The Table, a culinary collaboration between Sub-Zero & Wolf and Chef Tonyboy Escalante of the Antonio’s Group of Restaurants, was an impeccable reminder of the kind of legacy-building Chef Tonyboy has amassed over 23 years. As Stephen Sy, founder and president of Focus Global Inc., remarked, when it came to the high-end kitchen brands of Sub-Zero and Wolf, there was no one else from our local culinary landscape who could be more closely associated with luxury refrigeration systems and cooktop ovens than Chef Tonyboy Escalante.

Given that Antonio’s Tagaytay opened its doors back in 2002, and that the company’s dining and food-related establishments now include Breakfast at Antonio’s, Balay Dako, Terraza Bar and Grill, Pedro the Grocer, and Adela by Balay Dako, it’s easy to forget that it all started with wanting to elevate the dining experience in a casual but elegant manner—and believing that people would come to enjoy the lush Tagaytay surroundings of Tonyboy’s own home. That formula succeeded beyond expectations, and we now have Antonio’s food empire.

For this dinner feast held at the Sub-Zero & Wolf showroom at Greenbelt Residences, Chef Tonyboy pulled out all the stops, went back to his roots, and gave us a five-course meal that was both familiar and comfortable, while also novel and innovative. It was a sublime mix of those two contrasts, resulting in a dinner that was truly memorable.

A trio of appetizers was served on a tray—emulsified oysters with seaweed and topped with Nomad caviar, smoked herring with ikura, and a foie gras cornet festooned with raspberry pearls. Asking Chef if there was a particular order we should eat the three, he just smiled and said it was up to us. I appreciated the mélange of flavors represented by the trio.

The tartare of maya maya followed, accentuated by a passionfruit-tamarillo veil, with coconuts, sweet peppers and coriander oil. Without a doubt, this was my favorite of the night. It was a kinilaw/ceviche given a fruity orientation via the tamarillo and passionfruit. There was something refreshing about it, and I know many were surprised by how good this dish was.

The flame-torched toro, with Kalamata olive, tomato, fregola, tuna roe and Parmesan foam, was a heady combination of all those flavors. I liked the touch of the foam, which gave the dish a distinct flavor.

The Benguet taogtog berry granita, with compressed cucumber, basil oil and honey tuile, was Chef Tonyboy’s version of a sorbet or palate refresher. The taogtog is a Mountain Province berry that’s not very well known—and that’s a shame, as it packs a very unique flavor profile, not quite blackberry, not raspberry either. Loved this.

The main course was a Tajima striploin with beans and peas, pepper sauce, and pumpkin and potato gratin. And if anything signified comfort food within the context of Antonio’s Tagaytay, this would be the dish. It was like one’s memory banks were activated, and you could feel the Tagaytay breeze.

A bountiful tray of Antonio’s homemade ice cream was set up for dessert, and I found my go-to from Pedro the Grocer—their non-dairy bittersweet dark chocolate. For the lactose-intolerant like me, this is manna from heaven. And I had a fun time letting Chef Tonyboy know this.

I recall when Focus Global mounted an event for the Wolf outdoor grill at their BGC building a few years ago, and Chef Tonyboy was on hand. It’s a welcome invite for me, and I always appreciate Focus Global and their collaborations with Chef Tonyboy Escalante.