Inauthentic Thai, Manila croissants, and holiday pairings to try
Judging from the slew of openings and new releases just this month, it’s safe to say that the food and beverage industry doesn’t waver in the face of the holidays. Traffic notwithstanding, Manila’s finest chefs and restaurants stomped into the season with a particularity that has been met with a warm welcome.
At the center of it all are Charles Montañez, whose new rooftop restaurant Liyab set the scene ablaze, and Kevin Uy, the young Central-trained chef whose imaginative palette of flavors easily won over Filipino diners. But we’ll unpack their scintillating successes on another day.
Then there’s Jorge Mendez, who seemingly delivers the good wherever he opens, like at The Podium, where Some Thai has just opened. Ely Salar, meanwhile, quietly soft-opened his flagship multidisciplinary headquarters in BF Homes, and so did Morton’s The Steakhouse, celebrating its first anniversary with a food and wine pairing for the holidays and beyond.
Jorge Mendez opens second Some Thai branch
Some Thai’s original Tomas Morato location opened to much fanfare, with queues practically an everyday occurrence outside its entrance. While it’s hard to say whether lines will disappear, the proudly “not authentic” Thai restaurant’s second branch at The Podium might just take some pressure off the first spot.
With a total seating capacity of 54 guests (44 in the main dining area and 10 in the private dining room), Some Thai at The Podium gives rise to a fully realized space that acts like a sequel to its older sibling.
It still features favorites like tom yum, crab curry, and the son and raw egg, but the crave-worthy branch-exclusive dishes crystallize Mendez’s vision for this expansion. There’s also a gai tod, Mendez’s take on Thai fried chicken served with a savory and spicy sauce, and a dry but luscious tom yum noodles.
A steamed seabass, meanwhile, offers a delicate, fragrant experience dressed with lemongrass, cilantro, garlic, ginger, red chili, and lime, giving customers more ways to enjoy Mendez’s interpretation of Thai cuisine. Lastly, the new dessert comes in the form of soft pandan coconut dumplings (khanom kho) illuminated by panutsa and coconut sauces.
Behind the beverage list, customers can sip on a couple of new refreshing drinks—a crisp Pandan Lime Ale, a cooling Watermelon Spritz, and a floral and bubbly Blue Butterfly Tea Lychee Soda.
Some Thai at The Podium is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Contact (0976) 3258942 for inquiries
Ely Salar unveils new flagship store alongside “Manila croissants”
At the center of each croissant’s buttery, flaky perfection is Philippine chocolate. Like many of his chocolate creations, the 10-piece croissant collection possesses a similar couture-like quality, where Salar composes and combines ingredients like coffee and gianduja, and matcha chocolate or pistachio praline to bring flavor and substance with each bite.
Other standouts include a bright calamansi and coconut croissant (punched up with candied calamansi, white chocolate Chantilly, and toasted coconut flakes), a mango float croissant, which evokes the classic Filipino icebox cake dessert, stuffed with mango compote or purée and Aton Cacao white chocolate; and a Table Dulce Pecan engineered with just three ingredients (aside from the croissant, of course): tablea chocolate spread, dulce de leche, and candied pecans.
Since coming home to the Philippines from Canada, the highlights have been plentiful for pastry chef and chocolatier Ely Salar. In 2020, he launched Pâtisserie Le Choux-Colat, a business and brand where he gets to flex his creative muscles, making premium-quality desserts using local ingredients. Two years later, Salar opened Le Choux-Colat’s first physical pop-up at The Podium. But 2025 marks his biggest milestone yet: the opening of Pâtisserie Le Choux-Colat’s flagship branch in BF Homes, Parañaque.
Currently on soft opening, the three-story BF Homes establishment not only continues the brand’s steady expansion in Metro Manila but also centralizes Salar’s Aton Cacao brand of handcrafted chocolates and cacao products and Chocolatier’s Lab, where he holds his masterclasses.
Visitors can sample their signature products, drinks, and a new savory menu at the ground-floor cafe. But among the brilliant selections available, Salar’s Manila croissants are stars of their own.
Pâtisserie Le Choux-Colat is located at BF Homes, 205 A. Aguirre Ave., Parañaque. For pickup or delivery orders, contact (0917) 155 4488 or follow on Facebook and Instagram for updates
Morton’s The Steakhouse turns one with excellent food and wine pairing
Anyone can easily point out how Morton’s The Steakhouse is a gorgeous choice for special occasion dining. But one year since opening, the massive restaurant at Uptown Eastgate BGC seems to be more than just a place you visit every once in a while.
This has to do with certain factors: USDA Prime steaks, fresh seafood, signature appetizers, an award-winning wine selection, an ambiance that embodies elegance, and excellent service from servers, sommeliers, and hosts.
Practically taking steakhouse dining to the next level, it becomes hard not to imagine what else Morton’s is capable of in the coming years. For now, though, its food and wine recommendations for the holidays and beyond to celebrate its anniversary are a perfect simulation that encapsulates the year that was.
Best experienced inside a semi-private room called the Patio that seats 10 people, this holiday feast of signature dishes explores the structures of what makes Morton’s a great place for sumptuous gatherings—with a glass of sommelier-curated wines.
The jumbo shrimp cocktail and bacon steak starters get a bright boost with their Alìe Rosé pairing from Tuscany, while the high salinity and high body of the 2418 Bouchard Père & Fils Pouilly-Fuissé Chardonnay put the creaminess of both the lobster bisque and Caesar salad on better display.
Elsewhere, chef Daniel Lachica’s beautifully delicate miso-marinated seabass and litany of USDA Prime steaks (from A5 wagyu to tomahawk) and sides like smoked gouda au gratin throb with enhanced flavors, thanks to bottles of French sauvignon blanc and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Even Morton’s legendary hot chocolate cake gets a powerfully soothing dessert wine bath from Castelnau De Suduiraut’s high residual sugars.
For reservations, visit www.mortons.com.ph. For inquiries, call (0917) 144 9415 or follow Morton’s on Instagram and Facebook
