Four Filipino Chefs Awarded at The Best Chef Awards 2024 in Dubai

Japanese lifestyle brand MUJI has finally opened their 8th and flagship store in Manila at the Glorietta 3 mall! 

It is the brand’s largest outlet in the Philippines, spanning three floors of the Glorietta mall and filled with all their cult favorites and essentials — from stationery, home décor, skincare, clothing, travel, and more. 

Along with the opening of this new branch, MUJI also introduced their first MUJI Bakery in the Philippines, which also includes a huge dining area and a coffee counter. 

MUJI Bakery + Coffee Counter at MUJI Glorietta 3

Located on the Ground Floor of the MUJI Flagship Store in Glorietta 3, the MUJI Bakery offers a wide array of sweet and savory bread and other baked goodies that you can enjoy in-store at their expansive dining area. 

Their bread options include Plain Pandesal (P10), Ube Pandesal (P35), Salted Butter Bread (P45), Plain Croissant (P85), Plain Ensaymada (P95), Ube Ensaymada (P115), Sausage Bun (P135), Red Bean & Butter Croissant (P135), Chocolate Croissant (P155), Almond Croissant (P155), Bacon & Egg Round Croissant (P195), and Shoku Pan / Whole Loaf (P195).

MUJI Bakery bakes their bread fresh daily, only offering the best to their patrons. 

Much like their other Coffee Counters in SM North EDSA, SM Mall of Asia, and other branches, the Coffee Counter at Glorietta 3 has the same offerings and refreshments that can be served hot or iced. 

MUJI Glorietta 3 also offers their curry rice meals, soft serve, and other go-to Japanese snacks in-store too. 

Don’t miss out and check out the MUJI Flagship Store at Glorietta 3 to try out their newest offers! 

Follow MUJI Philippines on their Facebook and Instagram pages for more updates. You can check out their online catalog here.

Location: Levels 1 to 3, Glorietta 3, Ayala Center, Makati, 1226 Metro Manila

Opening Hours: 10 AM to 9 PM (Sundays to Thursdays), 10 AM to 10 PM (Fridays to Saturdays), MUJI Bakery (opens at 8 AM daily). 

Celebrate the woman who sheds light into our homes by giving her the ultimate special treatment at Solaire Resort Entertainment City.  

This Mother’s Day, treat your mom to a special weekend filled with relaxing stays, lavish brunches, and luxurious spa treatments. Solaire Resort invites you to make your mom feel like a queen by availing some of their special offers, such as booking a Sky Studio room using the Weekend Family Fun offer, which includes a complimentary buffet breakfast at Fresh for two adults and two kids up to 12 years old. By booking a stay, you can also enjoy P2,000 worth of F&B credits at the Pool Bar, and treat mom to a Solaire Signature massage or a soothing facial that will surely make her feel refreshed and relaxed throughout her stay.

Exciting Dining Offers

One thing to love about Solaire Resort is their wide range of culinary delights that satisfy every craving. Make the most of your indulgent stay by starting with a delightful afternoon tea session with mom at Oasis Garden Café, where you can enjoy an assortment of sweet and savory delights from a chamomile macaron and cassis white chocolate petit to a flavorful Salami Milano croquette and cranberry salmon gravlax topped with dill cream cheese. 

Other restaurants also offer a delightful brunch buffet perfect for Mother’s Day morning. At Finestra, you can savor an array of recommended dishes such as the Radicchio Risotto with caramel walnuts and guanciale and the Pan-fried Mackerel with broccolini and lemon sauce. The restaurant also offers sweet desserts and unlimited flutes of champagne or Aperol and Campari spritz from their roving aperitivo trolley. You can also have a grand seafood tower, as well as hand-carved roast beef and a curated selection of cold cuts and luxurious desserts served directly to your table. Talk about a feast fit for a queen!

If mom is craving for some Chinese food, Red Lantern has an all-you-can-eat dim sum buffet and offers a variety of dishes from Crystal Skin Lobsters to their Baked Signature Black Pepper Wagyu Beef Tarts. 

For meat lovers, there are eight interactive live stations at Yakumi offering a great selection of seafood and red meats from grilled Boston lobsters and scallops to Kinross lamb chops and US ribeye steak. The marinated miso foie gras teppanyaki and the Tai sake mushi (Japanese sake-steamed seabream with seasonal vegetables) are also a must-try!

