Toyo Eatery

The unassuming Toyo Eatery doesn’t take itself too seriously, despite the excellence of the experience it delivers. In the Philippines, ‘Toyo’ is a word for soy sauce, but it’s also slang for crazy.

Located in an up-and-coming hipster enclave on the outskirts of Makati, Toyo Eatery at first glance seems like an exercise in Japanese minimalism. The dining room is all reclaimed wood and concrete slabs, with an open kitchen where flaming woks light up the sparse atmosphere. The simple menu belies the artistry behind the dishes: the ‘garden salad’ is an interpretation of a popular children’s folk song with all 18 vegetables in the lyrics presented in a pot of soil. Other menu items play on simple Filipino fare such as street food–style pork skewers and bangus (milkfish) belly served with sinangag (fried rice). Nothing feels overdone, but each dish is delivered with the right amount of inventiveness and comfort.