{"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":"2026-05-25T18:03:50","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T10:03:50","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 and intimate take on Japanese dining<\/strong>\u2014one that blends nostalgic warmth with creative reinvention<\/p>\n

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

The restaurant is led by Chef Jorge Mendez<\/strong> who 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.<\/p>\n

Over time, he launched his own distinctive concepts\u2014including M\u014ddan<\/strong>, his progressive Japanese restaurant that fused tradition with experimentation<\/p>\n

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

What sets Makanai apart is its reimagined approach to Japanese dishes with familiar flavors reinterpreted through modern techniques and unexpected combinations.<\/p>\n

Among it signature dishes is the Unagi Fish and Chips (Php 1,250, small \/ Php 1,850, medium)<\/b> a Japanese-inspired fusion twist on a classic comfort food, featuring rich eel paired with crispy, golden Lotus Root Chips instead of traditional potatoes. The dish is built on a flavorful bed of Egg Chahan (Japanese fried rice) and accompanied by sweet, layered Tamagoyaki (Japanese omelette).<\/p>\n

\"\"Unagi Fish and Chips (Php 1,250, small \/ Php 1,850, medium)\/IMAGE from Makanai’s Instagram account\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

The Spicy Beef and Tendon XO <\/strong>(Php 950, small \/ Php 1,500, medium)<\/b> is a bold and deeply savory dish featuring tender, slow-cooked beef and rich tendon tossed in a premium, umami-packed X.O. sauce. This flavorful combination is uniquely paired with a savory Szechuan Purin<\/b> (Szechuan-infused savory custard) and served over a bed of warm steamed rice.<\/p>\n

\"\"Spicy Beef and Tendon XO (Php 950, small \/ Php 1,500, medium)\/IMAGE from Makanai’s Instagram account\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/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

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

Also read:<\/strong> M\u014cDAN in Quezon City: A Progressive Take on Japanese Degustation<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Makanai by Chef Jorge Mendez in BGC, Taguig offers a modern and deeply personal take on Japanese dining, blending nostalgic comfort with creative reinvention through bold, reimagined dishes and contemporary techniques.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":67169,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[196,84,12,14],"tags":[5915,1790,7339,1693,7633,7198],"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-chef-jorge-mendez","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":7,"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62149\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67174,"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62149\/revisions\/67174"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67169"}],"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}]}}