At Savoy Hotel Boracay, a sleek six-story property in the heart of Boracay Newcoast, chef Vincent Yves Cabahug is redefining resort dining with a focus on inclusion and cultural pride. Through the hotel’s latest culinary initiative, he aims to spotlight halal-certified cuisine, which is an often overlooked aspect of the country’s diverse food heritage, serving up dishes that are both rooted in tradition and welcoming to all.
Formerly a cozy retreat, the hotel’s Vienne Lobby Lounge has been transformed into a dedicated Muslim-friendly restaurant, proudly serving halal-certified cuisine. The kitchen is officially certified halal, ensuring that every dish meets rigorous standards of quality, authenticity and adherence to Islamic dietary laws.
“Filipino Muslim communities have so much to offer,” Cabahug shared. “Through this menu, I want to shine a light on their cuisine with authenticity, respect, and celebration.”
Lamb Shank Kare-kare
Originally from Cebu and classically trained under Michelin-starred chefs across Europe and Dubai, Cabahug has always been passionate about flavor. But returning home to the Philippines to create a thoughtfully crafted halal menu marks a deeply personal milestone.
“This is my first halal menu specifically for the Philippines,” he said with pride. “It’s not just about meeting requirements but about truly understanding the flavors, honoring the culture, and representing the community.”
Despite a successful international career, Cabahug admitted that embracing his culinary roots has been a transformative journey. “There was a time when I didn’t know enough about Filipino food,” he reflected. “So, I came back to rediscover, to reconnect.”
Chicken Masala
Now, that reconnection comes to life in every dish. His menu masterfully fuses traditional Middle Eastern favorites with vibrant Filipino flavors. Think chicken kabsa infused with local spices, shakshuka that sings with island freshness, and samosas with a unique Filipino twist.
“I wanted the dishes to speak to both Muslim travelers and anyone curious about halal cuisine,” he explained. “It’s about flavor, yes, but also about making sure every step, from the spices to the kitchen, is certified and respectful.”
Creating a fully halal kitchen meant starting from scratch. From sourcing ingredients from halal-certified suppliers to rethinking storage, prep, and delivery, Savoy Hotel Boracay Newcoast as well as Cabahug and his team partnered with expert halal auditors to ensure every detail was perfect.
Hummus
He also reached out globally, learning directly from halal chefs in Morocco and Saudi Arabia, connections made through his shared passion for kite surfing on the island. “Some of them even wants to collaborate,” he smiled. “That exchange of ideas is what keeps the menu growing and evolving.”
One of Cabahug’s biggest joys has been seeing how food can change minds and warm hearts. “We’ve had European guests say, ‘We didn’t know halal food could be this flavorful.’ That’s the magic; it’s just really good food, full of soul.”
For him, halal isn’t just a dietary rule but a philosophy built on respect, care, and connection. “People often think halal is restrictive,” he said. “But it’s really about purity, kindness, and sharing.”
Vegetable Samosa
With his new menu, Cabahug hopes to open doors to greater cultural understanding within Philippine hospitality. “Filipinos are known for being warm and welcoming,” he said. “Let’s make that welcome even broader, especially for our Muslim brothers and sisters.”
Always curious and creative, Cabahug loves putting his own twist on traditional recipes. One of his proudest creations is his signature samosa. “Instead of thick pastry, I use filo for that light, crispy bite,” he said. “And I add extra spices — cumin, black sesame, ginger — to give it a bold new flavor.”
His personal favorite is the chicken kabsa. “It’s simple, comforting, and full of heart.”
Blueberry Vanilla Muffins
Cabahug is likewise excited to bring even more regional diversity to the menu. He’s especially inspired by the rich halal culinary traditions of Mindanao, where each province adds its own spice and story.
“In Mindanao, flavors are bold and beautiful,” he said. “We want to reflect that diversity while staying true to halal principles.”
And if he could go anywhere next to explore halal food, it will be “Türkiye,” he said, with a spark in his eye. “It’s the soul of Muslim cuisine — kebabs, shawarma, baklava — it all begins there.”
San Sebastian Basque Cheesecake
As he continues to grow and innovate, Cabahug holds fast to one belief that food is a bridge. “It’s about more than taste,” he said “It’s about connection. About making people feel seen, respected, and welcome.
“We’re Filipinos,” he said. “This is what we do. We welcome everyone to the table.”
