At New Makati Restaurant Tandem, Focus Is on Themes Instead of Cuisines

A new restaurant located in a quiet corner of Legazpi Village in Makati City intentionally forgets the stereotypes in fine dining and serves an eclectic and plant-forward menu that focuses on themes instead of specific cuisines. 

Photo by Jelo Arevalo.

Helmed by chefs Mikee Lopez and Alex Tan, Tandem’s introductory offering pays homage to Filipino farmers and spotlights the most common crops in the Philippines. When you settle into your seat, you’ll find the 10-course tasting menu that looks more like a grocery list. Each item on the menu corresponds to the main ingredient: mung bean, cassava, onion, tomato, potato, eggplant, sweet potato, corn, cabbage, pineapple, rice, calamansi, mango, banana.

“We want to make sure that our guests know what they are eating and what’s being featured (in each dish),” says Tan.

ALSO READ

At This New Izakaya, the Menu Is Eclectic and Satisfying

The So-Called 'Billionaire Boys' Club' in BGC Has Launched an Exclusive Dining Series with a Michelin-Starred Chef

Despite the deliberate focus on local ingredients, Tandem doesn’t serve Filipino food per se. It’s not Western or any other foreign specialty either. 

Photo by Jelo Arevalo.

“We don’t focus on a particular cuisine, but we take inspiration from other cuisines, conversations we’ve had, and things that inspire us,” Lopez says.

“We are very technique-forward,” Tan adds. “My personal cooking philosophy is that the only difference in cuisines is just the ingredients they use.”

The tandem’s science-based approach and almost nerdy kitchen personalities can be attributed to their common backgrounds. Tan and Lopez both went to the International School for Culinary Arts and Hotel Management (ISCAHM). While Tan is also a graduate of Culinary Science from The Culinary Institute of America New York, Lopez studied Food Tech at the University of the Philippines. She also worked under acclaimed chef Josh Boutwood.

Photo by PJ Cana.

Photo by PJ Cana.

“We are very much carnivores,” Lopez says about healthy eating. “I never would have thought that our first restaurant would be plant-forward. But I guess in terms of us being healthy, let’s just say we’re not getting any younger.” Both chefs say they like to get active and play volleyball sometimes when they are not in the kitchen. 

“We get a couple of older people who say that (the menu) is a little bit lighter,” Lopez says. “It’s full, but doesn’t feel as heavy as when you’re eating steak, loads of butter, and loads of cream.” Lopez added. She also made it a point to incorporate the top commonly produced fruits in the country as a palate cleanser and a dessert.

Photo by PJ Cana.

Photo by PJ Cana.

Photo by PJ Cana.

Photo by PJ Cana.

Photo by PJ Cana.

Photo by PJ Cana.

For a gamechanger like Tandem, the possibilities are as vast and are limited only by their imagination. While the theme for next year has not been set in stone, it will most likely still be plant-forward. Tan shares, “We’re not going to restrict ourselves to something food-related. It can be the name of a song that we really like and how we interpret that.”

Tandem has two seatings from Tuesday to Sunday at 6:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. and can serve up to 20 guests, at P4,250 per head.