North flavors rise: A Michelin food crawl through Quezon City

With its recent UNESCO film city title, Quezon City takes another bow — this time for its growing culinary scene spotlighted in the Michelin Guide Philippines 2026

The Quezon Memorial Shrine in Quezon City (Photo from Unsplash)

The country’s largest city is stepping into the spotlight. Fresh from its inclusion in UNESCO’s Creative Cities of Film Network under the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) last Oct. 31, Quezon City is now being recognized for another creative frontier: food. Several of its homegrown favorites have earned a place in the inaugural Michelin Guide Philippines 2026, affirming the city’s growing influence in both culture and cuisine.

The global guide’s debut Philippine edition featured three Bib Gourmand awardees from Quezon City, highlighting the city’s rich and diverse dining culture. The Bib Gourmand distinction honors restaurants that serve high-quality food at reasonable prices.

First on the list is Morning Sun Eatery in Project 4, a modest turo-turo known for its Ilocano-style home cooking. The restaurant serves local dishes such as kilawin, pinakbet, and laing, all laid out behind a glass counter for diners to choose from. Michelin inspectors praised its “authentic flavors” and “warm, straightforward hospitality.”

In Diliman, Palm Grill received a Bib Gourmand nod for showcasing the flavors of Southern Mindanao. Known for dishes like tiyula itum (a black beef soup made with burnt coconut) and chicken pianggang, the restaurant brings Zamboanga’s culinary traditions to the heart of the capital. Its recipes trace back to family roots in the region, offering a rare taste of Mindanaoan cuisine in Metro Manila.

Completing the Quezon City trio is Some Thai, a Bib Gourmand awardee recognized for delivering honest, balanced Thai flavors. Its menu includes signature dishes such as pad thai, tom yum, papaya salad, and crab curry — all served in a casual, inviting setting along Tomas Morato Avenue.

Adding to the city’s culinary distinction are four Michelin Selected restaurants, each offering a different flavor of Quezon City’s dining diversity. Deo Gracias in Diliman stands out for its refined Spanish cuisine and seasonal menus curated by Chef Heny Sison. Esmeralda Kitchen on Mayon Street in Santa Mesa Heights brings a touch of modern Filipino comfort food to the table, while Fong Wei Wu along Banawe Street remains a trusted spot for authentic Chinese dishes. Meanwhile, Mōdan in Cubao presents Japanese-inspired modern cooking with minimalist precision and creative flair.

For food lovers eager to explore, these three restaurants form a ready-made Quezon City Michelin crawl. Start in Project 4 at Morning Sun Eatery for breakfast or brunch, continue to Diliman for a Mindanaoan feast at Palm Grill, and end the day at Some Thai for a burst of Thai spice and sweetness.

The guide’s recognition of Quezon City’s local dining scene arrives as the city gains international cultural prestige. Making QC a must visit destination — both on screen and at the table.

— Feliciano Rodriguez III

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Credit belongs to: www.mb.com.ph