Ever since he was really young, 30-year-old Stephan Roxas Duhesme, has always seriously been into food. I’ve known the half-French, half-Filipino chef since he was in high school (circa 2007). Many at that age would wave off dinner before a night out but with him, no, it was serious business, hence, our pre-clubbing dinners with our group of friends were at legit French restaurants like Je Suis Gourmand (today, Sagana) before heading off to…. Embassy! (Who remembers those days?!)
Fast forward 12 years later, and Stephan now has his very own restaurant in the Philippines– Metiz— located at Karrivin Plaza along Pasong Tamo Ext., Makati. (Currently on soft opening, it officially opens its doors on November 18.) This is not without having cut his teeth in the culinary world. Every summer from the ages of 17 to 19 years old, he worked as a waiter at various small restaurants in Paris. “At the time, I didn’t know I wanted to cook. I just did it for summer money,” he shares. And when he finally realized what he wanted to do, it was a trajectory. He worked at the kitchens of Purple Yam in New York, Matsunozushi, in Tokyo, Gallery by Chele and the now-closed Arrozeria in Manila, and even opened his own restaurant in Bogotá (the now-closed Tria Neo Bistro), where he spent three years (a quick Google search reveals that it was highly-rated), and then finally back home to herald to his Filipino roots.
The name Metiz is a phonetic of the French word for mestizo (métis/métisse), which refers to both Stephan’s own heritage, and also the Philippines’ cuisine, which is a confluence of various cultures and cuisines. But ask Stephan how he would describe his cuisine and he has only one word, “Filipino.” In fact, 99% of his ingredients are local (the only thing he currently imports is butter, from France, which he only uses for dessert). Here, he likes to spotlight oft-looked local ingredients and also does a lot of fermentation, which carries on to their cocktails (have you ever had an ampalaya/ bitter gourd cocktail?!), and soon, a sour beer program by Stephan’s stepfather, renowned photographer, Neal Oshima. Their wines are from Jerome Philippon’s Sommelier Selection. Stephan’s girlfriend, Karen Urriago (who hails from Cali in Colombia, and had worked previously at Salvo Patria in Bogotá) runs the front of house.
The restaurant, designed by Justin Guiab, features a lot of plywood (“no waste,” shares Stephan), acacia tables, in a gorgeous space where there is no delineation between the kitchen and the dining room– and all the ingredients and fermentation bottles are displayed on shelves.
At Metiz, there is only one menu: 5 courses prix fixe (it is a neo-bistro after all) priced at PHP1,500++, where guests have the opportunity to choose from two items for their mains. The menu will change regularly, and they will accomodate dietary restrictions. And only a couple of days upon soft-opening, it has already received rave reviews from peers in the industry. “Inspired, flavorful, new,” was how Asia’s Best Female Chef 2016 Margarita Fores describes her dinner here. “What a sublime dinner experience!” Elbert Cuenca posted on Facebook, “Nouvelle cuisine using indigenous ingredients. [M]etiz is a legend in the making.” It’s not surprising. I mean, a twill made from annatto seeds, charred eggplant the base for a salad, the humble hito (catfish) aged for four days to turn it into a stellar main, and many more. Here’s what it looks like:
Metiz is a wonderful new addition to Manila’s chef-driven dining scene, and its tasting menu ticks off so many check marks– short, delicious, unpretentious, uncomplicated, reasonably priced, and memorable. I can’t wait to see it continue to unfold– Stephan and his team will be doing great things.
Metiz is located at Karrivin Plaza, Ground floor, Building A, 2316 Chino Roces Ave, Extension, Makati, Philippines. It is open for dinner from Tuesdays to Saturdays. They have two seatings: 7PM and 8:30 PM. For reservations, phone +63917 8985751.
