The local food scene is growing faster than you can fry an egg, and it’s interesting to watch how the market is evolving with it. With a new restaurant popping up almost every day, businesses fight for elbow room within their chosen demographic. It’s no longer enough that your flavors are spot on; you also need to worry about staying relevant to the Instagram-savvy generation. You discover how, in this age of social media, every little detail is nitpicked, dissected and discussed online.
Hank*, a blogger/TV host, admits that we might be but only to a certain extent. “There are certain cuisines that are already saturated,” he says. “There’s really so much talent here. Like in French food, we have Marc [Aubry of Champetre in BGC] and Cyrille [Soenen of Impressions and Brasserie Ciçou]. You eat their food and it’s like you’re eating in France. Same with Mexican food.
Although Kaye believes that our choices here are limited, Filipinos expect to be compensated with excellent service, regardless if it’s a fine dining establishment or a fast food chain. “I think Filipinos are used to being catered to, especially the older generation. It’s not uncommon for a guest at a buffet to tip a waiter generously so they can fetch plates of food for them. Even at fast food joints, we don’t clean up after ourselves, although that’s supposed to be the case.
“I guess it’s because people here are used to flexibility and being served so they believe they are entitled to it. However, put them in the same exact scenarios in New York or Europe and they will be less demanding. It’s like how we are bad drivers locally because we know we can get away with it. However, when we are abroad, we obey all the rules for fear of being pulled over by cops.
“With a new restaurant popping up almost every day, businesses fight for elbow room within their chosen demographic.” Where are these new restaurants popping up almost every day in this lockdown economy?🤔