Beat the heat at Waterside with a traditional “boodle fight” and savor a vibrant spread of your favorite Filipino dishes. For an even wider selection, Fresh offers diverse buffet stations featuring the finest seafoods and meats, alongside a variety of cuisines including Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Italian, and Chinese. What’s even more awesome is that moms will be served exclusive drinks on the day, right at their table!

What are you waiting for? Plan a weekend of indulgence for mom by booking a room via their website. For reservations, call ahead at 8888-8888 or email [email protected].

Discover more celebratory perks and offers by following Solaire Resort on Facebook, X (Formerly Twitter), and Instagram. 

Ever wondered who’s the mastermind behind the original Dubai Chocolate that’s taken the dessert world by storm? 

Meet Chef Nouel Catis — the Filipino chocolatier making waves in Dubai, who’s bringing his award-winning creations home for the very first time.

From Apr. 11 to June 11, 2025, AF Hospitality welcomes Chef Catis for an exclusive collaboration across a mano, Steak & Frice, and Ramen Ron. 

Each restaurant will showcase a one-of-a-kind creation featuring elements of Dubai Chocolate.

At Italian restaurant a mano, indulge in a decadent Dubai chocolate burrata soft serve swirled with melted dark chocolate and served in a dark chocolate-dipped waffle bowl, and finished with pistachio-kataifi crunch.

For something a bit more filling, Steak & Frice wraps it all up with a Dubai chocolate crêpe, filled with pistachio-kataifi, topped with dark chocolate and pistachio cream, finished with toasted crunch and roasted kataifi. 

Finally, Ramen Ron offers handmade mochi filled with pistachio-milk chocolate namelaka, oozing with pistachio sauce, crispy kataifi, and crushed pistachios.

AF Hospitality is also offering a sweet bonus: the Dessert passport program. If you try the imaginative desserts at each of the three restaurants, you can earn a stamp on your Dessert Passport to score a complimentary SNA’AP chocolate bar.

A portion of proceeds will support the Dumagat Cacao farming community through MAD Travel’s AgroForestry Program, bringing Catis’s journey full circle: from local roots to global acclaim, and back home to give back.

For more information, visit AF Hospitality on their website, Facebook, and Instagram. 

LongHorn, the beloved American steakhouse famous for its bold flavors and its no-nonsense motto “You Can’t Fake Steak,” just opened its very first branch in the Philippines at Shangri-La Plaza Mall’s Streetscape wing. 

This launch is the delicious result of a partnership between LongHorn’s parent company, Darden Franchising, and local dining powerhouse The Bistro Group.

Bringing the spirit of the American West straight to Manila, LongHorn is all about hearty portions and warm hospitality. 

Expect standout cuts like the flame-grilled Outlaw Ribeye—juicy, bone-in, and perfectly marbled—or Flo’s Filet, a center-cut piece so tender it practically melts. 

The New York Strip, known as their thickest cut, brings that classic steakhouse bite, while the T-Bone offers the best of both worlds: the flavor of a strip and the tenderness of a filet. 

Then there’s their signature, The LongHorn, a bold porterhouse that lives up to its name.

But it’s not all steak, guests can also try their LongHorn Salmon, marinated in bourbon and grilled to perfection, or their Redrock Grilled Shrimp, covered in smoky tomato butter. 

Other crowd-pleasers include Parmesan Crusted Chicken, Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders, and LH Burger—the lone burger on the menu, a thick, juicy half-pounder that holds its own. 

Finish off strong with indulgent desserts like the Chocolate Stampede, a chocoholic’s dream, featuring six different types of chocolate served with vanilla ice cream, or go classic with Molten Lava Cake and their different types of cheesecake.

To make a reservation, visit this website. For more information, check out their Instagram and Facebook. 

Location: Ground Floor Unit 4, 9, 10, Shangri-La Plaza, Edsa corner Shaw Blvd, Mandaluyong

Asia is one food-crazy continent! We take great care to pick restaurants based on culinary vibes, rankings in international gourmand guides, mentions in magazines, Instagramability, and added allure. Yes, Chef! features the region’s chefs' stories of love and labor in kitchens, which has made some of our restaurants the next big thing in Asia.

Chef Stephen George Bustamante has dedicated his entire life to bringing people comfort through food. The Pinoy native, who is best known as one of the founders of One World Deli, and also as the former private chef of George Lucas (of “Star Wars” renown) takes on a new challenge amidst the sprawling estate of Pontefino in Batangas. 

