Reviews>Food
Holy Smoke
Culinary rocket science meets Shanghainese cuisine in Zenses. Chef Johann Santos’s new wave dishes—like nitrogen popcorn and bacon ‘n’ eggs ice cream—will knock your five senses off
Broken Down Palate
From fresh oyster shots in sake foam to roast duck with orange-flavored cotton candy, a progressive Quezon City kitchen has been cooking up a storm. Marton Benitez has a molecular bite of Ninyo
If Luxe Could Kill
In champagne bar Lusso, James Gabrillo finds delicately portioned dishes that range from the deceptively common to the delightfully complex
Philadelphia Story
Forget hotdogs and burgers, and say hello to Philadelphia’s greatest culinary achievement—the cheesesteak! One gluttonous Saturday in July, Mikee Tuason wolfed down four of these sloppy, slippery sandwiches
Pork Authority
Sisig—the country’s “national dish,” according to Anthony Bourdain—is a snap, crackle, and pop amalgam of a pig’s ears, cheeks, and liver. Rogue issues Chef Fernando Aracama a gluttony-stamped passpork to find the best sizzlers in town
As You Like It
The latest re-invention of Grassi’s in Alabang is a dashing return to form, with bistro-style cuisine that guarantees—no matter where they go—the soul stays intact
The Main Curse
Durian Cheesecake? Spicy Tamaraw Wings? Hipon-Labong Ravioli on Basil Gata Sauce? Positive profanities will slip from your mouth when dining in Erik Matti’s F Word
Final Cuts
Chef Robby Goco gets down to the meat of the matter in Dinelli, his new dampa-style deli-café in Fort Bonifacio.
Ang Tanging Inasal
Where to wolf down this original Ilonggo specialty? James Gabrillo scours Manila’s manukans and sinks his teeth into the sawsawan-friendly chicken from the South.
Experiment 21
The popularity of their batchoy may have been the secret of their initial success, but Chef Richie Gamboa’s fusion-savvy creations have infused new life into old favorite 21
Viva La Burrito!
Rogue goes in search of the metro’s most fiesta-worthy Mexican monstrosity—and finds their pa-burrito wrap in the unlikeliest of places.
Reborn Identity
Emboldened by the spirit of the the Italian rinascimento (renaissance), the recently refurbished Il Ponticello—popularly known as Ponti—takes culinary debauchery to a whole new level.
Kitchen Manuel
In Lolo Dad’s Brasserie—the bistro version of Chef Ariel Manuel’s famed Malate restaurant—a more straightforward menu of steaks, pastas, and sandwiches holds sway.
A Native Twist
Care for some Cerveza Negra gelato? Or a cocktail of gumamela tea with vodka? Even after five years, Gaita Forés’s Pepato proves that Italian cuisine—given a native Pinoy twist—is truly the most edible artform.
The Kingdom and I
In the culinary heartland of Pampanga, a triumphant native son by the name of Chef Sau del Rosario finally returns to the City of Angeles to open his very own Thai restaurant, Kingdom.
China Syndrome
The Hyatt Makes An Impressive Stamp In The City’s Dining Scene With Its Elegant Cantonese Restaurant, Li Li.
Pepper Lunch
Fashion designer-turned-style journalist Cecile Zamora Van Straten (the woman behind the click-worthy Chuvaness blog) opens the first philippine branch of the popular japanese D.I.Y. Steakhouse, a novel concept that allows you to self-sizzle your meal in your own electromagnetic plate.
French Revolution
World-renowned chef and cookbook author Alain Rayé—with his two Michelin stars in tow—brings his famed french bistro, La Régalade, from the coastal suburbs of West Vancouver to the throbbing heart of Makati.
Guerilla Brews
Now available on Philippine shores, Rogue Ales is an award-winning craft beer brand that not only shares this magazine’s exciting name, but also its renegade spirit.
Murphy’s Law
With the perfect blend of great food and a laid-back ambience, it’s no wonder that—in Murphy’s Irish Pub—everything that can go right, does.
Fish Be With You
From tuxedo-clad waiters to organically grown ingredients flown in straight from Japan, the Michelin star-worthy Kobikicho is an exclusive Makati sushi bar where “omakase” is your all-access password.
Burger, She Wrote
Holy cow, Hamburglar! Armed with her greasy laptop and an obscene amount of gluttony, one amateur food detective goes incognito as she attempts to find the Holy Grail of a perfect burger.
Wine Tuning
Spanish tapas bar Barcino may have started as a university project for young Barcelonians Sergi Rostoll and Dani Aliaga. But like a fine glass of young wine, this unpretentious watering hole will knock you out with every sip.
Some Like It Haute
Stepping into the elegant and polished interiors of haute cuisine haunt Aubergine, one may feel compelled to be, well, elegant and polished. But as these two foodies discover, once the world-class dishes are served, all that poise fades away faster than chocolate cake at fat camp.
Basilio’s
Comfort food takes on different forms for different people. But at this “neighborhoody” bar and restaurant in a quiet corner of the Fort, your favorite feel-good dishes—tweaked with foie gras, blue cheese, and champagne—find a contemporary home.
Banzai Bites
From Wagyu-stuffed gyozas to wasabi-infused oysters, chef Robbie Goco is cooking up a storm in Hama, a progressive Japanese restaurant in the powdery shores of paradise, where the dishes are, well, dynamite.
Mamou
Two creatures of habit find a semblance of home (and a superb steak) in Mamou, a cozy Serendra haunt that goes by the catchphrase, “a home kitchen”.
Verbena
Located in the seemingly unassuming Discovery Country Suites Tagaytay is this gem of a restaurant. With the food prepared by Chef David Pardo de Ayala, Verbena boasts of a complete menu of tempting dishes that deliver on taste and satisfaction.
