For 126 years, Manila Bulletin has told the stories of a nation—its triumphs, its turning points, and its taste. From the ink-stained pages of history to the richly layered flavors of our culture, we have witnessed and chronicled the Filipino spirit in all its forms. In this anniversary issue, we honor that spirit through the journey of Chef Don Baldosano, a homegrown talent whose revolution in Filipino cuisine has captured the world’s attention.

In the quiet lanes of Parañaque, inside a modest bahay kubo, a revolution has been simmering. It’s not the kind that clamors for attention, but one that invites with warmth, humility, and unmistakable depth of flavor. This is the home of Linamnam, a ten-seater private dining restaurant where Chef Don Patrick Baldosano—now a Michelin-starred name—has built his own kitchen-sized altar to Filipino heritage.

At just 27, Don has already carved a reputation as one of the country’s boldest voices in modern Filipino cuisine. The Michelin Guide awarded Linamnam its first star in 2025 and named Baldosano the Young Chef Awardee for his “deep commitment to native ingredients and reimagined traditions.” But this recognition, while significant, is not the beginning—or even the most meaningful part—of his journey.

Don grew up with simple meals and deep roots in Capiz. Long before Michelin stars or multi-course tasting menus, he learned the value of food from family tables where daing, laswa, and backyard produce were a daily fare. That early exposure to honest, ingredient-forward cooking laid the foundation for what would become his life’s mission: to preserve and elevate Filipino food history through the plate.

In his 2022 Manila Bulletin column “The way to the future is through the past,” Baldosano reflected on the importance of culinary memory, writing about the need to reconnect with the forgotten knowledge of Filipino cuisine—how tools, ingredients, and traditions shaped the way we ate and lived. His voice as a writer mirrored his work in the kitchen: scholarly but grounded, reverent yet inventive.

Opened in 2021, Linamnam is a small restaurant with a clear purpose: to tell stories through Filipino ingredients. Its name evokes that singularly Filipino sense of pleasurable deliciousness, and the experience is as intimate as it is immersive. The menu changes regularly, shaped by the seasons and whatever Don finds on his regular sourcing trips across the archipelago. Here, ingredients like ant eggs from Ilocos or lupo greens from Iloilo are not novelties, they are centerpieces.

In “Eat on the wild side,” another Bulletin feature written by Baldosano in 2022, he detailed his foraging philosophy and the role of wild produce in Filipino kitchens. “We try to work with foraged ingredients whenever we can,” he wrote, citing the likes of cogon grass–infused carabao milk and edible weeds transformed into delicate sauces.

Dishes like LupoSilog, his take on a Filipino breakfast classic using sautéed weeds instead of meat, are testaments to this ethos.

The Michelin Guide recognized Linamnam for its distinctive commitment to native ingredients, and for telling “a story of land and people with every bite.” That story often begins in the soil, winds through distant provinces, and ends on a single plate that challenges as much as it comforts.

When the news broke of Linamnam’s Michelin star, Don’s response was characteristically quiet. He did not chase the star; the star found him in his element, serving 10 diners at a time, working solo in the same room where he once played as a child.

His cooking, while refined, remains unpretentious. The techniques are modern, but the flavors are ancient. Through meticulous research and a deep sense of purpose, Don connects the Philippines’ diverse culinary threads into a cohesive, forward-looking tapestry.

His recognition also reflects a story long in the telling, one Manila Bulletin has followed from the beginning. From his early reflections on indigenous ingredients and culinary heritage to the evolution of his restaurant, the publication has chronicled his growth with the same care he brings to every dish.

In many ways, Don is a mirror of the modern Filipino identity: deeply rooted, globally aware, and driven by purpose. His work is not just about food. It is about reclaiming space, about honoring untold stories, and about proving that tradition, when treated with respect, can lead us into the future.

For the next generation of Filipino chefs, Don’s journey offers both blueprint and inspiration. It is a reminder that excellence can be homegrown, that our heritage holds creative power, and that the world is finally ready to taste what we’ve always known: Filipino food is worthy—not just of recognition, but of reverence.