They are often too busy preparing meals for everyone else, so we were curious to know what they love to eat when they do get to feast on Christmas Eve.

Hold the yuzu foam and fermented seal blubber! When chefs are not cooking in their commercial kitchens and serving elegantly plated dishes, most of them admit to enjoying simple food on their downtime. Especially for Christmas Eve dinner or noche buena, chefs are just like us, longing for the familiar and comforting pleasures of Christmases past.

We asked some of our favorite Filipino chefs which dishes will always have space in their noche buena tables, and it truly is fun to have a look at their choices which offer a peek into what Christmas is like for them and their families.

Maynard Llera (Kuya Lord LA, James Beard Award 2024 Best Chef: California)

Since I am oftentimes working on Christmas Eve, our family is not big on noche buena. We usually just buy food from outside or we bring home food from the restaurant. When we do get to gather, there is lechon, pancit, steak or prime rib, dinuguan (if it were my choice), plus a fish or seafood dish. There’s macaroni salad, fruit salad na may keso. Different kinds of kakanin, and turon for sure. For seafood, there is grilled whole fish, calamari, ginataang hipon or crab.

I remember back in Lucena, Quezon (where I’m from), we would serve pastel, kaldereta, and eight different kinds of fruits. Here in LA, most Filipino households still serve the traditional dishes, but maybe with a pasta dish for the kids.

Kalel Chan (Lobby 385, Cafe Mabini, The Raintree Group)

I always have a charcuterie board because that makes the rest of the spread look wonderful. Roast beef, callos if I have more time to cook, and lechon but that would depend if its going to be a big group for noche buena.

Rhea Rizzo (Mrs. Saldo’s)

Full disclosure: I haven’t had a proper noche buena in the past three years. And when I do cook noche buena, it’s usually what people’ request me to cook. But, if I were to request for noche buena dishes, these would be: lechon with crispy skin (not sad skin); this cathedral jello dessert that is pink with pineapples inside; and a dense, creamy leche flan. And a pasta or noodle dish, either a pancit Malabon or a Filipino sweet-style spaghetti.

JP Anglo ( Sarsa Manila, Kooya Filipino Eatery Dubai)

It’s a weird combo but this is what I grew up with in Bacolod. We would order lechon from Roming’s, which already comes with dinuguan. The paella I like now is very different from what we used to have, but that is surely always there, along with lasagna, garlic bread, and callos which are all home cooked. We also always have sans rival, and there are so many good ones in Bacolod.

Myke “Tatung” Sarthou (Lore, Azadore, Pandan Asian Cafe, Tindeli)

There has to be macaroni salad! I make a big batch and I eat that until New Year! And since I rarely go home to Cebu anymore, there has to be Cebu lechon.

Robby Goco (Elaia, Cyma, Souv!, Cangrejos Locos, Rob’s Ribs and Bourbon)

It is mostly nostalgic stuff, the food my lola and mom used to make and so I like having those dishes because it reminds me of them. Food that reminds me of childhood and makes me wish we’re all together. Happy food. There has to be chicken pastel, actually any kind of pastel with the puff pastry on top. That “rainbow fish” with mayonnaise, which is funny because every other time I would not touch that. But when it’s Christmas time, that has to be on the menu. Macaroni salad, the obligatory ham, filet mignon wrapped in bacon, chicken relleno, morcon, paella, and ensaymada. Oh, and macapuno which my late dad always asked for.

Kevin Navoa (Hapag, Aya)

In Spain, three things are certain: food, wine, and siesta

Every year there is glazed ham on the table, it certainly makes it feel like Christmas. But yearly it is different, depending on the stuff I feel like having. This year the craving I want to satisfy once again is Palabok that is super rich with lots of chicharon.

Thirdy Dolatre (Hapag, Aya)

Every year, my brother and I are always the designated cooks and its a tradition that we love. We kick things off with seafood as an appetizer, paired perfectly with a crisp sparkling wine or a buttery chardonnay. My dad never fails to request steak as the main star, and I usually serve it with crisp patatas bravas with romescu sauce, or a hearty paella Valenciana. For dessert, my Tita (who taught me how to cook) whips up the creamiest, silkiest leche flan that we all eagerly await every year. These dishes have become part of our Christmas story, and its always a happy, delicious celebration.

Alphonse Sotero (Papillon, Lampara)

We always have the food I grew up with: lengua, osso buco, my mom’s tuna macaroni salad, lasagna and buko pandan. The lengua dish is something I also serve in Lampara but the way I serve it is different—it has chorizo. Actually, it already evolved through the years, from a lighter sauce when I was younger until we started exploring more variations. Last Christmas, it was a mushroom-heavy lengua. This year maybe I’ll play around with it, perhaps with the more asian flavors of Papillon.

RJ Ramos (Papillon, Lampara)

My mom’s chicken gallantina is a staple in our household every noche buena. We started serving her recipe at Lampara since last year as a Christmas special, either half or whole with cherry sauce and a side of rice. In hindsight, maybe we should add more sides. At home, the leftovers are panfried and made into a sandwich with Excellente ham and some “tasty” white bread.

Top Filipino chefs share their noche buena must-haves—and they’re delightfully nostalgic