I was excited to try Toyo Eatery in Manila, a Michelin-starred restaurant and one of the best restaurants in Asia. This Filipino restaurant phenomenally honors its roots. Keep reading to learn more about my experience.
Toyo Eatery
If you know anything about fine dining in the Philippines, you know Toyo Eatery. Chef Jordy Navarra and his wife, May, opened the restaurant in 2016. Toyo, the Tagalog word for soy sauce, is a nod to their dedication to Filipino cuisine and purveyors. The way they highlight local ingredients and honor Filipino dishes and techniques illustrates the beauty of their menus.
When it comes to design, the restaurant is industrial chic with concrete edges, soft lighting, and touches of greenery. A glass partition separates two dining rooms. One room offers a closer view of the bustling exhibition kitchen, while the other houses the bar. In this fine dining restaurant, they create a casual feel with hip-hop music and simple uniforms. The service is attentive, kind, and gracious, and you get the feeling that the team is truly a family.
Toyo Eatery has been winning awards from the World’s 50 Best Restaurants since 2018, including the Best Restaurant in the Philippines for the last six years, and it earned a Michelin star when the guide arrived in Manila in 2025. They also made Asia’s Best Restaurants list; they are 71st out of 100 on the 2025 list.
Menu at Toyo Eatery
Toyo Eatery presents Filipino food through masterful dishes full of complementary and bright flavors. Their partnerships with farmers and producers
There are two menus at the restaurant: the 8-course tasting and the kamayan menu. They serve the kamayan menu from 6-8 pm and the tasting menu at 8:15 and 8:30 pm seatings.
Kamayan is a traditional, casual, communal Filipino feast. They present food on banana leaves, and guests eat with their hands. Toyo Eatery’s kamayan menu features seafood, pork, rice, and dessert, and they cannot accommodate dietary restrictions.
While the tasting menu is advertised as 8 courses, you technically receive 21 different dishes, including 5 desserts! While a few things are lighter at 2 or 3 bites, the meal is hearty overall, so get ready to feast.
Tasting Menu – Savory Dishes
This was a fantastic meal featuring a variety of Filipino dishes and flavors.
Gulay at Sabaw (Vegetables and Soup) – The first dish was a delightful soup made from vegetable trimmings. The table centerpiece features the vegetables in this dish.
The second part was a do-it-yourself lumpia featuring a variety of vegetables under dehydrated vegetables made to look like soil.
Halaan (Clam Soup)
Sawsawan (Dipping Sauce) – The next section featured their dipping sauce. Our server encouraged us to try shrimp two ways (poached and fried) with and without the sauce.
Mga Kilaw (Filipino Ceviche) – This course featured three different dishes. The mackerel was lightly “cooked” with vinegar like a ceviche. The disc was crunchy with goat floss on top. Cooked similarly to the mackerel, the tuna was finished with pickles and coconut cream. Next came grilled barbecue pork skewers.
Saluyot, Okra, Labanos at Pipino (Jute leaves, Okra, Radish, and Cucumber) – They presented a broth featuring typical Filipino vegetables in a cool bowl, and it was a good way to segway into the next dish.
Kabute, Kamatis, Kamias, Mangga, Soy Beans (Mushrooms, Tomatoes, Sour Tamarind, Mango, Soy Beans) – This vegetable dish was one of my favorites. It featured hearty grilled oyster mushrooms with a presentation of a soy bean base and a bright orange sauce.
Alimasag, Gata, Palapa (Crab, Coconut Milk, Sweet and Spicy Condiment) – The next dish was one of their most innovative. It featured steamed blue crab, a coconut milk sauce, and crispy fried shallots. Again, our server encouraged us to try each section on its own before combining them to create different flavor profiles.
Silog sa Palayok (Garlic Fried Rice in a Clay Pot) – A staple of Filipino cuisine, Toyo Eatery’s variation of garlic fried rice also includes corn and greens.
Chicken, Cassia Leaf, Paminta (Chicken, Cassia Leaf, Black Pepper)
Pinirito at Ensalada (Fried Fish and Light Salad)
Tasting Menu – Sweet Dishes
Finally, it’s time for dessert! I was excited for multiple dishes.
Tostadong Bigas (Toasted rice) – This rice pudding was like a halo-halo variation with jellies and shaved ice layered in.
Palitaw (Sweet Rice Cake) – While palitaw is a traditional rice cake, this version was more like a pudding.
Leche Flan Ice Cream at Asin Tibuok (Leche Flan Ice Cream with Sea Salt) – Made with seawater and coconut husks, “dinosaur egg” sea salt is handcrafted in the Bohol region. Our server ground the salt onto the ice cream tableside.
Cassava at Tsokolate (Cassava cake and chocolate) – To finish the meal, we enjoyed traditional cassava cake and chocolate bonbons.
It’s hard to pick a favorite dish! My favorite savory dish was the Mga Kilaw bites, and my favorite sweet dish was the palitaw.
How to Make a Reservation
Reservations release every Thursday at 3 pm Manila time, three weeks in advance. They share their release schedule on Tock, the booking website they use.
I set my alarm for 2 am Austin, TX, USA time and had no issue getting a reservation for the day I wanted. Comparatively, there were still reservations available six hours later, at 8 am, but only for limited days and times.
There are two dining options at Toyo Eatery. The 8-course tasting menu is ₱6,500 per person (about $106 USD) while the kamayan menu is ₱3,900 per person (about $64 USD). These prices are inclusive of 12% VAT and exclusive of 10% service charge. With the service charge, the price is about $117 USD for the tasting menu and $70 USD for the kamayan menu.
How to Get to Toyo Eatery
Toyo Eatery is located at The Alley at Karrivin in Makati. You’ll find the development, which has a couple of art galleries and restaurants, tucked back from the main street in a tight parking lot. Use the address for The Alley for the clearest wayfinding.
Now that you have all the details, if you find yourself traveling to Manila, make plans to visit Toyo Eatery. You won’t be disappointed!
Toyo Eatery
2316 Chino Roces Ave, Makati City, 1231 Metro Manila, Philippines
https://toyoeatery.com/
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