What will Filipino dining look like next year?

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MANILA, Philippines — Fresh from the Michelin Guide Philippines wins, Filipino kitchens are not slowing down. Chefs are not taking time to rest. And even without award plaques in hand, many names are carrying the proud momentum forward, energized by the global attention as they head into 2026. The excited energy feels less about overnight success and more about what comes next.

And because awards are not the sole end goal, the question now is no longer just who made it, but what this pivotal moment means for Filipino dining as a whole.

New restaurants, spin-offs, fine dining names, solo chefs taking on bigger projects — the past year has shown just how active and ambitious the local food scene has become. Among those recognized were Manam at The Triangle, which received a Bib Gourmand, and hayop, a Singapore offshoot rooted in Filipino flavors, which was included in the Michelin Guide.

Abba Napa, restaurateur and co-founder of The Moment Group, sees this moment not just as validation, but as fuel. “Filipino dining has reached a place of confidence,” Napa told Rappler. “Chefs and restaurants are cooking from a place of clarity — grounded in memory and culture, but expressed with intention and care.”

That confidence extends to the diners, Napa noted. Curiosity has grown into openness, then discernment. And with that cycle, the food ecosystem becomes more refined, not just creatively, but culturally. It’s the everyday Filipino diner who has sustained the scene. “People lining up, coming back, celebrating over meals — that’s what has carried Filipino dining to where it is today.”

Abba Napa of The Moment Group. Courtesy of The Moment Group

So what did 2025 reveal about Filipino dining, and what do those lessons suggest for the year ahead?

1. Freedom but Filipino at the core

Over the past year, Filipino cuisine has continued to evolve in real time, Napa said. This space in range can be seen in local restaurants with menus that reflect deeply traditional to sexily modern interpretations.

Recognition such as the Michelin Bib Gourmand, which highlights good food at approachable prices, also shows that, at the core, Filipino food does not need to oversell itself to be appreciated.

“Dishes rooted in home cooking, shared tables, and familiar flavors can sit comfortably alongside any global cuisine when they’re executed with consistency,” Napa said.

“Filipino flavors are powerful, nuanced, and deeply satisfying when treated with respect and clarity. They don’t need dilution to travel.”

This also opens space for risk. Twists on classics are not always immediately embraced, Napa said, citing Manam’s famed Crispy House Sisig and Watermelon Beef Sinigang as examples. But over time, these dishes captured both local and international audiences. Things may just take some time to become part of the collective palate.

Filipino restaurants no longer need to fit into a single mold. “What matters is the integrity of its point of view — how clearly it understands its roots and how honestly it translates them onto the plate,” Napa said. This allows more chefs and restaurateurs the freedom to cook from where they stand — geographically, culturally, emotionally — without needing to over-explain.

“That freedom is important because it’s healthy for our industry. It encourages depth instead of imitation, and confidence instead of conformity.”

2. The full dining experience matters more than ever

Filipino diners love a good atmosphere, sometimes even as much as food. Visuals, space, lighting, ambiance, and mood influence where people eat (and take reels and photos in)!

But Napa sees a shift toward something more 360. The focus is no longer just on how a restaurant looks, but on how it feels, and how long people want to stay. That is how they designed Manam’s flagship at Ayala Triangle Gardens, including its branch-exclusive dishes.

“There needs to be a style of food — and a brand of hospitality — that can be fully relished. That sense of ease and unhurried energy in the room was a central part of the creative process,” she shared. It sits in the “middle of a rare patch of green in the city,” so people can come to it at any point in the day, and it also allows guests to reserve tables and pre-plan celebrations.

And even as menus are evolving alongside spaces, what matters most, she says, is cohesion. Vision, food, service, and atmosphere should work together naturally. “When a restaurant knows who it is, and shows up as that, consistently and passionately, people can feel it.”

3. Clarified intent, especially when expanding

To succeed, it’s important to know exactly what you’re serving, why, and for whom.

Expanding Manam abroad was a risk, so Napa first needed to be clear about what the concept was — and just as importantly, what it wasn’t. “From the beginning, it was never meant to be a broad introduction to Filipino food,” Napa said.

Understanding the target market first helps clarify one’s intent. The team wanted a more “focused, expressive take on Filipino flavors,” still grounded in tradition, but presented through a contemporary lens that would make sense within Singapore’s dining culture.

“Singaporean diners are incredibly well-traveled and discerning, and they tend to respond to restaurants with a strong point of view and disciplined execution,” Napa shared. She also understood that breaking into a foreign dining landscape is always uncertain; who knows if their locals will even create space for what you’ve painstakingly created?

