June (and the next couple months, really) has seen the Philippines on the charm offensive yet again. With culinary collaborations inflected with fire and pistachio, new branches and brunches blossoming in the south (from Pasay to Siargao), it seems as though the country’s food scene is ready for a new task at hand once we approach the second half of the year: disrupting our sense with food that feels like an endless summer vacation.
Fire, flavor, and Canadian beef at Discovery Primea
Billed as a showcase that celebrates the bold character and unmistakable quality of Canadian beef, Flame’s Luis Chikiamko orchestrates a limited-time menu (until July 7) that sees him wielding the premium sustainable meat into various forms.
At an event attended by special guests from Canada—including The Honorable RJ Sigurdson, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation of Alberta, Canada; Albert Eringfeld, vice president of export market development of Canada Beef; and multi-generational cattle producer representing Alberta’s ranching community Brodie Haugan—Chikiamko served a taste of every possibility you could have with different cuts of Canadian beef.
From a menchi katsu-like nugget of Canadian Angus chuck eye roll and a rolled beef short plate swimming in a beautiful broth we dubbed a “healing broth to a more substantial duo of dry-aged and AAA beef cooked in the Josper, Chikiamko coasted on the ease with which the Canadian product is rooted in—animal care, sustainability, and a commitment to excellence.
Fire & Flavor runs for a limited time only at Discovery Primea, reservations are encouraged. For reservations, call +63 2 7955 8888 or email primea.restaurants@discovery.com.ph
Branch by Roots takes root every morning in Siargao
As a morning person, the idea of Roots taking their tasting menu storytelling and ethos into the daytime, seven days a week is an intriguing draw.
“Our intention with our new concept is to serve mornings with the same integrity and joy we bring to dinner at Roots, but without the complexity of a dinner tasting menu,” says Inés Castañeda, Roots founder and creative director.
Located at Kaimana Resort, the clean and modern space of Branch by Roots is kitted out in a blue-and-yellow palette that is practically their “ode to slow living, warm hospitality, and local abundance.”
“For us, it was very important that Branch by Roots is approachable and not just another spot that alienates the locals. This is why, in a way, it’s an extension of the same purpose that inspired Roots—to have a positive impact on the community and environment through a culinary model deeply connected to the surrounding landscapes,” says Ricardo Miranda de Sousa, director of growth and impact.
“For us, it was very important that Branch by Roots is approachable and not just another spot that alienates the locals,” says Ricardo Miranda de Sousa, director of growth and impact
That impact isn’t just seen in filling rice bowls of fried chicken or fish, eggplant, pickles, kimchi, furikake, and cured egg yolk or in an epic three-layer homemade milk bread with cheese, mole brisket, and butter aptly called “Say Cheese.” It’s also felt in the growth opportunities burgeoning in the kitchen.
Yssa Casiño from Cagayan de Oro’s journey from commis chef to chef de partie at Roots to heading the Branch by Roots kitchen as junior sous chef is an emphatic example. “Her journey reflects our belief in nurturing talent from within, creating spaces where growth happens naturally, and leadership is built on trust, mentorship, and shared purpose,” says Roots culinary director Filippo Turrini.
“Each dish is created with the island lifestyle in mind, relaxed, full of character, and made to fuel slow mornings, surf sessions, and shared meals,” Casiño says.
The breakfast may be approachable, hearty, and generous (just the way we like it, really) but its soul-stirring swings make Roots’ foray into the morning well worth the wait.
Khaiba shows different strokes for all kinds of folks
What a difference it makes when two talented chefs join forces together. After a successful Korean stint at the last Balmori Suites’ Chef’s Table, Charles Paw’s Tasteless Food Group is once again occupying the space with another fully-realized collaboration.
Starring chefs Nouel Catis of the viral Dubai chocolate fame and Sonny Mariano who has helmed the kitchens of Scout’s Honor and The Matcha Tokyo Philippines, Khaiba (a playful take on the Tagalog word kakaiba, meaning “unusual” or “different” as well as an Arabic word that expresses surprise or shock) sees the two chefs partnering for a limited-time pop-up where they showcase their shapeshifting takes on beloved sweet and savory dishes.
