To celebrate the Michelin Guide’s arrival on our shores, the latest Rolling Stone Philippines Social Club packed a restaurant full of the country’s newly minted Michelin chefs, along with some of the leading figures in the F&B industry.
Hosted at Michelin-selected restaurant Sala and powered by IQOS, the gathering saw some of the country’s biggest culinary powerhouses sit down together for dinner. Josh Boutwood, of the country’s only two-star Michelin restaurant, Helm, was the evening’s guest of honor. Boutwood sat alongside Celera chefs Nicco Santos and Quenee Vilar, Hapag’s sommelier Erin G. Recto, and Young Chef Awardee, Linamnam’s Don Baldosano.
Even before the program started, chefs were mingling and easing into the night. Recto, recipient of the Guide’s Service Award, was already chatting with esteemed chef and culinary icon Heny Sison, who in turn was catching up with Moment Group founder, restaurateur Abba Napa. Baldosano sipped champagne with Kumba’s Tina Legarda, who had a brief reunion with Deo Gracias’ Sison. Jorge Mendez of Mōdan came just in time from a fight from Balesin and a whirlwind week, having just opened Some Thai at the Podium. A mini Chino Roces commune brewed on one side of the table where Toyo Eatery’s Abby Ang sat alongside Inatô’s Paulo Achacoso and Jana Arias, and The Alley at Karrivin and Moment Group’s Michelle Ayuyao.
A New Culinary Chapter
The evening officially began with opening remarks from Rolling Stone Philippines publisher Anne Bernisca, who thanked all the guests. “We’re here to celebrate the chefs and culinary visionaries who’ve been recognized by the Michelin Guide, a moment that sparks a new chapter for Philippine cuisine,” she said.
Frances Forbes, IQOS’ Manager for Consumer Programs, took to the stage saying, “At IQOS, we are guided by two things: pleasure and progress. We believe that you shouldn’t have to compromise one to achieve the other.”
Jonty Cruz, Rolling Stone Philippines Chief of Editorial Content, followed up with remarks that emphasized the ethos of the evening’s Rolling Stone Philippines Social Club: “We’re here to cement that our food and culture are on par with the very best,” said Cruz before welcoming the dinner’s honoree, Boutwood, to the stage.
Although Boutwood started his speech with a few impromptu jokes, much to the delight of the crowd, he ultimately used his time onstage to honor the chefs in the room. “I actually feel quite bad being the only one up here,” joked Boutwood, “because… I’m in the presence of some wonderful talent. Our industry is such a personal industry, and we’ve all grown up together. We have grown all together as a family, and I want to make sure that as Michelin starts to recognize our restaurants with these stars and accolades, we remain as a family that progresses together.”
A Night of Surprises
The evening was a rare occasion not only because of how many renowned chefs are in the room, but also because — for one night only — they get to just sit and relax and await service instead of manning the kitchen. A treat for the chef guests, a tough job for Sala’s staff, but nonetheless one that they stepped up to the plate for.
The four-course menu started with blue swimmer crab, plated with an apple and mustard rémoulade, tiger prawn frito, saffron, lemon, and dill. This fresh taste of the sea was followed by a far richer quail porcini and foie gras agnolotti, served with a cream of apple and sage.
A grilled Westholme cross Wagyu striploin plated with Café de Paris butter sauce and a delicate pommes Anna with celeriac capped off the mains. For dessert, guests delighted in a fennel seed panna cotta, served with a vanilla poached plum.
The night held one final surprise, as the gathering turned into an impromptu birthday celebration for Boutwood. A birthday cake was brought out, and guests joined in singing and raising their glasses to honor the chef.
To close the evening, Rolling Stone Philippines Digital Editor Sai Versailles delivered her remarks, followed by a champagne toast. “As the phrase goes, ‘A rolling stone gathers no moss,’” said Versailles. “So I raise my glass to all of you, to more moments to celebrate, and stories that keep the conversation moving.”
