New year, new restaurants: The most anticipated openings of 2024

The acclaimed restaurateur is also venturing home to Bacolod to open The Guest House. “This will be a heritage Ilonggo restaurant inspired by my family’s old home in Bacolod-Murcia,” Forés shares.

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Makanai (which will be led by chef Jorge Mendez) you can expect to indulge in Mōdan’s à la carte offerings. As an extension and evolution of Mōdan, expect more of the exciting contemporary Japanese fare that you have come to love from the tasting menu establishment, but in a more relaxed and approachable environment.

This new concept from chefs Nicco Santos and Quenee Vilar will be their entry into fine dining, presenting what they dub as casual fine dining and serving a taste of intersecting cultures and cuisines. Its food will be motivated by the tapestry of Southeast Asian flavours. “Celera is a contemporary establishment fusing diverse culinary traditions into a seamless, modern dining experience,” says Nicco Santos. The name comes from the Malaysian word selera, which means a desire for food and eatery; it also pays homage to the phrase bon appétit— all of which was inspired by one of their culinary mentors from Kuala Lumpur. Celera is expected to open mid-late this year and will be housed in the emerging artist community of Comuna along Pablo Ocampo Street in Makati City.

Chef Bruce Ricketts will be opening a new fine dining Japanese restaurant, which will house an 8-seat chef’s table for his signature omakase experience, regular tables, and private dining rooms, too. “We’re looking to open in mid-to-third quarter of 2024,” shares Ricketts. “In the meantime, we’ll be busy with R&D and will explore more of Japan and the Philippines to further intensify our craft,” he adds. This restaurant will be a true expression of who he, and his wife and partner Jae Pickrell are, from concept, food, to service and branding. “She’s handling all creative direction and operations outside of the kitchen, from branding, interior design, meeting foreign suppliers, down to sourcing and commissioning Japanese and local artists for every single plate and glass we’ll have at Iai. Everything that you’ll see will be a reflection of her, as it is of me,” Ricketts explains.

See also: What’s next for chef Bruce Ricketts? From Mecha Uma to Iai

Soft-opening on February 8, Uma Nota brings Manila a taste of Brazil and Japan. The restaurant, which has a presence in Hong Kong and Paris, will make its entry into Manila with local partners Michael Needham and Amir Borsok and chef Kyle Ureta. Uma Nota’s menu is a celebration of diverse flavours, seamlessly blending the culinary traditions from both these food capitals. “Uma Nota has always been a celebration of cultural harmony, a symphony where Brazilian and Japanese influences dance together. Our journey into Manila is more than just an expansion; it’s an immersion into the rich tapestry of flavours and experiences unique to this vibrant city,” expresses Alexis Offe, co-founder of Uma Nota. Unlike the Hong Kong location, Manila will be adding to the Uma Nota experience by hosting big events, promising a more dynamic atmosphere. The restaurant will open in Shangri-La the Fort, Manila, where the Ministry of Crab used to be, and will be designed by Asmaa Said, founder of The Odd Duck Studio. The restaurant is primed to feature four key spaces: The Living Room, with a hanging tree installation, which will house the dining space, The Bar for a more social atmosphere; plus Tropicalia which will be inspired by the ’70s, and The Meiji Room, paying homage to the mass Japanese migration to São Paulo during the Meiji era.

The Crosta group, by Ingga Cabangon Chua and Tommy Woudwyk, is opening an elevated Italian-inspired à la carte restaurant called Bianca this 2024. In the establishment, they will also house an intimate chef’s table concept (Bianca Omakase), where they will showcase a pizza-tasting menu experience that will spotlight and elevate their signature dough styles, presenting it in a variety of innovative expressions. As a seasonal restaurant, Bianca Omakase will live in two countries at different times of the year. It will be up and running in Niskeo, Japan during the winter months, while closed in Manila, and will open for service in Manila after the winter months, pausing operations in Niseko. They launched both the slice-shop iteration of the brand, Baby Crosta, and the fine-dining Bianca Omakase for the first time last December 2023. Chef Yuichi Ito’s sister, Naomi Ito, will be joining the team back in Manila this year as well.

See also: Baby Crosta opens in Niseko, Japan

Carlo Alvarez will soon proudly open the doors to his American-Italian eatery in BGC. “Our food program is curated with a selection of nostalgic dishes such as mozzarella sticks, calamari, and even nachos with our own contemporary flair. We will be doing 13-inch New York-style pizza, which we’ll offer by the slice or as a whole pie, plus homemade pasta,” shares Alvarez. They will also have a unique coffee program, which will serve espressos, pour-overs, and more, using beans from Good Cup Coffee by Gio Visitacion. What’s primed to be a new go-to community spot will have interiors designed by JJ Acuña.

From the team that brought you Izakaya Geronimo and Wagyu Studio (LA Clavano, Lui Clavano, and Carlo Alvarez) comes another new eatery this year, but this time focused on bringing the country an exquisite brunch menu. While they are still pinning down a name and location, we can expect the restaurant to rise in Fort Bonifacio and is set to feature live music at night as well.

