We asked 7 top chefs: What’s the point of pop-ups and collaborations?

These cross-cultural collaborations open one’s eyes to the vibrancy of various food cultures and the incredible diversity of the F&B industry. Chef JP Cruz, who now heads Filipino newcomer Inatô, adds that they can even deepen your understanding of your own cuisine. “Collaborations provide different perspectives on how food and dining are viewed,” Cruz explains. “This allows you to learn more about your own food through the eyes of others while learning about other food cultures as well. You grow in terms of knowledge and experience, but you also get a bigger sense of why you’re pushing for what you’re doing.”

Recalling Toyo Eatery’s collaboration with Latin-American restaurant Mono in Hong Kong (back in February 2023, when he served as Toyo Eatery’s sous chef), Cruz shares: “We noticed that there are similarities between their food culture and ours, yet there are also vast differences. For instance, Latin American adobo uses a lot of different spices and aromatics, whereas our version uses salt or soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and bay leaves. Cassava is used to make their empanadas, while ours uses rice or flour—but both have similar shapes and stuffing. Being part of this was such a great experience because we were able to put together a menu that revolves around the similarities and differences of two food cultures.”

See also: These are the most iconic Filipino dishes from Negros, Ilocos, Pampanga, and more

Representation

As a guest chef, international collaborations are also an essential platform for representation—for yourself as a chef, your restaurant, and the food you champion. “Collaborative events are about more than just sharing expertise and exchanging ideas,” attests chef Margarita Forés. “They’ve also connected me with fellow chefs, sparking creativity and improving our menus at home. For my restaurants, these collaborations have opened up new markets and enhanced the visibility and reputation of our Filipino cuisine, which I find incredibly fulfilling.”

Forés, who was recognised as Asia’s Best Female Chef in 2016, has long been one of the country’s most vocal food advocates, known to promote regional Filipino dishes and ingredients on the global stage. Earlier this May, the luminary flew to Hong Kong for an eight-course collaboration dinner with chef Marco Xodo of Italian restaurant Testina. She shares that one highlight from the menu was the tortellini filled with laing. “This was chef Xodo’s love letter to his Filipino wife, Trina, a Bicolana, bathed in a coconut cream tempered with double cream, which we topped with my two favourite ingredients: baby crab fat or taba ng talangka and Sagada etag, a deeply-flavoured black pig smoked bacon, much like a more intense guanciale, made into a Hong Kong inspired XO sauce.” 

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Additionally, these events are effective tools for promoting Philippine tourism—not just by leveraging the widespread growth of gastronomic travel, but by bringing influential chefs and culinary figures to the Philippines. “People who may not be familiar with our restaurant get to try our food, and this can spark interest for them to come visit Manila,” says Hapag’s chef Kevin Navoa. In March earlier this year, he, Thirdy Dolatre, and select members of the Hapag team joined forces with Serai as part of Melbourne’s annual Food and Wine Festival. This marked their third collaboration with Serai’s Ross Magnaye, following their stints at Ubud Food Festival (Bali) and Kita Food Festival (Singapore) the year before.

Evidently, the new connections forged through collaborations endure long after the event has concluded. “I was able to meet a number of foreign chefs who I can learn from and with whom I have stayed connected,” Navoa reflects. “In fact, I have met a few foreign chefs that we will be cooking with soon here in Manila.”

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While chef Miko Calo notes that all collaborations are memorable to her, she stresses the value of working alongside fellow women in the industry. “Collaborations with female chefs are always important to me because they are opportunities to further strengthen female representation in the food industry,” she contends. One such event, aptly named Filipinas, united Calo, Forés, and Singapore-based Filipina chef Johanne Siy (Asia’s Best Female Chef 2023) for a collaboration dinner at the now-defunct Metronome and again six months later at Siy’s restaurant Lolla.

“Seeing how far women have come in professional kitchens has been incredible,” Forés adds. “Their strides in business ownership, especially in such a male-dominated industry, are truly inspiring. While progress is still being made towards full equality, events like Filipinas are crucial. They spotlight the fantastic collaborative work women can achieve in the kitchen.” 