A culinary journey of humility, dedication, sacrifice
In any room he enters, Cabahug doesn’t just arrive but fills the space. His laugh is quick, his storytelling animated, and his energy magnetic. But behind the easy warmth is a man shaped by discipline, sharpened by years at the stove, and grounded in a love for flavors that tell a story.
Cabahug’s culinary journey started not in the bright kitchens of hotels, but in his grandmother’s home in Cebu.
“I started when I was around 8 or 9,” he said, remembering afternoons when his cousins would play outside while he stayed behind, helping prepare meals. He wasn’t just learning savory dishes; by the time he entered professional kitchens, he could already bake cakes, a skill that surprised his older mentors.
“They’d say, ‘You’re young, but you bake like a pro,’” he said, smiling at the memory.
The chef at Savoy Hotel Boracay blends tradition with invention, pulling from the deep well of his heritage while constantly challenging the familiar. His cooking is a living tribute to his roots — plates of memory, built on community. Among his most personal creations is the Fisherman’s Pie, a reimagined shepherd’s pie made with fresh seafood and a rich, chowder-like sauce.
“It’s comforting and nostalgic,” he said. “Someone once told me, ‘Tastes like home.’ That’s when I knew I got it right.”
Cabahug isn’t chasing awards or Michelin stars. He’s chasing something quieter, and in many ways harder to capture, and that’s authenticity. “Recognition is great,” he said, thoughtful. “But excellence shouldn’t depend on awards alone. Sometimes they drive up costs, pressure small producers, and take us away from real food.”
For him, the heart of Filipino cooking isn’t found in sleek restaurants as it’s alive in the palengke, the wet markets, where he insists real flavors are born.
In conversation, Cabahug’s food philosophy distills to three words: humility, dedication and sacrifice. He jokes that his plates might look simple “but the work behind them runs deep.” After a long day, his personal comfort foods are equally unpretentious: a cheese sandwich or a sloppy joe, “messy, rich and satisfying.”
He embraces the unexpected, like the dinuguan paired with pan de sal. “Some find it odd, but it works,” he said with a grin. Onions are his essential spice. Butter, both salted and unsalted, is his kitchen constant.
His methods, too, are an ode to simplicity and skill: grilling, sautéing, gentle cooking of seafood. The mandoline slicer is his trusted tool as it’s efficient, but, he warned, “you have to be careful with your fingers.”
Cabahug’s inspiration comes from a wide horizon. British chef Jason Atherton, who mentored him early in his career, instilled discipline; Filipino chef Tatung Sarthou taught him to find beauty even in the humblest ingredients.
Savoy Hotel Boracay Newcoast’s chef Vincent Yves Cabahug
“It’s about respecting the process,” Cabahug said. “That’s where the transformation begins.”
He’s had his share of failures, including a family-recipe carrot cake that collapsed just before service, but he shrugs off the memory. “Even mistakes in the kitchen can lead to growth,” he said.
Many of his fondest food memories trace back to home: munggo with tuyo, his grandmother’s spiced carrot cake, the delicate pork and vegetable soup called basoy. He dreams of preserving these flavors, sharing them before they fade away.
At present, Cabahug mentors a new generation of young chefs — a generation, he said, that requires a different kind of leadership. “You can’t train them the way we were trained,” he said. “You must guide them, explain the ‘why,’ and listen, too.”
He recalls the sharp words and high-pressure kitchens of his early days, but he’s chosen patience instead. “People grow more when they’re supported,” he said simply.
Cabahug’s vision is not limited to individual dishes but encompasses the vast expanse of Filipino culinary heritage. “If you ask 10 Filipinos what adobo is, you’ll get 10 different answers,” he said. “We don’t have a standard yet but that’s something we can still work on, together.”
He believes the purest expressions of Filipino flavors remain in Mindanao, relatively untouched by colonial influence. “If you want to taste traditional Filipino food, go south,” he said. “That’s where the story begins.”
He isn’t chasing celebrity. “Even if I don’t become famous,” he said, “I want to help define what Filipino cuisine truly is. Something we can share with the world and be proud of.”
When asked about his dream restaurant, he imagines opening it in places where culture, food, and energy meet. The menu would honor the familiar but elevate it.
If his food could speak, he thought for a moment and laughed again. “Probably, ‘You made me work this hard!’”
But beneath every dish, he knows, lies something deeper. “Cooking is emotional. It’s memory, culture, intention,” he said. “If you do it right, it speaks even when you don’t say a word.”
