What do chefs eat when they’re off the clock? And better yet, what dishes earn a spot among their favorites?
At the latest Rolling Stone Philippines Social Club, an evening that brought together some of chefs behind the country’s newly minted Michelin restaurants and leading figures in F&B, we caught up with guests to ask what meals they couldn’t stop thinking about in 2025.
Hapag’s sommelier Erin G. Recto, who earned this year’s Michelin Service Award, praised the grilled chicharon bulaklak of Morning Sun Eatery, the Quezon City-based karinderya that took home a Bib Gourmand. Another favorite meal of Recto’s is a serving of creamy, smoky dinakdakan, paired with champagne.
Linamnam’s Don Baldosano, who won the Young Chef Award at this year’s inaugural Michelin Guide Philippines ceremony, shared that his favorite restaurant at the moment is the Korean restaurant Zhu Ba Jie. “A lot of people go there for the K-BBQ, but for me, their specialty is pork neck soup,” said Baldosano. “It’s soft, braised ribs with mustard on the side. Plus, they have my favorite condiment in the world, which is mentaiko ssamjang: fish eggs cured in ssamjang [sauce].”
For Michelle Ayuyao, who does the communications for The Moment Group and Toyo Eatery, no meal could beat a plate of fresh seafood, specifically a serving of well-grilled inihaw. Food stylist Chichi Tullao recommended Abub’s Cebuana Lechon.
For esteemed chef and culinary icon Heny Sison, nothing beats the simple pleasures of a home-cooked meal. “I don’t like [anything] fancy,” said Sison. “I’m very easy to satisfy: I like an adobo, a tapsilog, any typical Filipino food. I can live with any kind of silog, actually.” Sison then emphasized that the secret to a good spamsilog is coating the slices of canned meat in sugar and then pairing it with atchara and garlic rice.
Restaurateur Abba Napa, who founded The Moment Group, said that her current culinary obsession is bouillabaisse, the classic Provençal seafood stew. “I was in the south of France for a friend’s wedding recently,” said Napa, “and I went to this little restaurant by the ocean that’s been around for decades. Their bouillabaisse had such a powerful, raw flavor. Filipino cuisine has so many strong broths, and when I had that [bouillabaisse], I felt so inspired.”
Tina Legarda of Humba, who had recently visited Bacolod, sang the praises of the grilled seafood dishes of 18th Street Sapalapa. “I’m a seafood girl, and I loved how everything was done so simply but so well,” said Legarda. “They really respect their ingredients and the meal. Their food was… it was the kind of food that makes you want to cry a little because of how good it was.”
