Makati Favorite Your Local Is Destined to Move Back Into the Spotlight

Here’s a bold prediction: you’re about to rekindle a love affair with Your Local. 

Your Local was a massive deal when it opened in 2014­–a hip dining destination with exposed ceilings, subway tiles, and, boldly, dim lighting that discouraged photos. The 32-dish menu featured food that was as inventive as it was comforting. Best of all, it had that hideaway atmosphere which encouraged people to seek it out further. With word-of-mouth as its primary marketing strategy, it became that unassuming wallflower that everybody suddenly wanted to dance with.

In 2016, Conde Nast Traveler named it one of the best restaurants in the world­–the only Philippine establishment on the list. 

But the clamor quieted down. More restaurants opened and Your Local slipped into the neighborhood reliable that it was always designed to be.

If its recent collaboration with Instagram darlings Taste and Tell, deliverer of sushi bake in the Philippines, is anything to go by, the spotlight may soon be veering back towards the little restaurant on Esteban Street. Leading Your Local’s open kitchen now is Patrick Go, a chef whose soft-spoken demeanor is betrayed by his flashy flavors and sophisticated combinations.

You could say that the two-night collaboration dinner is a re-launch of sorts­–for Taste and Tell’s future foray beyond Instagram and Go’s impending Your Local revamp. And the eight-course menu, featuring bites of Asian fusion, relates their histories.

Unagi with mantou, pickles, and soy sesame

Photo by Sasha Lim Uy.

The highlight is the unagi, a collaborative effort of grilled eel over a fried bao. It’s topped with three rows of pickles that Go advises you to eat in three bites. It’s rich but bright at the same time; the sweet saltiness of soy-sesame tying everything together. 

For one of their dishes, Taste and Tell creates a pair of salmon belly nigiri. It’s a reflection of how far the sushi bake company has come. The business was founded by four sisters looking to cope during the pandemic. They were one of the first to capitalize on the sushi bake trend and pivoted quickly when the fad went down. The flavor is reminiscent of their signature dish, albeit grown up and dressed to the nines. 

Pork belly amuse bouche with rice cracker

Photo by Sasha Lim Uy.

Sake nigiri

Photo by Sasha Lim Uy.

Blue crab congee with mantou croutons

Photo by Sasha Lim Uy.

Taste and Tell is serious about moving on to a more upscale level of cuisine. They flew in hamachi from Japan and dressed it with fried onion, leeks, and miso. They used wagyu from Bukidnon and topped it with foie gras. It’s an exciting story that’s only starting to unfold.

Go is in his element in this kind of cuisine. He’s known for his playful tinkering of Asian cuisine. It's what he does in his modern Korean haunt Gochugang and his pan-Asian delivery service Dandan Asian Eatery. He takes familiar elements and rearranges them in small, refined plates with unapologetic flavors. For the dinner, he’s made congee with blue crab and crunchy mantou croutons and U.S. striploin with a palm sugar glaze. The ingredients aren’t novel, but the flavors will surprise any diner. 

Kitayama wagyu

Photo by Sasha Lim Uy.

Yellowfin tuna with mentaiko, avocado

Photo by Sasha Lim Uy.

US striploin with pumpkin laksa puree

Photo by Sasha Lim Uy.

Matcha tart with pandan kaya jam and soysauce caramel

Photo by Sasha Lim Uy.

The Tasteless Food Group (which owns Your Local, The Grid, et cetera) brought in their pastry master Sonny Mariano to whip up an equally complex dessert: a matcha tart wading in soy sauce caramel with pandan kaya jam and a pistachio tuille. The tart is textbook, and the light sweetness that Mariano coaxes out is welcome after a brashly flavored meal. He also brings a little surprise to the menu, with a memorable finisher. 

When Your Local and Taste and Tell opened their two nights for reservations, it sold out in five minutes. They’re planning to extend to April 7 and 8. But remember, whether you book a seat or not, you can be satisfied that there’s more to come for these two. 

Your Local is at 106 Esteban Street, Legazpi Village, Makati; visit Your Local (@yourlocalph) and Taste and Tell MNL (@tasteandtellMNL) for updates.