But what grounded Napa was sticking to their intent. “hayop was conceived to portray Filipino food as we understand it. Through the lens of Filipinos born, raised, and living in Manila, shaped by our own experiences and perspectives,” she said, but expressed with restraint, to feel both “distinctive and accessible in that market.”

4. Eating out as a way of life

After more than 15 years in the industry, the biggest shift Napa has observed is how eating out has become central to everyday Filipino life.

“More than ever, eating out takes up a meaningful share of people’s budgets,” she said. But it’s no longer just about the food. Favorite restaurants have become extensions of the home.

“You can see this reflected in how malls have evolved, with food and beverage now taking up a much more prominent role in commercial development footprints than ever before,” Napa added.

Part of this shift is the growing appreciation for Filipino cuisine as part of everyday eating, not just for celebrations. Diners also want to know more about what happens behind and around the plate as much as what’s on it: origin stories, the experience, service, atmosphere, and how a restaurant makes you feel.

“Dining has become more intentional and emotional. It’s about connection, comfort, and meaning, not just consumption,” Napa said. She foresees Filipino diners becoming even more discerning, searching for restaurants that are clear about who they are, whether casual, refined, or fine dining. But what matters is that as dining habits and food trends evolve, restaurants stay committed to an identity, but don’t feel chained by it.

“Together with sensitivity, clarity, and care, the restaurant can remain relevant — because it’s responding to real life, not trends.”

5. The constants that endure

After a decade of changes, Napa believes three things will always matter in the F&B industry.

First: flavor is first. “It’s sarap (deliciousness) you can trust. Flavors are felt. At the end of the day, walang tatalo sa masarap (nothing can beat the scrumptiousness). Nothing replaces food that delivers consistently. No amount of storytelling, plating, or hype can compensate if the food doesn’t truly land,” she shared.

Second: Second: malasakit (empathy). Filipino diners are very sensitive to how they’re made to feel, Napa noted. You need to make every customer feel welcomed, seen, and cared for.

“It’s giving that sense that the restaurant genuinely wants you there. It’s not formal service, but ease, generosity, and sincerity.”

Third: value beyond price. Not necessarily cheap, but sulit (value for money) — like they’re getting exactly what they’re paying for. “The need to feel that what they receive is fair, generous, and worth returning to,” Napa said. This includes portioning, quality ingredients, consistency, and service.

And on the flip side, Napa hopes to see less dining driven by hype alone. Less fluff, less imitation. There needs to be more cooking from the heart; more restaurants “built from conviction rather than ego,” and from a “genuine desire to serve rather than impress.”

“The future of dining is strongest when it’s grounded in sincerity,” she said.

6. The future is Filipino

Rather than a single dominant trend, Napa sees the coming year defined by how chefs will show up. Will it be with a deeper sense of intention? More focus, meaning fewer menu items but with more depth?

“That might show up as menus that are more restrained or more anchored in personal memory and place. If that happens, I think it would be an exciting evolution for all of us,” she said.

It’s exciting to see how chefs will play their roles. Expressing Filipino identity will be more nuanced, Napa said, “Chefs and restaurateurs will become more comfortable expressing where they come from, letting that come through naturally in both their food and hospitality.”

Napa also anticipates stronger ingredient integrity. “Being more thoughtful and intentional about what we put on the plate, and letting good ingredients do more of the talking,” she said.

And for diners, all these mean better experiences and more thoughtfulness in where to spend their money. For the industry, it demands discipline, honesty, and sustainability.

IIn the long run, Napa foresees that a balance between luxe casual, casual dining, à la carte, family-style, and fine dining leads to resilience. When both consumers and chefs are more deeply invested in the experiences being created, dining out becomes more emotionally resonant. And when Filipinos — who are deeply attuned to emotion — feel connected to a place, they keep coming back.

There shouldn’t be a strict delineation between cuisines and service types, either. Napa believes that one does not need to come at the expense of the other.

“What feels most exciting is a dining landscape where both coexist — where refinement isn’t defined by formality, and comfort isn’t mistaken for lack of craft. That balance allows diners to choose experiences based on mood, moment, and meaning — and that feels just right, and ultimately a win-win for everyone.”

The F&B industry is on the cusp of greater things ahead. We are enjoying both more innovative concepts and deeply rooted menus, told through different narratives and expressions, spotlighting native ingredients and young chefs. But with Napa’s experience and success, she knows it always boils down to one thing: puso. And when the heart leads the way, everything follows — memorable experiences, sincere success, and a flourishing F&B industry for everyone involved. – Rappler.com