Tasting menus—also called degustation menus—aren’t new by any means, but they’re having quite the moment in Manila in this era of post-pandemic revenge dining. We are all for it. It’s a great way to explore flavors and ingredients you might not necessarily encounter on a day-to-day basis, after all, and there’s a curious sense of comfort in having (most) decisions made for you—save perhaps for the main course in some, but not all, cases—by some of the country’s best chefs, who are also given the opportunity to express their creativity and showcase their dexterity on the culinary front. (Plus points for tasting menus being especially solo diner-friendly.)
Here, we round up the restaurants of the moment in the Metro whose degustations best engage and enthrall the senses—and are well worth noting and prioritizing on your bucket list. Note that we’ve limited this list to regular restaurants, as opposed to those open exclusively for private dining.
TRY: The 10 Best Testing Menus in Metro Manila
1. Helm
Originally located in BGC before moving this month to their current outpost in Makati, Helm is where Chef Josh Boutwood marries his telltale creativity with unparalleled refinement. Ingredients are the star here, with new and old flavor combos taken down the contemporary road with updated techniques and ways of plating. Expect to gratify your senses on the gustatory front with their tasting menu (P5,800/eight courses, P8,800/12 courses), currently featuring plates like the vibrant-rich Duck, Soursop, Black Pepper (which pairs French duck with a guyabano gel for tropical flair) and the ravishing Strip Loin, Mushroom, Sunchoke (with Australian Wagyu striploin cooked to supreme tenderness). That the team prepares and plates the dishes right in front of you, should you be sitting at one of their counter tables, is a welcome intimate touch.
Location: 3/F The Shops at Ayala Triangle Gardens, Ayala Avenue corner Paseo de Roxas, Makati City
2. Metronome
It’s easy to dismiss French fare as stuffy or old-fashioned—but when done right, you’ll see why the cuisine’s principles are still considered foundations with applications across different cooking genres today. Allow Metronome—which was included in the 2022 50 Best Discovery List—to demonstrate what we mean. Chef Miko Calo (who’s graduated from the École Grégoire-Ferrandi in Paris and worked for no less than the late Joël Robuchon) pays ode to her classic French training here, so you can expect flawless culinary executions of meats and fish and sauces and veg and the like. Calo and the team make it their own, however, by using local ingredients and going for more current flavor tandems and ways plating. On the current tasting menu (P7,000/10 courses, for preorder) are dishes like the Langoustine (lobster), interpreted as a croustillant with a rich foie-gras sauce and togarashi; and the Pigeon with wood sorrel caramel, braised white radish, a roasted garlic sauce, and potato purée. P.S. not to give away spoilers or anything, but let’s just say that potato purée alone is reason enough to drop by their premises. We’d down it by the pot if we could.
Location: The Grand Midori Makati, Bolanos Street, Legazpi Village, Makati City
3. Toyo Eatery
In just a span of seven years since opening in 2016, Toyo Eatery’s drawn numerous accolades on a global scale—especially for their inclusion in the past years’ iterations of the prestigious Asia’s 50 Best list: 43rd in 2019, 44th in 2020, 49th in 2021, 94th in 2022, and 42nd in 2023, apart from also being bestowed the Sustainable Restaurant Award and the Best Restaurant in the Philippines by the institution. The Chef Jordy Navarra-helmed establishmentt aims to understand Filipino food by looking back to the past, and honors it with progressive (and clever) interpretations employing methods and ingredients that suit the sensibilities of today. On their tasting menu are courses of the likes of the Garden Vegetables “Bahay Kubo” (with the famous bahay kubo veg under a “soil” of eggplant and peanuts), and porksilog-inspired Roasted Black Pig brightened by a pako salad. Note that as of writing, their restaurant in Karrivin Plaza is temporarily closed for renovations, though you can still find the Toyo team serving ala-carte casual dishes at their Orosa pop-up in Rockwell until May 14.
Location: The Alley at Karrivin, 2316 Chino Roces Avenue, Makati City
4. Modan
Japanese cuisine, through progressive lens, is the name of the game at Modan. The small eatery tucked in Cubao showcases a different side of Chef Jorge Mendez (of casual Japanese spot Ohayo Maki x Ramen)—one that’s polished, playful, but also very much personal. After all, their degustation menu (P4,500/10 courses) takes from Mendez’ own memories and the people that have played significant roles in his life. We’re talking bites and plates like the zingy Gyu Kakuni Korokke (with shredded Wagyu, and dedicated to the chefs of Hapag); the bright Amaebi (given the tiradito treatment, and dedicated to Chef Margarita Fores); and the succulent Scallop (atop house-made matcha soba, and dedicated to Japanese ramen master Kito Nakawara).
Location: Unit 3 Level 1 Escalades East Tower, 20th Avenue, Cubao, Quezon City
5. Mecha Uma
Down-home as his roots may be at neighborhood sushi joint Sensei in BF, Chef Bruce Ricketts goes all-out at BGC’s Mecha Uma—which has made it to lists of the likes of the 2019 50 Best Discovery List and Opinionated About Dining. There’s a distinguishable Japanese theme to the tasting menu (P9,150/14 courses), which is similar to classic omakase in how dishes can vary based on what’s available and full control is put in the hands of the chef (something we’re more than happy to trust Ricketts for)—taken the mischievous, exuberant direction. It’s refreshing to say the least. To give you an idea, some of the courses on previous iterations included ankimo brightened by vinegar jelly; sukiyaki of Wagyu beef with black truffle; and oyster somen with poached Japanese oyster with yuzu, chocolatito tomatoes, cucumber, seaweed gel, and somen noodles in a vivfying citrus broth.
