TADHANA MAKATI boldly opened its doors at La Reserve — the luxurious fourth-floor dining space inside the Levanto design showcase by the Mama Lou’s Group — marking David and Crystal’s first major move into Manila’s fiercely competitive modern Filipino fine dining scene. In partnership with MLG Executive Chef Frances Tariga, the concept arrives as a tag-team experience alongside a sister Taglish seafood bar next door.
This also marks the first time we officially experienced Chef Frances Tariga’s Michelin-recognized cuisine in Manila, following the controversial closure of Tadhana NYC, and her subsequent Incanta Tadhana pop-up, Anzani collaborations, and various chef stint in Manila. Here’s what we think about Tadhana Makati.
TADHANA MAKATI
Contemporary Filipino tasting menu
4F La Reserve, Levanto Building, Jupiter Street, Makati
@tadhana_makati by @cheffrances
Chef Frances Tariga proudly calls her cuisine unapologetically Filipino — a vision reflected in every detail, from the use of local ingredients and elevated native aesthetics to Filipino hip-hop and playful neon signs like “aray ko.” Tadhana feels less like a traditional fine dining restaurant and more like dining in the chef’s own expressive, proudly Filipino home kitchen.
TADHANA
OPENING TASTING MENU MAY 2026
₱6,500/ head
Expect a 10-course contemporary Filipino tasting menu by Chef Frances Tariga, tracing her journey from the UAE to New York and finally back home in Manila. Across roughly 16 composed bites, it distills Filipino creativity with precision and intent, unfolding in under three hours. This is not a tasting meant to be followed by Sweet Ecstasy after—it is designed to fully satisfy, leaving only the memory of the experience.
The Makati skyline provides a striking silhouette as a backdrop, best appreciated by arriving before sunset to settle in, unwind, and perhaps share a brief chat with Chef Frances Tariga before the dining experience begins.
Champagne William Saintot Blanc de Noirs
The wine pairing for the tasting menu is still being finalized, but selections like this Pinot Noir-based Champagne stand out for their refreshing brightness, balanced by a subtle hint of tannins that adds depth and structure.
BINATOG / corn tortilla, truffle comte espuma, coconut snow
PA-KWAN / crispy rice cake, watermelon, miso honey
First impression raises the question of why the chef is “bastardizing” Filipino street food with fusion flavors and textures. But once you taste it, there’s no argument that the food is good—like the binatog made with corn, truffle, Comté cheese, and hints of coconut: masarap. The pa-kwan carries a sexual innuendo in its presentation, but it is playful and fun to eat, like mini boobs (oops).
ENSALADA / spiced lavash, baba ganoush, mulberry gel
Not sure why it is called ensalada, as it feels more like a mezze canapé with the sweetness of mulberry. Masarap—pahingi pa ng isa.
KWEK KWEK / annato pie tee cup, egg, smoked ikura, bagsik dust
This feels like an alter ego of kwek-kwek na pinasosyal, but the chef had us with bagsik, her own spiced vinegar umami. The actual names of the bites get lost in translation, but the presentation and explanation captivate you, only to finish with “masarap nga.”
After the first four bites, the first course begins.
KILAW
sawara, pili nut dressing, suha, olives, kamias
The dry-aged samara, Japanese Spanish mackerel, is presented on a painter’s palette. I love the quirky combination of pili nut, suha, olives, and kamias—none overpowering the other, but all teasing the palate.
SINUGLAW / wagyu, tomato nata, egg yolk jam, chicken skin
It is not really sinuglaw in the traditional sense, with grilled pork and kinilaw na isda, but this A5 wagyu with tomato nata and chicken skin is likely one of the best courses in the tasting menu.
GINAT-AN / coco custard, blue crab, seafood veloute, squash, kaluga caviar
A coconut chawanmushi with Negros blue crab, squash, and caviar—ang sarap ng combination.
As they were assembling it, it looked like wooden blocks from a distance—ang ganda ng presentation.
TINAPAY / laminated tinigib cornbread, tinapa mousse, dalandan sherry marmalade
It’s like cornbread made using croissant techniques, paired well with the tinapa mousse with hints of dalandan. I wish you could ask for a second serving of this bread course.
This is my personal favorite with guava and batuan sour.
SINIGANG SA BAYABAS / maya-maya, batuan, kangkong, whipped gabi
If you are team sinigang and like your soup this sour, with clean fish on a bed of whipped gabi,
Pouilly-Fume Tradition
2023 Domaine Serge Dagueneau et Filles
Loire, France
A new discovery—the pairing with this white wine is excellent, its acidity blending seamlessly with the sourness of the sinigang.
It is always special dining with this couple—Chef Ed and Trixie—as we try Chef Frances’ food for the first time, comparing notes on how this tasting menu is more pleasurable than the others in Manila.
TOCILOG / squab, tocino tare, silog furikake, pinakurat kosho
The only course that didn’t work for me and got a nye reaction, as there’s nothing tocino or silog about it.
The squab is considered premium in fine dining, but it gets lost in translation in a modern Filipino setting. I’m not sure the Chinese would like this either, so I’m not sure if the fine dining crowd would enjoy it.
KAMIAS GRANITA / kamias candy, macerated seasonal fruit
Love the grated ice with bits of fruit underneath, finished with a chewy kamias gummy star.
INIHAW AT GULAY / iberico secreto, pickled pakbet vegetables, banana mole
Grilled pork with pickled pakbet and banana mole twist as the finale course.
CAIMITO GUYABANO SORBET / guyabano sorbet, caimito jam, caimito crisp
A fruity finish with guyabano and caimito on a sliced orange cup, nestled in a glorious garden green.
The petit four was the banger and the exclamation point of the tasting menu.
MANGO / choux au craquelin, mango compote, mango mousse
A peach mango pie-like bite, without the peach.
MAJA BLANCA / feulletine, maja mousse, latik, sweet corn caramel
Even more masarap than the original maja that inspired this.
TURON / sable cookie, banana sponge, feta mousse, langka
Flavors of turon in a mini sable cookie with banana, langka, and feta.
PILI / mazapan, pili praline
Our favorite – pili mazapan in praline form – pahenge pa chef.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, despite the edginess and controversies surrounding the chef, her creative interpretation of Filipino food is quite good. I like that the concept is not pretentious, with elevated Filipino ingredients and aesthetics, and the tasting menu works because it tells the story of Chef Frances’ journey from UAE to NYC to Manila. Each dish carries deeper meaning, but the service didn’t quite convey the context and simply stuck to menu descriptions we could already read. We enjoyed all the courses except for the non-tocino squab, and you end the meal burping “masarap.” It would be fun to pair the courses with Filipino drinks, spirits and music.
Congratulations to David and Crystal, Chef Frances, and the Mama Lou’s Group for an awesome Tadhana Makati tasting concept!
TADHANA MAKATI
Contemporary Filipino tasting menu
4F Levanto Building, Jupiter Street, Makati
@tadhana_makati by @cheffrances
Live an Awesome Life with Christ,
Founder & Digital Creator, Our Awesome Planet
Disclosure: This article was written entirely by a human—reflecting my own biases, opinions, and insights—with grammar and clarity checked using AI assistance. Thank you to David & Crystal for inviting us to try Tadhana Makati.
p.s. can’t wait to try the other La Reserve concepts, Bronte and Hakka.