last visited Mrs. Saldos: September 27, 2026
(left-right) Chef Bettina Arguelles, Chef Miko Calo, Chef Rhea Rizzo and Chef Tina Legarda.
À La Natin (“in our way”) brings together four of the country’s leading Filipina chefs in a thoughtful 8-hands collaboration that explores Filipino cuisine through distinctly different culinary perspectives. What impressed us most was the remarkable consistency of the menu. Every course was thoughtfully composed, with flavors that were both familiar and surprising. More than just a degustation, each dish carried a story—of ingredients, memories, techniques, and the chefs’ own interpretation of Filipino food.
It’s rare to leave a tasting menu feeling that every course earned its place at the table. À La Natin was one of those exceptional meals where the food, storytelling, and craftsmanship came together beautifully—and where we genuinely enjoyed every dish from beginning to end.
our à la natin experience
I had a date with Rache at the beautiful Mrs. Saldo’s in Silang, Cavite. It had been a while since our last visit, and we were happy to see that they now have a café on the ground floor, while the à la carte restaurant upstairs is where the collaboration dinner was held.
We chose the 5 PM Sunday dinner service, which turned out to be a relaxed time to dine, as most guests tend to come for lunch. For a more romantic experience, the best seats in the house are by the windows overlooking the garden.
Á la natin (in our way) | ₱ 4,000 + 10% service charge per person
a story of four women coming together to prepare Filipino food through our own lenses, shaped by our different journeys, experiences, and memories.
I was amazed by how seamlessly this collaboration came together. I think the secret was that the chefs had become friends and took the time to understand each other’s cooking styles—you could truly taste that synergy in the food.
(note: the artwork was made by the daughter of Chef Bettina)
We often see collaborations led by male chefs, so it was especially refreshing to experience four Filipina chefs coming together to create such a magical, beautifully cohesive menu, with each course reflecting the chefs’ heritage and personal culinary stories.
This was the second leg of the collaboration, which began with Chef Tina Legarda’s Kumba collaboration.
act 1: starters
Hipon at Gazpacho by Chef Tina
Shrimp Boquerones. Tomato Jam. Corn Gazpacho.
Repolyo. Sobrasada Oil
Chef Tina: Growing up in a Spanish-Filipino Family.
This is the kind of flavors we always had on the dining table.
Chef Tina was the only chef in the group without a specific province to draw from, so she looked instead to her Spanish childhood heritage for inspiration. I loved her rendition of the gazpacho, Spanish cold soup, layered with sweet corn flavors and served with shrimp boquerones and tomato jam.
Sigang at Suglaw by Chef Rhea
Sinigang Gelée. Hamachi. Grilled Pork Belly. Pickled Labanos at Guava.
Tomato Water. Tomato at Chili Oil. Watermelon. Talinum
Chef Rhea: I thought, what if I served everything that makes sinigang, cold?
I married it with another hot-and-cold dish I love from Davao, sinuglaw, and played with the familiar in a different way. An invitation to let go of what sinigang and sinuglaw are supposed to be, and instead create something different, yet still familiar.
This was a deconstructed sinigang served cold, with all the elements of sinuglaw reconstructed into a playful three-piece appetizer course. It was a bit risky to reinterpret two familiar Filipino dishes this way, but the progression worked. Each piece brought a different flavor and texture, making the course fun to eat and discover.
Taba ng Talangka Sablé Cookies by Chef Miko
Savory Sablé Cookies. Taba ng Talangka. Calamansi
Chef Miko: I grew up going to my uncle’s ancestral home in Arayat Pampanga, when there are special occasions and taba ng talangka is in season, there would be a hire bowl on prepared taba ng talangka on the table, the highlight of my meal would be taba ng talangka on top of rice with calamansi
Bibingka Galapong by Chef Bettina
Alimasag. Salted Egg. Tobiko Mascarpone. Bihod Bottarga. Ikura
Chef Bettina: When I first moved to Japan in 1998 as a newly-wed in the advertising industry, it was such an amazing journey to acquaint myself with the Japanese boulangerie. Bakers were using French techniques, but applying distinctive Japanese ingredients such as mentaiko, azuki beans, matcha, shiso and nori. I admire how they took a style or technique, and made it undeniably their own. They were respectful to their traditions and yet, unbridled in their quest to create and to evolve.
