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A visitor walks past the vast tilted timber structure of the Philippine Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale, soil trays in the foreground

Heart & soil

A thousand hand-made tiles of soil from Calatagan, Baybay and Tampakan, built to erode: the Philippine Pavilion at the Architecture Biennale.

By Igan D'Bayan · August 18, 2025
A server holds a pizza before a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the illuminated Ortigas skyline at night

Podium Social brings culinary cool to Ortigas

Five restaurants on The Podium’s sixth floor rethink how Manila gathers and eats, above a kaleidoscopic view of Ortigas.

By Igan D'Bayan · July 17, 2025
A dry-aged tomahawk steak carved tableside into rosy medium-rare slabs on a vertical stand at Smith & Wollensky

Eyes on the Tomahawk and other tales at Smith & Wollensky

The Manhattan steakhouse lands in BGC with dry-aged Tomahawks carved tableside, a Grammy-nominated pianist, and no interest in local tastes.

By Igan D'Bayan · July 10, 2025
A chef leans on the black marble bar of a Bistronomia Group restaurant, backed by shelves of liquor bottles and copper mugs

Exploding olives, tempting tapas, and a tale of virtual travel

Las Flores, Tomatito, Rambla and Rumba: how the Bistronomia Group serves a trip through Barcelona, Navarra and Madrid without a boarding pass.

By Igan D'Bayan · May 22, 2025
Japanese designer Mihara Yasuhiro in front of a DJ setup, smiling and wearing one of his signature deconstructed sneakers

Meet the Japanese designer who expresses the sublime through the ridiculous

Japanese designer Mihara Yasuhiro brings his sculptural, street-meets-art sneakers to Studio Dimensione BGC, in a bold collab with Suyen Corp.

By Igan D'Bayan · May 14, 2025
Compilation grid of Scott Garceau’s donut paintings, showing album covers of Grace Jones, Joy Division, The Cars, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Björk, and The Beatles with donuts integrated into their artwork

A glazed rebellion: Scott Garceau’s hole-hearted art at The Crucible Gallery

The monolith on Who’s Next is now a donut, and so is the pulsar on Unknown Pleasures: Scott Garceau glazes rock’s most iconic sleeves.

By Igan D'Bayan · May 4, 2025
Collage of LongHorn Steakhouse dishes: grilled steaks, lobster tail, a chicken salad and a chocolate dessert

Real steak cannot be faked

LongHorn Steakhouse rides into Ortigas with a meat-slinging manifesto and no truffle foam anywhere. You cannot fake steak, is the belief.

By Igan D'Bayan · May 1, 2025
Canvas tote bags printed with a glowing gradient design resting on rows of curved wooden chairs

‘The Imagination peoples the air’: PHL prepares for literary spotlight at Frankfurt Book Fair

As Guest of Honour at the 2025 Frankfurter Buchmesse (FBM), the Philippines is boldly scripting a new chapter for its literature on the global stage.

By Igan D'Bayan · April 21, 2025
Grilled Chicken Kuro Ramen: dark broth topped with charred chicken, soft egg, nori and scallions

Ramen, reimagined

John Concepcion and his son Michael on Ippudo Ramen Bar at Uptown BGC, where the tonkotsu stays put and everything around it is rebuilt.

By Igan D'Bayan · April 3, 2025
A curled fried octopus tentacle with a lemon wedge and a dollop of aioli on a dark ceramic plate at Juniper in Ortigas

Drops of Juniper

Juniper, like its namesake botanical, weaves a story of depth, complexity, and quiet strength. It’s a restaurant, yes, but it’s also an exploration.

By Igan D'Bayan · March 27, 2025
Four courses at Yamazato: appetizer trays, seared wagyu, sushi and a stone bowl of bamboo shoots

Yamazato: Hotel Okura Manila’s space for delicious rituals

Yamazato offers something more than just a meal. It serves time itself, delicately sliced and artfully arranged, to be held with care and chopsticks.

By Igan D'Bayan · March 20, 2025
Ana de Ocampo in a green dress at the bar beside a view of Osteria Antica’s wood-vaulted dining room

Ana de Ocampo’s Osteria Antica: A love letter to Italian cuisine

Ana Lorenzana de Ocampo flew a brick oven in from Italy to The Podium: Neapolitan pizza, handmade pasta, and the Ortigas skyline six floors up.

By Igan D'Bayan · March 13, 2025