Durian, Santol, and the French Connection at Coquette by Miko Calo

Chef Miko Calo is best known for her memorable stint at Metronome, for obvious reasons. The modern French fine dining restaurant earned acclaim locally and internationally for its polished French technique, flawless execution, and for offering one of the most elegant dining experiences in Manila.

In her new pop-up at Casa Buenas in Newport World Resorts called Coquette by Miko Calo, the Ferrandi Paris-educated chef offers a glimpse of her lesser-known side, where the cooking is as playful as it is personal.

Casa Buenas at Newport World Resorts

“I’ve always wanted to do something like this, but I didn't have the correct backdrop for it,” Calo tells Esquire Philippines. She describes her approach in Coquette as “a little bit more cuisine d’auteur.”

“The playfulness comes from wanting to step away from the rigidity of fine dining. I just want people to come here and dine the way I like to dine with friends. You're sitting down, you're talking, you're enjoying the food. There aren’t too many fussy things going around,” she offers.

Chef Miko Calo describes her Coquette pop-up as more playful and instinctive.  

“Metronome for me was really about showing people how I cook,” she continues. “It was about showing skill. But with this one, I’m revealing a different facet of my personality. I’m a Gemini, after all—I can flip the switch like that.”

Casual isn’t exactly the word I’d use to describe Casa Buenas, with its ornate design elements—Machuca tiles, intricate wood marquetry, handcrafted latticework, and hand-carved hardwood floors. But it is the perfect venue to showcase the talented chef’s creative, lighter, and playful side.

Duck breast with foie gras sauce and pickled ampalaya

One thing noticeable in the Coquette menu is the use of local sour fruits. Calamansi, kamias, santol, and sampalok take shape as calamansi bigarade, kamias caramel, tamarind-BBQ sauce, and santol confiture. Another is how she presented humble produce like ampalaya, pechay, and eggplant with finesse, as pickled ampalaya, pechay étuvée, and grilled eggplant. Durian takes on a playful turn as an espuma, paired unexpectedly with blackberry and jasmine, while Cloud Nine, a nostalgic Filipino candy, becomes an inspiration for a gourmet dessert. These touches ground the menu in Filipino flavors while keeping the framework unmistakably French.

Shrimp Kinilaw

Calo also aptly describes her Coquette menu as honest cooking, with dishes like shrimp kinilaw, one of her favorite renditions of the classic. “I really didn't do anything else with it aside from making it look pretty and cutting it differently. But the flavors and the execution are very true to its original form.”

Among the a la carte courses we ordered, a few stood out vividly. The pot de foie gras came with a playful twist of santol confiture—the tart, tropical flavor cutting right through the richness and just asking to be slathered onto warm toast. The Hokkaido scallops, paired with clams and brightened by celery and moringa oil, carried a clean, briny sweetness lifted by fresh, herbaceous notes. Then came the fregola, tossed with guanciale and a buro velouté. A shallot crisp on top added just the right crunch against all that creamy, funky goodness. Finally, the halibut offered something gentler but no less surprising—bathed in coconut, perfumed with cilantro, and lifted by an allium condiment that gave each bite both sweetness and bite.

Fregola

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Calo has a fondness for cooking game poultry, which makes the duck breast with foie gras sauce and pickled ampalaya, or the roasted pigeon glazed with kamias caramel and paired with pechay étuvée, worth ordering at Coquette.

There’s also Iberico Presa with Tamarind Barbecue Sauce, and Veal Sweetbreads with Mushroom Duxelles with Conpoy and Chilis, a dish Calo calls especially close to her heart.

Durian Espuma

For guests who want the full experience, the pop-up offers a five-course set menu: brioche with salted butter; shrimp kinilaw with coconut, kabayawa, and tabon-tabon; fregola with guanciale, buro velouté, and shallot crisp; duck breast with foie gras sauce and pickled ampalaya; and a Chocolate Cloud Nine finale—all for P4,500.

Calo says Coquette is her way of getting her feet wet in the area, feeling out the rhythm, and easing into the transition toward a new fine dining venture. She’s happy to let us in on what’s in the works: a more permanent restaurant in Newport, opening soon.

Coquette by Miko Calo runs from September 2 to November 29, 2025, at Casa Buenas in Newport World Resorts. This restaurant pop-up is open for dinner only from Tuesday to Sunday; it’s closed on Mondays.