May We All Be Sinners In Tandem

The Seven Deadly Sins tasting menu at Tandem showcases husband-and-wife chefs Alex and Mikee Tan’s culinary flair, one sin at a time.

Every great meal begins with a small surrender of the self. To open yourself to something new and unexpected is to loosen your grip on restraint, to let go just a little. It’s what we so often call “sinful.” Perhaps that’s why the word finds its way into so many descriptions of good food, my own writing included. It speaks to decadence, to indulgence, to the thrill of giving in. At Tandem, the contemporary Legazpi-based restaurant led by husband-and-wife chefs Alex and Mikee Tan, flirting with “sin” isn’t only welcomed but treated as something inevitable. It’s an idea they explore in their recently launched seven-course tasting menu, Seven Deadly Sins, a project they’ve long wanted to take on. 

But instead of leaning into the obviousness of a themed menu—in this case, the moral weight of biblical sins—the duo turns inward, using the theme to express their own brand of culinary excess and flair. The result is a showcase of personal indulgences, where their creativity sits front and center and restraint is happily set aside. Is it “sinful” for chefs to be so forward and proud in what they do? Perhaps. But when you sit at their table, it’s impossible not to be thrilled by the talent.

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What They’re “Proud” Of Most

In many ways, the food at Tandem resists easy definition. There’s no single cuisine anchoring the menu, nor is there any desire for one. Chefs Alex and Mikee are guided instead by craft, shaped by what they’ve learned in school, the concepts of other chefs they’ve worked with over the years, and their own shared kitchen as a married couple.

Despite the risk of feeling hodgepodge, the restaurant’s fare is surprisingly cohesive while still maintaining that pleasant touch of eccentricity. It’s, quite simply, well-made and flavorful food, brought together by the story Alex and Mikee choose to tell their diners, as well as a plant-forward sensibility where sustainability becomes another underlying thread weaving everything into place.

The Seven Deadly Sins menu captures all of this. Even during development, the chef couple understood its potential to be provocative and controversial, especially in a Catholic country; yet they also saw the kind of inventiveness that could be achieved within the parameters of these constraints. By steering away from the obvious and leaning into their own sense of excess, they found a way to showcase Tandem’s culinary voice at its most confident.

For instance, the opening course, themed around “Pride,” could’ve gone in countless directions. The sin often points to ego or narcissism, but the chefs resisted that route. Early on, they toyed with something more literal, even considering a fried chicken dish as a nod to Jollibee’s Chickenjoy, a source of Filipino pride that has, in its own way, brought local flavors to a global stage. But as they worked “in tandem” within the kitchen, that idea began to change. “Pride” became more about what they themselves take pride in as chefs. The answer is clear: their vegetable-forward cooking and their commitment to minimizing waste.

What they came up with is a three-part ensemble, each centered on using every element of a single crop. There’s the tomato “tart-tare,” which uses the fruit in its entirety by transforming it into everything from tomato water to tomato jelly, all these components placed in a small, luscious tart. The eggplant “sandwich” features charred eggplant purée layered between crisp crackers, then topped with cured egg yolk and a dusting of ash made from the vegetable’s own skins. Then there’s the carrot skewer, perhaps the most unexpected and interesting of the trio: smoky and tender, it presents the humble root in multiple forms, from pavé to purée to even its bark-like exterior.

Luxury And Leafy 

The second course, “Greed,” is the most literal of the entire menu, showcasing luxury and opulence through expensive ingredients. What makes it truly interesting, however, is the execution of the concept. The chefs juxtapose the idea of “greed” with two everyday foods: bread and butter. The bread is a beautifully-made, fluffy truffle brioche, and accompanying it is a rich foie gras torchon, nestled between champagne jelly and cashew streusel. A sweet honeycomb crunch crowns the ensemble. 

A bite of the bread smeared with the delicate spread ignites an explosion of deep flavors on my palate. I look at my companion with big, happy eyes. We knew what to expect with these components when eaten alone, but together, it’s a revelation of flavor. My greed comes through; I find myself not wanting to share a single bite.

After “Greed” comes “Envy.” As the famous saying goes, people are often “green with envy,” and that’s the inspiration for this course. Cutting through the richness of the previous dish, “Envy” is a plant-forward plate centered on an array of greens: crispy zucchini ribbons, fresh parsley oil, arugula dressed in white balsamic vinaigrette, smoked honeydew, and toasted pistachios. It’s the kind of salad you could eat every day, but in the context of a seven-course tasting menu, its freshness is a palate cleanser that provides a welcome break.

A Marriage In Tandem

Throughout the dinner, chefs Alex and Mikee are always present. They work alongside their team in the restaurant’s intimate open kitchen, a confident move for such young chefs, especially while running a complex tasting menu. The kitchen itself is quiet and precise; every cook knows their role, allowing the chefs to steal a moment or two for a quick chat with guests between courses.

