TOYO EATERY: Sosyal Pinoy Eatery by Chef Jordy Navarra (A Review)

(As featured in 10 Most Awesome New Homegrown Restaurants That Matter in Manila 2016!)

TOYO EATERY is a Filipino restaurant by Chef Jordy Navarra (formerly of Black Sheep) that pays homage to Filipino flavors, eatery traditions, and modern Filipino design.

It’s a sosyal eatery where you can just come as you are (no dress code) but dine on Acacia Tables by Diretso, sit on Rattan chairs by Emurio, and admire the Capiz Lights by Milo Naval.

Here’s what we think about Toyo Eatery…

TOYO EATERY
Toyo Eatery is a Filipino Eatery that takes the essence of Philippine flavors, traditions and
techniques and puts it in tune with quality products and a desire to make things nice.
The Alley at Karrivin Plaza, 2316 Chino Roces Avenue, Makati City, Philippines
Opening Hours: Dinner 6pm-11.30pm Tuesdays to Saturdays
Facebook: Toyo Eatery
Mobile: +63 917 720 8630
Note: cash basis only

Chef Jordy retained his entire culinary staff from the old Black Sheep, except for Chef Patrick Go who now heads the new Black Sheep Manila.

We reserved the private dining room on the mezzanine floor, which is good for 17 people with a one-piece Acacia dining table!

We celebrated the surprise birthday party of our dear friend Dedet, the Lechon Diva of Pepita’s Kitchen.

We love the tocino bread, which is similar to Black Sheep’s chorizo muffins. But this one is made from brioche buns with tocino bits.

You can order a la carte or from the tasting menu. If you’re on a date, you can order tasting menu Option 1 and supplement that with a la carte dishes.

Oyster with Cucumber and Basi Salad (3pcs. – P380)

The oysters were fresh with a nice touch of cucumber and a distinctive sugar wine taste.

(Note: For pricing benchmark, the 3-pc. Aklan oysters at the New Blacksheep is only P290 making this a bit overpriced.)

Toyo Eatery’s name is a tribute to soy sauce, which is an everyday flavor ingredient but very complex to make using fermentation.

The ground floor has an open kitchen that can get smoky so it’s best to reserve the private room if you don’t like to smell like an eatery afterwards.

Toyo Eatery three-cut BBQ (P380)

Each stick is made from three different cuts of pork–pigi, casim, and liempo.

It’s best eaten by dipping it in the vinegar. It’s really good but a bit expensive at P127/stick for this common street food favorite.

Tasting Menu Option 1 Course #1: Tomato Meringue

The tasting menu Option 1 starts with this meringue amuse-bouche.

Tasting Menu Option 1 Course #2: Garden Vegetables

This is Chef Jordy’s famous vegetable salad called Bahay Kubo, which he was able to bring from the Black Sheep degustacion.

Tasting Menu Option 1 Course #3: Bangsilog (P550)

Grilled loin and belly of bangus with sticky rice, free-range egg, chicharon, and dried tuna roe.

We savored this fatty slice of bangus belly piece by piece.

The bangus loin is cooked just right on a bed of vegetables with their homemade soy sauce and bangus ju.

Mix the sticky rice with the fresh egg yolk for creaminess, the fried fish skin for texture, and the dried tuna roe for the umami flavor.

Mayura Wagyu Onglet (P990/100g)

For meat lovers, order your own plate of Japanese Magura Wagyu with its own soy steak ju.

Tasting Menu Option 1 Course #4: Sweets

Dessert included torched cassava cake, which was a bit dry…

…and pralines made of caramel and chocolate with patis. This we loved!

Birthday girl Dedet with her cake made from the cassava.

Getting these ensaymada from Baby Pat’s is always an awesome treat. 🙂

I always look forward to trying out a new restaurant with these passionate foodies!

Overall, we love the Toyo Eatery concept, which is I think better-executed than the new Black Sheep, albeit a bit more expensive. You’ll fall in love with the modern Filipino eatery ambiance and the friendly smiles of Chef Jordy and his culinary team.

I recommend the Toyo Eatery three-cut BBQ, the Bangsilog, and the Mayura Wagyu Onglet. You can go for the tasting menu if you want to eat in courses complete with starter, salad, and dessert.

Budget about P1,000/head or P3,000/head if you are getting the Mayura Wagyu Onglet.

Make sure to reserve the private dining room for added privacy and less smoke, or the chef’s table near the open kitchen if you want to see the action.

Congrats to Chef Jordy for continuing to champion our Filipino cuisine and heritage! 🙂