Cover Cev, Siargao’s beloved ceviche and kinilaw restaurant, launches a kamayan collaboration series with a stellar line-up of chefs across the country and beyond (Photo: courtesy of Cev)
Cev, Siargao’s beloved ceviche and kinilaw restaurant, launches a kamayan collaboration series with a stellar line-up of chefs across the country and beyond (Photo: courtesy of Cev)
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Cev in Siargao brings guests to a secluded island getaway for kamayan collaborations with top chefs—and it launches this weekend
There are few dining formats as distinctly Filipino as the “boodle fight” or kamayan—informal, generous and built around the simple act of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with your community, sharing a meal with your hands. At its core, it is a spread laid out over banana leaves: grilled seafood, meats fresh off the fire, bright and punchy kinilaw, rice piled high. It is instinctive, tactile and profoundly communal.
Cev: Ceviche and Kinilaw Restaurant puts this time-honoured tradition front and centre with its newest campaign. Through Island Style Chef’s Tables, the 2026 Tatler Best Spotlight Restaurant introduces a year-long collaboration series that brings together a considered mix of chefs and restaurants across the Philippines and beyond.
Read more: Food worth fighting for: how to set up your own boodle fight, according to chefs
Above Cev’s kamayan collaboration series goes beyond the restaurants, taking guests to unique locations that capture Siargao’s beauty (Photo: courtesy of Cev)
Cev’s kamayan collaboration series goes beyond the restaurants, taking guests to unique locations that capture Siargao’s beauty (Photo: courtesy of Cev)
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The premise is straightforward: to celebrate this one-of-a-kind ritual and introduce the boodle fight to new audiences, while allowing it to evolve through new techniques and perspectives. “Our goal is to promote this uniquely Filipino and extremely special medium of dining to a more global audience, particularly those who have not heard or experienced it yet,” shares Cev executive chef and owner David del Rosario.
In true Siargao fashion, the Island Style Chef’s Tables will not be confined to the restaurant. Instead, guests are brought to an off-site location for a kamayan feast that captures the destination’s laidback, sun-soaked spirit. “There’s nothing quite like having a one-of-a-kind meal on a beautiful, secluded island, eating only with your hands, all while basking under the tropical sun, and the ocean just footsteps away,” del Rosario says. “It is something truly special, something that promotes a strong sense of family, community and freedom, and something we want more people to experience.”
See also: 8 surf towns where epic waves meet unforgettable eats
Above Bask in the beauty of Mam-on Island, a 50-minute boat ride away from General Luna (Photo: courtesy of Cev)
Above Feast on a sumptuous kamayan feast, as interpreted by Cev and their collaborators (Photo: courtesy of Cev)
Bask in the beauty of Mam-on Island, a 50-minute boat ride away from General Luna (Photo: courtesy of Cev)
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For the chefs, the format presents a different kind of creative exercise. “We believe we can make a lasting impact by empowering amazing chefs to showcase their passion and talents on a canvas that cannot be replicated within the four walls of a restaurant in the city,” he adds. Each collaboration becomes an open-ended interpretation of the kamayan—shaped by place, produce and perspective. “With this initiative, we hope to promote the continued growth and evolution of one of our country’s most unique dining experiences by empowering some of the most talented chefs we know to create their own ‘boodle’ experience.”
The series launches this weekend, March 22, with Bourke’s from Hong Kong led by head chef Tara del Rosario, cousin to David. Born in Manila and raised in Hong Kong, Tara helms the Melbourne-inspired wine bar as its head chef, marrying influences from France, Japan, Spain and her home country, the Philippines. She is also an alumnus of Yardbird—Hong Kong’s famed izakaya specialising in yakitori. Joining her from Bourke’s is managing partner Brett Goss, who leads their beverage narrative with over 15 years of F&B experience.
In case you missed it: Tatler Best 20: the best restaurants in the Philippines 2026
Above Head chef Tara del Rosario and managing partner Brett Goss of Bourke’s Hong Kong head to Siargao for this special collaboration (Photo: courtesy of Cev)
Head chef Tara del Rosario and managing partner Brett Goss of Bourke’s Hong Kong head to Siargao for this special collaboration (Photo: courtesy of Cev)
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The first installation of Island Style Chef’s Tables will mark their second tie-up, following their collaboration in Hong Kong last August. Expect a harmonious blend of Australian barbecue and Filipino kinilaw—a tried-and-tested combination primed for beachside enjoyment. “Think shrimps on the barbie paired with a passionfruit and sea urchin kinilaw,” del Rosario shares. Additionally, guests can expect cocktails by the Bourke’s team, crafted exclusively for the boodle experience.
Guests will be shuttled to and from Mam-on Island, a 50-minute boat ride from General Luna, with ample time to savour the picturesque island before the kamayan begins. Beyond the island feast prepared by the team, your reservation also includes two cocktails by Bourke’s, one cocktail by Cev and local beer to complement the experience. With just 24 “seats” available, the kamayan is set up to be an intimate and immersive culinary getaway.
Read more: Types of caviar: a guide to the world’s most coveted roe
Above David del Rosario, executive chef and owner of Cev: Ceviche and Kinilaw Restaurant (Photo: courtesy of Cev)
David del Rosario, executive chef and owner of Cev: Ceviche and Kinilaw Restaurant (Photo: courtesy of Cev)
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Bourke’s marks the first of seven collaborations lined up for the year, with a stellar row of award-winning talents on the horizon—including our Tatler Best Restaurant of the Year 2026, Toyo Eatery. See the upcoming schedule below and book your Siargao holidays now:
- Bourke’s (Hong Kong) – March 22, 2026
- Roots x Last Chance (Siargao) – April 12, 2026
- Don Baldosano of Linamnam (Manila) – May 24, 2026
- Toyo Eatery (Manila) – TBD June, 2026
- Musang (Seattle, USA) – TBD September, 2026
- Featr (Manila) – TBD November, 2026
- Hapag (Manila) – TBD
Each collaborator is invited to bring their own unique culinary lens (and for the cocktail bar Last Chance, their beverage identity) to the kamayan tradition. There is no fixed template for how these meals should look or taste; that’s the point. What Cev offers instead is a framework grounded in Filipino culture, with enough room for reinterpretation.
From the very beginning, Cev has championed culinary traditions that are distinctly our own, with an aim to bring our kinilaw to the global stage. With Island Style Chef’s Tables, del Rosario expands that vision, shining a light on kamayan not by reinventing it, but by reminding us why we do it in the first place.
About
Lauren’s love for food came much later in life than one would expect— an obsession awakened in the streets of Melbourne’s multicultural dining scene. Armed with this newfound passion, she returned to the Philippines determined to discover the best eats in her home country, with a personal advocacy to champion local cuisines and homegrown talent. Nothing is off-limits; if it’s delicious, it’s worth celebrating.
Work
As Tatler Dining associate editor, Lauren covers all things food and drink, from listing the latest openings in our monthly Dining Radar to interviewing chefs and bartenders about the biggest obstacles crippling the industry today. Beyond the digital space, she also organises Tatler Dining’s tentpole events, including Off Menu and Tatler Dining Kitchen, as well as the annual Tatler Best Philippines awards night and guide launch, detailing the best restaurants in the country.
For leads and event invites, contact her via lauren@tatlerphilippines.com or follow her on Instagram at @laurengolangco.
Photo: Ralph Mendo
