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This Salcedo Village Spot Is a New York-Trained Chef's Playground for "Unapologetic" Cuisine
Idalia enters their dine-in era, and rocks the assignment while they're at it.
Published on Jul 1, 2025
Restaurant Idalia
112 Valero Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City
Contact: 0998-864-2525
Instagram: www.instagram.com/restaurantidalia
Open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 to 10 p.m. (Monday to Thursday); 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 to 11 p.m. (Friday to Sunday)
(SPOT.ph) We can probably call it now: The restaurant boom in Metro Manila has gone well past revenge dining and officially entered FAFO territory, riding the line between haute and nouvelle cuisine almost to the point of blurring.
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Idalia has recently opened its own physical restaurant. Photo by Majoy Siason.
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Inside. Photo by Majoy Siason.
It’s no wonder, though; there’s never a shortage in demand for something new and exciting, nor a deficit of critique for those who attempt that very thing. These days, too, and not only in food, it’s largely a matter of referencing rather than reinventing. But Restaurant Idalia—Greek for “behold the sun”—dawns with a kind of fearlessness that we don’t often get to clock.
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The dining area. Photo by Majoy Siason.
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The team at work. Photo by Majoy Siason.
Restaurant Idalia in Makati
A ‘Carpe Diem’ Approach to Cuisine
Those who follow the more niche avenues of the food scene would be familiar with Idalia, initially a private-dining concept that has now opened its permanent dining space in Makati. Chef Kevin David, who has worked for the likes of Otium in Los Angeles, and Barbuto and Marea in New York, describes this concept as “unapologetic”; you might see a hint of this at his burger joint Bun Run, where rules must be followed to a tee but the ideas can go off the rails. “I’m already bored with the menu,” he says on the third night of Idalia’s soft opening. “But I think a space like this is where I can really play and put my team to the test.”
It starts with the deceptively simple—everything simple is deceptive in dining, because there are no bells and whistles to mask deficiencies. The Raviolo al Uovo (P739) somehow manages to pull off the indulgence of fat on fat on fat without feeling like an impending doctor’s appointment; specifically, ricotta, beef fat, and brown butter.
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Ravioli al Uovo. Photo by Majoy Siason.
On the other hand, the Crudo (P730) gets the sprightly, springy treatment—that is to say, the full barrage of richness, heat, and acidity that we’ve come to expect from every iteration of citrus-denatured fish around the world. There’s something about the guajillo crema in particular that lends itself well to the firm and nutty-sweet snapper. We recommend having it alongside the Jicama & Apple (P390) to layer those flavors: the aged saltiness of the pecorino and the mild earthiness of the cashews, draped with slivers of apple and what we know to be singkamas—there’s a gentle crunch to the veg that grounds you into the dining experience.
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Crudo. Photo by Majoy Siason.
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Jicama & Apple. Photo by Majoy Siason.
Bold Understatement
The actual space isn’t quite industrial and not quite stone-age chic either, but a fairly modern mix that quietly signals ‘experimental’—fair enough, because David is always dreaming up and developing the next thing. “There’s also so much talent in the Philippines,” he says. “I’ve found it’s mostly a matter of pushing them and teaching them to push themselves.”
Perhaps one of the best demonstrations of his overall philosophy is the Iberico Bone-in Porkchop (P2,500), which initially resembles a classic slow-cooked brisket and is about that tender, if not more. The peppery slab hides a mound of chickpeas stewed in tomatoes; the menu says there’s a side of apple jam, but it’s almost more of a thick, savory coulis—somehow a simultaneously tried and true yet grungy-alternative take to a pork dish.
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Iberico Bone-In Porkchop. Photo by Majoy Siason.
Dessert is just as much of an adventure; Parmesan & Corn (P450) might make some see cartoon question marks, but it’s just one of those things you’ve got to trust. You may not crave it—we can say that with some certainty—but it’s not a dessert ‘built’ for that; rather, it seems to question the association between itself and craving. Here, David and his team push the boundaries of savoriness within the framework of gelato and financier—the basil is a nice, bright touch.
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Parmesan & Corn. Photo by Majoy Siason.
Yet it’s not entirely about dismantling the box, and the slightly more timid still have somewhere to go. The pistachios and olive oil-based creme fraiche in the chocolate Torta (P450) still round out the bittersweet of this less challenging meal-closer. This is the one you might come back with a nose for, though.
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Torta. Photo by Majoy Siason.
With the Seasons
Whether it’s chef-driven fast food or fine dining, David doesn’t see much of a difference in what goes on in the background—you’ve got to work with the season’s produce. “It’s a really good time to be more thoughtful about what we’re doing,” he explains, “because you’ll find more people who are willing to make it happen, make it sustainable. We still import, we kind of have to, but the goal is to work with what we’ve got as much as possible to really showcase the Philippines for the culinary hotspot that it is.”
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. Photo by Majoy Siason.
Such seems to be the theme for 2025; it’s undoubtedly an undertaking, when you remember what chefs, restaurateurs, and farmers are typically up against. But we’re already in the sandbox—if you ask this chef, we might as well build the castles.
Photos by Majoy Siason
If you’ve never been afraid of how much someone loves food, you’ve never met Michiko Manalang. She predictably has multiple cats; she less predictably can row 70 pounds.
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