Gallery By Chele — Restaurant in Taguig

I was really intimidated going to this place but wow I was surprised how casual and inviting the place was. The 1st thing you'll see when you alight from the elevator is the cocktail bar. It is setup a bit lower that the typical bar to give more openness for a conversation with the barista. This bar and lounge is set-up as the waiting area for you to chill while they prepare your table. Another interesting thing about this place is the lovely art and furniture that they have. The furniture are of Kenneth Cobunpue while the art pieces are mostly by Carlo Calma.Perfect combination.

For the night we had a gastromic tour to some of the specialty of Galley by Chele. Bites: 🌟Blinis - a puto made of pork's blood giving it a innovative combination of puto dinuguan in one. This is topped by salmon roe with sour cream in the middle. Very Filipino yet so unique and good.

🌟Tomato Mochi - this one is a Mochi made of tomato filled with kesong puti and topped with basil. This one is Filipino, Japanese and Italian dish combined in one. Mochi X Kesong Puti X Burrata. Brilliant! Love it.

🌟Meringue de Sal - this one is a meringue that looks like a pandesal but at the same time taste like chicken adobo. At first we were thinking that taste is so familiar but couldn't guess it until given a clue.

🌟Steamed Brioche - this one remind me of pata tim in cua pao. Their version is brioche with spices and beef in it. This one is really good. The flavor was so good!

🌟Black Crisp - Lovely dish! A very thin black corn chip topped with uni mousse and celery. This is like eating a nori that taste like corn chips with a super duper awesome flavor uni mousse. Wow!

🌟Breakfast - have you tied eating breakfast in one bite? Haha this one is a one bite breakfast. Longganisa, pickles, quail egg in a crisp adlai. Captured the lovely taste of longganisa with the awesome texture of the crisp adlai.

🌟Moringa Brioche - Bone marrow, moringa brioche topped with corn. Love the overall flavor of the bone marrow and brioche. The corn is just a bit hard for me.

Dinner: 🌟 8-10 - one of my fave for the night. Octopus with charcoal vegetable mash and pickled shallots. Love the charred flavor of the tako. The vegetable mash was also really good giving added flavor the tako.

🌟Ube Chawanmushi - told you matcha, ube is here to stay haha. Before everything got a matcha version this time ube is started to be experimented with different dish. This chawanmushi is really unique not only because of the ube but also because of the tinapa dashi. Love this so much but ube was a bit overpowered by the stronger flavor of tinapa. But you'll still get that ube flavor hint in it.

🌟Silly Too Na - the star of the night. Perfect for its name. Look so simple and ordinary but this is the dish that wow as all. Perfectly cooked tuna belly tender juicy in every way. Partnered with a cherry tomato pesto salsa. Locally sourced and only sustainable fish use. Awesome!

🌟Cochinito - Litson pork neck minus the crisp skin. Love the blend of the pork meat with jack fruit and vinaigrette bokchoy. All different direction of flavor blending perfectly well.

🌟A La Parilla - the true star of the night just out shined by the Tuna. Charcoal grilled sirloin steak. Age perfectly. Love the marble of the meat. Perfectly medium rare. Sadly didn't get to try the wagyu version of this. The sweet potato mash that comes with it was also really good.

Overall after having that awesome dishes and experience. It came to my mind instead of splurging on buffet where dishes are mostly of much lesser quality why not splurge in a course dinner here. You got an awesome well renowned Chef plus the experience and top notch dishes. This is the wiser choice for me.

3-course dinner 1500PHP 5 course dinner 1950PHP 8 course...

I came here super excited! I’ve heard great things but I guess I should have managed my expectations.

We got the latest menu (as of Sept 2025) which revolved around the theme of Coconut.

We got the 10 course tasting menu with the Cocktail and Non-Alcoholic drink pairing.

The dishes started out strong with the apps being enjoyable and flavorful. After that, it went downhill.

The main reason I got disappointed is the lack of cohesiveness.

