Behind Manila’s trendiest dining destinations, the Clavano brothers have already redefined the city’s culinary landscape. But as they prepare to launch both a reinvented Wagyu Studio and a secret burger joint with Chef Alvin Cailan, they reveal their most ambitious project yet: bringing Asia’s #1 bar and Michelin-starred culinary talents to Manila’s doorstep.
It’s a bit disorienting to step into Izakaya Geronimo at this hour. By nightfall, this space transforms into one of Manila’s liveliest dining venues, where culinary experiences and nightlife beats seamlessly mix. On weekends, DJs spin tracks as diners transition from dinner to drinks to dawn. But right now, it’s 8 AM, and there’s a different tempo entirely. While the original plan was to start early enough to wrap up the shoot before lunch service, some ongoing maintenance means we have the space to ourselves until early afternoon. The restaurant’s sound system sits unusually silent (one of the items on the maintenance to-do list), but the hum of quiet, conscientious work creates its own powerful baseline. In the middle of our shoot, someone approaches LA Clavano with a folder of documents requiring immediate attention. He doesn’t miss a beat as he briefly attends to the business at hand before seamlessly transitioning back to our conversation.
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Aperitif: The Clavanos Find Their Footing
“My first foray into the food industry was a franchise of Shakey’s [Pizza],” LA recalls. It was 2010. LA, the eldest of five brothers, was just a couple of months out of college when his father tasked him with figuring out what to do with vacant retail space at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). It is a humbling start for someone now behind Manila’s buzziest dining concepts. Although, in hindsight, it makes practical sense.
“We lacked experience, and I was really young,” he continues. “We decided to get a franchise so I could learn, get a feel for things, and then move forward.”
He quickly took to the business and, at its height, was handling five franchises at the airport: two Chowkings, a Jollibee, a Pancake House, and, of course, Shakey’s Pizza. These years were LA’s technical training, mastering the fundamentals and behind-the-scenes work of food service.
“We wanted to do our own thing, really. That was always at the back of our minds. But it was them who brought the idea to the table,” LA shares, gesturing to his brother sitting beside him.
It was 2017. Lui, the middle child, saw what his brother and father were doing, saw the entire industry landscape, and saw possibility. It was all he could think and talk about, the topic dominating conversations with friends, including with their future business partner Carlo Alvarez.
“We would talk about how there’s so much opportunity in the F&B industry in the Philippines, compared to Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Japan. We were constantly talking about what was possible and how restaurants should be,” Lui chimes in with unfettered enthusiasm, his words picking up tempo. “We felt we could bring something to the table. One day, we just decided we wanted to do something.”
“I presented to him,” Lui continues, now his turn to gesture to his brother, “and our dad. I said: This is really unique. We’re already in the industry. I think it’s time that we do our own thing.”
What Lui, their other brother Mico, and friend Carlo were proposing was a highend, high-energy Japanese dining concept highlighting wagyu beef. Where once high-end dining meant something stiff and formal, with white tablecloths and dress codes, they were set to provide some much needed disruption. It would be cool while still maintaining quality, making fine dining not just fancy but also fun. There would be sleek interiors, the best ingredients and service, and no dress code. Towards the end of the decade, nearly ten years after that first step into the food industry with a simple airport franchise, Manila’s culinary scene was buzzing with excitement for this new wagyu concept.
“Of course,” Lui solemnly starts, “we had no idea that the pandemic was about to hit us.”
First Course: An Original Concept
“As you can imagine, it was difficult,” LA continues the story, referring to the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic. “If you remember, during that time, there would be lockdowns where you could eat out. And then next month, you couldn’t. It was an adjustment for everyone.”
Nobody wants to recall that dark period of recent memory, so we need not dwell. All there is to say is that there were backand-forth discussions on what the team was going to do.
They had a space fully fit out that had not yet served any customers. Would they wait out a global pandemic that, at the time, had no clear end in sight?
Or, lean into what the whole point of the concept was about and be bold?
“Everyone was stuck in the Philippines,” Lui recalls, setting the scene with reminders of face shields, face masks, social distancing, and other safety protocols.
“That’s a huge point also. People couldn’t travel,” LA adds. “So, instead of going to Japan, we brought Japan to you.” “And if people were going out to eat, they might as well make it good,” his younger brother muses.
Wagyu Studio opened in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in late 2020. Not only did they have what might have been the most expensive tasting menu in the city, they created the most talked-about sandwich as well: a Chateaubriand sando with edible gold leaf that quickly went viral.
It was still what we would now consider the middle of the pandemic, but at that point, nobody knew how or when it would possibly end. Amidst uncertainty, people craved something to amplify their restricted lives—a luxury to escape to, a sensory experience that turned up the volume when everything else had been muted. It boiled down (or grilled down?) to Wagyu Studio providing an uplifting indulgence and respite.
The surprising pandemic opening of a fine dining concept set the pace for the Clavanos and their partners, as they never seem to play it safe or follow conventional rhythms.
“Every year, we go to Kobe and bid for the champion Kobe beef cow,” says Lui, his eyes lighting up, my stomach grumbling. “It’s basically like the Miss Universe of cows.”
“It’s exactly how it sounds. It’s a competition for cattle. They judge the way they walk, their hair, their overall health,” adds LA.
The year after they opened, they flew to Kobe and bid on the champion cow. It was a bold move that demonstrated their commitment to bringing only the finest ingredients to Filipino diners.
“It was the first time the champion cow left the country of Japan to go to, of all places, the Philippines,” the older brother continues.
Was it extravagant? Yes. Was it delicious? Absolutely. It was also a statement. In bringing the champion Kobe beef to Manila, they weren’t just importing meat but remixing global luxury standards with the local dining scene. Filipinos deserve and could experience the absolute best.
“At one point, our restaurant, I think, was buying the most Kobe beef for a single restaurant in the world,” Lui laughs. “It was pretty insane. The Kobe Beef Association gave us an award.”
By the time the quarantine acronyms were retired and lockdowns lifted, Wagyu Studio had built a steady following and a solid reputation for quality meats and indulgent experiences.
Read the full story in our May 2025 e-magazine by subscribing to Lifestyle Asia’s digital access and purchasing your copy at Readly.
Photography by SELA GONZALES
Creative Direction PAOLO TORIO
Stylist ROKO ARCEO
Assisted by GISELLE BARNACHEA
Clothing MALIGAYA & CO.
Grooming CATS DEL ROSARIO
Shoot Coordination MAE TALAID
