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Kiff Joshua's avatar

You're a godsend, po

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Niko Batallones's avatar

Grabe naman sa godsend, hehe.

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Anna Manlulo's avatar

Thanks Niko! Love this initiative and love this platform! Grateful for your passion for connecting us here!

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Filipeanut Art & Design's avatar

Great round up Niko! Have you tried the new "Michelle Lyn" star restaurant in QC??

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1043480767800101&set=pcb.1043055944509250

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Niko Batallones's avatar

Ha—there is a branch very near my place! I haven't tried though. Honestly scared of eating hotpot alone...

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KC Calpo's avatar

"...what is our desired end result?"

Fairer and more varied coverage of our cuisine. I want more focus on restaurants and cooks with decades-long stellar reputations but none of the PR machinery, funding, and padrinos that other places/people do. All the high-end, sit-down places in Manila have had their exposure already. Kakasawa. Iba naman!

I also want these Michelin Guide inspectors to come here and enjoy our food, then learn about and consider the contexts behind the food: history, culture, politics, socioeconomics, etc. Respect it as it is - and never ever compare it to Western/Global North trends. Worse, force our homegrown talent to change what they're doing to fit colonizer standards or keep those stars.

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Niko Batallones's avatar

Unfortunately (probably) Michelin has announced that they're focusing on "Manila and its environs" as well as Cebu, so it's safe to assume it'll be the usual suspects.

We really need new Doreen Fernandezes... and for them to be able to make a living off being like Doreen Fernandez.

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KC Calpo's avatar

Yesss to having successors! Although I'm not sure if anyone's brave enough to do it today like she did

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Kate Walker's avatar

These days Michelin do new territories when the government/tourist board has paid handsomely for the privilege, so it's in their interests to highlight a few local/street eats as part of the general gastrotourism PR campaign, but I bet you a bazillion dollars you'll be able to name half the spots in the guide right now off the top of your head.

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Niko Batallones's avatar

Spoiler alert: here are twenty of the restaurants I'm expecting to see. https://www.tatlerasia.com/dining/food/20-best-restaurants-philippines-2024

Although there should be nods to the late Margarita Fores (Cibo may be a chain but it did change a lot of things) and, perhaps, the Wildflour chain as well.

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Kristina Rodulfo's avatar

Thanks for sharing my post! I agree with the sentiment that I prefer eating a home cooked meal for the ~authentic~ Filipino recipes, especially when it’s easily available (aka I live near my parents haha). So, when I go out to a restaurant, I love seeing experimentation with familiar flavors. One of my favorite Filipino restaurants is Reyna in Paris. Definitely not traditional, but the flavors are very authentic and I admire the creativity 👏 I’m happy to patronize any Filipino restaurant, though!

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Niko Batallones's avatar

Haha, right? I mean, I cook sinigang and adobo but I still think my mother's is the best. I suppose the challenge for a lot of us is to be open to variations and to not expect Filipino chefs (especially abroad) to "do the hits", so to speak—and then be compared to what they grew up with!

You mention experimentation—I recall the feature CBS Saturday Morning did on Suzanne Cupps a few months back. Not that I'd be able to go to NYC any time soon, but Lola's is a restaurant I fantasize about being able to go to.

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Kate Walker's avatar

SO MANY great links here! Am hoping to move soon and if it works I'm going to have a gos stovetop again for the first time in a decade and I can't wait to make tortang talong! Of all the food I tried in the Philippines it was the one that blew my mind the most. What genius first French toasted an aubergine? Wonderful, brilliant, delicious madness. ❤️🤤🤤🤤❤️

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Jam Canezal's avatar

Niko, my favorite round up so far. Because ehem food 😍

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