Most of the drinks are all in the sour profile. And it’s not sour candy type of sour but the vinegar sawsawan type of sour 🤢. Then there are some weird ones like one tasted like a drink version of a cinnamon bun. One tasted like a bland lemonade. Then the rest, they use a lot of lambanog repeatedly and pinakurat, which tbh… tasted like drinking ACV in the morning so your bowels can move. I was expecting enjoyable creativitiy. But it ended up being just weird. It doesn’t feel like they were made to be delicious. They were made to be just different but tbh, some of them were trying hard to fit into the theme that it missed being enjoyable. It felt like what the line in the move “The Menu” said… “cooked with obsession not love.”

I am a person that tries to finish what I paid for, especially for this price point, but some drinks were too disgusting that I ended up letting go of them.

The dishes are hit or miss. But also… there’s an overall confusion to them, like starting with a sweet drink that tastes like sampaguita, which is almost like a dessert. Then the courses start and it’s seafood then seafood then seafood then seafood then seafood. Lots of them are also sour. So pair that with sour drinks? Acid overload. Then followed by 2 very small portions of meats and then some cheese, then it’s dessert already. That cheese was, sorry to say, disgusting. There was a cheese that is combined with sweet potato and it literally tastes like the taste in your mouth before you feel like throwing up. Like bile piling up at the sides of your mouth.

Portion size — they’re super small. I get that it’s small plates and they’re tasting menu. I’ve seen other restaurants do it but Gallery By Chele dishes feel almost… “tinitipid yung customer”. You can feel like they’re trying to make more margins and they’re so affected by the inflation (despite the hefty price they’re asking)

Also, no carbs apart from the steak rice. And that portion size is literally like 3 teaspoons. (You can check the video at the end). You will also see how small the wagyu and duck are in my photos. The pastrami strip also tasted like the cured meat you get in hotel buffets. Only this time, it’s 1 small strip per person at a much more expensive price tag.

After we left, we went to a mcdonald’s drive thru coz we were… honestly still hungry.

Looking back, there was regret dining here. I suggest they let go of doing themes if it just ends up with dishes that are...

Visited in March. Philippines - Manila. Makati

A restaurant worthy of a Michelin star. My husband and I frequent many high-end establishments, and dined at over 20 Michelin-rated restaurants, and this establishment certainly lives up to those standards.

Atmosphere: The interior is aesthetically pleasing, striking a balance between elegance and simplicity. The design features are interesting, with a sophisticated rather than overly luxurious ambiance. I particularly enjoyed the interactive element of trying appetizers in various settings such as the bar or their personal garden where they grow herbs. This attention to detail showcases their commitment to creating an unforgettable experience for guests.

Food: The entire meal was meticulously planned. Opting for a 10-course dinner, we were delighted to find that the menu was Filipino-inspired, utilizing local ingredients, flavors, and culinary techniques. The journey began with a series of small bites, each transporting us to different regions of the Philippines, where the reinterpretation of street food stood out.

The fish courses were exceptional: The fish ceviche paired with cocoa beans was a sensory delight; The lobster expertly cooked with local flavors was amazing; The octopus was remarkably tender and skillfully prepared on the grill, adding a hint of smokiness.

The main courses featured impeccably cooked, crisp-skinned duck with accompanied by incredibly flavorful sauces. Despite not typically being a fan of duck, this dish was enchanting. However, the Wagyu beef in the final hot dish fell short compared to the other outstanding dishes. This discrepancy might be attributed to the cut chosen, as the meat lacked the expected tenderness and melt-in-your-mouth quality typical of Japanese A5 Wagyu.

The meal concluded with exquisite desserts, with the chocolate mousse being a personal favorite. Its delicate, rich flavor beautifully captured the essence of cocoa beans and paired wonderfully with the accompanying ice cream.

Service: The service was attentive and thorough. Each dish was eloquently explained in terms of its conception and preparation. Dirty dishes were promptly cleared, and we felt well taken care of throughout the meal—a hallmark of fine establishments.

Conclusion: I highly recommend indulging in a dining experience at this restaurant at least once. Crafting a stellar tasting menu is a challenging feat achieved by only a select few, and Gallery by Chele has undeniably...