Helming the hotel’s headlining restaurant, Pastorelli, Chef Stephen welcomes locals and visitors alike to a table boasting elevated fare. Today, we speak to the man behind innovative dishes such as Binagoongang Lechon Kawali and Lamb Shank Adobo.

What would you say is Pastorelli’s specialty?

Chef Stephen: We made sure our menu is very inclusive and comforting. While we are a restaurant, we are also a hotel, so our guests look for comfort food. That’s why the menu is international with Pinoy flavors – this is to cater to our international patrons.

We do look forward to creating different concepts for the future, but we want to do so when we’ve already garnered the trust of our community. Because we know that people go back to the same restaurant when they trust the cuisine.

To add further context to his words, Chef Stephen also revealed that in Pastorelli, they create in-house recipes, such as bagoong and marmalade. This extra mile, put in by the chef and his team, ensures that every spoonful is guaranteed to be delicious, plus these products become undoubtedly unique to Pontefino Hotel.

We heard you wanted to do a kind of “Filipino tea time” menu at Pastorelli?

Chef Stephen: Yeah, so we were thinking that instead of tea sandwiches or little hors d'oeuvres, what we’d do would is put bibingka on the first tier, then kakanin, then pandesal with fresh kesong puti and marmalade, jams, and chorizo. So a very Pinoy take on classic English tea.

We also want to create a retail area in the hotel where people can take our specialties – like our homemade jam – home.

When did you realize you wanted to become a chef?

Chef Stephen: When I was 13 or 14, my family had people coming to the house, and my tita gave me a recipe for a simple Caesar salad. I followed that to a tee and everyone ate it and loved it. They asked who made it because it was so good. That’s when I kind of had an inkling that I liked to cook. So I started learning to cook with the family because everyone on my dad’s side is great at cooking.

I started eating more and learning more; eating was how I developed my palate. Fast forward to 1998 or 1999, I got laid off in California from the dot com boom (a market crash where many startups failed to become profitable). That’s when I decided to formally pursue cooking.

What cuisine would you say is your specialty?

Chef Stephen: When I graduated from culinary school in Canada, I worked for the Saban family. They were a rich, private family in [Los Angeles], and I started learning different cuisines there. They wanted a lot of different things, including comfort cuisine. I dabbled in Mexican, Spanish, French, etc.  It was definitely tiring, I spent long hours in the kitchen. But when you enjoy what you do, you don’t feel it until you get back home. But the next day, you wake up, and you still enjoy going to work.

You’ve trained in the West but are also familiar with Filipino food. How would you differentiate the Batangas palate from other taste profiles you’ve come across?

Chef Stephen: Batangueños have a sweeter palate. They like their sweets, they like a touch of sugar with everything. In Manila, it’s mostly savory, everything has a touch of acid; people love vinegar. Batangueños are also pretty straightforward. They will criticize the food if they don’t like it, so I try to balance everything as much as possible when it comes to flavors.

Did you ever feel like you needed to connect to your Batangueño roots?

Chef Stephen:  I think I was always connected to my roots, but subliminally.  When I was a kid, my favorite food was my uncle’s Humba (Visayan braised pork dish). I loved how it was both sweet and savory. As I grew up, I kept looking for it, but no one could ever replicate how my uncle made his. When I was in California, I loved cheesecake, but at the end of the day, I always looked for kakanin. I think that’s how I always stayed close to Batangas and Filipino culture cuisine.

What drew you to Pastorelli at Pontefino Hotel?

Chef Stephen: As One World Deli was growing, I felt that I’d already done my job. I wasn’t looking for a job as an executive chef, but I met the owner [of Pontefino], who’s my friend, and he said he wanted to bring up the brand of Pontefino again. And I realized I wanted to take this experience on head-on because it’s a different opportunity to work in a hotel restaurant. Being able to draw a bigger market through food is a big responsibility.

What is your cooking philosophy?

Chef Stephen: I try to bring out the most excellent food. It doesn’t matter if it’s late, as long as it comes out perfect.

I also think that at the end of the day, everyone looks for comfort food. When you go home, you look for your favorite food. If you’re Filipino, that’s probably Sinigang or bread from the panaderya. My favorite food memory is having pandesal with Century Tuna at midnight with my dad. That’s why I enjoy cooking comfort food.

What do you love about your job?