These were umami-maxxing appetizers—taba ng talangka cookies and bibingka loaded with explosive flavors from crab, salted egg, tobiko, bottarga, and ikura, almost like a garden of umami toppings. The bibingka was delicious, although a bit heavy for me since it was made with glutinous rice. Still, the combination of flavors made this a fun and indulgent course.
Mrs. Saldo knows her wines, and the first courses were paired with Champagne André Clouet Brut. It had a crisp, citrusy, bright palate that was refreshing enough to sip on its own, giving the meal a nice bubbly energy, while its acidity worked beautifully to cut through the rich umami flavors of the appetizers.
My glass was topped up throughout the course, and if I hadn’t been driving, I would have happily enjoyed this Champagne all the way through.
act 2: seafood à la natin
Buntaa by Chef Miko
Sautéed Crab Meat. Buko. Ginger. Lemongrass.
Coconut & Crab Fat Velouté
Chef Miko: A traditional Butuan dish for special occasions. We usually have it when there’s a gathering, usually when my cousins and or my Titas (dad’s sisters) come home.
Brown Butter Apahap by Chef Bettina
Creamed Kalabasa. Pechay Parcel. Halaan at Suake Fumet
Chef Bettina: Inspired by a humble household meal of pritong isda and ginataang kalabasa at pechay. 1 remember when I was working in DB Bistro NYC as a stagier. The executive chef personally showed me how to cook the fish when the first order came in. In his quasi-French American accent, he was showing me how to cook the fish 80% skin-side down, and the flesh was just meant to “kiss the pan”. Till then I’ve never seen someone so lovingly cook a fillet of fish. Whenever I cook fish this way, I am reminded always to treat the ingredient with respect and to put the time and effort it deserves to be the best dish it can be.
act 3: meat à la natin
This was our pre-birthday dinner celebration for my wife, Rache. She usually doesn’t go for frou-frou degustation or collaboration dinners, but this one was different—she genuinely enjoyed every course and kept saying, “Masarap lahat!”
By this point in the dinner, we knew this foursome collaboration was something special. It felt like the kind of collaboration we’ll remember—not because it was trying to make culinary history, but because it captured the creativity, friendship, and diversity of Manila’s gastronomy at this moment.
Pork Ribs by Chef Tina
Barako Coffee. Atsuete. Talong Express.
Pickled Pakwan. Alugbati. Bagoong
Chef Tina: Inspired by all the fun summers we spent in Baguio. Where we would enjoy my Mom’s Pork ribs. And because we were in Baguio we consumed more vegetables and coffee than usual.
Sarap ng flavor ng pork ribs—the combination of the coffee rub, bagoong, and pork gravy was really good, with layers of savory, salty, and slightly bitter notes that synergized beautifully. The meat was a bit tough, though.
Ihaw at Kabute by Chef Rhea
Charcoal – coated Ribeye. Sagada Mushroom Sauce.
Inasal Chicken Liver. Adobo Jus
Chef Rhea: Dave is American and based in Singapore, and whenever he comes home and cooks, my only request is his steak and mushrooms-his way of showing love through food. Inspired by that, I took a rib eye and seasoned it with activated coconut charcoal, then used the Filipino “inihaw” and “inasal” methods for the liver, pako, and shallots. Mushrooms from Marco Lobregat and a toyomansi-garlic jus bring it all together.
This was a very personal dish from Chef Rhea, and one that I really enjoyed. The ribeye was coated in coconut charcoal, giving it a subtle smoky character, and served with a liver-based sauce. The sides brought in distinctly Filipino flavors—pako, mushrooms, and a toyomansi jus—creating a thoughtful combination of familiar local ingredients with a refined presentation.
