On a Wednesday night in Bonifacio Global City, Lore feels fully alive. The moment you step inside, sharp sukang tuba cuts through warm woodsmoke. Garlic sizzles. Burnt coconut from a Mindanaoan rendang gives off a toasty edge. A bowl of kansi glides across the room, steam rising. A platter of okoy lands with a clean crack. Diners lean in.
The room hums. Servers move quickly. Conversations overlap with the hiss of hot plates. Lore doesn’t pretend to be fine dining, and it’s far from casual chain fare. It sits in the middle—elegant, warm, and social, built for families and groups who want Filipino food cooked with discipline and served with ease.
On November 25, Lore by Chef Tatung turns three. In that time, it has become one of Manila’s clearest expressions of modern Filipino dining: regional, shareable, confident. Behind the scenes, the Vikings Group keeps operations steady, allowing the kitchen to focus on craft and consistency.
A Restaurant That Found Its Purpose
Lore opened in 2022 with tasting-menu ambitions. Plates were small. The pacing was quiet. The mood was contemplative. But diners pushed back—gently but clearly. They shared plates meant for one. They ordered extra rice. They wanted food they recognized, served with polish but without stiffness.
“They didn’t want a performance,” Chef Tatung says. “They wanted their lola’s table—only sharper, more disciplined.”
With Viking Group support, strengthening the day-to-day, Lore shifted. Portions grew. Flavors got bolder. Service loosened. The dining room grew louder. The restaurant leaned into what felt natural: family-style Filipino dining with an elegant edge.
In October 2025, the Michelin Guide recognized Lore by Chef Tatung as one of Manila’s Selected Restaurants for 2026—a validation of the shift.
“We weren’t cooking for Michelin,” Tatung says. “But I’m glad they understood the work.”
The New Filipino Feast
Lore doesn’t announce a philosophy. It shows one. The kinilaw arrives bright and cold, its acidity clean instead of aggressive. The okoy sits on a wide platter made for passing around. Someone opens a bowl of kansi, and the room smells like batwan and bone marrow.
The food moves confidently across the country’s regional map.
Kansi carries Western Visayas’ signature sourness. Rendang draws its depth from Mindanao’s burnt coconut tradition. Chicken Satti brings Zamboanga’s sweet-and-spicy profile. Adobo sa pula leans into Visayan garlic logic. Broths—from tinola to kansi—carry the clarity common in Luzon kitchens.
Lore doesn’t flatten these flavors into a single Manila interpretation. It respects where they come from, then sharpens the technique. No gimmicks. No nostalgia traps. Just regional Filipino cooking presented with clarity.
The Dishes That Shape the Experience
The Kinilaw na Tuna is bright from pomelo and clean with tuba vinegar. Heat comes from native chili, not from excess acidity.
The Okoy is crisp and golden, balanced by aged vinegar with quiet funk.
The Kansi na Baka shows restraint. The broth is clear but full-bodied, thanks to batwan and slow-simmered marrow.
The Adobo sa Pula uses garlic and annatto to build a lighter, layered profile. It’s familiar but more defined.
The Mindanaoan Rendang reduces slowly until the burnt coconut base turns smoky and deep. “It’s done when it smells like smoke and patience,” a cook says.
Desserts keep the theme.
The Biko at Mangga comes warm, paired with house-made langka ice cream.
The Inutak is soft, creamy, and capped with brûléed salted egg.
Every dish has intention. None feels overworked.
A Dining Room Built for Families
The room tells the story as clearly as the food. Large groups pass dishes across the table. Servers explain regional references, not buzzwords. Families celebrate milestones. Couples linger over kansi. A table of friends orders “one more okoy.”
The Vikings Group keeps the operation steady. Tatung’s team keeps the cuisine grounded and precise. Together, they make a dining room that feels both reliable and special.
Lore proves something important: Filipino food doesn’t need to choose between comfort and craft. It can be both—if cooked with discipline and served with confidence.
Three Years In, Lore Knows Its Identity
Lore’s third year isn’t a reinvention. It’s a confirmation. The restaurant now stands firmly as an elegant, casual, family-style Filipino restaurant rooted in regional cooking. It offers big plates, bold flavors, and a point of view that avoids both heavy nostalgia and high-concept complexity.
Lore doesn’t try to rewrite Filipino cuisine.
It presents it clearly—focused, generous, and grounded.
And in a city packed with restaurants chasing trends, that confidence sets it apart.
Lore by Chef Tatung
Michelin Selected 2026
3/F The Finance Centre, 26th Street
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Open daily for lunch and dinner.
For reservations: @loremanila on Instagram or call 0917 874 5373.
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