Chef Stephen: Honestly, I love watching people eat. I love seeing how people enjoy food, sometimes without even realizing it. Everyone’s palate is different, and it changes, too. What we enjoy differs and evolves as we age or as we try new things. That’s how we make our palate wiser, or more knowledgeable.

At some point, after eating enough, you might even be able to identify ingredients in the recipe. You might be able to tell what herbs or spices they use or how it was cooked. The science behind cooking is very captivating to me, to think about the depth of food.

What’s an unexpected challenge you’ve encountered during your time at Pastorelli?

Chef Stephen: This space has been here for some 20-odd years. One of the challenges we wanted to tackle was figuring out how to get people to come here again. And how else can we do that but through food and ambiance? Our restaurant is very bright and airy, overlooking the pool, very soothing. During breakfast, you can admire the pool. During merienda, watch the sunset, and at night, there’s a beautiful fountain display. I’m very lucky to be here.

Out of curiosity, what was it like working with George Lucas?

Chef Stephen: It’s funny because his favorite food is Chicken Burrito. He loves Mexican food. I learned how to make fresh tortillas, how to braise pork, how to make pico de gallo, salsa, all that. Through working with him, I met certain people such as Clyde Owen, Seth McFarland. My stint there was a very good experience.

Follow Pastorelli Restaurant on Instagram and check out PonteFino Hotel's website for more updates! For dining reservations, call PonteFino at 0915-964-1026 or 0908-293-9026.

Location: Pastorelli Restaurant, PonteFino Hotel, Gov. Antonio Carpio Road, Batangas

Opening Hours: Breakfast from 6 AM to 10 AM; Lunch from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM; Dinner from 6 PM to 10 PM

Restaurant Story

Kazu Café opened in 2024, taking notes from its older sibling Kazunori, a celebrated Japanese restaurant that opened in 2017. The café is owned by Ryan Cruz, CEO of Nippon Hasha Inc. 

Nippon Hasha Inc. is the group behind the popular ramen bar concepts Mendokoro Ramenba, Ramen Yushoken, and Marudori, which have become endeared to the local and foreign communities in Metro Manila.

Kazu Café is a more whimsical take on the restaurants that Nippon Hasha operates, taking on a casual yet elevated experience that is influenced by Tokyo’s café culture. 

“Japanese cafés often embrace flavors and dishes from around the world. At Kazu Café, we are bringing a global twist to our offerings while maintaining the precision and discipline of Japanese cuisine that the Kazunori brand has been known for all these years,” said Ryan Cruz in a press release. 

Vibe and Venue

Nestled in the lush and relaxing scenery of the Ayala Triangle Gardens, Kazu Café stands out for its youthful charm and playful take on what is quintessentially Japanese. While keeping to its traditional Japanese roots through its menu, Kazu Café is casual, hip, and whimsical. 

Its interiors were designed by Liza Crespo of Ecotecture Design Studio, featuring sculptural lights and denim-upholstered seating as a nod to the Japanese denim industry. Its branding and identity, created by Singapore-based ACRE Design is described as “bold and artistic, yet approachable” by TY Zheng, co-founder and creative director of ACRE Design, which can be seen through its clay-like logo that can be seen throughout the café. 

The café is a calm respite in the midst of a bustling city, with spaces fit for every kind of party, for any occasion. 

The Menu

Kazu Café offers an elevated take on beloved Japanese comfort classics with the high-level culinary techniques utilized by Nippon Hasha’s restaurants. The menu offers a wide-range of options — from salads, soup, sandwiches, to teishoku, pasta, donburi, pizza, curry — including Japanese café bites and breakfast platters for the morning. 

Chef Kuramochi Kazunori, the head chef at the café’s sister restaurant Kazunori, created the menu that Kazu Café is now known for. Some of his creations are the Hitachi Wagyu Burger, Yaki Tonkotsu, Kazu Oyakodon, and Hanetsuki Gyoza.

Their dessert menu is also not one to miss, especially with offers like the Musk Melon Kakigori, Yuzu Tiramisu, and Matchagato giving diners a glimpse into the fashionably trendy café culture in Japan. 

Kazu Café recently added new items to their menu, which perfectly fit the bill if you’re looking out to try something new!

The Cost

Kazu Café is quite affordable, especially since you’re paying for high-quality ingredients, generous servings, and an inviting space. Prices are friendly for everyone, with Kazu Café’s starters ranging from P220 to P460, with the exception for the Hitachi Wagyu Burger costing P1,400. 