Read more: Flavours of my Youth: Bettina Arguelles reflects on the food memories that shaped her

Testing grounds

Before permanently moving into The Balmori Suites, the Hapag team also mounted numerous pop-ups at the lobby level, including the pilot of their lounge concept, Ayà. Not only did this allow them to reach a new audience (they were previously located at Katipunan, and popping up at Rockwell made them more accessible to the Makati crowd), but it was also a brilliant tactic to test out the new restaurant.

“Whenever we do pop-ups, it usually means making a new menu or a new concept,” says chef Patrick Go, who has also held two pop-ups at The Balmori Suites for his restaurant, Your Local. “Pop-ups serve as a testing ground for us to observe how the market will react to new menus and concepts,” adds Go, noting that he created new menus especially for the pop-ups. Some of the pop-ups’ biggest hits, like the beef lechon donburi and choco na gatas ice cream, now sit proudly on their regular menu after popular demand.

Related: The ultimate primer to The Balmori Chef’s Table at Rockwell

A new light

Chef Jordy Navarra likewise maintains the merit of pop-ups, proclaiming they are “invaluable for chefs and restaurants alike. His restaurant, Toyo Eatery, has been crowned the Philippines’s best five years in a row by Asia’s 50 Best awards body and was named Tatler Dining’s Restaurant of the Year 2024—but their pop-ups showcase a very different side to Toyo, with dishes you might never see at the restaurant. That’s precisely what he finds so valuable.

“They allow us to showcase our values in unexpected contexts, reinforcing our identity,” Navarra continues. “Last year, we got to work on a one-day-only menu with Shake Shack: a full burger joint meal from chicken sandwich and loaded fries, down to dessert and a drink. Pursuing pop-ups isn’t just a way to broaden our culinary horizons. It’s also a way to represent Toyo to various diners—whether they’re regular Toyo guests or those who have been curious about what we do. Pop-ups have taught us that there are so many ways to articulate what we stand for.”

Read more: Pizza Kamayan by A Mano and Toyo Eatery from July 26 to August 26

Challenges

All this said, pop-ups and collaborations are not all fun and games—putting them on is serious work and comes with obstacles like navigating an unfamiliar kitchen. “Cooking in your own home is a lot different from cooking in someone else’s home,” Cruz confesses. “Having control over the kitchen you’re working in requires some adjustment, along with figuring out where to source things, what supplies are available there, what supplies can be brought, and so on.” Apart from such logistical details, Calo also acknowledges that pop-ups and collaborations abroad have limitations since the guest chefs don’t know the lay of the land. “Ingredients may differ, and even the same produce may have a slightly different flavour profile,” she explains.

Collaborations, in particular, pose the unique challenge of marrying the chefs’ cooking styles in a cohesive and balanced manner. “They should be a reflection not just of your own work, but also of the establishment you’re collaborating with,” Cruz asserts, “so the challenge is finding the sweet spot for both parties involved.”

See also: Why is Filipino cuisine one of the richest food cultures in the world?

Growth

But overcoming these challenges, the chefs share, reap certain rewards. “Through these collaborations, I’ve learned how to organise my thoughts and edit myself,” Calo divulges. “It’s a good exercise because I am not only thinking of my dishes but also how it relates to who I’m collaborating with.” Likewise, Go admits: “I always enjoy the challenge of working in new spaces. It keeps us on our toes. As we did more and more pop-ups, I learned how to cope and adjust to the challenges of working in a different environment.”

Conversely, González recognises that playing the role of host is no small task, either. “It is a big responsibility to open our home,” he professes. “We really need to make sure that everything is perfect for our guests chefs when they arrive, so attention to detail is crucial to ensure their needs—both in the kitchen and for their comfort—are met. Some things behind the scenes do happen unexpectedly, so a quick and mindful reaction to the issues at hand is vital. At the end of the day, we make it happen, and we get to have fun.”

Read more: Hayop by The Moment Group opens in Singapore

Finally, it’s worth noting that pop-ups and collaborations include more than just the chefs on the bill—they both challenge and benefit the entire kitchen and front-of-house staff involved. They can entail a sort of mentorship, which González considers a “life value”. “It can be a very unique experience for everyone,” he explains, underscoring the “dynamic between teaching and learning.” Reflecting on his recent events overseas, Navoa shares that he enjoys bringing some of his team members along for the ride, too. “Not only do they get to see what’s out there, but the team also gains a sense of pride for what we do when they see other people enjoy the cuisine we make back at home.”

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