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The most anticipated resto openings of 2025
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The most anticipated resto openings of 2025

Niño Angelo Comsti

The Bistro Group is on a roll. After ending 2024 with a massive steakhouse drop in the form of Morton’s, along with homegrown Filipino restaurant Siklab, the big F&B player will be adding a few more familiar imports to their still-growing roster.

There’s Dave & Buster’s, an American restaurant and entertainment business; Longhorn Steakhouse, a casual dining steak place; Fogo de Chão, a Brazilian steakhouse; and Dessert 29 from Korea.

Add to that list Juniper by Josh Boutwood, at the Streetscape of Shangri-La Plaza. “It’s a small restaurant with small plates and a strong focus on gin,” says the chef.

The Forefront Lifestyle Group made news last year with Taupe Dining, which had a monthslong pop-up in Balmori Suites. The team will launch more brands this year: Union, which will have the company’s corporate chef team up with Jordan Andino, and another fine dining concept that will include designer Vito Selma.

After their successful pop-up, they will also launch a Taupe flagship store where people can continue to enjoy their a la carte dishes. Also in the pipeline are the reintroduction of Unit 27, albeit in an elevated form, and a Lujo high-end Mexican bar and restaurant in Makati.

Fogo de Chao —CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

International expansion

After 15 openings in 2024, the very busy The Moment Group will continue to make Manam more accessible in and out of the metro. Driven by the success of Hayop in Singapore, their beloved Filipino concept shall spread its wings further internationally. The Group’s portfolio will also be brought to Cebu. Come summertime, the central Visayan city will get to enjoy Din Tai Fung, 8Cuts, Ooma, Mo’ Cookies, and of course, Manam.

Nicco Santos and Quenee Vilar will have three contributions to the resto scene: Celera, the most exciting of the lot, will be located at Comuna in Makati. It will finally see the light of day in the first quarter of the year.

“It’s like nothing we’ve ever done before,” Santos said. “It’s completely new. No peg. It’s all based on our synergy with our partners.” Also in the works are a permanent Makati location for Sambar and Mesy, a cafe and eatery inside the Alabang Country Club.

The SM Malls will also get in on the action. In December alone, SM Mall of Asia presented Eggdrop, Maple Tree House, and the very first Kenangan Coffee from Indonesia. The mall giant will institute a handful more: Burger & Lobster at SM Aura, plus Coppers Coffee, as well as the first Warabi-Mochi Kamakura from Japan, both at SM Megamall.

Chef Charles Montañez has been working on two new brands to be introduced this quarter. Located on the roof deck of W High Street in BGC is Liyab, a tasting menu that will showcase a Filipino ingredient-studded cuisine cooked over wood fire and open flames, and right next to that, Anomaly, a high-end VIP lounge.

Chele Gonzalez impressed us last year with Asador Alfonso. His winning streak continues with two major endeavors: the official launch of his catering arm, and, together with Carlos Villaflor, an all-day dining bakery-and-cafe concept with comfort food that fuses western and Asian cuisines.

Bistrot Le Coucou

Multinational cuisines

Ayala Triangle Garden will be a veritable dining destination as more food joints open. There’s Pizza Studio Tamaki, a well-loved pizza parlor from Japan; Asian noodle shop Kong, which has moved out of Salcedo; Margarita, a two-floor establishment found at the corner of the compound; and Nok from the team behind Sidekick and Krapow.

Also in the lineup is a Filipino retro bistro by Don Baldosano and this writer, a cool, hangout place with a wide veranda offering garden and city views, modern interpretations of generations-old dishes, cocktails and natural wine, and a curated selection of music.

The Wolfgang’s Steakhouse Group ended 2024 with the opening of Italian restaurant Il Lupino Prime by Peter Zwiener in the Opus Mall. This year, the group will set up more Wolfgang’s Steakhouse branches nationwide. They’re capping their NCR expansion with two more stores—Wolfgang’s Steakhouse Grill in Alabang and a special Wolfgang’s Steakhouse Park Grill in Uptown Arts Residence in Taguig. They will also do a follow up of their first out-of-town location in Boracay with branches in Cebu and Iloilo.

