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Chef Jordy Navarra of Michelin-starred Toyo Eatery demonstrating the packing of meals for the children of Tondo

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<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766054577972598372401_1579066976750573_8435025536931023239_n.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Chef Jordy Navarra of Michelin-starred Toyo Eatery demonstrating the packing of meals for the children of Tondo. </div>It was an unusual sight at one of Manila’s busiest restaurants, the Michelin-starred Toyo Eatery in Makati. On most days, the space hums with diners filling its indoor and outdoor tables. But on Friday, December 5, the scene was markedly different. One section of the restaurant had been transformed into a packing area, tables rearranged and cleared for meal assembly, while two other sections — including the second-floor room — were prepared for an intimate sit-down dinner.That cool evening marked the return of the Food for Good event to Manila, following its successful edition the previous year, when the late Margarita Forés cooked adobo for less-privileged children in the city. Partnering once again with food bank Rise Against Hunger Philippines, the initiative was brought to Toyo Eatery, enlisting the participation of its chef-owner, Jordy Navarra.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766054636573594347205_1559191381878191_8145007168623719282_n.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Chef Jordy Navarra prepared braised liempo and lechon paksiw with a side of cucumber and red onion salad.</div>For the event, guests gathered for an evening that blended fine dining with service, helping pack meals prepared by Navarra, a symbolic act of generosity that would be carried forward the following morning. On December 6, the chef and his team prepared and packed 500 hot meals, which Rise Against Hunger Philippines delivered to one of its program sites, Better World Tondo, for distribution among children from nearby barangays.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766055987307compo-kids.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>500 meals prepared by Toyo Eatery were distributed to children from Tondo’s communities. Rise Against Hunger Philippines</div>For many years now, Rise Against Hunger Philippines has provided thousands of meals to underserved communities across the country.For Navarra, the collaboration offered a rare opportunity to share his cuisine beyond the walls of his restaurant. “We wanted to give something celebratory,” he says. “So we went with variations of pork — lechon paksiw, braised liempo — along with a cucumber and red onion salad and rice. The idea was to give them a bit of a treat.” He adds, “We’re always happy to take on meaningful projects like this, where we can share what we do and help in any way we can. Hopefully, it gives them a small moment of joy.”The morning after the event, the meals made their way to Better World Tondo, one of Rise Against Hunger Philippines’ feeding and food banking sites. In its own quiet way, the initiative echoed the words of another philanthropic chef, Italy’s Massimo Bottura, who once spoke of recipes as “a social gesture” — a reminder that food, at its best, nourishes not just the body, but the spirit as well.

For one evening, Michelin-starred Toyo Eatery became a space for both dining and giving, as its celebrated kitchen was transformed into a source of nourishment and hope for children in Manila’s communities.

For one evening, Michelin-starred Toyo Eatery became a space for both dining and giving, as its celebrated kitchen was transformed into a source of nourishment and hope for children in Manila’s communities.

Toyo Eatery serves Michelin-starred meal to Tondo children

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Toyo Eatery serves Michelin-starred meal to Tondo children

Devi de Veyra

Published December 18, 2025 07:36 PM PHT

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Updated March 17, 2026 06:18 PM PHT

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Toyo Eatery

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