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Throughout his extensive global culinary career, Chef Oliver “Oli” Buenviaje, who lists Sorsogon, Bicol as his place of birth, has been associated with Michelin multi-starred seafood restaurants of impeccable quality and renown. So it comes as no surprise that his homecoming to the Philippines would entail the modernizing and upgrade of the ‘dampa’ dining concept. Set to open its doors in August 2026 at Gateway Mall 2, Araneta City; Seafood 8 by Olio’s promises to be game-changer, elevating how fresh seafood can be enjoyed in our dining landscape.
Dampa is the original ‘market to table’ food experience, where you select and buy raw, fresh seafood, as one would in a traditional wet market; and then have on-site kitchens prepare and cook the dishes according to your liking. Seafood 8 will elevate this concept, and bring the ‘dampa’ to the Mall, where the crowds are on a regular basis, all days of the week.
It’s planned as a 130-seater, with extensive aquarium displays for the live sea creatures, and beds of the fish, crustaceans, and shellfish on ice. One opts to grill, or fry, or steam the selected menu items at the open kitchen, and the bespoke dining is topped off with your selection of one of the eight ‘mother’ sauces.
While one can expect some tinkering to still occur, the present line-up of the Seafood 8 Signature Sauces reflect the travels of Chef Oli, and his accumulated kitchen knowledge and business acumen. In no particular order, they are Miso Butter, Inasal Citrus Ginger & Soy, Oriental Chili Caramel, Latin Chimichurri, Pomodoro Tomato Olive Capers, Gambas Roja, Bagoong Bernaise, and Sambal XO Chili. In short, there’ll be something for everyone, with their seafood enhanced in more ways than one can anticipate.
With Chef Oli’s attention to detail, one can get excited over the freshness, quality and firmness of the seafood that will pass his exacting standards. Chef Oli makes it a point to get to know the growers and suppliers himself, so a shared value system is established and maintained throughout the relationship. This has always been part of the Oliver Buenviaje culinary DNA, and it’s something he wants to share now that he’s rediscovering his roots.
In 1999, Chef Oli emigrated to Perth at the age of 16, to pursue a Civil Engineering degree. That did not last, and soon shifted to culinary courses. One inflection point of his career would be meeting and working for Alain Fabrègues in Perth. Alain Fabrègues, is one of Australia’s most celebrated French chefs; sponsored by Joel Robuchon, Fabrègues competed for and was awarded the highest honour attainable in French cuisine, the Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF) in 1991.
A stint with Alain Ducasse at his le Meurice in Paris followed. And Chef Oli vividly recalls being part of the team that would handle Ducasse at the Grand Prix Monaco. He reached the level of sous chef in three short years, proud of his legendary work hours that was fueled by passion and ambition. He would work from 7am to 11pm. One time saw Chef Oli serving the table of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, the head of the Jumeirah Group, which owns and runs the luxury hotel, Burj Al Arab.
This led to Chef Oli being invited to join Al Mahara, the famous seafood restaurant at the Burj. Subsequent stints saw Chef Oli at L’Normandie at the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, the IFC Tower and Caprice at the Four Seasons Hong Kong, the Four Seasons Macau, and then back to Australia, but with a stopover in Melbourne via the Crowne Melbourne.
Heading back to Perth, Olio’s Fine Food Catering was set up, offering top end, high quality food to the likes of accounts such as Rolls Royce, Chanel, and Bentley. In February of this year, Chef Oli took over the F&B of the Residence on Langley Park, Perth. His Chef Oli’s Table is his mobile fine-dining business, typically setting up in someone’s home, yacht, or vineyard.
If Chef Oli looks for someone who made the biggest impact on his life, it would be his late Lolo (from his mother’s side), Jose Aviles. Back when Oli was a young boy, he would spend Sundays with his lolo, who owned a rice field and fish pond in Sorsogon. A military man, Lolo Jose had sent his 11 children to universities, and taught Oli how to catch fish. But what Oli recalls most is how hospitable his Lolo was, cooking for all his farmhands and staff every Sunday.
As Lolo Jose was proud to say, for the six days of the week, these people would work for him, but on the seventh, he worked for them and would reciprocate. He would also say that God gave us two hands, one for family and friends, and the other one is for sharing your blessings with others. For Chef Oli, those are his mantras, and why the Hospitality DNA is strong in him.
For those nostalgic for the ‘dampa’, and for the younger generations who missed out on the then dining craze, Seafood 8 by Olio’s at Gateway Mall 2 in Araneta City is something to look forward to. It’s the dampa food experience, curated and elevated, care of Chef Oli Buenviaje. It’s the good voyage we’ve been waiting for.
