Off Menu 2025: meet the 17 chefs, including our special guest from Hong Kong

Chef Stephan Duhesme’s restaurant Metiz is inspired by his heritage, drawing from the concept mestizo–an identity that is unequivocally Filipino, though perhaps in a way less familiar. Last August, the acclaimed restaurant reopened its doors after months of renovation, boasting fresh new interiors and exciting new tasting menu experiences, underpinned by the same for Filipino cuisine. Upstairs, Duhesme kept himself busy with Automat: Metiz’s younger, albeit more rebellious sister, exploring bold “urban Manileño” flavours through an à la carte menu.

Over the past decade, chefs Nicco Santos and Quenee Vilar have been responsible for some of the city’s best-loved concepts, from Hey Handsome in BGC to Southeast Asian cloud kitchen Sambar. In the wake of their departure from Aurora last 2024, all eyes turned to their new project, Celera. Opened in February earlier this year, the restaurant has without a doubt become among the hottest new tables in town, home to the latest evolution of the duo’s cuisine d’auteur—one more refined than ever, traversing global cuisines with a strong affinity for nuanced Asian flavours.

With these culinary powerhouses joining forces at Off Menu, guests can rest assured that they are in for a delicious surprise that masterfully marries unexpected flavours through razor-sharp techniques.

Related: Metiz 2.0: a deliberate hand with local ingredients and Filipino eating habits

José Luis “Chele” González is a chef who cannot sit still. When he’s not busy creating innovative tasting menus for his flagship restaurant Gallery by Chele, you can find him meeting with farmers to make breakthroughs in sustainability, sharing this knowledge on the global stage or even consulting for new concepts around the country. His Spanish restaurant, Asador Alfonso, shows another side to González, championing simple, produce-driven Asador cuisine you cannot find anywhere else in the Philippines, or perhaps even in Asia.

Hailing from Extremadura, chef Carlos Garcia brings world-class cuisine to the metro’s south. The Black Pig is a clear standout in Alabang, offering sophisticated European plates that have made this restaurant a notable neighbourhood favourite since 2013—regulars sing praises of beloved signatures like the crispy egg yolk with mushrooms, miso baby corn with Parmigano Reggiano and burnt Basque cheesecake. In addition, Garcia helms more casual eateries like Fiddle Leaf and The Pig Pen, and is gearing up to open a brand new concept in Makati: Dominon Cellar wine bar.

Rooted in their shared heritage, González and Garcia team up to create a delectable yet comforting dish that will surely inspire more collaborations between the two Spanish chefs.

Hapag has matured to become one of Manila’s most acclaimed restaurants, redefining modern Filipino cuisine. Now located at The Balmori Suites, Rockwell, the fine dining destination remains faithful to chef Thirdy Dolatre and Kevin Navoa’s vision of celebrating Filipino stories through cultural preservation, crafting tasting menus that spotlight regional culinary traditions through contemporary executions. Ayà, their newer lounge located above Hapag, serves a similar purpose in a more casual yet nonetheless stylish space, offering small plates, cocktails and wines—and has easily become one of the hottest spots in town.

Specialising in Mexican cuisine and agave spirits, Mamacita has rapidly become a hotspot in the competitive BGC district. Open till 3am daily, the two-storey space is a popular destination for late-night drinks—but it’s chef Charles Montanez’s inspired plates that have the town talking. From a daring elote with crushed Doritos to a delicious fish taco and his impressive arsenal of housemade salsas, Mamacita promises to delight whenever the craving for the vibrant flavours of Mexico takes hold. Stay tuned as Montanez sets to open his new Filipino-forward tasting menu, restaurant Liyab.

Together, this trio presents a dish that fuses their expertise in Filipino and Mexican cuisines, inspired by one of Siargao’s most popular dining institutions. 

