After Recent Breakup, Diner Is Treated to Valentine's Meal by Modan’s Jorge Mendez

(SPOT.ph) Ah, Valentine’s—it's the time of the year when it’s acceptable for couples to engage in all the stereotypically lovey-dovey things (flowers! fancy dinners! teddy bears and balloons and endless boxes of chocolate!). The flipside? The extra-ness of the season can feel like an insult to injury for those of us in situations considered less ideal—like, say, having just gone through a breakup. But there’s certainly more to love than romantic partnerships, and it was a pleasant surprise to see Modan, the modern Japanese degustation spot owned by Chef Jorge Mendez, extend a sweet gesture to a recently heartbroken customer for Valentine’s Day.

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A user by the name of @hey_merie posted about her experience on TikTok. She had made a reservation at Modan for Valentine’s day, but ended up having to cancel these plans. She shared this with the team of Modan: “I don’t really have a valid reason for this—just that me and my partner broke up, thus no more Valentine’s day date.” To her surprise, the restaurant not only issued her a refund; Mendez himself also gave her the opportunity to get a complimentary meal.

“[Chef Jorge] would like to invite you to dine with us on Valentine’s Day or on any date you prefer,” reads the email sent by the Modan team. “You’re very welcome to bring a companion of your choice—a friend, a family member, or anyone you’d feel comfortable sharing the experience with. Chef simply wants you to still feel love in another form.”

In an exchange with SPOT.ph, @hey_merie shares she's been dining and celebrating special occasions at Modan since 2024. "This Valentine’s reservation was actually supposed to be my fifth visit," she relays. "I’ve always loved their contemporary take on Asian food, but more than that, their customer service really stands out. Every experience has felt thoughtful and intentional. If you’ve been here before, you'd get why people keep coming back."

This particular reservation for Valentine's day was made as early as January 12th. "Knowing they usually get fully booked, especially for February 14, I wanted to secure it early," she shares. The cancellation was made on February 8th, which still falls within the validity period of downpayment refunds (at least 48 hours before the meal is meant to take place), per Modan’s policy.

For the chef, what he extended was nothing but a simple gesture of kindness. "With Valentine’s Day approaching and knowing she had just gone through a breakup, I simply wanted to do something thoughtful to somehow lighten what she might have been feeling," he tells SPOT.ph. "There was no special arrangement beyond that—just a sincere attempt to show empathy."

But it was a gesture that meant the world to @hey_merie, and one that turned what would've been a sorrowful Valentine's season into a gleefully memorable one. She took up Chef Jorge's offer, bringing a close friend with her. "From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed so warmly. The entire staff was incredibly kind, I was honestly trying to hold back happy tears the whole time because I was so overwhelmed by their generosity."

"They even gave me a rose, which was such a thoughtful touch," she continues. "One of the highlights for me was when Chef Jorge personally checked in on me. We had a short conversation, and he shared how he felt for me. [Jorge said] this was the least he could do—which honestly couldn’t be farther from the truth, because it meant so much."

@hey_merie went on to give a shoutout to Chef Jorge's "incredible heart" on her TikTok post, which has more than 199.6k likes as of writing. "I was met with so much kindness and generosity... Sometimes love doesn’t come the way you expect it to. Sometimes it comes through really good food and genuinely good people."

Folks on the internet have similarly praised Modan for their act. "Wow, sobrang bait ni Chef Jorge," reads a comment by the user @whos_gal_laddie on the TikTok post. Meanwhile, user @summerxzzs recalls their own personal experience with the chef: "I had the privilege of working under Chef Jorge at Some Thai Tomas Morato. He is truly kind, and the management treats their employees very well. Although I have resigned, it remains one of the best work experiences I’ve had. I’m very grateful for the opportunity."

"That's the kind of business/restaurant that has compassion and love for its customers," reads a comment by user Ocampo Jericho in a separate repost on Facebook (with more than 6.9k engagements as of writing!). "No doubt that Modan will prosper because of its beautiful, compassionate soul."

A number of comments also make mention of Jorge's daughter Caprice Cayetano, who is currently a contestant on Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition 2.0. "No wonder Caprice has a very kind heart. [She] was raised by kind parents!," says user @koi_finds on the original TikTok post. "Kita mo din talaga reason bakit napalaking maayos si Caprice noh. Kudos to Chef Jorge for this thoughtful gesture," @soleil.riego38 adds.

Jorge admits he was surprised to see the incident trend on social media. "I really did not expect this to escalate or be posted publicly. The invitation was made in good faith, without any intention other than compassion."

Regardless, the whole experience of it is now a core memory for @hey_merie. She recalls one particular exchange between her and Jorge during her meal: "He mentioned that if something similar ever happened to his own daughter—hopefully [that's not the case]—he would wish that others would show her the same kindness. That really stayed with me."

"Overall, it was an incredibly moving experience, not just because of the food, but because of how human and sincere everything felt," she says. If that ain't the essence of hospitality, we don't know what is.