Dining news: new menus from Mōdan, Hapag, Tandem and Taupe, pop-ups with visiting chefs and updates on what’s soon to open

Burnt Basque Cheesecake by Chele launches their latest flavour, adding a new sweet treat to their delicious menu. Meet their new luscious pistachio tarta de queso! Nutty, creamy and wonderfully fragrant, this new creation is a showstopper.  

Goxo launches the second edition of its prix fixe menu, this time infusing Japanese influences into its bold Basque roots. While sourcing globally, the kitchen stays committed to local produce. Chef Albert Mendoza, who loves both cuisines, says their shared respect for ingredient integrity makes the pairing seamless—highlighting flavours through restraint, precision and technique. Guests can choose between a five- or seven-course menu, with optional supplements like a flavour-packed paella. Each menu includes all starters, a choice of main and dessert.

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Introducing Hapag’s new tasting menu: Western Mindanao. Have you ever had leche flan as a palate cleanser or the Maranao riyandang—the Filipino sister to the Indonesian and Malaysian rendang? Through Hapag’s new tasting menu, chefs Thirdy Dolatre and Kevin “Nav” Navoa spotlight a part of the Philippines often left out of the nation’s gastronomic discourse, Western Mindanao.

Founded in Tokyo in 2020, Hikiniku to Come specialises in Japanese hamburg served over rice, built upon their “three-fresh principle”: freshly ground, freshly grilled and freshly cooked rice. With 11 restaurants across Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand and China, the brand is credited with pioneering the now-trending practice of serving freshly grilled hamburg “on-the-rice.” Their first Philippine location will open at Uptown Mall, BGC, in partnership with The Standard Hospitality Group—the F&B group behind Kiwami, Ippudo Philippines, Yabu: House of Katsu and more. It’s set to be the largest Hikiniku to Come in the world, marking a major milestone in the brand’s international expansion.

Roots welcomes Hapag to Siargao for Kaos Table volume three. For their third iteration of their collab series Kaos Table, the team at Roots excitedly welcomes Thirdy Dolatre, Kevin Navoa and Erin Recto from Hapag to co-create an unforgettable ten-course menu featuring foraged ingredients and distinct island treasures. The collab will be on July 12 and 13 at Roots, Siargao.

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From June 12 to July 13, Khaiba takes over The Balmori Suites Chefs Table—a Tasteless Food Group pop-up spotlighting Filipino cuisine with subtle Middle Eastern influences. Named after kakaiba (Tagalog for “different”) and khaiba (Arabic for “to surprise”), the cross-cultural menu is led by chefs Sonny Mariano (savoury) and Nouel Catis (desserts). Mariano draws from Filipino classics, subtly layered with Mediterranean spice. “They’re familiar and comforting, but with a twist,” he says. After 16 years abroad, Catis returns with nostalgic desserts inspired by his childhood—now reimagined through the lens of his time in Dubai. “It’s a full-circle moment,” he says. “This is my way of giving back.”

Kiwami Master Kitchens is opening a new branch in Mall of Asia on June 19. Keep your eyes peeled and get excited for the grand opening of the largest Kiwami Master Kitchens yet. 

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La Vie En Rose revives their supper club, a project they created a while back designed to shine the spotlight on rising star guest chefs. Held in their intimate, speakeasy-style space in Poblacion, La Vie en Rose Supper Club is a private dining series that brings together culinary creativity, storytelling and bespoke experiences. Each edition invites a guest chef to design a one-of-a-kind multi-course menu, blending personal influences and inventive techniques, all paired with the venue’s signature cocktails. This June, chef Martin Laurel, whose background includes Michelin-starred restaurants in New York and San Francisco, as well as acclaimed Manila kitchens, will feature in the supper club from June 18 to 20. Guests can expect daring plates that reinterpret tradition with a rebellious edge—offering a rare opportunity for diners to enjoy bold, boundary-pushing flavours in an exclusive, small-group setting.

Bistrot Le Coucou introduces Le Goûter, its elegant interpretation of the classic French afternoon ritual. Inspired by the cherished tradition of taking a refined pause in the day, Le Goûter offers a leisurely experience of delicate pastries, savoury bites and a curated tea selection, with coffee and sweet wine also on offer. Designed for slow afternoons and graceful conversation, this new menu invites guests to savour the timeless joy of lingering just a little longer.

Los Tacos kicks off its first kitchen takeover with a special two-night taco omakase led by chef Marco Garushia of Los Tacos Azules in Japan. Taking place from July 8-9, this exclusive event highlights chef Garushia’s pioneering use of corn nixtamalisation in Japan, where he crafts fresh-to-order tortillas—a nuanced method that chef Patrick Curitana also abides by. The eight-course meal, showcases a creative fusion of Mexican flavours with Japanese ingredients and techniques. 

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Free Hand is a menu crafted without boundaries, one that embraces juxtaposition. Chef Jorge Mendez conceptualised these dishes outside the limits of convention—totally reimagining the rules, and colouring outside the lines. “By challenging the rules we once followed we’ve found freedom. Let us not merely bend the rules, let us break them–beautifully.” The Free Hand menu takes inspiration from an omakase experience in that the menu will continue to evolve over the next few months. Dishes will be tweaked, re-balanced, swapped out and re-invented based on seasonal produce and Mendez’s clever breakthroughs.

Renowned New York steakhouse Smith & Wollensky is set to open its first Philippine flagship in Bonifacio Global City this July 2025, bringing its iconic dry-aged USDA Prime steaks, award-winning wine programme and signature American hospitality to Manila. Known for its heritage of culinary excellence since 1977, the BGC location will offer the full Smith & Wollensky experience—from colossal cuts and shellfish towers to tailored service and refined interiors—marking a major milestone in the brand’s global expansion.

Tandem, by chefs Alex Tan and Mikee Lopez, unveils a new tasting menu that pays tribute to a beloved staple: rice. Aptly titled “Rice is Life,” the menu is a thoughtful exploration of the grain’s cultural and culinary significance—not just in the Philippines, where it’s a cornerstone of daily life, but across global food capitals where rice tells its own stories. Through inventive techniques and a variety of treatments, each course highlights the grain’s incredible versatility, transforming the familiar into the unexpected. After a recent shift to an à la carte format, Tandem marks the return of its degustation experience, with à la carte offerings now limited to the final week of each month. 

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Introducing “Elements”—a new tasting menu at Taupe by chef Francis Tolentino. Through each dish he incorporates the beauty and power of natural elements. Inspired by the elements of earth, air, water and fire, this seasonal menu is Tolentino’s most ambitious yet. His third tasting menu continues to explore the breadth of Philippine flavours while embracing the bounty of our local produce. Each course draws on the elemental energies that shape not only the way we cook, but the way we experience food.

Toka Wine’s “Will Host” series welcomes chef Jeston Chua. For three nights only, they welcome Chua to Toka Wine’s kitchens to be a part of their popular Will Host series. A graduate of Enderun Colleges in Manila, Chua refined his craft in some of Asia’s most revered French kitchens—including Pierre Gagnaire and Serge et le Phoque, before honing his skills at the modern neo-bistro Belon, where he spent most of his time. From June 20 to 22, he’ll take over Toka Wine to present an à la carte menu designed to pair effortlessly with their signature wine list.

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