The multi-awarded chef and her all-female team merge the flavors of Butuan with haute cuisine.
It is not difficult to walk into the lobby of Makati Shangri-La and immediately get hit with a wave of nostalgia. Back in the 1990s to the 2010s, the luxury hotel was the epicenter of Manila’s social happenings. Their restaurants were the gold standard on which all other fine dining establishments were measured. The pandemic might have stunned them off-kilter, but they are making their way back into our consciousness slowly and surely, banking on the deluge of happy memories that will come flooding back once you enter their all-too-familiar halls.
The running theme truly seems to be nostalgia, something that has long resonated with chef Miko Calo as she was planning to start anew after moving on from her former restaurant, Metronome. Currently, she is making her mark in history as the first chef to have a residency in a Philippine luxury hotel, taking over the kitchen of Sage Bar at the Makati Shangri-La.
“This was what I set out to do when I knew I was ready to embark on my own,” says Chef Miko. “The food I grew up with will always be part of who I am and I want to share this experience with others.” The French culinary school-educated and Robuchon-trained chef has always been enamored with the flavors and ingredients from her hometown of Butuan, heavily influencing the adventurous menu reminiscent of her childhood.
The menu is composed of a selection of small and sharing plates, made to either formulate a tasting menu for a duo or for a small group to mix, match, and enjoy. A trio of Fine de Claire oysters is always a good place to start, and it makes even more sense here since it showcases both Butuan citruses tabon-tabon and kabayawa in the vinaigrette. While these hyperlocal ingredients are a continuing theme throughout the menu, Chef Miko’s classical French leanings remain pronounced as her followers surely expect.
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They will come for— and be satisfied by— refreshing bites of gambero rosso and baeri caviar capellini with chives and tomato water, or comforting spoonfuls of the soy-marinated 64-degree egg with cepes, wasabi, and potato puree. The duck magret with braised leeks and foie gras gastrique is a sure crowd-pleaser, and so is the Iberica presa with grilled eggplant, lemon grass puree, and pickled garlic.
If there is one thing you should get from the sharing plates (aside from a heaping bowl of Chef Miko’s beloved potato puree more aptly called “potato & butter”), it’s the whole Brittany pigeon basted in kamias glaze, served with caramelized onions and potato gratin.
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We all have strong feelings about durian, but even if those feelings are geared toward the negative, you must give Chef Miko’s durian and peach a chance. Trust a certified fan to do things right by the infamous fruit, admitting that she can easily eat several portions in one sitting. The creamy dessert is an airy confection that balances the fragrance of both fruits, their strong and distinct flavors blending into each other seamlessly. You will know what I mean when you try it.
Aside from the food, another notable feature of Chef Miko’s kitchen in her residency — which runs until December 14 — is “manned” by an all-female team.
“It was not intentional, but that just seems to be the trend with Miko and her kitchen team to have that strong feminine energy,” Chef Miko’s cousin and partner in all her dealings, RJ Galang, candidly shares. “We honestly do not know why, but we like to believe that in a ‘man’s world’ like the restaurant kitchen, Miko provides women in the industry with a safe and empowering space.”
A favorite collaborator from their Metronome days and also in their casual concept Taqueria Franco, mixologist and beverage consultant Arcadius Rybak provides the bar with signature cocktails highlighting local fruits. There are nine to choose from, but note that the kamias and lanzones cocktails are both refreshing, nicely balanced, and dangerously drinkable.
The residency will surely make a hard stop on December !4 as Chef Miko excitedly looks forward to her first Christmas in years not spent inside the kitchen. Until then, come by Makati Shangri-La for a bit of reminiscing and to have a peek at Chef Miko’s childhood memories, expressed through her food that not only continues to demonstrate creative maturity but also technical finesse.