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Angelo Comsti and Linamnam’s Don Baldosano will join forces to open a modern Filipino concept with retro touches that will offer both a tasting menu and an à la carte experience, too. It will be located on the second floor of Ayala Triangle Gardens, with an al fresco area and garden views. While the two have not announced a name for the restaurant yet, we can expect to see them both in the kitchen, most especially for tasting menu service, which will happen at the restaurant, not daily, but around two to three times a week.

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“Automat is going to be an à la carte restaurant with a possible prix fixe menu that focuses on modern Manila cuisine,” chef Stephan Duhesme tells us. Housed above the celebrated Metiz in Karrivin Plaza, his signature elevated tasting menu experience, Automat will be somewhat of a gastropub, boasting a curated selections of natural wine too.

See also: Metiz Restaurant’s Chef Stephan Duhesme Re-Interprets Filipino Food

This Cantonese restaurant will be brought to us by several F&B personalities, including Elbert Cuenca, Arcadius and Jennifer Rybak, and is being designed by Noel Bernardo. The interiors are modern and decadent, with warm notes and notable Chinese design features. Its à la carte menu will feature dim sum, noodles and other popular Cantonese fare. “The location is Green Sun Makati, which is currently undergoing a major revamp to accommodate a number of restaurant concepts,” shares Elbert Cuenca. 

Asador Alfonso is a development by chef Chele González and Juan Carlo Calma. This exciting endeavour will be housed in a new project in Tagaytay called Lava Rock. This architectural undertaking by Calma is not a resort but will have boutique rooms and villas for guests. “We see Asador Alfonso as a very unique events space, a place to personalise experiences and create magical moments,” González shares. The restaurant will highlight Spanish gastronomy and will feature a roasting house with a unique brick oven designed by the best artisan supplier in Spain— in fact, González added that there are only a few of its kind in Asia.

See also: Flavours of My Youth: Chef Chele González on the dish that ignited his love for food

Chele González also teams up with The Westin Manila this 2024. “The name of the restaurant is Cantabria, my homeland in Spain. We highlight my region and especially the seafood from the area since we have some of the best in the world. The menu is very seafood-oriented, but we will also have beautiful meats,” González reveals. We can expect a range of creative tapas and, of course, classic Spanish favourites.

See also: The dynamic Filipino F&B scene through the eyes of chefs Chele González, Stephan Duhesme, Jordy Navarra and Josh Boutwood

Milka Romero is slated to open Miro Beach Club this March 2024, located in the heart of El Nido, Palawan. Together with chef Isabel Francisco, the two-level concept will have an all-day-dining restaurant and a sunset lounge on the terrace, serving tropical cocktails paired with fresh sushi by the beach.

Kasa Palma by chef Aaron Isip will open (quite) soon. It will be the next step and evolution of his celebrated Balai Palma, housed on the same street in Poblacion. Here you will find him playing with open-fire cookery. The restaurant will feature two sections: an outdoor section with an open kitchen where guests can watch chefs at work and an indoor dining room, too. The restaurant will also house two menus: a degustation and à la carte menu (which will launch a few months after the tasting menu indoors).

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From the Kazunori group comes Kazu Cafe, opening in Ayala Triangle Gardens. “The cafe is similar to a lot of Tokyo cafés with a menu that is less structured and serious. Oftentimes, these are the [dishes] that the Japanese take from another culture and adapt in their own way, like pasta from Italy, sandwiches from the US for sandos and more. It’s the food that you eat perhaps less cerebrally, and just have fun with it for what it is,” comments co-founder Ryan Cruz. Kazu Café will have a totally new look and is said to be more whimsical, too. Keep an eye out for them, coming July-August 2024. 

Papillon, an exciting new venture between Lampara, Square One and Project Vino, will open in Salcedo. This bar and restaurant will have an à la carte menu and will be run by chefs RJ Ramos and Alphonse Sotero, showcasing Southeast Asian fare with a modern and refreshing twist. “Papillon will be a flavour journey across the cultures and cuisines of the Southeast Asian region with a refreshing take,” says Ramos. “The name holds both symbolic and cultural significance, representing the beautiful evolution and the warm atmosphere we aim to create at our establishment. Our decision to adopt the name aligns with the tradition of Southeast Asian restaurants having playful names. In our case, the pronunciation of Papillon /papijɔ̃/, is reminiscent of the Tagalog colloquial term of endearment “paps/papi” among male friends. This choice not only reflects common lingo for Filipinos, but also serves as a unique way for our servers to engage with guests who inquire about the name ‘Papillon’, a place where everyone can be a social butterfly,” Sotero adds. The restaurant will begin operations by the second quarter of 2024.

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Liyab, a tasting menu restaurant by chef Charles Montanez, will be putting a spotlight on Filipino produce. He shared that it will have a no-gas kitchen and instead focus on cooking using different methods to manipulate fire: open cooking, smoking, parilla, and more. Liyab will open on the top floor of a BGC building and will have a 180-degree glass view of the skyline. The large space will actually house two of his concepts, Liyab and Anomal, both of which will share the same receiving area. 

Again, from Charles Montanez comes Anomaly, a high-end VIP lounge. “It is intertwined [with Liyab] in the sense where my diners in Liyab can hang out at Anomaly right after their meal, or the other way around. They can opt to do a sunset session or grab an after-office tipple before having a meal,” explains Montanez.

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