Chef Ross Magnaye, whose Modern Australian-Filipino restaurant Serai just nabbed Restaurant of the Year by TimeOut Melbourne, speaks to Tatler about his favourite restaurants and bars in the Philippines
Growing up, Ross Magnaye always knew he wanted to be a chef. As is Filipino tradition, his childhood centred around food and family, with every gathering a delicious feast. When Magnaye left the Philippines for the land Down Under at 15 years old, his ambitions only grew.
After pursuing his culinary studies at Melbourne’s William Angliss Institute, Magnaye wasted no time diving into the restaurant industry. His thirst for experience led him to work at various eateries around town, from the Italian Society Restaurant to the pastry studio Burch and Purchese, and soon took him to Brazil and Thailand to work at D.O.M. and Aziamendi. Emboldened with Michelin-star training and a global perspective, Magnaye returned to Melbourne and helmed Rice Paper Sister as its head chef. It was at this lauded Southeast Asian restaurant, tucked within the famed Hardware Lane, that he would introduce Melburnians to the wonders of Filpino cuisine, one kamayan banquet at a time.
See also: How Pogiboy’s Iconic Tocino Burger Landed the Front Page of Food & Wine Magazine
Magnaye’s efforts did not go unnoticed. In 2017, Magnaye flew to the Philippines and took over the Toyo Eatery kitchen for a one-night-only event. Back in his own restaurant, he’s held numerous events with other fellow Filipino culinarians, like US-based chef Yana Gilbuena of the Salo Series. Since leaving Rice Paper Sister in 2020, Magnaye has appeared on Asia Unplated, a cooking series by Masterchef Australia 2017 winner Diana Chan; collaborated with other Filipino chefs for themed dinners including a Jollibee-inspired takeover at Chibog with chef John Rivera; and most recently, ran private dinners at Supper Club Sofia in Bulgaria.
His much-awaited return to Melbourne did not disappoint. In May earlier this year, Magnaye finally opened the doors to his modern Australian-Filipino restaurant, Serai—a first for the CBD. Tucked away in a graffiti-laden laneway off Little Bourke Street, the 50-seater restaurant focuses on “Filipino dishes reimagined and cooked over a wood-fired grill, fun cocktails, and an all-natural wine list,” shared Magnaye. Think kangaroo kilinaw, wagyu dinuguan on toast, grilled prawns with spicy longganisa butter, or their take on lechon with smoked pineapple palapa and delectable pork-rum jus. “It’s a marriage of Australian produce with Filipino flavours and techniques cooked over the woodfire,” he explains. “Very sexy, very Serai.”
See also: Meet Serai: A Modern Australian-Filipino Restaurant in Melbourne, Australia