Related: New in BGC: Mamacita, a Mexican restaurant with an equally stellar drinks programme

Rooted in his background as an R&D chef for the late chef Margarita Forés, Jorge Mendez wields a profound understanding of culinary techniques from around the globe—but one cuisine, in particular, has got him smitten: Japanese. With the opening of Mōdan in 2022, Mendez steps into the spotlight to offer innovative, contemporary Japanese tasting menus unlike anything Manila has seen before. Since then, Mendez has also launched other fresh concepts like Some Thai, the newly opened Mugen Ramenya and coming soon, Makanai, Japanese for “family meal”.

Helmed by chef Patrick Go, Your Local in Legazpi Village has remained a go-to for contemporary Asian comfort food, surprising diners with playful twists. At three wildly successful pop-ups at The Balmori Suites Chef’s Table, Go continued to impress with fresh perspectives on his cuisine, drawing from influences closer to home—think torched mackerel with tomato sambal and ginamos, palabok rice or yuzu-calamansi tres leches. Soon, he will also debut a funky new concept at the Podium Social: Lazy Suzy, a modern East Asian restaurant.

With Mendez and Go steering the ship, their exclusive Off Menu creation will showcase not only their love for Asian flavours but also their ability to incorporate brilliant twists in every tasty bite.

See also: New in Maginhawa: Mugen Ramenya by chef Jorge Mendez

Chef Don Baldosano quickly caught the attention of foodies and industry peers through his flagship destination, Linamnam MNL, where he dazzles guests with research-driven tasting menus that uncover forgotten Filipino histories. Since receiving Tatler Dining’s award for Rising Star Chef in 2024, the creative culinary force has brought his know-how to Bombvinos Bodega, where he and the team cook up contemporary “Filipino bistronomy”, and has also opened a new restaurant, Offbeat Bistro, dedicated to celebrating nostalgic Filipino flavours through contemporary plates.

Not one to think inside the box, chef Josh Boutwood finds inspiration in everything from street food to the Harry Potter series, crafting brilliant tasting menus at his chef’s table restaurant, Helm. But what you’ll notice across his many establishments is that culinary precision and quality produce always lie at the core of his cuisine, from perfectly cooked steaks to house-cured duck prosciutto and, of course, his famed sourdough bread. Drawing from an arsenal of global techniques and flavours, you can never really be certain what Boutwood will cook up next, but you can rest assured it will be delicious.

A partnership with a storied past (ask them about it at the festival!), the two chefs are gearing up to prepare their take on a popular Mexican street food with ingredients from both the land and sea.

Read more: Juniper by Josh Boutwood: The newest addition to Streetscape, Shangri-La Plaza

When chef Colin MacKay broke both his arms in 2003, he turned to chef Kerwin Go and asked if he would work in his kitchens. Two years later, Go became his right-hand man, opening People’s Palace at its second and current location at Greenbelt as MacKay’s new partner. After nearly a decade, they opened Blackbird at The Nielson Tower: another institution in the Philippine dining scene praised for its timeless, reliable and refined cuisine. Driven by a deep respect for ingredients, commitment to consistency and the “joy of feeding people well”, Go never fails to delight.

Chefs Mikee Lopez and Alex Tan may be the new kids on the block, but their maiden restaurant Tandem proves that they’re ones to watch. Here, the couple creates contemporary tasting menus unbound by cuisine, focusing instead on themes like emotions, music or their latest offering, rice. Recently, they’ve opened up their kitchen to à la carte dining, allowing guests to experience a more relaxed and easygoing version of the restaurant while still maintaining eclectic food done at a high standard—risotto with red curry, pyanggang with sambal, sinigang on a stick, you name it.

Next weekend, they join forces to create a dish that breathes new life into an offcut of Wagyu, peppered with a variety of textures, bright flavours and last but not least, rice.

Off Menu Philippines returns this September 12 and 13 at Shangri-La the Fort, Manila. Tickets to day one are now sold out—secure your tickets to day two HERE.

Off Menu 2025 is made possible with thanks to our lead partner, HSBC and our supporting partners: Código 1530 Tequila; Martell Cognac; San Miguel Premium Beers; Shangri-La The Fort, Manila; The Singleton and Ron Zacapa.

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