Michelin-starred restaurants are dominating Manila. The growing list includes Taiwanese restaurant Din Tai Fung, Atelier Vivanda of two-Michelin-star chef Akrame Benallal, Tim Ho Wan, and FOO’D by David Oldani. This year, FooDee Global Concepts is expected to add two more Michelin-starred restaurants to this roster: the cheapest Michelin-starred meal from Singapore’s Hawker Chan and the first Michelin-starred ramen shop Tsuta.
Hawker Chan received one Michelin star in 2016. Ran by chef Chan Hong Meng, Hawker Chan acquired a Michelin star for their Cantonese-Style Soya Chicken. Sold at S$2, the chicken is slated to be sold at P99 in Manila.
While ramen is now prevalent, Ramen Tsuta is the first ramen shop to get a Michelin star in 2016. Tsuta is popular for the truffle in their ramen. “It has a truffle broth. When you walk in, you instantly get a waft of truffle,” FooDee managing director Eric Dee told Inquirer.net.
Long lines are usually expected with Michelin stars, but this should not be the case with Tsuta. Aside from the sumptuous ramen, the restaurant also boasts of an efficient service system. “The store in Japan implemented a new system where you pay for your meal and it will tell you, in color-coordinated codes, what time you can come back so you don’t need to wait and fall in line,” Dee said.
Although the exact opening date of the restaurants isn’t announced yet, we’re ready to brave the long queue and the rain just to try these two.
Header photo by Patrick Segovia
Writer: OLIVER EMOCLING
