Eye-Opening Hispanic Cuisine from Asador Alfonso, El Chato

A day before the Spanish restaurant Asador Alfonso was officially bestowed with a highly coveted One Michelin Star distinction, we got to experience a limited-time tie-up with some of the best Latin American culinary minds in the world.

This was a creative culinary collaboration between Asador Alfonso's creative director Chef Chele Gonzales and head of kitchen Chef Rodrigo Osorio, with El Chato's Chef Álvaro Clavijo at the strikingly designed Asador Alfonso restaurant in Cavite, complemented by the cool Tagaytay winds. It ran from October 28 to 29.

Clavijo is considered one of Colombia’s most celebrated chefs, and he has made a name for himself for being at the forefront of modernizing Colombian cuisine through the use of local ingredients. The Colombian restaurant, which is considered the third best in the Latin American region and 54th on the World’s Best Restaurants list, aims to fuse the signature Colombian flavors and Asador Alfonso’s timeless Spanish heritage and passion for open-fire cooking.

Chefs Chele Gonzalez and Rodrigo Osorio of Asador Alfonso

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To give you a brief rundown on why Clavijo is a big deal in the global food world, the Colombian-born chef has been awarded the prestigious Three Knives by the Best Chef Awards 2025. He is seen as one of the major players in pushing boundaries in Colombian cuisine.

On the other hand, Spanish Chef Chele Gonzalez, the local culinary juggernaut, recently bagged two One Michelin Star honors for his establishments, Asador Alfonso and Gallery by Chele. The title is reserved for places that offer “high-quality cooking that’s worth a stop.”

Osorio, a fellow Spanish chef, previously worked at Gallery by Chele for three years and had worked at Michelin-starred establishments in Spain such as La Bicicleta.

It was admittedly intimidating to see the nine-course meal presented to us. First impressions dictated looked like novel experiences, but were ultimately all too familiar to our Filipino palates. 

We take you through some of the most rustic and nostalgia-inducing dishes throughout the experience.

The exterior of Asador Alfonso in Cavite, from the architectural mind of Carlo Calma.

1| Molleja, Boletus y Trufa (crispy sweetbreads with boletus mushrooms, and wild truffle)

We started off with some sweetbread garnished with aromatic wild truffles and highly prized boletus wild mushrooms. Molleja, or sweetbreads, is made from the thymus gland or pancreas from lamb and is fried or seared until golden and crisp. The pure richness of this dish, coupled with the combination of saltiness and sweetness, made for a very nutty and earthy starter.

2| Lenguado Asado (roasted sole)

The chefs sure tipped their hats to a Spanish classic in this one, with its Lenguado Asado or Roasted Sole, which we got paired with a fresh green salad. Another dish that felt very delicate to approach and was topped off with the bright acidity and savory richness of the fish.

Roasted Sole meal portion

The Lenguado Asado struck a balance with its mild, subtly sweet flavor that wasn't too overpowering. The sheer quality of the fish was purposefully made the highlight of the experience.

3| Cochinillo + Arroz de Lechona 

The pig in question

As soon as we got the menu, our eyes kept darting back and forth, keeping our eyes peeled for the Segovian suckling pig paired with the spiced complexity of Colombian seasoned rice. The experience took place on the second floor of the architectural marvel that is Asador Alfonso, with some of the world's best chefs and culinary minds putting their heads together to produce cultural and gastronomic works of art.

Now back to the pig, the Cochinillo was incredibly tender with every piece of the skin shattering in a satisfying crunch, with the mildly spicy and earthy rice to add warmth to each bite. It had the savory depth and the highly-seasoned flavors you should come to expect from El Chato and Asador Alfonso.

4| Flan de Queso Mancheo and Petit Fours

The Colombian and Spanish gastronomic extravaganza was topped off with what they call "Nostalgic flan," Ganache, and Manchego cheese, a staple of Spanish desserts. The aged cheese elevated the dessert's flavor as it tied together the sweet, dairy-rich, and nutty base of the flan. It was as creamy, rich, and savory as it looks and sounds. Then the last was the Petit Fours, which were sweet and spicy French confectionery that is a cross between a macaron and a jelly treat. Having the sweeter of the two was probably the way to go since the spicy jelly-like treat caught us off guard.

Asador Alfonso is in Alfonso, Cavite. It is open from Thursday to Sunday.