Metiz

Named to Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant list, Metiz may be one of the toughest reservations to get in Manila, and it has raised plant-based eating to a new level, though it also serves fish and meat dishes. The name derives from the term mestizo, which the Spanish used to designate those of mixed-race European and indigenous heritage. Chef Stephane Duhesme, who is half-French and half-Filipino, trained at restaurants in New York, Tokyo and Hong Kong before opening his first restaurant in Bogota. During his time in South America, he became obsessed with fermentation techniques, and the mission for Metiz is “to serve traditional Filipino flavors in non-traditional forms.”

Stepping into the low-ceilinged dining room of Metiz, which opened in 2019, feels like joining a vibrant culinary innovation lab, where a team of dynamic young chefs is experimenting nightly with fermentation, foam and plant-based Philippine ingredients to create eight-course evening menus. The dining area, which is lined with shelves crammed with jars of pickling ingredients, opens right into the kitchen and a constant view of the courses in preparation. As the focus is on seasonal products and Filipino techniques, illustrative dishes are the catfish hito or poached chicken breast in coconut milk and clam sauce.