Yearender: The 10 Best Things We Ate And Drank In 2022
A delicious look back at a year’s worth of meals
It was the year of revenge dining, revenge travel, revenge drinking, with lots of new dining experiences, from supper clubs and tasting menus, to modern pop ups and another wave of Japanese food invading the metro. Here’s a look back at the year in food.
The Year In Food
The Year In Food
Revenge Dining
the trend of revenge dining that started in 2021 is still in full force, in fact seemed to be stronger in 2022,. folks made up for months hemmed in at home, exhilirating in the social occasion with meeting people again, enjoying food the way only you can experience it at a restaurant — a far cry from restaurant delivery. catching up. metro reflected that in record number of restaurant openings with new concpets, including an old style supper club, Pardon My French, and lots of fun new concepts.
Photo Credit: Pardon My French
Tasting Menus
Tasting menus exploded all over the metro. No longer the stuffy, hoity toity fine dining experience it once was, these contemporary tasting menus offer affordable prices, nimble menu concepts, with chefs serving deeply personal food made with lots of creativity and free spirited flair. Like Chef Aaron Isip’s private dining at Balai Palma, a personal favorite. A great sign that the cult of restaurant dining is reviving in its best form.
Photo Credit: Balai Palma
Delightful New Delis
Manila’s deli game has really upped the ante lately, with old guard favorites like Santïs joined by newcomers like Pedro the Grocer. We love how it’s now possible to buy almost anything, from your favorite Filipino delicacies like otap and empanada, to artisanal sausages, and charcuterie. Another favorite is newly opened One World Deli that lets you “eat around the world” with its curated selection of meat, poultry, artisanal spices, charcuterie.
Photo Credit: Pedro the Grocer
Korean hot soups
2022 was a stressful year that saw us through a presidential election, inflation, unbelievable traffic, among other troubles — perhaps that’s why we seemed to crave more comfort food. Hence, we turned our attention from Korean fried chicken to Korean pork bone stews, jjigae and makchang. Spicy, flavorful, rich in collagen and flavor, steaming hot Korean pork stew saw us through all the personal and political crisis of the year. Whew.
Photo Credit: Zhu Ba Jie
Burgers and more burgers
From Hungry Homies’ Cali-style burgers in their buttery brioche buns, to the classic Wagu burgers from garage-based burger joint @loveburgersph, our love affair with burgers is far from over and perhaps ever will be. And when Bored and Hungry’s one-of-a-kind burgers (the first fintech burgers in town) opened its first pop up, it caused a sensation. We’re waiting for the next burger sensation to hit town.
Photo Credit: Love Burgers
Pop Ups All Over The Metro
Speaking of pop ups, some of the most delicious, fun, amazing experiences we had this year was thanks to pop ups. from Bored and Hungry’s pop ups that caused a sensation, to a whole lot of alcohol-centered pop ups including a series of Johnnie Walker luxury boutiques in select locales to Chandon’s party kit and secret garden pop up. It was the best way to savor limited edition dishes and drinks and get some snaps for IG and TikTok, too.
Photo Credit: Johnnie Walker Luxury Boutique
Veteran Chefs With New Concepts
2022 was the year that saw some of the best chefs in the country starting fresh new chapters with amazing new concepts. Chele Gonzalez of Gallery by Chele opened a slew of new concepts including Deli by Chele at The Podium, Sea.Worthy by Chele in Boracay, and was the consultant behind European dining space Bom Gosto. Tatung Sarthou opened Lore Manila in BGC and a private dining space in Antipolo. Ariel Manuel of Bistro Manuel now helms Pardon My French. While Cyrille Soenen, the man behind Cicou and Admiral Hotel’s dining outlets, is now with Antonio’s PGA — and we’re so excited to check that one out!
Photo Credit: Chef Chele Gonzalez
Japanese Invasion
Manila has been enamored with Japanese cuisine for a few years now, but 2022 saw a fresh new invasion. Japanese dining has evolved, grown up, and surprised us with fresh new takes on a very old cuisine. Japan’s most popular ramen brand, Ramen Keisuke Tori King, opened in the last weeks of December and promise to bring in revolutionary new ramens. Ikinari Steak opened in MOA. And Mitsukoshi is the most esciting Japanese supermarket in town. And this new wave of Japanese food has only just begun.
Photo Credit: Ikinari
Delectable Desserts
Filipino pastry chefs wowed us this year with homegrown desserts that really pushed the envelope, from Chef Ely Salar at Pâtisserie Le Choux Colat’s sophisticated yet accessible French-style pastries, to Flour Pot Manila’s superbly executed offerings (the Earl Grey Chocolate Cake and Passion Fruit Rum Cake are my favorites!). We can see that Filipino desserts and dessert masters will take us on exciting new horizons in 2023.
Photo Credit: Patisserie Le Choux Colat
Revenge Drinking
If revenge dining was a thing in 2022, so was revenge drinking. A whole new generation of al fresco bars and watering holes opened all over the city, including Salt and Ice, our favorite new oyster bar in town, and Somm’s Table, a French speakeasy we described as “very brasserie with a Michelin touch.” Heading out for a night of drinks has never been so exciting.
Photo Credit: Salt and Ice
Lead photos: Pardon My French, Zhu Ba Jie, Salt and Ice, Unsplash
Top Stories
Metro Beauty Picks Of The Week
BEAUTYMar 14, 2023