Metiz Reopens: A Full Filipino Meal, Elevated

TLDR: A full Filipino meal crafted meticulously, where Chef Stephan Duhesme creates dishes that truly elevate local Filipino ingredients and flavors — what Metiz is all about.

After seven months of waiting, Metiz has finally reopened in Makati. Chef Stephan Duhesme and his team welcome diners into a refreshed space that feels both warm and experimental. Jars of ferments line the shelves like a library of flavor, quietly signaling the restaurant’s philosophy. Metiz has always been about transformation, taking the familiar and pushing it further, and this new chapter doubles down on that promise.

A Garden of Beginnings

The evening began with a plate of 15 different fruits and vegetables, part of a composition that included nearly 40 elements. Squash, salinas, and calamansi stood out, and the sauce struck a curious chord, reminding me of the sharp tang of pancit canton with calamansi. Refreshing, layered, and distinctly Filipino in spirit — a true opener that set the tone for the night.

Opening plate of 15 fruits and vegetables, with squash, salinas, and calamansi standing out

Shown above is the opening dish of 15 fruits and vegetables, nearly 40 ingredients in total.

Ensaymada, Supercharged

One of the richest and most memorable bites was the toasted ensaymada topped with gouda and finished with honey butter. Gooey, sweet-salty, and indulgent. While delicious, it felt a little out of place in the menu’s progression and definitely heavy — a few diners beside me admitted they were getting full here. Personally, I still left saktong full, but this dish does take up a lot of space in the stomach.

Toasted ensaymada topped with gouda and honey butter

Shown above is the toasted ensaymada with gouda and honey butter — rich and filling.

The Heart of Dinner

The standout of the night was the tuna belly glazed with fermented pineapple, paired with béarnaise sauce, pork jus, and pampano fried rice salted for five days. The tuna was cooked perfectly — melt-in-your-mouth tender — with sauces that tied everything together. The rice stood out as well, the pampano giving it a distinct briny depth. A chicken tinola made from two kinds of chicken, black and native, rounded out the course with a broth that was light yet deeply flavorful.

Tuna belly with fermented pineapple glaze, sauces, and pampano fried rice

Shown above is the main course: tuna belly with fermented pineapple glaze, pampano fried rice, and chicken tinola broth.

Sweet Ending

Dessert lightened the evening with a playful nod to halo-halo. Banana kakanin paired with coconut ice cream, its icy texture deliberately rustic, echoing the way halo-halo’s shaved ice tastes like ice itself. After several rich courses, this restraint worked beautifully and kept the close of the meal refreshing rather than heavy.

Final Thoughts

Metiz is telling a story of Filipino ingredients elevated through technique, fermentation, and imagination. The jars of ferments displayed around the restaurant aren’t just décor; they’re reminders of patience and respect for ingredients that fuel every plate.

I left saktong full — satisfied but not too heavy — and impressed by how Metiz continues to shape the conversation around Filipino dining. It’s not fusion and it’s not mimicry; it’s a confident expression of Filipino identity in modern fine dining form. And with doors freshly reopened, it’s clear there will be plenty more changes and surprises ahead. Looking forward to what’s next at Metiz 2.0.