If I had a third thumb, I would be raising it in appreciation of the tasting menu I had at Metiz. Chef Stephan Duhesme, executive chef and co-owner, was our main guide through the “symphony” of Filipino produce and biodiversity, explaining how the degustation was segmented into four major movements. With a marked emphasis on vegetables, fruits, and seafood, what really struck me as amazing was how it was all still recognizably Filipino, still in the realm of comfort food but uniquely elevated and refined so that there was always something fresh and innovative in the flavor profile, in the meticulous attention to presentation and detail, and in the very deliberate mingling of fresh ingredients.

Stephan Duhesme champions Filipino ingredients and local produce at Metiz, and it’s all about exploring the possibilities of Filipino cuisine. Vegetables and seafood are “enlisted” for their flavor profiles — from sour, salty, and bitter to sweet. From fermenting and drying to pickling, smoking, and so on, there is no stone left unturned in reimagining these traditional or familiar dishes and flavors. The staff I spoke with explained how some of the dishes they got on their first or second try, while most would be experimented with and developed up to 15 versions until they found the one deemed worthy for inclusion on the menu.

I’ve had a more than memorable dinner with my sons at Stephan’s second food concept, Automat; and if that one was more meat-inspired and a la carte, I appreciated how Metiz and its new menu has a distinct identity, with its bias toward local seafood and veggies. As part of the second leg of the Globe Gastronome Giving initiative, this means that dining at Metiz supports the Hapag Movement, which combats involuntary hunger in the nation.

The four movements of Metiz’s degustation were a first movement of Ensaladang Gulay and a Buttered Vegetable, then a second movement of Meryenda and Ensaimada. The third movement is entitled Isda, Kanin, Sabaw, Gulay, while the final movement is simply called Himagas.

With the Ensaladang Gulay, you had up to 13 different vegetables and fruits utilized, and there are 40 components to the finished “product.” Is it more salad or more soup? It didn’t really matter as the magic of discovery would happen time and again, like finding and biting into the okra. The Buttered Vegetable was squash, with smoked salinas — a conversation piece unto itself.

Before moving on to the second movement, we were served a cross between a taco and a lumpiang hubad. There was tripe somewhere in the mix, and it was good to drizzle the calamansi over everything. While instructed to eat it like a taco, and it was super delicious, I just found that the “shell” easily cracked, making it a chore to eat by hand — my only minor complaint.

The Ensaimada was caramelized on top, with shaved Malagos cheese added. It was served alongside a bowl of egg and potatoes, topped with what Stephan referred to as a crustacean sauce. This was a deadly combination, as you’ll love how the spoonfuls of the “egg dish” went beautifully with the Ensaimada.

The main course was tuna, a side dish of pako and labanos, a tall glass of soup, and a bowl of pampano rice. It was like a medley of flavors and if you asked me to pick out the highlight of this movement, I would have to say it was the rice with the morsels of pampano flesh and also the skin.

A pre-dessert dish was a mix of rambutan, santol juice, and curdled cream. This was like a palate cleanser, and I actually wished there was more of it. When the main dessert came, it was a cross between halo-halo, suman, and palitaw. Visually, it didn’t amount to much as it looked more like a mountain of shaved ice with a scoop of ice cream hiding beneath. It was delicious, but I’m lactose-intolerant so I only had a taste.

A final post-dessert dessert was a frozen silvana with a layer of jam. I appreciated how that made for a trio of desserts, as that’s so Filipino to have a number of sweet endings and not just settle for one.

That one can indulge in this thoughtful and superbly curated Filipino dining experience while helping fight involuntary hunger is such a winning proposition. Head to Globe Gastronome Giving to discover which other eating establishments have joined Metiz in this worthy cause. In the meantime, I’m still looking for my third thumb, so I can wave it in the air — yes, Metiz is that good.