Young blood: Take note of these up-and-coming chefs on the scene

TAUPE BY CHEF FRANCIS TOLENTINO

Francis “Kiko” Tolentino has been in the industry for quite a while now. He grew up with his grandmother, who used to be a caterer in Nueva Ecija, and having the kitchen as his playground, he knew early on that he wanted to be a chef. He packed his bags, took up culinary at Johnson and Wales University in Miami, worked in New York and then returned home in 2011, hoping to open his restaurant. That was shelved temporarily as he took advantage of the opportunity and did a cooking show while working for a hotel. After two years, Tolentino opened Unit 27, which, though it offered Western-Asian food, was primarily known as a bar. Following its success were a couple more taprooms, which limited his extent to barchows. Then, towards the end of 2022, the 36-year-old finally showcased his capabilities by opening Taupe, a fine dining restaurant in BGC.

See also: Fine dining in BGC: Taupe by Chef Francis Tolentino

Whenever he flew back to his home country during high school break from the US, 28-year-old Luis Locsin would find himself jet-lagged and hungry. And so, he would cook something hot and comforting in their kitchen, a habit that eventually sparked his interest in food. Knowing his career path, he then spent learning hours in Antonio’s, enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America, and worked for the Jean-Georges Restaurant Group, which had him stationed in New York and the Hamptons for a few years. He has since returned, armed with an artillery of experience and know-how, which he has been featuring in a couple of private dining engagements, pop-ups and collaborations. Towards the end of the year, he hopes to finally open a dining space where he can fully roll out the breadth of his talent and plate his love for seafood, local fruits and his knack for modernising Filipino cuisine. 

See more: Tatler Best 20: The best bars in the Philippines 2025

HALONG

At 15, Cara Davis was already working for a restaurant in Toronto, Canada, stepping on a milk crate to reach the tables in the professional kitchen. Growing up in a family of cooks helped fuel her curiosity for cuisine. That’s why, as soon as high school classes ended at three in the afternoon, she would change in the car and attend night college, along with her mum, who acted as supervisor as she was still underage. Always hungry to learn, she took further education at the Culinary Institute of America and at the French Culinary Institute for Pastry. She then worked at Arzak in San Sebastian in Spain and Eleven Madison Park in the US before setting up her food businesses in Mexico. Post-pandemic, when things ran slow in North America, she decided to go to the Philippines, more than a decade after her last visit, to set up Halong, an Asian-Mexican restaurant in Makati.

See also: Understanding the global cacao shortage and how it impacts the Philippines

SEVA

It all started with the intention to promote something the Hao family has long been selling—Tuguegarao longganisa. And so, along with boyfriend Neil Dy, Amanda Hao came up with a pizza featuring the product. It sold well during the pandemic, so the couple extended their service, as advised and prodded by family and friends, by hosting private dinners while juggling corporate work. Not only did it become a habit and a routine, but it was also a great hit, forcing them to quit their day jobs and focus on this newly discovered food business. In 2023, they found a space in San Juan that was big enough to house Dy’s bar concept and their very own restaurant. Everything fell into place, and on the first day of 2024, they finally started operations for Seva, which serves global fare inspired by their trips to food spots like Los Angeles and New York. They have been quite busy and always packed since then. 

See also: New restaurant in San Juan: Seva, elevated casual dining for friends, by friends

A culinary career was written in the stars for the 26-year-old—though it wasn’t apparent initially. His parents dreamt for him to be a lawyer. Fate, however, redirected Christian Lansang to the kitchen, starting from when he had to cook his meals to gain weight for his UAAP varsity judo stint to interning in Michelin-starred Inua between university studies in Tokyo, Japan. While prepping ingredients next to professional chefs at the Nordic-Japanese restaurant, he realised his true calling and never looked back. He absorbed more experience by working at Frantzen in Sweden and Metiz in Manila. In 2024, he began doing his pop-ups at Toka Wine in QC and the Guest Room in San Juan, followed by a collab with Automat. This year, he plans to open his restaurant, which is something to watch out for.

NOW READ

Tatler Best-in-Class: Awarding the best bars in the Philippines 2025

Bistro Le Coucou, a new French restaurant, opens in BGC

A taste of the unknown: Asia’s next culinary capitals