Filipino food has always been rooted in sharing. Whether gathered around a busy family table, a neighborhood celebration, or simply passing a plate from hand to hand, food connects us. Today, that same spirit is driving a dynamic culinary collaboration uniting Filipino chefs from home and abroad.
Megaworld Global Hotels & Resorts (MGHR) is expanding LaMeza—its flagship platform for exploring Filipino cuisine and culture—through Salo-Salo, a new series welcoming international Filipino chefs into local hotel kitchens.
Launched in 2022 during MGHR’s Culinary Conference, LaMeza was designed as a modern Filipino table where in-house chefs could reinterpret classic dishes while honoring their traditional roots. Salo-Salo takes this mission a step further, opening the kitchen doors to Filipino culinary talents whose styles have been shaped by global kitchen experiences.
For Chef Franco Martin “Panky” Lopez, Corporate Chef of MGHR, the name captures the spirit of the initiative. Salo-salo means eating together and sharing what is on the table, something deeply familiar to Filipino gatherings.
Coming Home Through Food
The inaugural collaboration features Chef Fhred Batalona, a Melbourne-based Filipino chef. Told early on that Filipino cuisine lacked market appeal, Batalona persevered by hosting underground pop-ups before eventually opening his acclaimed restaurant, Palay, in Fitzroy. His cooking seamlessly blends authentic Filipino flavors with global techniques and influences.
For his homecoming, however, Batalona isn’t just importing his Melbourne menu back to the Philippines. Instead, he is teaming up with MGHR chefs to craft an entirely new dining experience. His return highlights a powerful question facing many diaspora chefs: How can familiar flavors evolve globally while retaining their true identity?
Where Palay Meets the Philippines
The answer takes shape in Palay+, an exclusive 10-course tasting menu inspired by Batalona’s restaurant. The “plus” signifies true collaboration, blending Batalona’s international techniques with the local expertise of MGHR chefs from the NCR+ region.
This exchange bridges two distinct worlds: the boundary-pushing perspectives gathered overseas, and the deep-rooted instincts of chefs cooking daily for local palates.
Crucially, the partnership goes far beyond the dining room. Batalona will also lead Kalma, a moderated panel discussion tackling work culture, mental health, leadership, and accountability in the hospitality industry—reflecting his passionate advocacy for healthier, more supportive kitchen environments.
Take a Seat at the Table
Ultimately, Salo-Salo is less about spotlighting a single chef and more about creating a true cultural dialogue. Diaspora chefs bring global techniques back to their roots, while local chefs share their intimate knowledge of regional ingredients and traditional hospitality.
The inaugural Salo-Salo event takes place at the Eastwood Richmonde Hotel on September 26, featuring exclusive lunch and dinner seatings. For guests, it offers much more than a 10-course meal—it is a rare look at what happens when the global Filipino culinary community reunites at the very same table.
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