What happened at Off Menu Philippines 2025? The most exciting food festival of the year

Guests were especially enthusiastic about meeting chef Barry Quek of Whey, Hong Kong, the festival’s first-ever international guest chef. Partnering with chef Joris Rycken of Shangri-La The Fort, Manila, the pair paid tribute to Quek’s Singaporean roots with a tiger prawn curry laksa mee with crispy pork, quail egg and crispy noodles—a meticulously layered, bold yet comforting bowl.

Chefs Thirdy Dolatre and Kevin Navoa (Hapag, Ayà) joined forces with chef Charles Montanez (Mamacita, soon-to-open Liyab) for a texturally rich kinilaw and sinangag bowl, inspired by the former’s recent trip to Siargao. With a base of atsuete garlic rice, they topped the dish with a vibrant tuna kinilaw, gamet vinegar, coconut leche de tigre, hibiscus morita, salsa macha, pickles, shallots, grasshopper salt and grilled corn and pineapples, marrying local flavours with Montanez’s Mexican sensibilities.

See also: Terra Madre Asia & Pacific 2025: Slow Food’s biggest food festival is coming to Bacolod

Vegetables took centre stage in the Ultra Magnetic Gulay Tarte by chefs Stephan Duhesme (Metiz, Automat) and Nicco Santos and Quenee Vilar (Celera), captivating even the most dedicated carnivores. Their crisp lumpia tartlet, layered with zucchini, eggplant, walnut sauce, sambal, egg mayo, uboy, sayote and rauram pesto, showcased just how dynamic plant-forward cooking can be in the right hands.

Equally daring was the collaboration between chefs Don Baldosano (Linamnam, Bombvinos, Offbeat) and Josh Boutwood (Helm, Ember, The Test Kitchen, Juniper). Their unconventional taco, filled with saucey, gently spiced chicken tinga and sea urchin ballotine, accented with fermented chilli, spiced chicken skin and pickled onions, made for a delightfully messy and playful dish.

Read more: 5 food festivals around Asia that blend culture, cuisine and fun

Chele González (Gallery by Chele, Asador Alfonso) and Carlos Garcia (The Black Pig, soon-to-open Dominion) were paired up for this year’s Off Menu festival, inspiring the chefs to draw inspiration from their shared Spanish roots—González being from Cantabria, and Garcia from Extremadura. Together, they created the Ibérico express, reimagining the local Bicol express with Ibérico pork jowl, chorizo and vegetable ragout, topped with a spicy gochujang crisp.

On the more delicate side, Jorge Mendez (Mōdan, Makanai) and Patrick Go (Your Local, soon-to-open Lazy Suzy) presented ohyo fish onsen, a thoughtful dish of succulent Japanese halibut with libas sambal, awase (red and white miso), coconut custard and adzuki mochi gome for a chewy rice base. While the two chefs are known for their mastery of Asian flavours, their dish highlighted Mendez’s expertise in Japanese cuisine and Go’s affinity for Filipino and Southeast Asian flair. 

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Finally, chef Kerwin Go (People’s Palace, Blackbird at the Nielson Tower) joined forces with chefs Alex Tan and Mike Lopez (Tandem), who turned wagyu offcuts into the star of their dish, Hai, Pares: a take on the Filipino classic with gelatinous Wagyu A4 silverskin and tendon shigureni, complete with rice, pickled papaya, egg yolk gel, citrus kosho to cut through the richness and a garlic tapioca crisp for added texture. On night two, Go delighted guests further with a surprise encore: white chocolate-truffle and hazelnut macarons made from leftover egg whites.

For dessert, guests were treated to a selection of sweets passed around throughout the evening. Shangri-La the Fort, Manila, crafted a dainty raspberry éclair as well as a delectable lemon tart, great for those after a fruity ending. Meanwhile, Auro Chocolate provided 42 per cent milk chocolate squares with cacao nibs for a more delectable finish.

See also: What to buy at Himbon: The 39th Negros Trade Fair, according to chefs Cara Davis and Luis Locsin

Off Menu 2025 was made possible through the support of our lead partner, HSBC, and our supporting partners, Código 1530 Tequila, Martell Cognac, San Miguel Premium Beers, Shangri-La The Fort, Manila, Ron Zacapa and The Singleton.

Across two eventful evenings, the highly anticipated food festival showcased the strength, creativity and camaraderie of the Philippines’ dining scene—proof of why Off Menu remains a must-attend for food lovers and industry insiders alike.

Stay tuned for more exciting F&B initiatives from Tatler Dining!

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