Toyo Eatery among Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants

Toyo Eatery is the best restaurant in the country, going by its No. 24 placement at this year’s Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants List.  The awards were held on March 26 in a ceremony in Seoul, South Korea.

The restaurant, founded in 2016 by chef Jordy Navarra and his wife May, debuted on the list in 2018 as recipients of the Miele One to Watch Award. It officially entered the list in 2019 at No. 43, and last year, it stayed on the list as No. 42. Its No. 24 placement this year is the restaurant’s highest ranking to date.

“Toyo, the Filipino word for soy sauce, presents local ingredients in modern ways, playing with fermentation and preservation techniques to create a bold palate of flavors. The restaurant serves both a Kamayan and tasting menu. With the unique Kamayan menu, guests are encouraged to ditch the cutlery and use their hands to enjoy a feast set out on banana leaves,” the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant rating reads. “The restaurant removed beef from its menus in 2022, and half of its dishes are now vegetarian or vegan,” it said, praising its Sustainable Restaurant Award 2023 (also from the same award-giving body).

Metiz, a new entry at No. 48 last year, stays in the Top 100 list at No. 84, meaning the Philippines has two entries in the list this year.

The top restaurant for this year in all of Asia is Tokyo’s Sézanne. Its climb was quick: it debuted on the list in 2022 at No. 17 and climbed up to second place the year after.

For a complete list of winners, check out https://www.theworlds50best.com/asia/en/list/1-50. — Joseph L. Garcia