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Best Bites

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<p>December is usually a blur of year-end deadlines, reunions that run long, and meals squeezed in between celebrations. But even in the chaos, a few dishes manage to cut through the noise — food so memorable it makes you pause and quietly commit it to memory.</p><p>Last month’s best dishes came from all over: polished dining rooms to indulgent brunch spreads. Some were technically dazzling, others familiar, but all of them reminded us why we keep eating, traveling, and telling these stories in the first place.</p><p>These are the dishes that stayed with us long after December ended.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Deep-fried sea pipefish with honey soy sauce at China Blue</strong></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1767947073468IMG_2283.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>Photo by Cyrene de la Rosa</em></span></span></span></div><p>Deep-fried sea pipefish, the kind of pulutan that disappears fast once the drinks start flowing. Fried until ultra-crispy and glazed with a not overly sticky addicting honey soy sauce, it delivers that classic Manila sweet-savory hit that keeps you reaching for more. Loads better than dilis. My new favorite dish at China Blue. <strong><em>— Cyrene de la Rosa</em></strong></p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Ceviche at Restaurant Flow</strong></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1767947123346Ceviche at Restaurant Flow.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>Photo by JC Cailles Lo</em></span></span></span></div><p>The new restaurant, which I believe is ready to represent our country on the global stage and welcome discerning international diners, is Restaurant Flow by Chefs Kevin Uy and Gabriel Ong. Both talents bring highly impressive backgrounds to the table. Kevin worked at Central in Lima, Peru — voted the world’s No. 1 restaurant in 2023, while Gato is a summa cum laude graduate of Enderun and a master at executing dishes beyond his comfort zone. The restaurant’s concept is clearly influenced by Latin American culture, blended seamlessly with Filipino and Southeast Asian traditions. </p><p>Upon dining, one will quickly realize that there are many similarities between these regions, making the dining experience a truly educational culinary journey. One of my favorite dishes, and one that clearly represents the restaurant’s identity, is their take on ceviche. This quintessential Peruvian dish is transformed into something truly local with labahita fish, a unique leche de tigre made from guyabano fruit, guyabano leaf oil, and topped with kamote chips. The best ceviche of my life! <em><strong>— JC Cailles Lo</strong></em></p><div> </div><div><strong>Temaki at Yakumi, Solaire</strong></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1767947302567Temaki at Yakumi, Finestra.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>Photo by JC Cailles Lo</em></span></span></span></div><p>For only P3,588+, the best place to satisfy a big Japanese craving is the Yakumi Sunday brunch eat-all-you-can promo at Solaire, Parañaque. The restaurant offers extensive selection for guests to explore creating an immersive culinary adventure. You can find stations for robatayaki, sashimi, fresh seafood, sushi, teppanyaki, and steaks. </p><p>There is also an order-all-you-can a la carte selection, where guests can choose from various noodles, soups, mains such as beef curry, and rice bowls. For an additional P900, guests can avail of free-flow alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks including unlimited sake, beer, Japanese whisky, shochu, and cocktails. </p><p>The best part of the experience for me, which I haven’t found in other restaurants, is the make-your-own temaki (hand-rolled sushi). A confession: I hate cucumbers, and I usually find them in my sushi. But here, I can choose only the ingredients I like, and of course, I overloaded mine with the premium ones like eel, salmon, and tempura!  This is the kind of dining where I don’t mind putting in extra effort for food. What an enjoyable experience! <em><strong>— JC Cailles Lo</strong></em></p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Gnocchi Gorgonzola at Piccolo Padre</strong></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1767947334908IMG_4811.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>Photo by Cyrene de la Rosa</em></span></span></span></div><p>Pillowy little bites of deliciousness made of homemade potato gnocchi pasta drenched in a generous amount of an excellent extra creamy gorgonzola cream sauce made with walnuts and parmigiano cheese. This dish is good reason enough to trek to Pampanga. Truly one of Milanese chef Dan Giampaolo’s best dishes. <strong><em>— Cyrene de la Rosa</em></strong></p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Botan Ebi at Liyab</strong></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1767947368887Botan Ebi at Liyab. Photo from Liyab Restaurant.