What Michelin Guide’s 1st Philippine edition means for underrepresented cuisines

The world’s most influential dining guide has entered the Philippines, unveiling its 2026 selection on Oct. 30 and extending its reach across Southeast Asia. The launch brings Philippine restaurants into Michelin’s global evaluation system, marking a milestone for a dining culture that has largely developed outside traditional fine-dining frameworks.

The Michelin Guide Manila and Environs & Cebu 2026 features 108 restaurants across Metro Manila, nearby provinces and Cebu. Helm in Makati, led by British-Filipino chef Josh Boutwood, received two Michelin Stars, the country’s first. Linamnam, a 10-seat restaurant in Paranaque operated by chef Don Patrick Baldosano, earned one star and the Young Chef Award. Bib Gourmand honors went to Morning Sun Eatery in Quezon City and Cabel in Manila, both known for accessible traditional cooking.

The Philippines’ inclusion follows a series of Michelin launches and updates across the region. In 2025, the Kuala Lumpur and Penang guide added two new One-Star restaurants, Beta and Jwala and introduced Malaysia’s first Green Star for sustainable practices. In Thailand, the 2025 guide elevated Sorn in Bangkok to three stars, making it the country’s first restaurant to receive Michelin’s top distinction. Earlier in 2025, Seoul’s Mingles, located in the Cheongdam-dong district, also earned three stars, becoming South Korea’s newest top-rated restaurant two years after Mosu Seoul achieved the same honor.

Michelin now operates more than two dozen Asian editions from Japan and Singapore to Vietnam. The additions reflect growing attention to Southeast Asia’s dining markets where chefs are combining regional ingredients with modern techniques and attracting both domestic and international audiences.

The launch of the Philippine guide also reflects a wider pattern of Asian cuisines gaining recognition in Michelin’s global network. For Filipino chefs, the country’s inclusion marks the first time restaurants in their homeland are assessed under the same standards as their peers abroad, a development shaped by years of groundwork from Filipino American chefs introducing the cuisine to fine-dining audiences.

In the U.S., Chicago’s Kasama, run by Tim Flores and Genie Kwon, became the first Filipino restaurant to earn a Michelin Star in 2022, the same year Indienne received one for its modern Indian tasting menu. Korean, Vietnamese and Malaysian-inspired restaurants in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco have since joined Michelin’s lists, further expanding the range of Asian cuisines represented.

Even as Michelin expands, several Asian cuisines are drawing recognition outside its listings. In Indonesia, Locavore NXT in Ubud and August in Jakarta have featured on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, with August ranked No. 49 and named Best Restaurant in Indonesia in 2025.

In the U.S., other Southeast Asian cuisines have reached national stages through institutions more than a century old. Lao restaurant Thip Khao in Washington D.C., led by Seng Luangrath, has been a repeat James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic, and Cambodian chef Chinchakriya Un of Kuy Teav in Chicago earned a Beard nomination in 2024 for Emerging Chef. Burmese restaurant Yangon Tea House NYC, opened by chef Zaw Win, was included in The New York Times’ 2023 list of America’s 50 Best Restaurants. This growing recognition highlights how many Asian cuisines that deserve wider visibility remain underrepresented in Michelin’s listings.