Seeing, winning, and keeping stars

LAST WEEK’S Michelin Guide for Manila and Environs & Cebu ceremony (the country’s second since its arrival in the Philippines last year) yielded an additional 19 inductees to the globally recognized dining guide first published in 1926. Most of these were in the Michelin-Selected and Bib Gourmand categories.* Thankfully, all of last year’s star awardees got to keep their stars. Only one new restaurant, Flow, earned a star.

(See the full list here: Michelin Guide adds more highlights to Philippine dining scene – https://tinyurl.com/44954xyb)

For some restaurants, the Michelin stars can be a burden. Marco Pierre White, the famous British chef cited as an inspiration to many, returned his stars prior to retirement. Sebastian Bras, another chef of a similar caliber, had asked to do the same.

Chef Josh Boutwood is at the head of arguably the country’s top restaurant, Helm, and has managed to keep its two-star rating for a second year. After the ceremony, BusinessWorld asked him how it felt to keep, so far, the country’s highest restaurant honor (at least, in the eyes of the Michelin Guide). “I’m relieved. Relief is my emotion at the moment.

“I’m so proud of my team as well, who has been with me this whole year. Under that stress and pressure of maintaining these, they deserve a massive round of applause tonight,” he told BusinessWorld.

“I think the journey is harder retaining it,” he said, noting that when he won his two stars last year, they had no expectations of winning. “Now we have to figure things out on our own.”

GOING FOR 3 STARS
The next steps for him then involved maintaining their status and making “minor improvements” as they go throughout the year. Now, he says, “I don’t like to be complacent. Now having two stars for two years in a row, now I want a challenge. Now, maybe, I might aim for three. Who knows? Why not, right? If we can, let’s do it. See what happens.”

He recalls himself and the team working under pressure in the kitchen: “For us, it’s more of not getting burdened by that weight, but embracing it.

“That fear was real. But that’s the beauty of fear. It makes you push even harder.”

Meanwhile, Chele González retained one star each for two of his restaurants: Asador Alfonso and Gallery by Chele. “Last night, I was nervous, to be honest,” he told BusinessWorld. Still, “I personally think that since we got the stars last year, we have only been improving.

“I think the way I am, is every year, my personality is, ‘we need to get better,’ and improve and improve.”

NEWBIES: FLOW
As for new winners, the country’s new one-starrer is Flow, headed by chefs Kevin Uy and Gabriel Ong. Just in their early 30s, Messrs. Uy and Ong honed their craft abroad, Mr. Uy in Peru at Central by Virgilio Martinez (three years ago, it was named the world’s best in Peruvian cuisine, and the World’s Best at the World’s 50 Best); and Mr. Ong in Alain Ducasse at Morpheus in Macau and Amber in Hong Kong. In an interview with BusinessWorld, Mr. Ong said, “If you think we’re young, our team is even younger. This is all for them. We’re just the face on the stage.”

Mr. Uy said, “When we opened the place, we told ourselves that we’re not going to adjust and change for people. We’re going to grow based on how we feel about our restaurant.”

The Guide writes about the restaurant (located in Makati’s Green Sun Hotel), “In this sleek, softly lit dining room, the rustic exposed brick walls and woven natural materials exude a calm, contemporary ambience. Both the globe-trotting chefs freely acknowledge the significant influence of Peru on their repertory. They make extensive use of local ingredients, creating varied textures and layered sauces to craft flavors that are innovative and harmonious. From forests to coastlines, the distinctive terroir of the Philippines is a treat both for the eye and the palate.”

Mr. Boutwood, passing by, congratulated the two winners, and said, “My meal there was absolutely phenomenal.”

NEWBIES: TADHANA
Tadhana, included in the Michelin-Selected list, also has the distinction of winning for its chef, Frances Tariga, the special award of Best Opening. She told BusinessWorld that she had only opened the Jupiter St. restaurant five months ago.

Ms. Tariga made quite the splashy impression when she went onstage during the ceremony to accept her award: she said, “First of all, as a lesbian chef, Filipino chef… Yeah! It’s 2026!,” which was greeted by cheers. “To all the young lesbian chefs around the world, and LGBTQ… we have a place in the kitchen. You have an opportunity, and you can serve all the respect in the world. I’m so proud to be Filipino right now. Let’s go!”

She told BusinessWorld, “I think it’s just being true to who you are, and really, really embracing your culture.” Ms. Tariga spent 23 years abroad, working from Dubai to New York, and finally coming back home. Asked why she returned, she answered with candor, “Why the f**k not?”

“I’ve never worked in the Philippines. But it’s always been my dream to know how it feels like to work with my fellow Filipinos.”

The Guide describes Tadhana: “Back from New York, the chef is rolling out her acclaimed Filipino score, courtesy of a polished tasting menu. Contemporary techniques and meticulous plating elevate familiar ingredients such as tinapa and santol, as the chef showcases the depth, elegance and evolving character of modern Filipino gastronomy. Distinctive table centerpieces, like picnic baskets, add an arty dimension to the interior.”

“There’s nothing more rewarding than really showcasing the food you enjoyed growing up, in a different setting,” she said. “All roads lead to Tadhana (a Filipino word for destiny). This is an ode to chance, as a Filipino immigrant and an OFW. If I didn’t take the risk, there’s no Tadhana.” — Joseph L. Garcia

*As per The Michelin Guide, the Bib Gourmand distinction “celebrates establishments offering good-quality cooking at moderate prices. These restaurants are analyzed in exactly the same way as Starred restaurants, and the same criteria are used to evaluate them. A listing in The Michelin Guide means guests can be assured of the freshness and quality of ingredients and that the chefs know their craft.

“Being selected for The Guide also means that the establishment is already on Inspectors’ radar, so it could receive other awards in the future. Michelin-selected restaurants are sometimes promoted to Stars or Bib Gourmands in subsequent years.”