Location: G/F RCBC Savings Bank Corporate Tower, 25th corner 26th Street, Bonifacio Global City
6. Hapag
At Hapag, chefs Thirdy Dolatre, John Kevin Navoa, and Kevin Paolo Villarica celebrate Filipino tradition while bringing modernity into the mix. Imagine the Filipino faves you likely grew up with—but used as inspiration in lighter bites, given updated presentations, and/or cooked in novel ways while retaining its soul-satisfying character. You’ll want to swing by at dinnertime, between Wednesdays and Sundays, for their Hapunan tasting menu (P4,500/10 courses). Included are the likes of Chicken Inasal Crackers and Soy Caramel Kutsinta (as part of their “Snackbox”); their version of Bonete and Alimango (as part of the Panimula or starters); and the Binusog na Manok and Inadobong Pugita (as part of the Salu-Salo or mains). There’s also the lighter five-course degustation option (P2,950/five courses) available for lunch between Friday and Sunday.
Location: 201 Katipunan Avenue, Project 4, Quezon City.
7. Wagyu Studio Manila
This Wagyu-focused establishment pretty much celebrates all things opulent in their sleek space BGC—and the best way to experience what they do best is by heading to the Live Kitchen and trying out their tasting menu (P13,000+/10 courses) available at dinnertime from Wednesdays to Sundays. With Chef Yoji Kitayama in charge in the kitchen, Japanese is the primary motif and approach when it comes to the food—though you best believe they’re making use of luxe ingredients where possible, e.g. Kaluga Queen caviar, French truffle, and of course, Kobe Beef. Courses on the said degustation include the Nori (a one-bite wonder of Wagyu tartare, caviar, and gold leaf specks on a crisp sheet of seaweed) and the tender Chateaubriand that’s of the roll-your-eyes-to-the-back-of-your-head levels of sublime.
Location: Unit 201B 1/F The Finance Center, 9th Avenue corner 26th Street, Bonifacio Global City
8. Metiz
This Karrivin Plaza gem highlights and breathes (literal) life into local ingredients, particularly Philippine produce and meats. Led by Chef Stephan Duhesme, the restaurant—which was recently included for the first time in the prestigious Asia’s 50 Best List of 2023, at the 48th spot—makes use of fermentation where possible, housing a fully stocked shelf of fruits, veg, and other ingredients all fermented in-house and turned into kombucha, vinegar, and other preserves. The team then makes use of these, along with other ingredients that are fresh and/or locally sourced, to whip up plates with intriguing flavor combos and inspirations. From their tasting menu (P3,850/eight courses) comes a fresh and zingy tofu plate (with fermented pineapple, beach letuce, lacto vegetables) that brings to mind lumpiang togue. Other standouts are the rich and buttery caramelized ensaymada with Kalim-Aw kamote, laced with a tapuy reduction and topped with a snow of cheese; and the aged tanigue with fermented rice and mushrooms, a red-rice sauce, and a sawsawan of compressed talinum that evokes buro't mustasa.
Location: Karrivin Plaza, 2316 Chino Roces Avenue, Makati City.
9. Gallery by Chele
Chefs Chele Gonzalez, Carlos Villaflor, and the rest of the Gallery by Chele team explore traditional Filipino ingredients and cooking techniques—which then serves as the inspiration for the sublime edible compositions on their tasting menu (P3,900/six courses, P4,900/10 courses). Octopus, for example, is gallery by chele flavored and grilled a la inasal before being crowned by pickled jicama and chicken jus. Also on the lineup is a most tender Iberico Char Siu underlined by smoked pork jus, and kept company by a kamote puree and crisped-up kailan leaves. The restaurant in BGC recently made it to Asia’s 50 Best 2022’s 51 to 100 list at the 69th spot.
Location: 5/F Clipp Center, 11th Avenue corner 39th Street, Bonifacio Global City.
10. Alegria Manila
Even in the fine-dining space, Alegria Manila isn’t afraid to have some (much-needed) fun by bringing in Latin-American pizzazz to the Filipino flavor party. They’ve got Chef Charles Montañez (of Buena Vida and Alegria Singapore) taking the lead, after all. Their latest tasting menu (P3,600/seven courses, P4,950/14 dishes) presents an adventurous mix of South American and Filipino elements, with dishes like the Jowl Etag where slices of the Cordilleran cured meat come surrounded by pickled earl-grey tea grapes, burong singkamas, and truffle; and the Fish Moqueca paired with laing-stuffed tetela and a condiment of sibujing (think onion’s feistier cousin, from Mindanao).
Location: G/F Uptown Parade, Uptown Bonifacio, 9th Avenue Corner 38th Street, Taguig City.
Bonus: Lore
Chef "Tatung" Sarthou brings his Filipino cooking knowledge and expertise to the fine-dining realm—without losing sight of the cuisine’s roots—at Lore in BGC. Their tasting menu, which can be had in five-course (P2,600), seven-course (P3,600/regular, P4,000/pescetarian), and the full 10-course (P4,800) iterations, is as much a meal as it is an educational voyage that alludes to Filipino cooking traditions as well as Tatung's personal experiences. Their current tasting menu, the Gayuma (P3,600/five courses), includes the likes of Barako with coffee-crusted barramundi, tinapa bearnaise, a walnut-balayan gremolata, and seasonal veg; and the Karne or USDA ribeye, a “Soup No. 5” sauce, bat and balls relish, garlic-potato puree, and calamansi-patis mostarda.
Location: 3/F One Bonifacio High Street, 28th Street corner 5th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City.
*This story originally appeared on Spot.ph. Minor edits have been made by the Preview.ph editors
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