They tell me they first met at Helm’s kitchen: Mikee as Josh Boutwood’s right-hand woman, and Alex as a trainee fresh from working in New York City. Even after Mikee left the restaurant, Alex persisted in his courtship. They grew closer during the pandemic, a period they describe as “testing,” but one that ultimately taught them how to be cool and synchronized in the kitchen as they got to know each other inside and out. Eventually, they found the confidence to open Tandem together in 2023.

Building a restaurant while planning their wedding took blood, sweat, and tears—but it paid off. Just two days after their 2025 nuptials, they received the call that Tandem had been invited to the Philippines’ inaugural Michelin Guide Ceremony, where the restaurant was eventually honored with a Michelin Selected Distinction.

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To Wine And Dine

It would be a sin (today’s obvious keyword) to not mention the lovely selection of wine pairings for Tandem’s Seven Deadly Sins tasting menu. The chefs, along with the restaurant’s talented sommelier, lean toward wines that may not have big-name recognition (at least to novices like me), but are perfectly suited for the dishes. Personal favorites include the Charles de Cazanove Brut Rosé, a vibrant champagne with notes of red berries, citrus, and floral, which paired beautifully with the rich foie gras in the “Greed” course. Another standout is the Poderi Cellario E’ Orange; paired with the salad in “Envy,” it’s a natural wine so light and delicious, one might be tempted to drink it all in a single gulp. I typically prefer a good glass of scotch with dinner as someone who doesn’t often drink wine, but I find little to complain about. 

Paired with a Côte du Rhône red is the next course, “Sloth,” which Chef Mikee describes as the perfect dish for lazy days lounging on the couch. It interprets the sin through two favorite comfort foods: soup and pasta. Cappelletti pasta, filled with caramelized onions and braised beef, rests beneath a savory burnt onion espuma made from the roots, peels, and scraps of the very same onions used for the dish (another example of Tandem’s zero-waste philosophy). Enhancing the already deep flavor of the pasta is aged Grana Padano cheese. I mention to Chef Mikee that this is easily my favorite of the evening, and she confirms that most guests name this as their standout dish too.

The fifth course, “Wrath,” takes a less literal approach to anger, translating the sin into heat and intensity. The dish features tender monkfish in a red curry sauce, which is spicy enough to thrill the taste buds without overwhelming them. Charred and sautéed sambal, alugbati ash, and chili strands add both heat and texture, turning every bite into a controlled, fiery experience.

…And It Goes Back To Pride 

As we near the finish line with the sixth course, the chefs never let up, “Gluttony” a mini feast of its own starring the favorite protein of many Filipinos: pork. The choice of meat is also a cheeky double entendre, pigs being common motifs of the sin. Gluttony is all about the lack of self-control, and here, it’s celebrated through abundance with multiple components or plates.

The centerpiece is pork loin marinated in aromatics and coconut oil; completing it is a shrimp-pechay dumpling bursting with savory flavor, tied together by roasted squash purée and a lemongrass-coconut sauce. A medley of other creative interpretations frame this focal point: a pork cheek skewer under a fresh salad with guava vinaigrette that tempers the hearty meat; a cup of pork bone broth so deep and comforting, it hugs the stomach; a side of soy-pickled leeks; and a saucer of citrus kosho to complement the Asian flavors. No Filipino pork dish would be complete without rice, and Tandem includes a perfectly fluffy, multigrain bowl of it, which rounds out the gluttonous experience.

Ending the evening is the dessert course, “Lust.” I chuckle when the chefs explain its playful concept: each component is a natural aphrodisiac, seductively combined for a sweet, sinful finale. The course featured spiced honey ice cream, strawberry EVOO powder, pomegranate pearls, chunks of dehydrated chocolate sponge, strawberry gel, chocolate sable, and feuilletine—all sexy ingredients with decadent flavors.

The evening flies by, the kitchen quiets, and diners begin to leave satisfied. We linger by the chef’s table with glasses of dessert wine, full and content from the meal. Chef Mikee and Alex come over for a quick chat, asking how dinner was. “It was excellent,” I tell them. But instead of focusing only on their food, they’re quick to take the conversation to other passions: the latest season of The Bear (and how it didn’t hold up to the first), where to find the best hot pot in town, how proud they are of their colleagues within the F&B community, and of course, their place in Manila’s thriving culinary scene.

As I listen to them talk about these food-related subjects, I come to a realization: the chefs’ greatest sin isn’t Gluttony, Lust, or even Greed—it’s Pride. Yes, they’re proud of their Seven Deadly Sins menu, but beyond that, it’s the pride they take in their craft, in the space they’ve carved for themselves within a growing food community. That pride is exactly what allows them to pull off something so devilishly daring, a menu that reminds us that, now and then, being a little sinful feels (and tastes) very, very good.

Tandem is located at Greenbelt Hamilton, 151 Legazpi Street, Legazpi Village, Makati City. For reservations, visit www.tandemmnl.com/reservations or call/text +639060036112.

Photography by JV Rabano, courtesy of Tandem