“Expect a fresh take on contemporary Filipino cuisine with a Dubai touch,” says Mariano. “The dishes will still be familiar and comforting, but with very subtle twists of Mediterranean spices and ingredients.”
“Expect a fresh take on contemporary Filipino cuisine with a Dubai touch,” says Sonny Mariano. “The dishes will still be familiar and comforting, but with very subtle twists of Mediterranean spices and ingredients”
Over the course of 12 savory dishes based on nostalgic Filipino classics, Mariano’s point of view shines through on several standouts. He turns a beef sinigang into beef belly skewers glazed with prune and tamarind to recreate the sparkling acidity of the sour soup. Honestly, these USDA beef skewers are so good that it can even stand alone as a main dish paired with either a cup of jasmine, basmati, or sinangag with kiniing (cured pork).
A palette of flavor profiles then emerges in a trio of sourdough bibingka served with clotted cream, adobo liver pate, and date honey. Classic but with just enough twist to keep things interesting. In the mains section, Mariano puts a tagine spin on his lamb kaldereta and infuses it with almonds, apricots, and figs for a little sweetness, then adds a crisp Za’atar chicken skin on a delicious sinamak-marinated inasal, before taking a dive into seafood with tender miso prawns that unfurl over a rich sauce and a barramundi sarciado rubbed with Arabic spices.
For Catis’ part, this collaboration “marks a meaningful comeback,” says the Filipino chef who is finally back to cook in the Philippines after 16 years.
“I’ll be digging deep into my childhood memories—bringing to life the comfort desserts I grew up with, but this time with a Dubai twist. Expect something familiar yet reimagined through the lens of where I am today as a chef.”
“I’ll be digging deep into my childhood memories—bringing to life the comfort desserts I grew up with, but this time with a Dubai twist. Expect something familiar yet reimagined through the lens of where I am today as a chef,” says Nouel Catis
Admitting that it’s his first curating a dessert menu, Catis’ four plated desserts and small-format cake are tempting both in their flavors and the little winks of cheekiness in their names. His “Honey, Mangga Please” (Medovik cake with coconut cream, graham crumble, mangoes, caramelized cashews) and halo-halo (ube cheesecake, pinipig, phyllo crisps, evaporada pandan sauce) are both bait you in with texture with each chew and busy bite.
A star dessert however is the “Habibi, I’ve Come From Dubai.” It’s a moist room temperature (as it should, he says) chocolate cake with Davao chocolate frosting (such deep flavors) and pistachio filling, and pistachio soft serve on the side and a drizzle of pistachio sauce. Obscenely luxurious in the best way possible.
“What makes it special is that this menu reflects my culinary beliefs—cultural storytelling, innovation, and creating dessert experiences that feel both personal and progressive.”
Khaiba runs until July 13, 2025, open daily.
Lunch: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Dinner: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The Balmori Suites Chef’s Table, Rockwell Center, Makati City
Reservations: (0995) 639-3972
Biggest Kiwami opens at the biggest mall in the Philippines
In October 2024, siblings Michael and Nic Concepcion undertook one of the biggest undertakings in their foodservice career with the revamp of Kiwami into Kiwami: Japanese Master Kitchens.
But you could also argue that opening Kiwami’s largest location in the premises of the biggest mall in the Philippines is just as daunting. The results however are nothing short of spectacular. But that’s to be expected from the creative siblings of Standard Hospitality Group.
With a 700 sq.m. footprint and a 250-seating capacity following modern Japanese minimalism and a distinct “golden autumnal glow” that’s become its signature, Kiwami Mall of Asia is yet another step in the group’s commitment to expand its reach.
Featuring its six master kitchens (Yabu, Ippudo, Hachibei, Hannosuke, and Koyo) that highlight one iconic dish, Kiwami’s third major opening this year sticks to what it does well. “As we expand, we stay true to our philosophy of mastery over mass,” says Michael Concepcion, SHG creative director.
Kiwami MOA, Level 1, North Entertainment Mall
Monday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.