Toyo Eatery

People have been saying it’s the best tasting menu they’ve tried. Maybe the menu has changed but I was not at all impressed with the food. It felt like they were trying too hard to elevate the food—pushing for something highfalutin and refined, but in the end, it just muddled the actual flavors. The ambition was there, but the execution failed. The okra saluyot soup was slimey (ofc, given that it’s okra) so it didn’t land well as a good dish. The grilled oyster mushrooms over kamias sauce and soy milk pudding’s flavors didn’t marry well, either. The palette cleanser of lemongrass kefir tea just tasted nasty. The main dish of free range chicken was plain, the fried fish scales dish was not my type and the flavor of the rice clashed with the main dish flavors. However, the dish with the fried shallots was good! Just wished they served white rice with it. It would’ve hit the spot. The halabos was my favorite, it was cooked to perfection. Literally the plainest dish but the most well done. Some of desserts were good too, like the leche flan ice cream and tsokolate bonbons with patis filling (although there was too much caramel, came out too sweet). The sorbete with idk, seaweed on top (?) was just weird. The flavor was disjointed and I think they were trying to go for some toasted rice thing but it felt like multiple random ingredients in the cup. Overall, the food wasn’t great. Sad cause I’ve been wanting to eat here for about 4 years now and I finally have, and I’ve been disappointed. Never meet your heroes, they say.

It's been a good 3-4 years since we last ate in Toyo Eatery. Now 3 years married, we were fortunate enough to have celebrated our Anniversary in a place we truly enjoyed. Being new parents we rarely had the time to do long tasting menu dinners. We've missed eating in Toyo and its great to be back :). We enjoyed the new menu in both food and cocktails. The new alfresco dining is fantastic and airy. Everything just fits perfectly.

We were warmly welcomed by the staff. The servers were very knowledgeable about all the dishes they served. The food was excellent—they sourced ingredients from different regions of the Philippines, creating sophisticated and well-crafted dishes.

Such a fun experience. Food is exquisite and the service is top notch. Our big thank you to Sheila who was such a sweetheart. It was raining heavily and she went out of her way to infrom security to grab the first available cab for us and even offered to book Grab on our behalf.

I didn’t manage to snap a picture for every course of food we had but here’s what I managed to snag off their tasting menu. We had the outdoor seats and it was nicely ventilated, bug free with a very dim ambience (tables are lit with one tabletop LED). Every course came with a little table side introduction by the very friendly, and professional staff, of course, food was exceptional with flares on authentic Filipino flavors. I did find the cocktail pairing too sweet for my liking, but, when in Rome. Definitely give it a go if you have the time at Manilla.

15 May 2025 - 22 course prix fixe with wine pairing. Family of 5. Food: A truly refreshing, and the most inventive take on Filipino cuisine I've ever had (so tired of the same-old pinoy classics with minimal changes you can get anywhere and everywhere these days.) Everything was meticulously prepared, presented, and seasoned well. Only blemish was the chicken dish which wasn't very tender. But even that isn't enough to deduct a full star. Service: Impeccably attentive, yet casual. Presenter explained each course, the ingredients, their provenance, and preparation. Our sommelier also spoke about each wine's flavor profile, its producer, and how it matches with succeeding courses. Atmosphere: Entering the restaurant, it was loud and informal. We had to climb stairs to our private room. Once inside with the door closed, we were insulated from the noise downstairs. It had a very effective air-con, a large table which can seat eight comfortably, and its own lavatory (with fancy Japanese toilet!). Toyo's dining experience rivals that with some of the best prix fixe dinners I've experienced in Europe and the US, at a bargain price too. We were stuffed, and very nearly drunk too. * ONCE THE MENU CHANGES, WE WILL DEFINITELY COME BACK *

The food is of outstanding quality and represents traditional Filipino cuisine better than any other place I know—arguably at a Michelin-star level. The wine pairing was exceptional, one of the best I’ve had in Asia. I understand that eating like a Filipino is meant to be part of the experience, but in a fine dining setting, I expect a greater focus on ease of eating. Having to peel a whole shrimp, roll your own spring roll, pull pork cubes off a skewer into a dip, scoop food from a flat plate without edges, or even mortar your own dish becomes cumbersome after a while. While the presentation was elegant, it could be more creative and visually striking. The desserts, while well-executed, felt a bit uninspired and weren’t particularly to my taste. However, my main criticism is the staff’s attire, which feels disrespectful to guests spending 8,000–10,000 PHP per person. Seeing waiters in slippers, sandals, Crocs (!), or worn-out sneakers with dirty white Nike socks, paired with shorts and loose vests over t-shirts, is simply not appropriate for a fine dining restaurant—especially in Makati. This level of casualness might be acceptable in Filipino budget barbecue spots, but not in an establishment like this. Frankly, it’s unappetizing.

Tasting menu. Dinner. I found it interesting but my palate did not pick up all the flavour notes. I was influenced more by the technical nature of the preparation and the experimentation and curiosity of the kitchen staff that finds its way to the tasting menu. Accessibility is moderate as there were elevation changes in flooring and the stairs in to the upper floor is crazy steep and a wobbly handrail. It was a struggle to get up and or was scary going down with the steepness. Moreover the washroom on the second floor in one of the private rooms was difficult to open as there was no overt handle. More importantly, the lock was difficult to operate from the inside and someone in our party got locked in and we had to call for assistance to rescue her. This can be triggering being trapped in a room with no windows. This foodie is quite pleased with the experience but some did not register well. Their narration needs some polishing. For example, describing the texture as slimy is indeed accurate but describing it as silky would be better received. The service experience was mixed as they got the orders wrong in one of the sets and they need to work on the timing of the menu items better. There are some areas to work on if they want their Michelin stars. Consistency is key as it seems to vary between visits. I enjoyed the ceviche , love the fish and I especially loved the rice tutong on the clay pot. I loved the desserts except for the patis in the chocolate as it felt a rather unpleasant after taste. I liked more of than those that I was indifferent to. Food presentations were excellent and playful. I like their narrative on supporting Filipino artisans in their ingredients like that special salt and some of the dinner ware. This can enhance or detract from the experience It would useful for this team to get feedback on their service and fix or optimize as needed. And more importantly, practice the presentation at table service and refine. Some issues were structural in terms of the physical spaces and some were operational in terms of accuracy in the table service and in the narratives with each set. Practice, refine, practice. And repeat. It is a recommendation for me but needs refinement if they wish to get the Michelin stars