When Enrique Razon enlisted the expertise of Solaire Resort and Casino's Culinary Director, Wolfgang Fischer, the restaurant concepts had already been laid out. There were to be four fine dining venues according to the following cuisines: Chinese, Japanese, Italian, and a steak house. There would also be a food court, a noodle house, and a buffet. It was a road map easy enough to read and, from there, his one direction was "Every restaurant - best in class."

Solaire's signature restaurants - Red Lantern, Yakumi, Finestra, and Strip - authenticate the idea of fine dining. These four are nothing short of the chic places to dine with their high ceilings and views of the Manila sunset. The artworks that line its walls, the wine that is served at its bars, and the cutlery that sits on its tables boast grandeur and opulence.

Showcasing the hues at Cantonese fine dining restaurant, Red Lantern

But the food isn't about that. Wolfgang and his culinary team like to keep it simple. The executive chef is straightforward and not a fan of frills - he could do without the chandeliers and posh interiors, going straight for the bread and butter of a restaurant to know the calibre of its service. Having the highest regard for only the best products and ingredients, he says, "If we can't get it fresh, then we don't bother to put it on the menu."

Indeed, the only frozen item on the buffet - ideally called Fresh - is the ice cream. Featuring a well-chosen selection of vegetables, seafood, and meat, flown in and delivered on that day, the buffet spread showcases the idea of quality over quantity because none of that food will be served again the day after. "Fresh means ingredients which have not been frozen, which have not been processed, which have not been treated in any way [for preservation]," says Wolfgang, "To do that in the Philippines is quite an undertaking."

Yakumi's sleek open kitchen

Philippine Tatler Dining experienced the benefits of this attitude towards top-notch products, particularly in Yakumi. At first glance, the warm Japanese restaurant impresses simplicity upon its guests. From the entrance, you immediately see a centre kitchen bar that holds the grilling station atop smokeless, odourless coals. The freshest seafood sits on a bed of ice, waiting for an order, as chefs go about their business behind the counter. Past the tables and chairs, the panoramic windows reveal the still blue waters of Manila Bay. The walls display works portraying drops of water, accented by glass and mirrors, alluding to tranquillity and contentment.

Under the leadership of the chef Norimasa Kosaka, a modest menu showcases only the best imported items from Japan. It is one of few, if not only, places in the country to serve Fugu Usuzukuri, otherwise known as blowfish, because handling the poisonous ingredient requires special licensure from Japan. The chef Norimasa has such license, and skill, to prepare the delicate product. The grilled Hokkaido King Crab legs - Yaki Taraba Kani - is another such seasonal feature. The crab was fantastic - fresh and of such great quality that it required no kind of seasoning. Served right off the grill, the crab did all the talking - and it spoke so eloquently, it might have even sung. In a region where peppered or spiced crab dishes abound, the Hokkaido crab expressed a depth of flavour from its locale, displaying the superiority of Yakumi in providing an authentic Japanese dining experience.

Succulent grilled prawns at Strip 

That's what Solaire strives to do with all its signature restaurants - ensure great quality and provide authenticity. Yakumi's kitchen crew has a designated smeller - cracking eggs open and smelling them for freshness before endorsing them for preparation. Simple choices are presented on the Finestra menu - spaghetti with meatballs, carbonara, pizza margarita - but using only the finest extra virgin olive oil. The restaurant flies in its array of cheeses from around the world. It makes its own pasta.

Italian fine dining at Finestra

Red Lantern's Cantonese cuisine allows the dishes to expound on the flavours of their stock, steaming through their natural qualities, letting the skilled preparation shine through. Strip, too, boasts the few places to serve Imperial Wagyu, an American beef of the highest marbling grade. It is so rich and tender, you could cut it with your fork.

If it seems that all these are just words on a menu to justify a cost, the truth is that you will taste it. It transcends to even its casual dining options, which retain elegance in their experience. Highly qualified chefs who have honed insight into clientele preferences stand behind Lucky Noodles and the Food Court. An interplay of elements meets the standards of being the best in class: merging the characteristics of comfort food with authentic preparations and balancing the use of local and foreign ingredients in order to achieve affordability without compromising taste.

Barely a year into its operations, the brand of Solaire dining already steadily emerges as a fulfilment of its vision. It's not a simple feat, but Wolfgang says that anyone can open a hotel; what is exceptional, he adds, is maintaining the standard of quality. That is the distinction of Solaire's capabilities, which will certainly make it amongst the best in its class. In fact, Solaire could even make a mark in the Asia-Pacific region.