Two Filipino-owned restaurants in Orlando, Florida nab Michelin stars

Chefs Mark and Jennifer Berdin’s Kadence in Orlando is one of two Filipino-run restaurants to earn Michelin stars. FACEBOOK

Two Filipino-owned and operated restaurants are among the 14 restaurants that earned stars in Michelin Guide’s inaugural edition for Miami, Orland and Tampa.

Chef Mike Collantes’ ten-seat Soseki omakase counter in the Winter Park district and Kadence, co-founded and owned by husband-and-wife team Mark Berdin and Jennifer Banagale-Berdin, won the accolades for their sometimes Filipino-inflected Japanese fare.

Collantes, whose parents were born in Bulacan and Manila, was trained by Wolfgang Puck, Joel Robuchon and Masa Takayama and held senior positions at MGM Grand, Ritz Carlton and The Bento Group.

Soseki’s monthly-changing menu can feature local products like Florida lionfish, 14-day dry-aged bluefin tuna, or local Jacksonville purple rice hand-ground into puffed rice chips to go with toro and caviar.

Chef Mike Collantes’ Soseki also won a Michelin star. FACEBOOK

Collantes sometimes infuses dishes with calamansi and coconut vinegar, and introduces dishes like lechon, sinigang and kinilaw. He also runs a casual Filipino restaurant, Taglish, and organizes Kamayan Supper Clubs.

The Berdin’s Kadence in Audubon Park is a traditional sushi restaurant, but sometimes Filipino seaweed in soup, moringa in ice cream, show up among the offerings.

Mark and Jennifer hail from Bohol and Manila respectively. Mark trained at Michelin-starred restaurants in New York – Mark at Morimoto and under Masato Shimizu of 15 East. Jennifer, also Kadence’s pastry chef, earned her spurs at Oak Room at Plaza Hotel and Aquavit.

Kadence’s third co-founder, Lordfer Lalicon, has since opened a Filipino restaurant, Kaya Orlando.