Regina Troy Barrios

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Some Thai Podium

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/somethaiph/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Some Thai</a>, which began as a small neighborhood restaurant in Tomas Morato brimming with bold flavors and personality, has officially outgrown its neighborhood roots, opening its second home at The Podium this December.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766547314267Some Thai Podium Facade.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Some Thai at The Podium | Photo: Some Thai</div>The new branch is planted squarely in the heart of Ortigas’s emerging dining scene, a growing hub for adventurous diners and destination-worthy restaurants. Some Thai brings the same deeply personal, Thai-inspired flavors that earned it a cult following in Tomas Morato, now presented on a stage spacious enough for 54 guests.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766547456686CHEF JORE PORTRAIT 1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Chef Jorge Mendez | Photo: Some Thai</div>Chef Jorge Mendez, chef-owner of Some Thai, is one of the city’s most restless culinary minds. He first made waves with Mōdan, where his playful ideas were tempered by a near-obsessive attention to technique, earning him a cult following for dishes that combine discipline with brilliance. This year, Mendez stepped up as Cibo’s executive chef and creative director, taking over several of Margarita Forés’s concepts—a role that places him squarely at the center of Manila’s contemporary dining scene.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766547647528CHEF JORGE WITH CRAB CURRY.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Crab Curry | Photo: Some Thai</div>At Some Thai, the cooking is decidedly personal rather than orthodox, guided less by strict ideas of authenticity than by instinct, memory, and appetite. But that looseness is deceptive. Dishes like the Gaitod Fried Chicken or a papaya salad tossed tableside (like a street-side performance) are built on careful balance and control. Mendez cooks with the confidence of someone who knows the rules intimately, chooses when to bend them, and relies on technique to keep everything in line—never letting a meal drift into predictability or sloppiness.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766547719770GAITOD (Thai Fried Chicken) (Podium Exclusive).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Gaitod, a Podium-exclusive dish | Photo: Some Thai</div>The menu retains the favorites from the Morato branch, now joined by dishes available exclusively at The Podium. The best sellers—Tom Yum, Crab Curry, and Son and Raw Egg—still hold court, alongside Podium-only offerings like the Gaitod, Dry Tom Yum Noodles, and Khanom Kho.The Gaitod, Some Thai’s fried-chicken magnum opus, is exactly what you want fried chicken to be: golden and juicy, precisely seasoned with fried shallots, garlic chips, and cilantro, and served with a house-made sauce that balances savory, sweet, and gentle heat without tipping out of line. The Steamed Seabass arrives gentle and aromatic with lemongrass, cilantro, garlic, ginger, red chili, and lime. Clean, bright, unexpectedly elegant, it’s the dish that reminds you Some Thai knows when to show restraint—a rare gift in a world of culinary theatrics.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766547790849STEAMED SEABASS (Podium Exclusive).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>The elegant steamed sea bass | Photo: Some Thai</div>For dessert, there’s Khanom Kho—pandan coconut dumplings bathed in pandan oil, panutsa, and coconut sauce. The drinks match Some Thai’s playful spirit: Pandan Lime Ale, crisp and zesty; Watermelon Spritz, juicy and light; and the Blue Butterfly Tea Lychee Soda, floral, fizzy, and as whimsical as it sounds.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766547824650SON AND RAW EGG.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>The Son and Raw Egg is one of my favorites | Photo: Some Thai</div>Seating is cozy, with 44 seats in the main dining room and ten more in a semi-open private dining room. You may come to discover the Podium-exclusive dishes, but what you’ll stay for is the energy. Some Thai transplants Tomas Morato’s irrepressible spirit to Ortigas, proving that Mendez’s bold, unapologetic interpretation of Thai flavors translates deliciously anywhere.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766547869149Some Thai Podium VIP Room.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>A moody, dramatic alcove for more intimate dining | Photo: Some Thai</div><div><a href="https://www.instagram.com/modan.mnl/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Some Thai</a> is located at The Podium. Follow them at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/modan.mnl/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@somethaiph</a>. If you’re hungry in Ortigas and don’t know where to eat, now you do.</div>

Some Thai, Metro Manila’s beloved Thai restaurant, opens its second branch at The Podium this December, featuring classic favorites, Podium-exclusive dishes, and a playful, bold dining experience.

Some Thai, Metro Manila’s beloved Thai restaurant, opens its second branch at The Podium this December, featuring classic favorites, Podium-exclusive dishes, and a playful, bold dining experience.

Some Thai, QC's Michelin Bib Gourmand Winner, Opens Second Branch at The Podium

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Some Thai, QC's Michelin Bib Gourmand Winner, Opens Second Branch at The Podium

Troy Barrios

Published Dec 16, 2025 11:50 AM PHT

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Updated Dec 24, 2025 11:48 AM PHT

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some thai

michelin bib gourmand philippines

thai restaurants manila

podium restaurants

jorge mendez

tomas morato dining

ortigas restaurants

gaitod fried chicken

dry tom yum noodles

cibo executive chef

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