From Banawe to BGC: What it’s like to dine in a Michelin resto

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MANILA, Philippines – This week, the Michelin Guide will unveil the restaurants that retained their stars or selection or those that managed to crack its discerning list in the second year that it has established its presence in the country.

Before Thursday’s unveiling comes, Filipinos had a year to visit some of the restaurants that made the cut at last year’s launch.

This writer was among those who were curious to try out some of the restaurants named in the inaugural list. Together with two friends from the Lifestyle beat, this writer checked out these restaurants from Quezon City to Bonifacio Global City.

Taiwanese turo-turo

Banawe is known for car and motoring enthusiasts but it also has a number of good dining spots.

Fong Wei Wu sits right on the corner of Banawe and Samat streets. At first glance, it looks like a Chinese apothecary with the sliding accordion metal doors and Chinese names on its signage.

For Banawe regulars, the Taiwanese restaurant seems to be a favorite. There is a constant influx of diners even if our trio went to check it out after lunch.

Diners who wish to dine at Fong Wei Wu need to be complete in their group because the establishment requires it due to its limited seating capacity.

Upon entering, there are a couple of tables for two and two medium-sized tables good for four to five people. There is also a stall that sells Chinese goods.

On the left side from the entrance, the turo-turo set-up is placed, and very much reminiscent of the carinderias, the menu board with prices is easily seen hanging above it.

Many of their food items are must-tries, but for first-timers, the slow-cooked braised pork should be on top of the list. The fork easily slides into the skin upon slicing, and the slow-cooked meat with its fat literally melts inside the mouth.

Our group ordered two types of rice: Kiam Pong and Black Pepper Egg Fried Rice. We also opted for Fried Fish Cakes and tea eggs. Their rice dishes are priced from P100 to P390 and most are good for sharing, especially for light eaters. Depending on one’s appetite, the portions are either enough for light eaters or small for voracious ones.

Dining at Fong Wei Wu is an experience in itself because of its menu; there are only a handful of Taiwenese dining options with this setup for the price point.

Since our group indulged in our Banawe trip, we ended up pitching in around P1,000++ per head but it was worth the trip. For dessert, Banawe does not lack bakeries that offer sweet treats from hopias, cookies, cakes to baked goods.

Indian at the corner

Our trio did not try all these restaurants all at once.

In fact, we purposely set dates so our busy schedules would match with all the crazy deadlines and out-of-town assignments.

We initially thought that Chie Chie Pancit Patil Batung in Dian, Makati was the easiest pick since it was the nearest to one of our group's offices. We were proven wrong. We arrived around dinner time and a queue was already outside waiting to be seated.

Chie Chie is a non-descript restaurant by the roadside. Like Fong Wei Wu, it has a smaller space. We were hyped for it, as someone who had the pleasure of indulging in Pancit Patil Batung in one of the assignments in the north, where it originates. But we ended up hailing a cab to Bonifacio Global City while checking the Michelin list for another restaurant that could take us in.

We ended up in Brick Corner, the unassuming corner restaurant that literally is named after its bright brick colors.

One would expect it to be a modern Western joint, but Brick serves Indian cuisine.

It was a gamble that paid off for out trio because despite not having any reservations, we were accommodated by the kind restaurant manager. We were given a table that was reserved for an 8 p.m. appointment.

Wasting no time as soon as we were seated, we ordered the basic familiar Indian fare. We had Chicken Tikka Masala, Biryani Rice, Samosas, and Pita and Hummus. For dessert, we had Gulab Jamun, fried dough balls drenched in a fragrant sugar syrup.

Brick Corner serves North Indian cuisine, described as rich, spicy and hearty fare by Michelin.

Prices are mid-tier, starting at P500 for the mains and P300 for bites or starters. But the good news is that portions are good for sharing.

Its location at the back of the Mind Museum works to its advantage. Advance booking, though, is recommended. We were just lucky that night to grab a table.

Worthy two stars

The Bistro Group’s corporate executive chef Josh Boutwood said that reservations at his baby concept Helm need at least a month at most to be able to get a seat at his Makati restaurant.

Boutwood’s Helm is the country’s only two-Michelin-star restaurant, and it is understandable why it earned the elusive citation in the three-star ranking system of the popular food guide.

Josh was launched as the ambassador for Filipino lifestyle brand Bocu, and came up with a special menu for that night back in February.

Dining at helm, is an intimate experience, with the waitstaff ensuring that they can explain every plate that comes out of the kitchen, which, by the way, can easily be seen by diners.

It is an open kitchen setup, where every plate is prepared right before the eyes of its diners. Helm’s size is perfect for intimate gatherings.

Boutwood’s menu that night consists of fancy items that were creatively put together. Portions are more like degustation as diners patiently wait for one course to finish. Starters were raw beef with caramelized onion and horseradish and octopus chawanmushi with spirulina. Another fancy dish was a slice of fjord trout with crab fat.

The breads were admittedly good, with their in-house spiced spreads that paired well with them.

Our mains were duck with Jerusalem artichoke and black cherry and a plate of A5 Wagyu with Adlai.

To end the indulgent dinner, Boutwood opted for a mango passionfruit to cleanse the palate.

Scoring seats at Michelin-starred and selected restaurants can be a task, especially during rush hours, weekends, and right after the list was unveiled.

Dining, whether at a Michelin-graded restaurant or not, is an experience in itself. From the daunting task of making a reservation to braving the Manila traffic. One also has to factor in the budget for each meal, and if one is a foodie, price will not be a major issue.

With the upcoming unveiling of a new set of Michelin restaurants — One to Three Stars (if there will be), Bib Gourmand, or Selected — the food scene in Manila and its environs is expected to see surges in this last quarter of the year, especially with the holiday season now on its last stretch.