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

The Philippines' culinary scene shone at the recently concluded The Best Chef Awards 2024 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) last Nov. 8, 2024, as four Filipino chefs made waves in the global culinary scene.
Proving that Filipino cuisine is a force to be reckoned with, these culinary visionaries earned well-deserved recognition at one of the industry's most prestigious events.
The awards are categorized by Three Knives (The Best), Two Knives (World Class), and One Knife (Excellent), and these were given to different chefs all around the world, with Spain earning the highest number of awards. One Filipino chef received a "Two Knives" Award and three chefs got a "One Knife" Award.
Curious to see who they are and want to give their restaurants a try? Here's a rundown on the Filipino chefs awarded in The Best Chef Awards 2024 and their restaurants:
Two Knives: Jordy Navarra, Toyo Eatery, Makati
Chef and owner of Toyo Eatery and bakery Panaderya Toyo, Chef Jordy Navarra champions Filipino ingredients, flavors, and local artisans as he transforms traditional Filipino cooking into a reimagined and innovative masterpiece, bringing Filipino tastes and culture into the forefront.
Navarra has been noted for elevating Filipino fine dining, and for paving the way for Filipino culture to be recognized in the global F&B industry.
His restaurant, Toyo Eatery, is a modern Filipino restaurant that brings creative interpretations of local dishes to one's plate. Their best dish on the menu? Their Garden Vegetable Salad — an 18-vegetable dish that includes all the vegetables in the Filipino rhyme "Bahay Kubo."
Location: Toyo Eatery, The Alley at Karrivin, Karrivin Plaza, Chino Roces Ext., Makati, Philippines
Opening Hours: 6 PM to 11 PM, Tuesdays to Saturdays
One Knife: Stephan Duhesme, Metiz
Filipino-French chef and restauranteur Stephan Duhesme has made a case of highlighting Filipino produce and using fermentation to bring out distinct, Filipino tastes in his restaurant Metiz.
He celebrates Filipino cuisine by marrying tradition and modern innovations, using locally sourced ingredients, and re-discovering the richness of Filipino food culture.
Metiz is on the list of Asia's best restaurants and is a Filipino fine dining restaurant born out of the thought of "what Filipino food could be." Their specialty? Their regular eight-course tasting menu which features parts of typical Filipino meal: rice, vegetables, ulam (protein source), and sawsawan (dipping sauce).
Location: Metiz, Karrivin Plaza, Ground floor, Building A 2316 Chino Roces Ave, Extension, Makati City
Opening Hours: 6 PM to 11:30 PM (Tuesdays to Fridays); 12 NN to 3 PM and 6 PM to 11:30 PM (Saturdays)
One Knife: Chele Gonzales, Gallery by Chele
Spanish-born yet Filipino in heart, Chele Gonzalez intertwines his global techniques with Filipino flavors and tradition. He takes inspiration from anywhere, may it be a common ingredient, a tradition, or a beloved dish from childhood, and creates it into a distinctly Filipino dish using a mix of local and international methods.
Chele's philosophy? To create and develop dishes rooted in, but not entirely bound by, Filipino heritage.
Gallery by Chele offers a six-course and 10-course tasting menu which are all currently designed to local and seasonal produce. Chele is also proud to say that the menu is "always shifting, adapting, and inspiring new ideas."
Location: Gallery by Chele, 5F Clipp Center, 11th Ave corner, 39th St, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Metro Manila
Opening Hours: 11 AM to 3:30 PM, 6 PM to 11 PM, Tuesdays to Sundays
One Knife: Johanne Siy, Lolla
2023 Asia's Best Female Chef and Lolla Head Chef Johanne Siy has flourished in Singapore but still stays true to her Filipino roots. She has been a driving force in bringing forth sustainably minded and produce-driven dishes, originally incorporating the knowledge she's gained from her time in Scandinavia and America.
Johanne says that she gained a deeper appreciation and respect for producers in their "commitment to quality" and aims to do the same in the dishes she cooks, bringing flavor to the table and "letting the ingredients do the talking."
She is also a voice for women's representation in the professional kitchen, which is still widely dominated by men. Lolla takes a modern twist on Mediterranean cuisine, combining the finest ingredients with quality seasonal produce.
They offer an a la carte menu and seasonal menu on the weekdays, and a tasting menu on Fridays and Saturdays. During lunch service on Saturdays, they offer a prix fixe menu that offers seasonal dishes.
Location: Lolla, 22 Ann Siang Rd, Singapore 069702
Opening Hours: 12 PM to 2:30 PM, 6 PM to 11 PM (Mondays to Saturdays)
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