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Handout</span></span></span></div><p>The highly anticipated new restaurant of Chef Charles Montañez, Liyab, was worth the wait. Among the new openings, it stands out for its most impressive and aesthetically striking interiors, truly embodying the definition of fine dining. The restaurant features a vast open theater kitchen where guests can enjoy the chefs in action, much like watching a live stage performance. As if that wasn’t enough, the chefs personally present numerous dishes tableside. You won’t be able to resist taking photos or videos as each course is prepared and thoughtfully, each table is even provided with a portable light and camera stand. </p><p>The most impressive dish I tried among the courses was the delicious yet highly complex Botan Ebi. Beneath it are cryo-blanched labanos with dalandan ponzu, a green sauce made from dalandan skins, small slices of lanzones, and an ice cream made from four-month-aged homemade miso combined with Blackbird Farms blue cheese. The shrimp is charcoal-pressed to burn the top, then finished with a hot tea poured from smoked prawn heads. A clear standout! — JC Cailles Lo</p><div> </div><div><strong>Mahi-Mahi at Anzani Ville Sommet</strong></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1767947432789ANZANI.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>Photo by Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span></div><p>Inside his new restaurant within Ville Sommet in Tagaytay, Chef Marco Anzani cooks up inventive takes on neo-Mediterranean cuisine. Everything on this playful plate plays a role in the dish — from the tomato underneath the juicy mahi-mahi wrapped in crispy potato thread to those fried pasta that&#x27;s broken apart to add more crunch. <em><strong>— Jeeves de Veyra</strong></em></p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Crispy Pata at Tito Boy’s by Chef Bong Sagmit</strong></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1767947555471IMG_4738.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>Photo by Cyrene de la Rosa</em></span></span></span></div><p>Tito Boy’s is one of Pampanga’s best kept secret that opened less that two years ago on Friendship highway in Angeles City, Pampanga before moving to its brighter, much nicer, bigger location inside Clark. It’s ironically not that easy to find well-cooked crispy pata nowadays. So, it’s always a special treat to try a good one like this pata or pig’s throtters that was cooked 24 hours sous vide before it was deep-fried. Best eaten with the soyamansi sauce that came with it. Truly life’s simple pleasures.<strong><em> — Cyrene de la Rosa</em></strong></p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Petits Capricis at El Born</strong></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1767947603374IMG_4336.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>Photo by Cyrene de la Rosa</em></span></span></span></div><p>El Born’s signature extra creamy cheesecake (tarta de queso) is what put El Born on Manila’s culinary map. Its newest product, a ‘salado’ or gourmet savory tart, made with homemade sun-dried tomatoes and artisanal cheeses from Bacolod. May just be its next best thing. <strong><em>— Cyrene de la Rosa</em></strong></p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Coco Espresso by Danny Park of Zest Seoul (Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025 no. 2)</strong></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1767947633971IMG_1518.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>Photo by Cyrene de la Rosa</em></span></span></span></div><p>A lambanog-based drink inspired by my current Zest&#x27;s favorite cocktail Biscuit Einspänner, but made with local and Negrense ingredients like local espresso and muscovado. Finished with a generous dollop of salted cacao coconut cream and served in a repurposed cacao shell. Served during the Sunset Zip sessions that was part of the Slow Drinks pavilion showcased sustainable drinks, ingredients and practices. My favorite part of the Terra Madre Asia &amp; Pacific slow food conference held in Bacolod.<strong><em> — Cyrene de la Rosa</em></strong></p>

<p>Last month’s best dishes came from all over: polished dining rooms, destination-worthy kitchens, indulgent brunch spreads, and even a cocktail that tasted like a manifesto for local ingredients.</p>

Last month’s best dishes came from all over: polished dining rooms, destination-worthy kitchens, indulgent brunch spreads, and even a cocktail that tasted like a manifesto for local ingredients.

The best things we tasted in December 2025

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The best things we tasted in December 2025

ABS-CBN Lifestyle,

JC Cailles Lo,

Jeeves de Veyra and Cyrene de la Rosa

Published Jan 09, 2026 05:29 PM PHT

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Updated Jan 09, 2026 06:08 PM PHT

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