A destination restaurant, an urban oasis, and “neutral ground” within frantic city life — these dining spots in Manila represent the diversity of the Philippines’ booming culinary landscape.
Text by: Jaclyn Clemente Koppe
With the rising popularity of Filipino food on a global scale, it is no surprise that a trip to the motherland will show just how food-crazy the country truly is. While Filipinos are fiercely proud of the local cuisine segmented into regions — from its northernmost point in Batanes to the islands in Sulu sea — the culture is also known to embrace the distinct flavours of other countries, proven by the abundance of Cantonese, Japanese, Italian, Korean, and American steakhouses all over the country. Filipino chefs have found success not just locally but on the international stage, introducing a fresh, talented lot that can stand shoulder to shoulder with foreign counterparts during collaboration dinners.
A visit to the tropics always calls for rustic grilled fare and a taste of the islands’ sweetest produce, but there are also many restaurants worthy of attention when eager to sit down to a civilised meal. Helmed by highly-decorated and skilled chefs, these new restaurants are surely worthy of a side trip when in Manila or its surrounding areas.
Asador Alfonso
Nestled in a quiet community just outside Tagaytay City, a two-hour drive south of the capital, the Carlo Calma-designed restaurant is quite the modern architectural marvel to behold. While its chef patron Chele Gonzalez will be the first to say that the Spanish roasting house concept is “not fine dining,” frequent guests at the sprawling destination in the town of Alfonso, Cavite would beg to differ.
The meals at Asador Alfonso, a villa-turned-restaurant within a private family estate, encourage long and languid excursions that usually begin with a cocktail or two at the al fresco or air-conditioned lounges. A knowledgeable team member is tasked with a quick tour around the grounds, ending at their table where Spanish maitre d’ Irene Fernandez introduces the upcoming meal.
Guests normally arrive already knowing what to expect – as the main dishes are pre-ordered to give head chef Rodrigo Osorio and his team ample time to prepare. These masterpieces are prepared in their Maestro oven — a seven-ton contraption shipped from Spain. And this is where most of the magic happens, from roasting vegetables, baking bread, and of course cooking their juicy roasted meats such as the lechazo (milk-fed lamb) and cochinillo (suckling pig) which are simply flavoured and presented family-style. The serving size adjusted according to the number of diners.
While the definition of fine dining varies, fans of Asador Alfonso value the brand of luxury they offer, which assures the highest quality ingredients prepared by skilled masters of their craft. In a world where the only thing constant is change, it is truly an indulgence to keep coming back to a place that offers only the best.
Kasa Palma
Chef Aaron Isip is no stranger to success, leaving his award-winning Paris restaurant Dix-Huit in the wake of a successful run to return home to his native Philippines in 2018. While the renowned chef was initially bound for El Nido, Palawan in the southern part of the country, the pandemic turned the resort town into a hollow shell of its former self and Aaron knew opening a restaurant there at the time would have led to catastrophe. With all his furnishings and equipment meant for his island escape gathering dust, he transformed what was his Poblacion, Makati townhouse along Palma Street into a private dining space and called it Balai Palma (“balai” meaning home in the regional Ilonggo dialect). A little over a year after, he moved down the road to a converted split-level and turned it into what is now the home of his multi-concept restaurant, Kasa Palma.
Once guests step onto the fine pebbly floor of the bar area, they are instantly transported to Isip’s sexy El Nido fantasy. Diners can choose from the tasting menu options, a family style set menu, or their ala carte dishes prepared in what Aaron calls his “jungle kitchen”. This space evokes the vibe of a beachside kitchen save for the professional-grade grill cooking equipment and mother-of-pearl walls. Nothing even close to undergrowth in the well-ventilated space where guests can enjoy Aaron’s creations.
Dishes range from crudo in dragonfruit leche de tigre, a perfectly-grilled amadai, to steak frites with generous dollops of entrecôte sauce. From his tasting menu, fans keep coming back for his flavourful seafood innovations such as the halo-halo del mar which showcases raw treatments on local shellfish; the beloved ube, three-ways; and a lechon de lobster featuring perfectly-cooked lobster tail wrapped in a layer of glutinous rice and a crispy top layer of suckling pig skin.
Taupe
When asked what his culinary style is, Chef Francis Tolentino is quick to reply: “comfort.” Not the answer you would expect from the mind behind one of BGC, Taguig’s (one of Metro Manila’s premier commercial districts, second only to Makati) most popular fine dining destinations, but a meal at Taupe is bound to set things straight.
He harkens back to his background of running cafes and bars, a past that many chefs would happily gloss over after having made the jump to fine dining. Still, the easygoing and mild-mannered chef lets his food do the talking in his sleek and modern 30-seater. He showcases local ingredients prepared in a classical, cosmopolitan style that will be perfectly at home in any big city restaurant. He is not bound by any particular cuisine (“I’m not doing progressive Filipino. I think the guys at Toyo Eatery and Hapag are doing that well, but that’s not me.”).
He showcases local ingredients prepared in a classical, cosmopolitan style that will be perfectly at home in any big city restaurant. He is not bound by any particular cuisine (“I’m not doing progressive Filipino. I think the guys at Toyo Eatery and Hapag are doing that well, but that’s not me.”).
This allows him to serve a cohesive tasting menu melded together by his signature polish and penchant for glam. Think: brulee oyster tart topped with caviar; a juicy and crispy pork belly served in a thick pool of sour gravy reminiscent of “sinigang”; and a velvety single-origin chocolate mochi in one breath.
Some might accuse him of being unfocused, even confused, but Francis is a true creative that just refuses to be labeled and tied down. Besides, when an artist is gifted with raw talent and a belly full of ambition, the best thing to do is let him loose and see what he does with his blank canvas.
