JORDY NAVARRA

The chef and restaurant owner behind the Philippine capital's award-winning Toyo Eatery lists his hometown favourites—from flavourful lamb adobo to caramelised sweet potato skewers

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Arising staple on Asia's 50 Best list, Jordy Navarra's Toyo Eatery has sustained its hype since 2016 through its ever-evolving, planet-first approach (taking beef off his menus in 2022; processing all of Toyo's food waste with partner farms in 2024) and fresh Filipino perspectives for everyone from vegans to meat-eaters. Generous kamayan “eating with hands” menus pay respect to local communal customs—banana leaves laden with pork hock, sun-dried shrimp, and seasonal veggies. Informed by Filipino folklore, fermentation traditions, and street eats (like his take on tortang talong, an eggplant omelette with banana ketchup), Navarra nudges us closer to his city’s soul, spotlighting sizzling grills and funky ferments.

VEG STREET FOOD

New Po Heng Lumpia House in Binondo, Manila’s Chinatown, serves freshly deep-fried lumpia (spring rolls) filled with vegetables, seaweed, crispy rice noodles, and crushed peanuts. And Bailon Homemade Ilonggo Delicacies, originally from the southern province of Bacolod, has a shop near us in the suburb of Makati that sells a lumpia with a filling of heart of palm and garlic. There are street-side vendors all over the city who sell turon (deep-fried spring rolls stuffed with banana and jackfruit) as well as bananacue and