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Manille at Brutal by Wadoughs

This June, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/brutalbywadoughs/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Brutal by Wadough’s</a> hosts MANILLE; A French-Filipino Table Story, a two-night, eight-course dinner where culinary storytelling takes center stage. It’s not just a meal—it’s a meeting of minds, palates, and places. On June 25 and 26, Filipino-Chinese chef <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wadosiman/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Wado Tan Siman</a> teams up with French-American chef <a href="https://www.instagram.com/chefjefflebon/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jeffrey Le Bon</a> for an intimate four-hands dinner that blurs borders and builds bridges through food.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175051864558020250620_153136.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Manille is a two-night affair only, happening at BRUTAL by Wadoughs | Photo: Danah Gutierrez</div><div>Playful PL8S</div>What unfolds isn’t a fusion—it’s a conversation—one where Filipino comfort cuisine flirts with French-Mediterranean finesse, familiarity is reimagined, and local dishes and ingredients are done with playful flair. Each course is a thoughtful exchange between the two chefs: warm, bold, surprising—grounded in memory, elevated by technique.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175051865775720250620_153048.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Top L-R: Spicy Batwan, Dinakdakan, Pares || Bottom L-R: Aligue, Pato, and Uling | Photo: Danah Gutierrez</div>The first of three cocktails, Spicy Batwan, was a feisty one—tart and slightly sweet, but well balanced—a blend of Aperol, tequila, batwan, and chili. As for my favorite from the starters, it has to be the Dinakdakan, thoroughly seasoned then stuffed inside a perfectly bite-sized, crisp, light panipuri. Served with a shot of sinamak with a pipette, it was a true ode to local cuisine. Dripping the native vinegar inside the cracked hole in the middle of the shell reminds me of eating balut, but this dish is incomparable. With the ratatouille relish, sinamak jelly, and edamame, this dinakdakan is bougie, but still true to its Filipino soul. For the mains, I couldn’t stop thinking about the Pares made with tender and succulent lamb meat. Of course, it wouldn’t be pares without the rice and egg, hence the intricate yaki onigiri stuffed with a runny quail egg, spring onion espuma, balsamic glaze, and garlic confit. It’s the ultimate pares of dreams. As for the sweet finales, my bet to be a crowd favorite is the Uling—a delightful plate of separate sugary treats that go perfectly together. Brought about by several elements—charcoal meringue, marmalade sponge, calamansi curd, brown butter pinipig, sesame mousse, and fresh fruits—the same goes for the elements as the experience—it’s a mouthful. This confection conclusion is a party on the palate, a celebratory way to end an excellent eight-course dinner. Other dishes on the menu are the Ensalada, Pugita, Aligue, Pato, and Peras. For boozy concoctions, there are two more—Samalamig and Bugnay Sangria (with mocktail options available).<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175051895564301 Ensalada.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>The Ensalada | Photo: Brutal by Wadough</div><div>Meet the culinary artists</div>Chef Jeffrey Le Bon brings with him over two decades of culinary depth. Born to a French father and Irish mother and raised on the seafood-rich shores of the U.S. Northeast, Jeffrey is classically trained at the Culinary Institute of America. He’s cooked under icons like Ken Oringer in Boston and has made his mark in Michelin-starred kitchens across San Francisco and Hong Kong. After 22 years abroad, he now crafts curated private dining experiences here in the Philippines, where his global lens meets local ingredients.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1750518679717Chef Jeff Le Bon (Left) and Chef Wado Siman.JPG" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Chef Jeffrey Le Bon and Chef Wado | Photo: Brutal by Wadough</div>On the other hand, Chef Wado needs no introduction. Known for his sharp eye, playful plating, and unapologetically flavorful creations, Wado is the force behind Wadough’s Cake Studio, Brutal, and Atina Café. With stints in food styling, television, and consultancy work for major food brands, his culinary voice is as evolved as it is expressive, rooted in Filipino identity but always pushing the envelope.MANILLE is about contrast and connection. It’s about what happens when two chefs, from wildly different worlds, speak the same language: soulful food.Seats are limited and booking is a must. This isn’t just dinner—it’s a rare chance to witness two culinary artists share a single canvas. And every bite tells a story.<div><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DK3lMvwvMtt/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MANILLE: A French-Filipino Table Story</a> is happening on June 25 and 26 only at Brutal by Wadough, Sto. Tomas corner Nicanor Ramirez Streets, Quezon City. P4,100++ per head with limited seats available. Call  +63 954 308 7638 or follow<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DK3lMvwvMtt/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> @brutalbywadoughs</a> on Instagram.</div>

Two chefs from different worlds come together for MANILLE, a two-night, eight-course dinner where Filipino comfort food and French finesse spark a bold, border-blurring culinary conversation.

Two chefs from different worlds come together for MANILLE, a two-night, eight-course dinner where Filipino comfort food and French finesse spark a bold, border-blurring culinary conversation.

This Pop-Up’s Serving Bougie Dinakdakan—Run, Don’t Walk

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This Pop-Up’s Serving Bougie Dinakdakan—Run, Don’t Walk

Danah Gutierrez

Published Jun 21, 2025 11:24 PM PHT

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Updated Jun 21, 2025 11:32 PM PHT

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manille pop up

four hands dinner

manila fine dining

quezon city pop up dinner

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