{"id":62149,"date":"2026-05-13T09:19:34","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T01:19:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/?p=62149"},"modified":"2026-05-13T09:19:34","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T01:19:34","slug":"makanai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/location\/philippines\/taguig\/makanai\/","title":{"rendered":"Makanai in BGC: Reimagined Japanese Cuisine Rooted in Memory and Innovation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Makanai by Chef Jorge Mendez, <\/strong>located in BGC, Taguig<\/strong> offers a fresh, intimate take on Japanese dining\u2014one that blends nostalgic warmth with creative reinvention. Inspired by the Japanese word makanai<\/em> (staff meal).<\/p>\n

Its interior exudes quiet elegance. A deep green statement bar anchors the space, while light wood tables soften the ambiance.<\/p>\n

\"\"IMAGE from Makanai’s Instagram account<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Before Makanai, Chef Jorge Mendez had already been making waves in Manila\u2019s culinary scene. He served as R&D chef under the mentorship of Filipino culinary icon Margarita For\u00e9s<\/strong>, helping to refine and reimagine flavors behind the scenes. Over time, he launched his own distinctive concepts\u2014including M\u014ddan<\/strong>, his progressive Japanese restaurant that fused tradition with experimentation<\/p>\n

Also read:<\/strong> M\u014cDAN in Quezon City: A Progressive Take on Japanese Degustation<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

What sets Makanai apart is its \u201creimagined Japanese<\/em>\u201d<\/strong> approach with familiar flavors reinterpreted through modern techniques and unexpected combinations.<\/p>\n

\"\"IMAGE from Makanai’s Instagram account<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

The menu is \u00e0 la carte and designed for sharing<\/strong>, encouraging diners to sample multiple dishes across courses.<\/p>\n

\"\"IMAGE from Makanai’s Instagram account<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Among the menu\u2019s stars, the Wagyu Bolognese Noodles<\/strong>, has drawn particular praise for combining Japanese structure with bold, meaty richness.<\/p>\n

Makanai stands as both a tribute to memory and a statement of intent. For Chef Mendez, this is a full-circle moment\u2014bringing forward the spirit of makanai<\/em> as meals shared, comfort given, and hospitality extended.<\/p>\n

\"\"IMAGE from Makanai’s Instagram account<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Whether you come to reminisce, explore, or simply enjoy, Makanai offers a quietly bold, deeply personal Japanese dining experience in BGC\u2014one meant to be savored with company and conversation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Makanai by Chef Jorge Mendez, located in BGC, Taguig offers a fresh, intimate take on Japanese dining\u2014one that blends nostalgic warmth with creative reinvention. Inspired by the Japanese word makanai (staff meal). Its interior exudes quiet elegance. A deep green statement bar anchors the space, while light wood tables soften the ambiance. IMAGE from Makanai’s Instagram account Before Makanai, Chef Jorge Mendez had already been making waves in Manila\u2019s culinary scene. He served as R&D chef under the mentorship of Filipino culinary icon Margarita For\u00e9s, helping to refine and reimagine flavors behind the scenes. Over time, he launched his own distinctive concepts\u2014including M\u014ddan, his progressive Japanese restaurant that fused tradition […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":62160,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[196,84,12,14],"tags":[5915,1790,1693,7633,7198],"class_list":["post-62149","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fusion","category-japanese","category-taguig","category-bonifacio-global-city","tag-authentic-japanese-cuisine","tag-authentic-japanese-restaurant","tag-japanese-restaurants-in-bgc","tag-makanai","tag-reimagined-japanese-dishes"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62149","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62149"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62149\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":62167,"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62149\/revisions\/62167"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/62160"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62149"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62149"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62149"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}