Inside Celera, the new ‘community restaurant’ by chefs Nicco Santos and Quenee Vilar

Large glass windows invite curious passers-by to wander in, where you’ll be enveloped by a feeling of community—and this is by design. The open kitchen is the heart of the restaurant but simultaneously bleeds into the rest of the space, closing the distance between the diner. Santos believes it’s in these moments of connection that the Celera experience truly comes alive, building what they call a “community restaurant”.

“We intend for the space to be an interweave with our diners,” Santos relates, “for our guests to experience Celera uniquely as their own, coming home to something familiar as they step in and dine, but at the same time leaving with a collaborative sense and moment with the kitchen.”

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Here, that medium of connection is food. While Santos’s expertise in Asian flavours forms the backbone of Celera’s philosophy, its boundless cuisine is much more nuanced. A bite of their tenderloin tartare reveals this succinctly; topped with ricotta, Thai chilli, salsa verde, and bone marrow on crisp sesame leaf tempura, the impactful dish displays their ability to go beyond the palette of Asian flavours without diluting their culinary DNA. The noodles made of fish head stock dressed with soy, jalapeño, peanut butter, and laksa leaf was another stroke of genius—served with the tuna carpaccio and calamansi koshō, it was a playful medley of flavours that was undeniably fun to eat. 

Heftier dishes that spotlight exquisite meats and seafood, each cooked to absolute perfection, further prove the precision of their craft, allowing them to focus their attention on the creative elements that accent each plate. Take the lamb, dry-aged in sake kasu (sake lees) and grilled to a juicy blush pink, served with miso-beetroot sauce, chocolate-beetroot purée, and gremolata. The Maine lobster tail, a highlight exclusive to the set menu, makes a succulent canvas for an intricate symphony of flavours: hibiscus vinegar, lobster jus, leek oil, pickled onion, cream and Parmesan foam, and delightful bits of crispy chicken skin.

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Even dishes that play more within the realm of Asian flavours surprise the palate with clever combinations, such as the duck and chicken tsukune with miso egg yolk, yuzu koshō, shiso, and Baguio strawberries, or the Fine de Claire oysters with Sichuan foam, Thai pear granita, and pickled spring onions. Santos and Vilar’s love for robust Asian flavours is further expressed through their Wagyu beef cheeks in pork blood “rendang” and the heirloom rice with longganisa ragu and sambal. Completing the Celera experience is a range of wines curated by beverage director and sommelier Pamela Begre, as well as a juice and cocktail program developed by Santos and beverage manager Erika Posadas.

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In large part, Celera’s unique identity stems from Santos’s ever-evolving culinary style, his cuisine d’auter. But the astute chef also recognises that Celera is much bigger than Vilar or himself—it’s an opportunity to celebrate and propel every member of the team. “Celera is an outward exposition from within—within the team, the collective experiences that we have, the techniques that we have acquired, and the results of working together,” he shares. “Hopefully, they can take with them the work that we do here today when it’s time for them to spread their wings.”

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With the opening of his newest restaurant, Santos admits that the road to Celera was not without its challenges. “What I went face-to-face with this time round was something deep and personal,” he candidly confides in me. “This is not my first rodeo, so I gave myself such a high expectation that Celera is to be my masterpiece, with all the accolades as the goals in sight. Of course, it wouldn’t hurt to dream big, not just for myself but for the team—but in doing so, I lost sight of what’s important, what our intentions were in the first place.”

“Celera is a space for us to be free, have fun, stay true to ourselves, and cook for our loved ones,” he firmly declares, emboldened by a sense of conviction and authority. “As soon as I levelled with myself at the end of this introspection, I realised the true makings of a masterpiece are to have creative freedom, be in this journey together with my team, and provide food as best we know for our guests.”

Celera is now accepting reservations exclusively for dinner service, Tuesdays to Saturdays, from 6pm to 11pm. To book your seats, email reservations@restaurantcelera.com or message +63.917.501.3077.

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