro, because we want a place that’s more relaxed, more laidback,” Chef William said. “We want an atmosphere, an ambiance that’s not like most fine dining restaurants.”
Chef William said he wants the restaurant to turn “fine dining” into “fun dining.”
The warm lighting and the kitschy décor really made the place more relaxed and welcoming, but when the food came, it was nothing but laidback. The flavors were intense, the presentation was stunning, and the techniques used were out of this world.
Just take a look at some of their dishes below:
AMUSE BOUCHE
Every meal at 210 Degrees Kitchen + Drinkery starts with this delightfully delicious amuse bouche: Apple and bread crisps with the anchovy-aioli mousse. The tart apple crisp was perfect with the aioli… Actually, everything went so well with that aioli. I could finish an entire tin.
VEGETARIAN TART
Heather, Chef William’s better half and business partner, made sure 210 Degrees Kitchen + Drinkery has terrific options for vegetarians. This is their Vegetarian Tart with organic zucchini, eggplants, tomatoes, and pesto in a homemade puff pastry tart topped with an olive oil ice cream. Still can’t believe something so healthy could taste so good.
HOMEMADE MARINATED SALMON
As fantastic as this looks, this is just the first course. This is their 36-hour Homemade Marinated Salmon with pickles, capers, Parisian sauce and slivers of button mushrooms. Gleaming like a pink-orange jewel, the salmon is smooth and silky and well-seasoned.
‘THE EGG’
“The Egg” is Chef William Mahi’s signature dish.
To take something as simple and common as eggs and potatoes and to turn it into a signature dish says a lot about Chef William’s expertise earned after years and years of working at Michelin Star restaurants before coming to the Philippines. The perfect 48-degree egg is served on top of luscious, cloud-like potato mousse. Make sure to dig deep for a hidden treat: Bacon with caramelized onions.
PAN-FRIED SOULARD FOIE GRAS
Sinfully rich and unbelievably smooth. This Pan-fried Soulard Foie Gras is the realization of all my ducking dreams (Get it?). This luscious dish from corn-fed ducks was served with two other kinds of corn: luscious yet light Corn Foam and the unexpected Popcorn.
PORK BELLY
Chef William Mahi brought the best rotisserie all the way from France to make their signature Pork Belly: Crunchy skin crackling with tender and moist meat with just the perfect amount of smokiness. Before roasting, the pork belly is marinated in Columbus spices. Accompany it with either mashed potatoes, fries, or veggies. My favorite main dish from that night’s tasting.
FRIED CHICKEN
Light, crisp, and delightfully nostalgic. Chef William’s boneless Fried Chicken is marinated in his own blend of secret spices, fried to golden perfection, and served with homemade garlic vinegar and aioli. Just like the pork belly, diners can choose their sides between mashed potatoes, fries, or veggies.
REAL MOELLEUX AU CHOCOLAT
This decadent dessert will satisfy all your chocolate cravings. When sliced, the rich chocolate sauce oozes out of the cake, making for some A+ food porn. The chocolate lava cake is served with vanilla ice cream and raspberry preserves the perfect hot-cold and sweet-tart combo all in one dish.
WARM TART TATIN
This is basically a lighter version of apple pie but ten times better. The cinnamon cuts through the tartness of the apples the moderately sweet vanilla ice cream on top gives it the good ol’ hot-cold combo that always wins.
210 Degrees Kitchen + Drinkery. Monday to Saturday, 6:00 – 10:00 p.m. +639950152192. G/F Icon Plaza, 25th Street corner 6th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. Instagram: @210degrees.ph
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