Chefs Nicco Santos and Quenee Vilar unveil a 10-course tasting menu of unexpected visual and gustatory combinations, inviting diners to venture past the familiar vernacular of Asian cuisine.
Like most good things, the new 10-course tasting menu at Celera took time to develop. It’s also something best experienced firsthand to understand why the restaurant earned a Michelin starMichelin StarA prestigious rating awarded by the Michelin Guide to restaurants of outstanding quality, with one star for high-quality cooking, two for excellent cooking worth a detour, and three for exceptionalGo to Michelin Star Glossary in 2025, just in its first year of operation. It reflects the very process it was born from, one of delightful subversions that challenge both diners and the team behind its creation, led by chefs Nicco Santos and Quenee Vilar.
During a conversation the evening we dined, Nicco tells us how the menu has steadily evolved, guided by his and his team’s instincts as well as diner feedback. What we get on the table is a roster of dishes that subvert expectations both visually and flavor-wise. Unexpected on paper, each is self-assured in its boldness, managing to surprise and delight through the Asian flavors Celera has come to be known for.
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What’s On The New 10-Course Tasting Menu At Celera?
The new tasting menu revisits signatures from its predecessor, using them as building blocks for dishes that explore the many facets of Asian cuisine, from the punchier flavors of Southeast Asia to the subtler techniques and ingredients of East Asia.
Take for instance the deceptive third course, its core DNA hailing from Celera’s first menu: what appears to be the child of a macaron, oreo cookie, and ice cream sandwich isn’t actually a dessert, but a cold morsel with only a touch of sweetness to perfectly counterbalance savory and saline flavors. Dill meringue shells hug a filling of creamy duck liver mousse, local goat’s cheese, and baeri (Siberian sturgeon) caviar, before it’s topped by another gem of the sea, nori in the form of caviar.
Another favorite that makes a comeback are the restaurant’s fish collagen noodles—once again, familiar in appearance, yet subversive in composition. It’s light and refreshing, with a jelly-like bite that’s meant to be mixed in with more powerful flavors: the tang of jalapeno tosazu (vinegar-based dressing) and tomato water; tarragon, for that fragrant herby edge; and hebi hiam, a spicy dried shrimp sambal that adds texture to all the smoothness. It gives you very little excuse to pick things apart and be a purist: mix it, like the chefs recommend, and let all the elements intermingle the way they’re supposed to. One can’t forget the circular slice of tuna stuck on the noodle bowl’s lid, so paper-thin it’s nearly translucent, easily mistaken as a design element rather than part of the meal, but it’s a must-eat to pair with every bite of the noodles.
Other dishes continue that thread of subversion, once again looking like one thing, tasting like another, and being something else entirely. Take the first bite, a beetroot tartlet topped with what appears to be diced tuna sashimi. In the mouth, it does indeed taste like seafood thanks to the delicate flavor of bonito, yet the bite feels pulpier—and that’s because it’s watermelon.
One of the most interesting courses of the evening went through a long process of experimentation on the part of chefs Nicco and Quenee: a green, crisp masa and leek tartlet filled with a smoky-umami mousse of grilled local oyster mushrooms and buah kulim (a type of jungle fruit whose profile resembles that of a stronger garlic), the earthiness given extra layer of depth with shaved chocolate on top. My dinner companions and I agreed that this could be a divisive course for some diners, yet we also found it to be the most memorable, and no less delicious for its peculiarity.
As a soup enjoyer, the fifth course was incredibly satisfying, and a welcome warmth for the stomach: a thick broth of smoked duckbone collagen and chicken feet poured over an allium foam, then served with just a dollop of double gold tenderloin on a spoon to give you a kick of protein.
On the topic of protein, Celera skips the usual steaks and fish fillets in favor of a beautifully executed Maine lobster course, followed by a plate of dry-aged duck. The grilled main lobster, marinated in satay that lends its heady spiced notes, served with the deep flavors of Padrón pepper mole and beetroot sauce, then made richer with a brown butter emulsion before dill oil lends a welcome brightness.
The duck dish was aged for 20 days instead of the usual 14, the duck arrives with crisp, delicate skin reminiscent of Chinese Peking duck and a medium-rare center of French tradition. It comes with smoked carrot purée, a foam of chicken paitan and butter, and duck-leg sausage seasoned with coriander and cilantro. If a meal had a summit, this was it.
These were just a few of the standouts across the 10-course menu. Dessert offered a refreshing shaved-ice cooler of chopped muscat grapes and dill oil, drizzled with amazake (a non-alcoholic, mildly sweet fermented rice drink) to cleanse the palate. A selection of non-alcoholic cocktails and their alcoholic counterparts, mixed with fine wine, complemented each course. The La Mesa honey mead was a particularly lovely way to end the meal, its light sweetness and pleasant profile providing a gentle finish after such a hearty spread.
Celera’s latest degustation exemplifies what it sets out to offer diners: a cuisine d’auteur that marries exceptional ingredients with time-tested techniques from different culinary traditions to create something wholly its own, without ever becoming confined or stagnant. The concept keeps you on your toes, and I, for one, can’t wait to see what surprises come next.
See more of the new 10-course tasting menu at Celera below.
Celera is located at the 3rd Floor of Comuna, 238 Pablo Ocampo Sr. Extension, Makati. For reservations, visit its official website.
All photos courtesy of Celera (unless specified)
Frequently Asked Questions
Celera’s new 10-course tasting menu, created by chefs Nicco Santos and Quenee Vilar, is a menu that subverts visual and gustatory expectations through unexpected combinations and interpretations of Asian cuisine.
The menu explores different facets of Asian cuisine, from the punchier flavors of Southeast Asia to the subtler techniques and ingredients of East Asia. It combines exceptional ingredients and time-tested techniques from different culinary traditions to create distinctive dishes.
Highlights include a savory macaron-like course of dill meringue shells filled with duck liver mousse, local goat’s cheese, and baeri caviar; fish collagen noodles with jalapeno tosazu, tomato water, tarragon, and hebi hiam; a grilled Maine lobster course; and 20-day-aged duck served with smoked carrot purée, chicken paitan and butter foam, and duck-leg sausage.
Dessert includes a shaved-ice cooler with chopped muscat grapes and dill oil, drizzled with amazake, a mildly sweet, non-alcoholic fermented rice drink. Non-alcoholic cocktails and alcoholic counterparts mixed with wine accompany the courses, while La Mesa honey mead offers a light, gently sweet finish.
Celera is located on the third floor of Comuna, at 238 Pablo Ocampo Sr. Extension, Makati. Diners can make reservations through the restaurant’s official website.
