Po & Pilar in Makati: The Nostalgic Flavors of Home and Grandmother’s Cooking
From the team behind The Curator Coffee & Cocktails comes a hidden gem in Makati City’s vibrant dining scene! Po & Pilar in Legazpi Village offers a delightful Filipino-Chinese menu inspired by the nostalgic flavors that remind us of home and our grandmothers’ cooking.
IMAGE from Philippine Primer
But it’s not simply Filipino-Chinese cooking as we know it. The menu reflects the memories of Chef-Owner Jericson Co’s grandmothers, Li Po Ty Co and Pilar Ng Fung, both of whom were the reason behind Po & Pilar’s distinctive name. It is indeed an homage that grounds the concept in family history and fond memory.
Chef Jericson Co / IMAGE from Philippine Primer
Po & Pilar’s guiding idea is both eclectic and compelling: Fun grandmother cooking!
Chef Co asks, “What would our grandmothers cook if they had younger bodies, energy, and if they could go head-to-head with Michelin chefs?” The result is a menu that treats heirloom flavors with technical rigor, applying French, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, and broader Asian techniques to dishes that remain recognizably rooted in home cooking.
One of their stand-out dishes is the Kilaw and Sisig (Php 870), a kilaw-style tuna replacing the expected vinegar with pureed green mango, inspired by their cook’s recollection of his father pairing raw tuna with cold mangoes over beer. The dish is finished with crisp pork for textural contrast and depth.
Kilaw & Sisig (Php 870) / IMAGE from Philippine Primer
Another must-try is Po & Pilar’s Stir Fry Steak Au Poivre (Php 1,600), recalls Chef Co’s grandmother’s visits to a now-closed Vancouver institution called Flamingo. It is a Picanha stir fried with Youtiao and peppers, Luc lac sauce, and Old-school French Au Poivre tossed with mint and arugula.
Stir Fry Au Poivre (Php 1,600) / IMAGE from Philippine Primer
Lastly, you could never go wrong with the Smoked Fish Caramel Donabe (Php 1,300), inspired by both the whimsical Stone Soup folktale and the deep, savory notes of Vietnamese fish-sauce caramel. Cooked in a clay pot, it brings together smoked fish, ginger, and cilantro for a comforting yet complex finish that lingers on the palate.
Smoked Fish Caramel Donabe (Php 1,300) / IMAGE from Philippine Primer
At Po & Pilar, the restaurant’s narrative is carried by two key figures in the kitchen.
Chef Co, known publicly for The Curator Coffee & Cocktails, approaches food with the same narrative-driven rigor he once reserved for cocktails.
After college in Manila, he spent time working in kitchens and a bar in Vancouver, experiences that shaped both his technical foundation and his sense of hospitality. Called home by his grandmother, he initially sidestepped the risk of opening a full restaurant and launched a cocktail bar instead, an experiment that became The Curator and, eventually, the springboard for Po & Pilar.
Many of Po & Pilar’s dishes begin with his memories: his grandmothers’ cooking, meals in Vancouver, or stories told at the family table. He provides the emotional anchor and conceptual boundaries executed with serious technique, then works closely with the team to translate those stories into plates.
Chef Louis Gesite, the restaurant’s executive chef, is the one who ensures those ideas survive contact with reality. A graduate of San Sebastian, he built his early career in Manila at F1 Hotel and Wildflour before spending two formative years in Thailand. That period abroad sharpened his feel for spice, aromatics, and street-level flavors, elements that surface in dishes like the Lamb Green Curry BananaQ.
Chef Jericson Co and Executive Chef Louis Gesite / IMAGE from Philippine Primer
Po & Pilar’s 30-seater playground keeps things intimate. It remains a traditional, homey space—a contrast to their playful menu. The space can be bought-out for weekdays for Php 80,000 and for weekends for Php 120,000, with average dinner at Php 1,800 to Php 2,000 per person.
Po & Pilar ultimately succeeds by pairing technical ambition with genuine warmth. Grounded in family stories executed with precision, it offers a refined, neighborhood-scale dining experience that feels both familiar and quietly new.
