On Eating Local to Help the World at the Toyo, Metiz, Labyrinth, Native SG Collab

(SPOT.ph) It’s 2023 and people care about things beyond themselves more than ever (always a good thing, to be clear). It’s perhaps under this thought that sustainability—essentially the idea of but reducing one’s environmental impact, to help save the planet—has become an even bigger movement, that environmentally conscious options are now more easily within reach.

The idea of sustainability also extends to dining. Call it a buzzword if you must—sustainability’s said to be a trend for restaurants this year after all—but it’s one that goes well beyond a trend for trend’s sake, considering food systems make up some 34% of all manmade greenhouse gas emissions.

Arguably, we've got a long way to go before all restaurants around the world adopt these practices. But there are a number of spots here in Manila and Singapore—including globally awarded establishments Toyo Eatery, Metiz, Labyrinth, and Native—who are happily doing their part right now, and serving superb fare while they're at it. With the help of the Singapore Tourism Board, the four recently joined forces and held a 10-course dinner, making a case for plates that are in line with sustainability principles as well as (simply put) delish.

Also read: 
Metiz + Toyo Eatery Hailed Among Asia's 50 Best Restaurants of 2023 
10 Essential Tasting Menus in Metro Manila to Try Right Now 
Laksa Inasal, a Mango Dessert Turned Umami + More Gems From the Gallery by Chele x Labyrinth Collab

Here’s what went down at the recent collaboration dinner between Toyo Eatery, Metiz, Labyrinth, and Native:

What does it mean for a restaurant to be sustainable, anyway? In practice, much of the concept in this context comes down to being mindful of ingredients, sourcing them locally and prioritizing what’s available and in season (thus minimizing carbon emissions from transportation), and focusing on plant foods (which also produce less carbon dioxide and take less water and land to produce) over meat. Food waste, too, is kept to a minimum, which could mean finding novel ways to make use of ingredients disposed of or forgotten: banana peels, vegetable trimmings, and so on.

The four restaurants and bars involved in the collaboration dinner draw from these principles—not only during the dinner, but as part and parcel of their very ethos. Sure doesn’t hurt that they’re each esteemed in their own right, even receiving awards from local and global guides left and right.

A one Michelin-starred establishment from Raffles Avenue, Singapore, Labyrinth is all about “New Singaporean” or Mod-Sin (modern Singaporean) cuisine. “Our local produce advocacy is grounded on sustainability,” says Chef LG Han, sharing that 60 to 90 percent of the ingredients they use coming from the Lion City. This year was especially monumental for the restaurant as they finished in the 11th spot on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants (from 40th in 2022!), and 97th in the World’s Best Restaurants.

Meanwhile, Toyo Eatery in Karrivin Plaza, Makati ranked at 42nd on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list this year, and was given the Flor de Caña Sustainable Restaurant Award for 2023. The modern Filipino establishment helmed by Chef Jordy Navarra makes it a point to work with local producers and farms, after all, aiming to source 90% of their ingredients locally (with two-thirds being organic and traceable) this year, and even helping raise funds for female farmers’ cooperative Good Food Co. You’ll see local ingredients on their lineup, some that you might not encounter on the daily at regular supermarkets (taogtog berries, tublay lemon, and so on); even their takeout packaging uses woven boxes. It goes beyond that, though: “Sustainability for us at Toyo Eatery is cultivating the relationships we have with the people that nurture our country,” Navarra shares in a statement. 

Metiz, a Karrivin-Plaza neighbor of Toyo, entered the  Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list for the first time this 2023, landing on the 48th spot. Filipino-French chef Stephan Duhesme explains sustainability is “at the heart” of what they do, from the beginning to this day—and true enough, their menu features local and seasonal fruit, veg, and other ingredients that are either cooked into playful plates, or turned into buro, kimchi, vinegar, kombucha, or other ferments.

Last but not the least, Native bar in Singapore is a go-to for cocktails that juggle creative flavor combos with the use of local ingredients, with bartender-owner Vijay Mudaliar even foraging his own at times. It’s no surprise they’ve earned multiple accolades in recent years—from receiving the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award at the World’s 50 Best Bars in 2019, to being called the Best International Cocktail Bar at Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards in 2020, to landing on the 14th spot in the World’s 50 Best Bars in 2021, and getting the 42nd spot among Asia’s 50 Best Bars in 2023.

