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

Duhesme begins with an assortment of vegetable treatments. A vibrant medley of raw, cooked, and fermented produce takes centre stage in this movement. The ensalada comes with buttered vegetables cooked in a variety of ways, offering a play of textures from crisp freshness to tender bites, punctuated by a subtle tang from fermentation. It is served with a silky fermented carrot purée, enriched with creamy coconut milk, and paired with the airy lightness of dikay foam, creating a sweet-sour depth with a delicate saline finish. Meanwhile, a side dish of butter-roasted squash brings a nutty sweetness, elevated by the smoky punch of local anchovies and the luxurious richness of a cashew nut paste, balanced by a whisper of umami from seaweed water. Expect layers of flavour: earthy, sweet, smoky, and bright—anchored by contrasts in texture, from velvety purées to crisp greens. This movement is also accompanied by a refreshing “welcome shot” of beets and fruit.

“I think it’s more fitting to start the meal with vegetables,” Duhesme says. “It’s light and refreshing, nothing too rich or heavy.” In fact, the team reiterates their desire to highlight produce that is not only endemic to the Philippines but also grows particularly well here. Metiz has always been known to make excellent use of vegetables and seafood—not only as a sustainable practice and a reflection of the Philippine diet, but also from a flavour standpoint. “We have really good vegetables and seafood in the Philippines,” Gregorio stresses, “so it only makes sense to use them in the restaurant.”

On the few event they do serve meat, they prefer to use their “favourite parts of the animal” which are not only incredibly flavourful but also readily available. “Our local meats are just really not on same level as imported ones, like Japanese Wagyu to Spanish Ibérico,” Duhesme confesses, “even if we get premium cuts. So, if we want to focus on utilising local ingredients, then we get the best flavour from the off-cuts.” 

They demonstrate this, with their maskara tart— pig’s face that has been boiled to submission, served as thinly sliced ribbons with dried fish and house made chilli oil. These textures are layered over a crisp tart base for striking contrast. At its heart is a silky caramelised ubod-egg purée that cut with the bright, sour tang of fermented batwan. Compressed cucumber adds a cool, juicy snap, while raw white onions bring sharpness and bite, complemented with a drizzle of homemade chilli oil and delightfully juxtaposed by the briny depth of dried fish. Introduced after the vegetable movement, a western kitchen would have treated this as an amuse bouche, but not in Metiz where they take Filipino food habits into consideration over European standards. 

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The next movement: lumpia. A delicate sourdough wrapper formed the base, adding a gentle chew beneath the refreshing crunch of a crisp lettuce leaf. Layered on top, the bold savouriness of pork "bopis" as they use off-cuts to deliver a true nose-to-tail experience and a deep umami richness, balanced by the clean, vegetal snap of sayote and the bright, vinegary lift of escabeche. Draped over it all is a sticky atsuete-peanut sauce with fermented carrots that co-mingle with a reduced pork jus.

For the bread course, they offer a sweet and sticky ensaymada with heaps of freshly grated aged gouda and black garlic paste. While the cheese gives the local pastry a savoury element, one still wonders why a sweet bread is served in the middle of the meal. “Why not?” says Duhesme. “I think its very Filipino to go from savoury to sweet, and then back again. Like when you’re at a party, its not uncommon to have a slice of kakanin in the middle of the meal, and then go back for a serving of pancit and lumpia.”

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All these high-concept stylings are evidence of the youthful confidence of an enthusiastic team, but not without a strong foundation in skill and technique. Head chef Kevin Soliven shuffles quietly back and forth from stove top to grill where he prepares the different components of his hot dishes. When they serve up their seafood movement, we are met by a stunning piece of grilled tuna belly prepared by Soliven’s seasoned hand. The succulent tuna belly, aged for 48 hours, is brushed with a bold BBQ glaze of fermented tamarillo, pineapple, and shio koji—bright, tangy, and deeply savoury. The fish is flanked by two striking sauces: a silky pork jus infused with smoked mushrooms and a saline garum for a briny punch. Alongside it is a creamy béchamel enriched with batitis, adding richness and depth. 

To complete the set, we have a soft, fluffy rice made with salted pampano and mushroom stock, which delivers an earthy super gentle bite with hints of salt. This course also comes with an intensely layered native chicken broth, made from all parts of the bird and balanced with fermented vegetables. 

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The meal ends with a refreshing dessert. A delicate serving of shaved ice with a lightly fragrant touch of pandan and a creamy and sweet coco jam ice cream sits on top of a sticky-smooth glutinous rice paste laced with doses of sweet and salty banana caramel made with soy, balanced by the airy crunch of a toasted sesame meringue and hints of ampalaya oil. The meal is a demonstration in balance and a maturity far beyond the kitchen’s median age of 30.

From the time Metiz opened six years ago, they have survived a global pandemic and a local dining scene that grows and expands by the second. Duhesme, Gregorio, Soliven, and the rest of the team, despite the international recognitions and accolades, keep their head down and continue to run their course. As they keep molding the shape, depth, and breadth of their new menu in a kitchen that they are still growing into, the one thing they are definitely sure of is their identity. Their vision of expressing the possibilities of Filipino cuisine is clearer than ever, and you see it, smell it, and taste it in the food. 

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