Michelin in Manila: Which Philippine Restaurants Could Win Stars?
Because all the speculative talk made us want to speculate some more.
(SPOT.ph) Is the Michelin Guide really coming to Manila soon?
With excitement continuing to simmer about the possible arrival of the Michelin Guide to the Philippines, we can’t help speculating about which local restaurants could make the grade, winning a Michelin star or two, or even three.
Created by the French tire company in 1900, the Michelin Guide has become a veritable institution among restaurant ratings systems, expanding to over 30 territories across six continents. The Guide updates its rankings every year, giving its highly-coveted Michelin stars to what it believes are the most deserving establishments: one star for “high quality cooking, worth a stop,” two stars for “excellent cooking, worth a detour,” and the ultimate three stars for “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.”
The Michelin Guide keeps the process quite secretive, assigning full-time inspectors, usually with backgrounds in hospitality and the culinary arts, to visit select restaurants anonymously and multiple times. In other words, the Guide takes its work very, very seriously.
While anticipating any form of confirmation, just for the fun of it, we asked five well-traveled avid diners for their best “guesses” as to which Philippine-based establishments could indeed be Michelin star-worthy, at least based on the global standards set by the Guide. These five have all dined in many, many Michelin-rated restaurants during their travels abroad.
The people we asked
“Eating good food makes me happy and evaluating restaurants becomes a hobby,” shares Meg Koh as she gushes about two Michelin-starred Alchemist in Copenhagen which she has already visited four times! Leslie Cheng of the shootfirsteatlater.com blog counts her visit last year to three Michelin-starred Asador Extebarri in the Basque Country, Spain as “a truly amazing meal and so worth the anxiety” of snagging a reservation.
Restaurateur Maxine Sanz (Ginza Gyu, Inari Sukiyaki, Butternut Bakery) is impressed by the Asian dining scene, citing Chef Vicky Cheng’s Wing (“a MUST when you’re in HK”) alongside Bangkok’s Nusara and one-starred Potong. During her recent travels, Cherish Garcia (@hungryballerina on Instagram) highlights two Michelin-starred Mingles in Seoul for “really exciting food and the service was great.”
Meanwhile, Chef Dennis Hipolito, best known as @food_fiends_etc on Instagram, raves about Mingles as well, adding Lolla in Singapore for Filipina chef Johanne Siy’s “edgy flavor approach supported by her technical knowledge with added Filipino touches,” and Mokonuts in Paris for “its simple, knowledgeable approach on cooking.”
These five diners may not be Michelin Guide inspectors, but we’d like to think they do have the know-how and experience to ascertain what could very well be selected in a Philippine edition. Cherish speculates, “I don’t think we’ll be seeing any three star restaurants presently because that is really a whole new level!” Dennis and Meg agree, expecting one star restaurants for now, with Dennis guessing that perhaps two stars may be awarded in the next round.
With a big thank you to our chosen five diners....
...here are six Michelin star-worthy bets that received at least two votes from the group, listed in alphabetical order:
Antonio’s Tagaytay
If the Michelin Guide is really coming to the Philippines and should it venture outside Metro Manila, this 20-plus-year-old institution should hopefully get at least one star. Chef TonyBoy Escalante redefined destination dining, luring Manila diners to drive all the way to Tagaytay for a taste of his exquisite salads, steaks and soufflés in a romantic, antiques-filled setting, with impeccable service to boot. Maxine affirms, “It’s a place that never disappoints, and for those of us who appreciate the classics, it’s a no-fail choice.”
Gallery by Chele
Another popular pick is Chef Chele Gonzalez’s Gallery by Chele which has been championing local ingredients prepared in modern, innovative ways for many years now. Meg says, “The menu and eating experience at Gallery has totally improved since I first ate there. His Cacao menu is by far his best tasting menu.” Dennis goes as far as to predict a possible upgrade to two Michelin stars, after the restaurant gets its first star.
Helm
At this sleek and minimalist tasting menu-only restaurant, Chef Josh Boutwood showcases his mastery of technique, balanced flavors and nuanced textures. His sourdough bread also happens to be superb. Leslie gives Helm the ultimate accolade of three, yes three Michelin stars, for its “quality, amazing flavors, uniqueness of dishes, overall experience.”
Metiz
It may be hard to pinpoint exactly what kind of food Metiz does, but whatever alchemy Chef Stephan Duhesme makes out of local ingredients and fermented foods seems to be working. Cherish shares, “Their food is not what you would call Filipino per se, and yet the authentic flavors are all there. They also push the envelope in terms of modernizing our cuisine.” Maxine adds, “You never get the same dish twice—Stephan’s commitment to refining each flavor means there’s always a new layer of complexity with every visit.” Leslie counts herself a big fan as well, even predicting two stars for this must-visit restaurant.
Modan
Hidden in Cubao, Quezon City, Modan is a definite favorite among our expert diners, thanks to Chef Jorge Mendez’s personal experimentations inspired by his travels around Asia and the rest of the world. The intimate counter dining style adds to this sense that “you’re getting a front-row seat to Jorge’s unique culinary vision,” describes Maxine.
Toyo Eatery
Among all of the above restaurants, it seems like Chef Jordy and May Navarra’s Toyo Eatery is a shoo-in for at least one star. It has been a mainstay on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list, acknowledged as the Best Restaurant in the Philippines for several years now due to its rootedness in Filipino food and the farmers and purveyors who are central to its dishes. Meg proclaims she’s “pretty sure” Toyo Eatery will get a star, thanks to “the food, the service, the experience, the mission to showcase what Filipino food is. They even renovated the place. They are very consistent.”
Honorable mentions
Aside from the above six restaurants, the following were named by at least one of our expert diners as possible candidates for that elusive Michelin star:
- Asador Alfonso in Cavite, known for its stunning setting and traditional Spanish fare from Chef Chele Gonzalez and his team
- Crosta Pizza, a fast casual spot that has gained international acclaim for its creative pizzas conjured by pizza master Yuichi Ito
- Hapag, Chefs Thirdy Dolatre and Kevin Navoa’s paean to Philippine regional flavors, ingredients and techniques
- iAi, a brand new playground for Chef Bruce Ricketts’ imaginative takes on the Japanese omakase
- Kyo-to, a discreet establishment that regales diners with a traditional Japanese kaiseki experience courtesy of Chef Ryohei Kawamoto
- M Dining, Tippi Tambunting and Chef Tom Bascon’s ode to fine dining, with elegantly executed dishes and one of the best wine lists in the metro
- Manam, specifically the gorgeous Ayala Triangle flagship branch, that brings the best of traditional Filipino fare, with a few twists, to the forefront
So whether a Michelin Guide Philippines really materializes, here's our informed take: it could only do wonders for our tourism and hospitality industries. It could help bring much-needed income to our restaurants, raise standards of food quality and service, and ultimately shine a worldwide spotlight on Filipino food, chefs and restaurateurs.