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After opening a string of successful cafes and bars, chef Francis Tolentino is finally cooking the food that he wants, at the level where he belongs
“Who is Francis Tolentino?” An industry insider asked me, a person who normally would know these things before I do. However, the chef in question—with a mug made for television and a resume that goes as far back as the now demolished Mandarin Oriental Manila (yes, where Ayala Corp is now building Park Central Towers) where he acted as sous chef— is hardly obscure, and definitely no newcomer. In fact, he has been right under our noses the whole time.
Chef Francis Tolentino is the main character behind the popular Poblacion and Palawan Mexican bar concept, Almacen, as well as Loft Cafe in Burgos Circle, BGC, where residents converge for brunch and coffee. As the executive chef and COO of Forefront Lifestyle Group (LFG), which owns and operates these concepts, among other things, Tolentino has always thrived in the casual dining genre. However, as far back as 2010 when FLG CEO Francis Flores approached him to build this company with him, he already had loftier plans. “Even back then, when I asked chef Tolentino what kind of restaurant he wanted to open with me,” Flores imparts, “he already shared his vision of opening a fine dining concept that celebrated Filipino flavours and ingredients but with a global vibe. This was even before all the other Filipino fine dining concepts now. I told him that we will get there, but let’s first see what he can do.”
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And show what he can do, I suppose, is what Tolentino did for years, until early last 2023, when he and his business partners agreed that it was time. “When they told me that the group wanted to discuss a fine dining concept with me, I was ready,” chef Tolentino admits. “I already knew how I wanted the restaurant to look. (“He already had sketches,” Flores interjects) and within months, I found possible locations.” He even had a name—Taupe. The pale brownish-grey colour, known to be a stylish neutral, represents his aesthetic, which he feels is the appropriate backdrop for the true highlight—his food.
The Two Maridien location in the blossoming South Bonifacio High Street area boasts towering ceilings that make the 30-seater appear more spacious, with sensually dim lighting that makes skin glow and the plates of innovative and globalised local flavours truly pop. The interiors, saturated in Tolentino’s favourite colour, are modern and elegant, and it looks like it would be comfortable in any cosmopolitan city in the world. Many of the well-dressed diners are repeat visitors, coming back to the newly-opened restaurant with friends in tow and with whom they wish to replicate their memorable meals there.
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The ten-course dinner (for now, dinner only, maybe brunch when they are ready) began with an uni mousse captured in between savoury merengue, and the dishes came in succession to a pleasant cadence. Each plate was introduced by the stunning Karla, who not only dissects each course in vivid detail but also presents interesting tidbits about the obscure Filipino ingredients used, such as prized sea salts like Bohol’s tibuok (characterised by its dinosaur egg-like shape) and Zambales’ asin sa buy-o beautifully wrapped in leaves. These ingredients are displayed at the table for guests to admire, adding to the multi-sensory experience as well as hopefully imprinting cultural images that, if not championed by people like chef Tolentino and acknowledged by diners like us, can be lost forever. It is made memorable with dishes such as the apahap ceviche enriched with coconut foam, mangosteen granita, and seasoned with tutul salt from Guimaras; and utilising that tibuok well in a perfectly poached tiger prawn adorned with blanched katuray (a local flower from chef Francis’ provincial roots in Northern Luzon), the perfect bite achieved with a swoop of the plump flesh through slashes of bisque and carabao milk ricotta.
Taupe’s borderless cuisine allows Tolentino to nimbly hop between Eastern and Western, combining flavours and techniques to achieve his unique renditions of uncannily familiar dishes. A chawan mushi-like custard of manila clams can be easily categorised as Japanese, but a spoonful of the delicate steamed egg reveals the surprising garlicky tang of adobo. The dish of the night— a beautiful, well-seasoned Kurobuta pork belly with black garlic, kamias gel, and crispy kale might scream (for lack of a better word) fusion, and yet a slice of the crispy, decadently fatty, and pillowy meat dipped in a thickened batwan broth unmistakably reminiscent of lola’s sinigang. It is simultaneously refined and technique-driven, while also having flavours that hit so close to home it will not seem lost next to a cup of white rice.
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Fine dining is truly treacherous terrain for those who try to navigate it without the right tools and when unarmed with adequate experience. Natural talent surely helps, but there is a very specific skill set that needs to be harnessed along with it, not to mention an infinite well of creativity that seems to be a requirement. Along with that, a support group of well-intentioned administrators and partners to take care of the business end of things to allow the kitchen team to make magic with ingredients and produce. Flores himself admits that he learned some lessons the hard way, but that is all behind them. “I know better now,” he candidly says, “which is why we know that we are truly ready to take LFG to the next level.” He is opening more outlets this year, including Lujo next to Almacen Poblacion, which promises to be a more upscale watering hole.
As for chef Tolentino—somehow in the middle of all the flurry of running bars and cafes, he was able to sharpen his skills and polish his style. His journey— marked with patience and intention— helped him develop an uncontrived finesse in executing dishes that are cerebral yet not overwrought. Everything about Taupe feels like it was painstakingly conceptualised and lovingly conjured. Nothing looks (and tastes) rushed or hastily added. Just like its mindful creator who calmly bade his time— everything is where it should be.
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Jaclyn Clemente Koppe is a food and lifestyle writer, as well as a consultant to some of the country’s beloved food and beverage brands. Her passion for food and drink is only surpassed by her devotion to her family, most especially to her soulmate, Pepa the poodle.
