George and Amal Clooney just dined at this Michelin-selected restaurant in BGC | ABS-CBN Lifestyle

For me, the menu began to show real heft with the arrival of the scallop course. A firm and subtly sweet Hokkaido scallop, smoked and cured, was paired with a luscious cappuccino of Japanese corn, with shrimp-head fat enriching the broth’s umami. If the menu allowed à la carte orders, I’d have easily requested a second helping. Then came a delightful, smoky surprise: Iberico pork pluma skewered on a stick of sugarcane, still smoldering as it arrived at the table. A salsa of fermented pear sat atop the pork, while pansit-pansitan and a delicate edible flower added a local flourish. The servers even encouraged us to chew on the sugarcane, reminding diners that elegance and fun can co-exist. Where most palate cleansers feel like obligatory intermissions, Taupe’s version — named 24K Magic — felt like a course all its own. This over-the-top gulaman, which features fermented guava gel, lime pandan syrup, and actual edible gold dust, embodied Tolentino’s flair for turning even the simplest ideas into showpieces. The final two savory courses leaned into traditional fine-dining form. A duo of dry-aged duck slices — already rich and flavorful — was accompanied by two sauces: one inspired by the coconut-ash flavors of Mindanao’s pianggang, the other a classic truffle jus. A quenelle of braised duck encased in queso de bola gel added textural contrast — and a clever nod to duck two-ways. Fortunately, Tolentino’s light playfulness returned with the dessert courses. His reimagined brazo de Mercedes used passion fruit and calamansi to balance a traditional vanilla custard, while the Italian meringue was scorched tableside with fragrant Japanese binchotan charcoal. The second dessert, a pistachio and chocolate entremet, layered pistachio butter and black sesame dark chocolate over sponge, with a final flourish: a dramatic dip in liquid nitrogen before serving, resulting in a chilled, smooth bite.