You can take the man out of Manila, but he’ll still long for callos, lengua, and the classic dishes from these nostalgia-inducing restaurants:
Chef Anton Dayrit's love for food started where most foodie chronicles begin—in his own home, through his mother's cooking. Enamoured by the homecooked Filipino-Spanish comfort food he grew up with, Dayrit would later refine his culinary know-how in New York, training at the French Culinary Institute before working in the kitchens of chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's restaurants ABC Kitchen and the eponymous Jean-Georges, as well as the late chef Floyd Cardoz's Tabla among others.
Then, with the help of fellow Filipinos, chef Bianca Vicente and Department of Tourism marketing coordinator Joey Chanco, Dayrit opened the doors to his own Filipino fast-casual concept, Tradisyon. Specialising in rice bowls like crispy beef salpicao and squid adobo, plus other essential Pinoy comfort fare including pancit palabok and sinigang na baka, the restaurant is a sincere expression of the flavours Dayrit so direly missed.
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“Combining fresh, quality ingredients with authentic flavours, Tradisyon is here to make traditional Filipino food known and accessible,” reads the restaurant’s website. “Located in Hell’s Kitchen, these are inspired and meticulously crafted bowls that lola would definitely be proud of.”
Get to know chef Anton Dayrit and his favourite, time-tested restaurants in Metro Manila, below:
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