Liyab restaurant BGC announces itself the moment you step into the golden hallway of the W Highstreet Roof Deck. The corridor narrows your focus toward a white phoenix suspended mid-ascent — a quiet signal that transformation sits at the core of the restaurant’s story.
Then comes the moment that sets the tone: a slender wooden panel glows from beneath, like an ember coming alive. As the light rises, the evening’s tasting menu is slowly revealed. It’s theatrical, but not pretentious — a playful spark that opens the night with curiosity and delight.
Inside, the room expands into a glass-walled dining space washed in terracotta tones and warm incandescence. Book the earlier seating, and you’ll catch the deep blue sky framing a 180-degree view of BGC — a dramatic contrast against the restaurant’s ocher walls, almost reminiscent of the layered drapery in BenCab’s Sabel. From the ceiling hang bespoke abaca and natural-fiber lamps, shaped as if caught mid-gust — wind-swept, fluid, almost weightless. Their movement echoed Sabel’s windswept folds, adding a quiet, artistic rhythm to the room. Soft drifting shadows play across the walls, creating a subtle conversation between space, art, and the fire in the kitchen.
Liyab is the vision of Chef Charles Montañez, known for the late-night charisma of Mamacita. Here, he shifts into something more intimate: a tasting-menu format rooted in open-flame techniques — grilling, smoking, roasting, stewing — all done in full view of diners. No curtains, no walls, no mystery. Just heat, discipline, and the instinct of a young chef with something to say.
The Fire at the Center
The open kitchen anchors the room. Stations run in a seamless row around an Argentine-style grill that glows like the heart of the restaurant. It’s a bold move to expose everything so openly, but this kitchen meets the challenge with calm, focused precision. Every cook works intently, yet still manages to nod, smile, or pose for a photo when guests approach. It’s an extremely confident kitchen — not performing, just working at a level that would fascinate any aspiring chef. Even for me, someone who has spent years behind the line, it was mesmerizing to watch.
Energetically, Charles exudes youthful ambition — fearless, disarming, and contagious. He darts through the aisles with a quick, almost playful gait, checking plates and stepping in for tableside touches. His hands-on approach shows how deeply invested he is and how much he wants to shape the team until they can run the show with the same confidence he carries today.
His quiet arsenal of techniques — curing, fermenting, aging, pickling, smoking — runs behind the scenes. Scraps become miso, buro, vinegar, or tepache. Nothing is wasted. Sustainability isn’t a concept here; it’s simply how the kitchen thinks.
A Menu That Plays With Memory
The opening dish sets the mood: a clean, soothing broth paired with a rich, custardy beef garum and bone marrow. Comforting, restrained, and quietly clever — the kind of dish you’d happily have on repeat.
The next course, tinigib with sea urchin, deepens that momentum. Ground local corn and uni create a sweet, earthy, marine combination that caught me off guard in the best way. Textural and nostalgic, it momentarily brought me home to Cebu. A dish that reveals Charles’ instincts: humble ingredients elevated with confidence and care.
A palate cleanser follows, but it’s almost too enjoyable for its role. Tamarind, nata de piña, and Christmas ham collide into something bright, sweet, savory, and festive. It felt more like a dish than a pause, and I would happily enjoy it as a full course.
Charles’ playfulness peaks in one of the most unexpected bites of the night: beef longganisa wrapped around a rib bone. It’s visually striking and genuinely delicious — clever, whimsical, and engineered to make diners smile.
Across the menu, his commitment to local ingredients is unmistakable. They add depth to the flavors while enriching the narrative around Filipino produce. In a year when the Philippines has entered the global dining spotlight, these choices matter. They give Liyab a point of view that extends beyond technique — anchoring it in culture, memory, and identity.
The Rhythm of the Experience
One of Liyab’s strengths is its pacing. The meal runs just over two hours — a perfect rhythm to enjoy wine, appreciate tableside touches, and settle into conversation. Each dish feels like a short interlude, a moment to reflect or reconnect.
Service is unusually thoughtful. Every table has its own built-in service cabinet, sacrificing valuable floor space for guest comfort. Even the smallest touches stand out — as individual phone stands with tiny LED lights so guests can photograph their dishes with ease. It’s a detail that says: we know how people dine today, and we’re here to make it effortless.
The Bigger Picture
With the Philippines now recognized in the Michelin Guide, young chefs like Charles carry a new kind of pressure. Their work contributes to how the world sees modern Filipino dining. Liyab, still evolving, stands right in that conversation.
It is not perfect — few restaurants in their early months are — but what Liyab has is far more valuable: immense potential. A foundation of technique, fire, ambition, and an honest desire to honor local ingredients. With a bit more polish and tightening, the restaurant could become one of Manila’s most compelling dining rooms.
What’s certain now is this: Charles Montañez is building something exciting. And watching him shape his flame — dish by dish, night after night — is part of the experience.
Liyab
Address: Roof Deck, W Highstreet Building, 28th Street corner 11th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Reservations: +63 929 633 4994
Email: liyabreservation@gmail.com
Website: liyabrestaurant.com
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 5:30 PM–12:00 AM
Two seatings nightly: 5:30 PM and 8:30 PM
Closed on Mondays
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