Sustainable Dining in 10 Courses

The dinner was, in essence, a tasting menu—yet one that felt close to home for the Asian palate, with bright Filipino and Singaporean flavors all around and some courses even being served family-style. Both Filipino and Singaporean ingredients were used, both sourced locally from their respective countries; the latter was brought in by the teams of Labyrinth and Native. Tastes and textures were vibrant all over—much to the enjoyment of our senses. While environmental consciousness is a most noble goal in itself, it doesn’t hurt to know that sustainability and personal pleasure can go hand in hand. 

Opening the dinner was a whole spread of nibbles—some of which might sound familiar. Toyo Eatery presented Siomai Rice using fermented black rice and Pancit Habhab employing veggie trimmings. From Native came Miang Kham—essentially wraps of betel leaf and an assortment of veg, with dabs of pineapple shoyu for umami—as well as a (literally) blooming (and bright-flavored) beverage of Roku Gin, White Peony, Calamansi, Gingerflower. Metiz’ contribution to the party was the deceptively small (yet uber-impactful) Fried Ensaymada, topped with ubod puree and mustard leaves. And from Labyrinth came Otah, Han’s take on otak-otak but with leek greens taking the place of the usual banana leaves, plus burnt lime wedges for squeezing over.

Native then brought out the green Mango Ginger, Whisky, Basil, which gets its zing from its namesake herb, and subtle smokiness from their use of Japanese whisky. Matching its vivacity was a small vessel of Cold Somen, White Kimchi—a cold-noodle course we could picture downing on a hot summer day. Metiz’ Inihaw na Puso ng Saging—a grilled core of banana hearts, paired with cashew cream and crisped fermented black rice—made for earthy, crisp-creamy forkfuls to follow.

Toyo Eatery’s Kamias, Kamatis, Kabute came as a small bowl of soy milk curd (think savory taho meets chawanmushi), a sauce of sour fruits (kamias and tomatillos, to name a few), and milky mushrooms for a slippery, meaty bite—and complimenting its fruity tinge was its pomelo-centric partner that was the Suha Syrup, Tublay Lemon, Whiskey, Bignay Lime. It didn’t take long before Labyrinth served their take on a classic Chili Crab, Local Tomatoes, Crab Fat Mantou—one that was solo-sized of course, with a deep-fried claw stuffed with mud and blue crab meat, hugged by a sauce of local tomatoes and tomatillos that you can sop up every last drop of with the deep-fried bun on the side.

The main course came as a second spread of various bites from each of the teams. Labyrinth’s Chef LG gave us a taste of his childhood with Tinawon Chicken Rice—essentially Hainanese chicken rice using the Cordillera heirloom rice variety called Tinawon (famed for its nutty, smoky aroma and subtle sweetness), complete with Chili Sauce that takes from his grandma’s recipe. Metiz’ Cabbage, Potato, Shrimp lent earthiness to the party. From Native came the Massa-mole Curry using chickpeas for a meaty (yet meatless) bite; and Belimbing Salsa using kamias.

Still within the spread, Toyo kept us going with their Tortang Kalabasa topped with pinaputok na munggo and ginataang mangga, best devoured with dabs of their Banana Ketchup made using bulkan bananas. Native’s Ceylon Arrack, Old Coconut, Pineapple Skin, and Sri Lankan Spices libation—perhaps with its subtle sweetness and warmth—was just the thing to tingle the tastebuds in between forkfuls. (Fun fact: the pineapple skin used in the cocktail were leftovers from making the pineapple shoyu in the Miang Kham in the starter!)

Sweet endings were aplenty. Sips from Toyo’s tipple of Taugtug Syrup, Green Mango Juice, Tublay Lemon, Gin—which had a vivid crimson color and menthol-esque profile thanks to local taogtog berries—made for a misty backdrop to heighten the night’s first dessert: a simple yet satisfying serve of Amazake Ice Cream, Monggo, Dikai. Amazake, of course, refers to a Japanese fermented-rice drink with a creamy consistency and subtly sour, nutty taste; this was turned into a smooth ice cream, a quenelle of which came perched over dikai herb ice.

Native’s Banana Gin, Calamansi, White Soy—made by fermenting bananas in white soy sauce, tamarind, and gin—also delivered tropical sips with a (welcome) tinge of bitterness, to go with the samalamig-style Tostadong Bigas Shaved Ice, Bandung, Rosella with cacao nibs and bites of bakwa (Chinese candied pork). Petit-fours sealed the deal: Ube Halaya, Sibuyas Tagalog; Kaya Toast; Pandan Mochi Cake; and Pili Nut, Cacao.

It’s safe to say you can expect to see more sustainability-oriented principles in actions at restaurants in Singapore and Manila. In the meantime, we’re all for the four above leading the way.

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