Lobster and “frites” from Bistrot Le Coucou

The Wildflour Hospitality Group has been building much anticipation with the opening of their latest project, Osteria Antica. It’s a reimagined Italian concept that promises to bring the traditional taste of Italy to the heart of Ortigas CBD. Located at The Podium, it will offer beautifully designed interiors featuring distinct sections for formal dining, casual meals, and a bar. From handmade pastas to wood-fired pizzas, the Osteria will certainly be stirring the scene in that part of the city.

The Nikkei Group is going into French territory with Bistrot Le Coucou in One Bonifacio High Street this month. After a string of successful Japanese and Spanish restaurants, they will now operate a French bistro and wine bar that will serve items such as escargot, ratatouille, lobster linguini, and entrecôte and frites.

Robby Goco will flex his Greek muscles even more. He ended 2024 with the soft opening of Elaia by Cyma in Silang, Cavite, a restaurant that champions premium olive oil from Greece. He will be reopening Cyma Greek Taverna in Greenbelt as well as launching Go Greek in El Nido, Palawan. To top it all off, he will be establishing a new casual full service cafe and souvlaki shop called Tavernaki this year.

Steak au Poivre from Bistrot Le Couocou

Asian feast

Situated in Shangri-La at the Fort, Sabai is a massive Thai dining establishment (124 seats!) to be operated by the Uma Nota Group, whose first successful venture is conveniently located adjacent to it. The restaurant will be helmed by southern Thai-born chef Puwadol Assavadathkamjorn, who has amassed experience from Michelin Guide restaurants as well as 50 Best Restaurants in Bangkok and around the world. His menu will offer a vibrant blend of traditional Thai flavors and creatively reimagined dishes, crafted with fresh, locally sourced ingredients as well as authentic spices and condiments.

See Also

The Japanese division of the BBK Group has a number of openings lined up for the first half of the year. Apart from the third outpost of Inari Sukiyaki in the south, they will be introducing Katsudonya Seiko, a katsudon specialty restaurant in Mitsukoshi Mall BGC, as well as a modern teppanyaki bar concept in the same city.

Megaworld’s Grand Westside Hotel is scheduled to open La Meza this year. It’s a Filipino a la carte restaurant with dishes designed by the hotel’s executive chef Chris Lugtu.

The Standard Hospitality Group, which gave us a more inviting Kiwami, will be reopening their Yabu flagship store in Rockwell, with a new look and menu. Kiwami’s second branch, a much bigger space, will also be unveiled at SM Mall of Asia.

The Tipple and Slaw Group is expanding to the south with a Tipple Cafe in Molito Alabang. Their chef, Francis Lim, along with his cousins, will also be ushering Hong Lee, a Hong Kong-style dimsum, rice rolls and claypot eatery that marries the traditional and innovative when it comes to flavors.

The Tasteless Food Group, responsible for Hanamaruken, Your Local, Pizza Express and Bored and Hungry, will kick the year off with The Underbelly, a chef-driven ramen shop at the Alley at Karrivin. It will share space with 12 Labors Coffee, which will also start operations this month.

Come March, people will witness the opening of the biggest The Matcha Tokyo in the country, a sprawling 260-sq m space at SM Mall of Asia. Also to be introduced around the same time is Epic Eats, a premium food hall at the Opus Mall. Finally, the Tasteless Food Group is collaborating with the Vikings Group and Chele Gonzalez on an all-day dining concept at Uptown Mall in April.

Viva Foods, which brought Taiwan’s iconic Du Hsiao Yueh to Manila last year, will not only set up more branches but also bring in two more concepts: Rossopomodoro, an Italian pizza chain that serves authentic Neapolitan food, and Bean Hound, a new coffee concept by the Greyhound brand from Bangkok.

Rhea Sycip Castro has been teasing us with the opening of her Tagaytay-based brand Flour Pot for many months now, and finally the board in her Verve BGC spot will be brought down this year, to reveal an 80-seater flagship restaurant that will serve casual comfort cuisine and her signature confectioneries.

Follow the author at @fooddudeph on IG


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