Lifestyle Asia brought together Manila’s leading chefs, restaurateurs, and tastemakers at the latest destination dining hub of Levanto for a Crave experience that celebrated the connective power of great food.
On June 23, 2026, Lifestyle Asia welcomed Manila’s dining community to Levanto for an event that served as a physical extension of its dining platform Crave, the experience dedicated to exploring what we gather around when we eat.
The event brought together chefs, restaurateurs, entrepreneurs, industry partners, and cultural tastemakers, inviting guests to look beyond the plate and uncover the stories, rituals, and experiences that shape the way we dine through an exploration of Levanto’s six distinct culinary concepts: Mireia Dining, Brontë, Hakka, Tadhana, Taglish, and the Tasting Room.
Helping bring the event to life were beverage partners The Macallan and Highland Park, hydration partner Evian, and venue partners Levanto Building, Monarc, Venetian, and Sistema, whose support made an evening dedicated to dining, culture, and connection possible.
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Where Dining Meets Design
Set within Levanto, Makati’s newest destination for design, dining, and culture, guests arrived to an atmosphere that felt both intimate and celebratory. The building’s contemporary architecture provided the backdrop for an evening centered around discovery and the shared pleasures of the table.
An aperitivo reception welcomed guests with sparkling wine and curated canapés from the featured Levanto culinary concepts. As guests mingled and moved across the space, a live jazz performance lent a warm, easy rhythm to the gathering.
More than an introduction to a collection of restaurants, the evening served as an invitation into a broader conversation about dining culture and the experiences that give meals their meaning.
Celebrating the People and Places Shaping Manila’s Dining Scene
The formal program opened with remarks from Lifestyle Asia Chief of Editorial Content Kerry Tinga, who shared the vision behind CRAVE and its role in spotlighting the people, places, and perspectives shaping the way Manila dines today.
“Food is, at its most basic level in the hierarchy of needs, survival. And yet, across centuries and cultures, we have transformed food into something much more. We prepare it, and we even share it. We set the table, and we set the mood,” she shared. “We have made food into ritual, into art. Food has become one of the primary ways we express love, celebrate life, and find each other as we gather around a table and eat up precious, precious time.That is why Lifestyle Asia’s CRAVE celebrates everything that happens around a meal.”
The celebration continued with a special appearance from Lifestyle Asia’s June Wine & Dine cover stars, Amado and Carmela Forés of AF Hospitality, whose presence reflected the publication’s continuing commitment to honoring the personalities driving the country’s culinary culture forward.
Guests also heard from Levanto owner Donn Ang, who spoke about the vision behind the newly opened destination and its ambition to create a space where hospitality, design, and culture converge.
One of the evening’s defining moments was the presentation of the inaugural LA Crave Curated plaques. The distinction was awarded to Brontë, Hakka, Taglish, Tadhana, and Mireia, recognizing restaurants that embody Lifestyle Asia’s editorial point of view and contribute meaningfully to Manila’s evolving dining landscape.
Gathering Around the Table
Following the awarding ceremony and the closing remarks by One MEGA Group’s VP for Lifestyle Media Brands Apples Aberin, guests were guided to their respective restaurant destinations throughout Levanto, where the evening’s next chapter unfolded.
Across Brontë, Hakka, Taglish, Tadhana, and Mireia, guests experienced distinct interpretations of contemporary dining, each reflecting a unique culinary philosophy while contributing to the larger story of Manila’s increasingly dynamic food scene. From thoughtfully plated courses and curated beverage pairings to shared plates and lingering conversations, every table offered its own expression of The Good Life.
As dinner progressed, the energy shifted from formal celebration to intimate exchange. New introductions were made, ideas were shared, and conversations were engulfed with newfound warmth and laughter.
More Than a Meal
As dinner gave way to after-hours socials, guests gathered over cocktails, wine, and music, extending the evening well beyond its formal program. In many ways, the inaugural LA Crave accomplished exactly what it set out to do. It revealed that the most memorable dining experiences are rarely defined by food alone. They’re shaped by the people around the table, the stories exchanged between courses, and the moments that transform a meal into something worth remembering.
For Lifestyle Asia, LA Crave marks the beginning of an ongoing exploration into dining as culture, community, and experience. It is a celebration of the restaurants, tastemakers, and shared moments that continue to make Manila’s food scene worth craving.
Photos by Kim Santos, Kieran Punay, and Ed Simon of KLIQ, INC.
Frequently Asked Questions
Crave is Lifestyle Asia’s dining platform dedicated to exploring dining as more than just food. It highlights the stories, rituals, people, and experiences that shape the way communities gather and connect around a meal.
The first Crave experience took place at Levanto, a newly opened destination in Makati that combines dining, design, culture, and hospitality under one roof.
The event welcomed chefs, restaurateurs, entrepreneurs, industry partners, cultural tastemakers, media personalities, and members of Manila’s dining community.
Lifestyle Asia awarded the following dining concepts for its first edition of Crave Curated: Brontë, Hakka, Taglish, Tadhana, and Mireia for embodying the publication’s editorial perspective and contributing to Manila’s evolving culinary landscape.
The event aimed to celebrate dining as a cultural and social experience, emphasizing the connections, conversations, and shared moments that transform meals into memorable experiences while spotlighting the restaurants and personalities shaping Manila’s food scene.
