Filipino restaurants and chefs are experiencing a surge in sales and global recognition as the MICHELIN Guide Philippines highlights local culinary talent, with the Department of Tourism (DOT) supporting the initiative to showcase the country’s rich food culture.

The MICHELIN Guide has given small family-run diners and acclaimed chefs a platform to showcase Filipino cuisine, DOT Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco said.

Morning Sun Eatery in Quezon City, a humble roadside diner awarded a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand, has doubled its daily sales and drawn long lines for its Ilokano specialties, owner Elizabeth “Nanay Beth” Mortera said.

“Dumoble po ang kita. Sa pila pa lang po ng mga customer, wala pang two hours o three hours, ’yung unang luto po namin ay ubos na kaagad. Nagdagdag po kami ng kilo at amount ng luto namin; from 15 kilos, nadoble po (Our earnings have doubled. Just from the queue of customers, within two or three hours, our first batch of cooked dishes was already sold out. We added more kilos and increased our cooking amount; from 15 kilos, it doubled),” Mortera said.

Helm Chef and owner Josh Boutwood, whose restaurant earned the Philippines’ first two-star MICHELIN award, credited the DOT for putting Filipino cuisine on the global map.

“We wouldn’t be standing here today with a plaque that’s about to be put on the wall if it wasn’t for all of your hard work and dedication,” he said.

Offbeat Bistro chefs Angelo Comsti and Don Baldosano said the recognition has drawn more local and foreign diners, transforming their young restaurant into a destination eatery.

Other awardees, including Underbelly, Manam, and Toyo, reported fuller reservations, higher sales, and strengthened confidence in Filipino cuisine’s global potential, while chefs noted that the MICHELIN Guide celebrates both traditional dishes and culinary innovation.

“It is very important that we give opportunities to our small businesses, our local diners, restaurants, chefs, and cooks to be recognized worldwide and by our fellow Filipinos, because dishes like dinakdakan, dinuguan, barbecue, and pinakbet are symbols of our Filipino culture,” Frasco said.

The Resto-Run Caravan visited 15 MICHELIN-recognized establishments across Metro Manila—including Gallery by Chele, Kasa Palma, Ramen Ron, Pilya’s Kitchen, Hapag, Aya, Taupe Dining, Inato, Metiz, and Automat—culminating in the turnover of plaques to 53 awardees at Novotel Manila.

“What drives us in the Department of Tourism under the vision of President Marcos is the desire to re-introduce the Philippines to the world from the strength of the Filipino culture, and what better way to introduce our culture than through food,” Frasco added.