The prices for the mains range from P380 to P550, and Kazu Café’s set meals, or the Teishoku, are priced at P450. These set meals include rice, a small salad, miso soup, and the main dish. 

The café pastries are much cheaper, ranging from P180 to P300, and the breakfast set offerings are priced from P390 to P880. 

For their drink menu, their coffee offerings range from P150 to P250, which are common among all cafés in the area. Some of their more premium offers, such as their matcha, range from P200 to 260. 

Kazu Café’s new cocktail menu is priced from P280 to P520, and their new bar menu ranges from P295 to P550. 

What We Tried

Kazu Café gave The Beat Manila the opportunity to try out their newest bar menu, which were the Yakiniku Pizza, Crispy Chicken Sando, Gyoza, and Nikomigyuu Niku Bolognese.

Itadakimasu! 

We started our meal with the Gyoza, which was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. These pork dumplings were first steamed and then fried to get that crisp exterior and juicy filling, and the overall experience of biting into it was incredibly pleasing. 

Next, we had the Yakiniku Pizza, which was surprisingly sweet and definitely not a usual pick. The teriyaki-flavor gives it a unique umami kick and it’s best paired with coffee or matcha. It’s also a great pick if you’re looking for a heavy snack!

The Crispy Chicken Sando was an absolute delight; the chicken thigh was cooked to perfection — crunchy on the outside, juicy in the inside. The garlic mayo was a perfect pairing to the dish, too. It’s subtle, and didn’t overpower the dish. 

We had the Nikomigyuu Niku Bolognese for last, which is a must-try for pasta lovers if you’re not a purist. The sauce was rich and beefy, and it soaked perfectly into the linguine pasta. It’s cozy, satisfying, and worth your money for sure. 

The Beat Manila was also able to try Kazu Café’s newest cocktail menu, which are cocktail classics reinvented with Japanese flavors that were creatively concocted by renowned mixologist Arcadius Rybak.  

Every drink had their own personalities and mood — here’s how we’d describe them. 

Althea: Light, floral and sweet, but the bitterness creeps in once you’re a few sips in. Made with Rinomatto Bianco, elderflower, yuzu sake, soda water, and a bit of prosecco, it’s sweet and refreshing, but the bitter aftertaste rounds it up and brings you back. 

Gabriel: If you’re not much into drinking alcohol, then this drink isn’t the one for you. It’s made with Mancino Secco, Widges Gin, wasabi, kiwi, and lemon, and can be quite intense. The lemon and kiwi offers a sweetness to the spice, but beware, the gin kick is real, and it lingers. 

Rossi: This drink is fruity, sweet and cute, but don’t underestimate it. It blends Ratafia Rossi, red wine, guava, lemon, and shiso for a Japanese version of sangria. It may not be too strong at first glance, but then you realize you’re tipsy after a few glasses. 

Edo Sour: The green tea in the drink got us raising our eyebrows. It’s bold, unexpected, and quite bitter, made with Buffalo Trace Bourbon, green tea, passion fruit, and egg white. The result? A bittersweet and complex drinking experience. 

Kurogane: This drink was blended with Arette Bianco Tequila, Derrumbes Mezcal, yuzu juice, and yuzukosho, making it a wonderfully smoky flavor trip. It’s both smoky and zesty, with a hint of citrus to give it a different body. Not our usual pick, but it’s one to try.

Hide: The drink was both intense and refreshing — something that feels quite opposite from one another. This drink blends in Aperol, basil, guava, and soda water, giving it a citrusy-spicy taste. The guava leaf also gave it an herbal twist to the drink, and it’s perfect for chill sessions with friends. 

Amayuzu: It may just look like water, but don’t let that fool you. Made with Grass Vodka, Derrumbes Mezcal, almond, yuzu, and tonic water, it’s quite strong with a citrus edge and a bitter aftertaste. But its taste is perfectly balanced and if you’re one that prefers your drinks clean and packs a punch, then this one’s for you. 

Kusama: Sweet, light, and effortlessly cool — mixing sake, Pisco Fernet Hunter, lychee, and muscat grapes into an elevated fruit juice-like drink. It’s got that elegant vibe, and it wouldn’t look like you’re drinking alcohol in the first place. 

Gochisousama Deshita!

Follow Kazu Café on Facebook and Instagram to stay updated on their F&B offerings!

Location: Kazu Café, Unit 05-06, Ground Level, Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati City

Opening Hours: 8 AM to 10 PM, Daily