Finally, I got to taste the red wine that inspired the name of Mrs. Saldo’s—and it was so good! Not your usual heavy, tannic red, but with a subtle lambing balance that made it easy to drink. Sarap on its own or paired with the steak and pork.
act 4: dessert tributes
This was a brilliant concept—each dessert was a playful and delicious interpretation of the chef’s personality.
The Miko by Chef Bettina
Ube Sponge. Crème Patisserie. Fresh Fruits in Season
Chef Bettina: A retro dessert that has all my favorite comfort components: gelatine, cake, fruits in cream. I once remembered a story told to me when I was a young avid cook by my Aunt Becky, who was a private chef for the Shapiros in NYC. She was given a one on one training session with Jean Georges Vongerichten and was asked by him to create for him one of her favorite desserts. She made the crema de fruta for him the authentic way, using canned fruit cocktail. He chuckled and taught her how to make this with fresh seasonal fruits, which to her, she says completely altered her core memory of crema de fruta. This story stayed with me for many years and somehow, this time as a chef, I would like to create my own interpretation of this generational classic that represents Miko, who is altering Pinoy food core memories through her cooking!
We enjoyed this Cathedral Window, elevated with fresh fruits instead of canned and a delicious touch of ube-galing!
The Rhea by Chef Tina
Pineapple Butter Chiffon. Leche Flan Natillas. Rhum. Butterscotch
Chef Tina: This is a tribute to Rhea’s journey. And how she has the ability to transform everything around her into something beautiful. Brave. Strong and Determined. Just the way she turned a hidden pineapple field into this beautiful place called Mrs. Saldos.
I can taste the story of how Chef Rhea transformed a pineapple plantation into Mrs. Saldo’s garden restaurant—a place that keeps blossoming and becoming more beautiful each time we visit. This could easily become a signature dessert of the restaurant (with Chef Tina’s permission of course).
The Tina by Chef Rhea
Calamansi Meringue. Castanas Purée. Grilled Coconut Saba.
Milk Chocolate Almond Crunch. Patis Caramel Popcorn. Kaffir
Chef Rhea: 1 remember Tina telling me that she could be bribed with her favorite childhood chocolate which is Daim. So we made our own and I thought if it were to visit the Philippines, who can it be friends with? Saba, Coconut, Calamansi, Castañas and Corn. And because it’s me, kaffir joined the group.
Ang sosyal ng childhood! Daim chocolate was the favorite, and this reconstructed version reimagines it with Filipino ingredients in mind. Love the different textures and bold flavors of each element—best enjoyed all together in one bite.
The Bettina by Chef Miko
Dark Chocolate Mousse. Latik Beurre Sablé.
Sugar-toasted Crumbs
Chef Miko: Bettina seamlessly combines technique and experience with her heritage and identity. A good chocolate mousse is a simple and classic dessert that requires technique and a light hand. Dark chocolate gives intensity to a rich yet light and comforting dessert. The latik au beurre salé represents how she naturally harnesses her Filipino culinary identity. The sugar toasted bread crumbs is taken from a panaderia classic of toasted bread with margarine and sugar.
The chocolate-latik combination was a bit heavy for us, though.
final thoughts
Manila didn’t realize we needed this kind of four-Filipina-chef collaboration. I loved how each chef bounced off the culinary energy of the others, challenging one another to create dishes that were delicious yet still cohesive with their heritage, sense of place, and personal stories. Most of all, their friendship translated beautifully onto the plate. Ang galing! It’s hard to pull off an eight-hands collaboration like this and make every course work.
Congratulations Chef Bettina, Chef Miko, Chef Rhea, and Chef Tina for an awesome A La Natin (“our own way”) collaboration dinner at Mrs. Saldo’s!
Ang galing niyo! The friendship, creativity, and Filipino stories behind each dish really came through. More collaborations like this, please!
Live an Awesome Life with Christ,
Founder & Digital Creator, Our Awesome Planet
Disclosure: This article was written entirely by a human—reflecting my own biases, opinions, and insights—with grammar and clarity checked using AI assistance. Thank you to Chef Rhea for inviting us to Mrs. Saldo’s!
p.s. hope there is a 3rd collaboration at Curio?
