Tatler Dining Awards 2024: Find out who won Best New Restaurant, Chef of the Year, and more

At long last, chefs Nicco Santos and Quenee Vilar have made their long-awaited return. Praised for their culinary precision, artistic flair, and masterful handle on Asian flavours, the formidable duo has swooned Manila’s palates many times over with their modern Asian concepts. Their newest venture, Aurora pays tribute to the charm of classically rooted Asian cooking, presenting robust and nostalgic flavours through a sophisticated modern lens. Since opening in February 2023, the handsome CBD haunt has quickly become a go-to for date nights, corporate meetings, friendly get-togethers, and everything in between. Still, the team kept themselves busy, hosting both local and international chefs for impressive collaborations. Complete with a thoughtful beverage program, every meal at Aurora promises to excite the senses—and yet, the inviting atmosphere and warm hospitality ensure you feel right at home.

In case you missed it: Aurora Year One: Milestones and things to come from Nicco Santos and Quenee Vilar

An abundance of international and local collaborations, limited-edition degustations, innovative re-imagined menus, revamped interiors, plus dynamic pop-up experiences peppered 2023 for the celebrated Toyo Eatery. Fans of the restaurant and chef Jordy Navarra eagerly awaited news of these sought-after ticketed dinners from four to six and even eight hands collaborations between lauded culinary giants. Toyo Eatery flexed their culinary muscles and itched with creativity as they engaged in a range of collaborations right here on home turf: from dinner with Hertog Jan at Botanic’s Gert De Mangeleer; Nusara’s Thitid 'Ton' Tassanakajohn; Masque’s Varun Totlani, to their massive Shake Shack collaboration, and even a couple of street food pop-ups under the moniker Papi Jepe. In 2023, chef Jordy Navarra also travelled to cook with peers overseas, bringing his spirited renditions of Filipino food to new palates, spreading the good word. Back home, the team also produced the Orosa summer pop-up, created a more laid-back kamayan experience, and launched a new tasting menu too.

Read more: Culinary heritage vs modernity: How five Asian chefs use innovation to keep their traditions alive

From the gold standard of Antonio’s in Tagaytay, with their consistently impressive fine dining interpretations of European classics featuring an artful blend of beautifully balanced global flavours, paired with its stunning ambience and stellar service, to their launch of Antonio’s PGA Cars, plus the opening of a new Breakfast at Antonio’s, and the birth of Pedro the Grocer, the Antonio’s Group obviously shows no signs of slowing down. Balay Dako’s entry into Antipolo brings his sought-after Filipino delights to a new market, much to their delight. The team’s continued product development at Pedro the Grocer with their decadent ice-creams, Filipino snacks, frozen goods, and freshly baked treats from empanadas to sweets has cemented this deli as a go-to for pantry essentials in Metro Manila. With over 20 fruitful years in the F&B game, the Antonio’s Group is gearing up for a bright 2024; keep your ear to the ground to stay abreast for more delicious details.

See also: Passing the torch: Chef Tony Boy Escalante lets a new generation take the reigns

As his flagship dining establishment, Helm offers the pinnacle of chef Josh Boutwood’s sophisticated cuisine. Designed by Headroom, the restaurant’s new home at Ayala Triangle Gardens elevates Boutwood’s thematic menus into a culinary theatre of the highest form. Stepping into the sleek, minimalist space of black, copper, and gray, your eyes are immediately drawn to the open kitchen: the stage and centre of all the action. Two rows of four (the best seats in the house) directly face the kitchen, granting you a full view of the show, while plates are finished mere inches away from you on the shared countertop. The lighting is dim, and intentionally so, allowing the pin spot lighting to foreground each dish with dramatic flair. With Boutwood, the devil lies perennially in the details, and it’s no different with his interiors—ask the chef about the triangle motifs and kintsugi-inspired accents to peer into his fascinating creative mind.

Related: A ‘Star Wars’-inspired menu at Helm by Josh Boutwood

Enter the mind of the young chef Don Baldosano and experience the possibilities of Filipino cuisine through this chef’s table, a private dining experience located in his home. Chef Baldosano, bubbly and bursting with excitement talks diners through every course of his ever-changing tasting menu. No two nights receive the same meal as he only cooks market-fresh items and all his recipes are concocted based on what beautiful local produce he gets his hands on that day. Repeatedly, he proves that his creativity is unbounded, crafting new dishes mere moments before service. Through his many travels, Baldosano immerses himself in Filipino culture to learn, experience and soak up as much as he can about the food that fuels him. Inspired by our history and our often-forgotten local produce, Linamnam keeps the contemporary palate in mind, maturing as each day goes by.

Read more: What makes you a chef?

To dine at Toyo Eatery is to grasp the difference between service and hospitality. From the moment you’re greeted by the front desk to the second they bid farewell with a parting gift from the panaderya, you get the sense you’ve been welcomed into someone’s home. The names of every guest are noted and logged, so those with a proclivity for spice are provided with extra chillies at the ready on their return. The conversations feel warm, playful, and even a little cheeky—in fact, you may even start the meal by sharing a shot or two with your dedicated server for the evening. Does it fit the picture of traditional fine dining? Perhaps not. But it is forging its own definition, reimagining the fine dining experience through a fundamentally Filipino lens. After all, who does hospitality like the Filipinos?

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