FOOD REVIEW: Michelin-on-a-Budget. Five Affordable Eats In Quezon City
- Kara Santos
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
The arrival of the Michelin Guide in the Philippines has really shaken up the food scene. The prestigious, internationally recognized series of guidebooks, which employs a network of anonymous inspectors, has included the Philippines among its list of the “most exciting foodie destinations” for 2026.
Last October 2025, 108 restaurants and eateries in the Philippines were minted in the inaugural Michelin Guide Philippines list.
Makati-based, reservation-only restaurant Helm by Josh Boutwood received the highest recognition with two Michelin Stars. Eight other restaurants – Asador Alfonso, Celera, Gallery by Chele, Hapag, Inatô, Kasa Palma, Linamnam, and Toyo Eatery – each received one Michelin Star.
While the Michelin-starred restaurants, which focus on fine dining and innovative cuisine, can be notoriously expensive to dine in or require weeks-long waiting lists, thankfully, there are other affordable Michelin restaurants to pick from that you can dine in without reservations.
Michelin’s Bib Gourmand selection recognizes restaurants that offer simple, recognizable, and easy-to-eat dishes reflecting their location's culinary culture. Meanwhile, Michelin-selected establishments are recognized for “the quality of their cuisine, the distinct character of their dining experience and their consistent commitment to excellence.”
I’ve been slowly trying some of the restaurants included in the Michelin Guide, starting in the city I live in for easy access. For budget diners planning to do food crawls, Quezon City has a few value and selected spots that provide “everyday dining,” affordable options, and unique local experiences for international tourists.
Here are five budget-friendly Michelin options in Quezon City to start with.
Morning Sun Eatery, a humble neighborhood carinderia, reflects the everyday Filipino dining experience, with affordable home-cooked meals that deliver big on flavor. They specialize in Ilocano cuisine and inihaw. Bestsellers like barbecue and skewered meats, liempo, dinakdakan, ensaladang talong, and pinakbet are all priced under P100 per order.
While it’s long been a go-to spot for locals and workers for cheap eats, dining here these days requires extra patience. Since their inclusion in the Michelin list, the eatery’s bestsellers get sold out quickly, with curious diners from other cities lining up for hours to dine or get take-out.
Location: 120 J.P. Rizal, Project 4, Quezon City, Metro Manila.
Palm Grill offers authentic Southern Mindanaoan cuisine, offering diners a unique taste of regional Filipino cuisine hard to find in Manila. It’s located in the vibrant area of Tomas Morato, a well-known food district. The restaurant has a pleasant two-story dining area and sells unique food crafts and delicacies from Mindanao.
The top Michelin picks are dishes with roasted coconut for rich, intense flavours, such as the generously sized tiyula itum stew with beef simmered in coconut broth. Other options include the Chicken or Beef Satti, Beef Kurma, Chicken Belachan, Chicken Piyanggang, and Pompano in Sambal Sauce.
For those doing food crawls, Palm Grill is also ideal as an after-lunch option with distinctive desserts like Knicker Fruit Halo-Halo and Mindanaoan Gelato. If you’re dining with a group, the Bang Bang Sug, an assortment of local delicacies (Putli Mandi, Palkambing, Pangi-Pangi, Pitis Patani, Pastil Togue, Tabid-Tabid, Daral) is ideal for pairing with Sulu coffee in the afternoons.
Location: 179 Tomas Morato Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, Metro Manila. A smaller branch is located inside Palenque Food Hall in Gateway Mall 2 in Cubao, easily accessible by MRT and LRT.
Fong Wei Wu is an authentic Taiwanese eatery along Banawe Street, Quezon City’s own Chinatown. The bustling, non-descript carinderia serves a range of dishes from rice meals, noodles, soups with a daily-changing spread of 15-20 dishes.
Specialties include fried bihon (rice noodles stir-fried with pork and cabbage), kiampong, shrimp omelette, humba, seaweed with egg soup, dumplings, and more. They also have a small grocery area for Taiwanese ingredients and goodies.
While the food here isn’t as cheap as other eateries in the area, the servings are generous and good for sharing. Since the place can get pretty busy during lunchtime, it’s very popular with residents for takeout.
Location: 82 Banawe Street, corner Samat Street, Quezon City, Metro Manila.
If you’re in the mood for Thai food, Some Thai in the Morato area is a good option. The casual restaurant, which takes inspiration from the chef's travels, offers a modern take on Thai favorites.
Michelin picks include classic dishes like papaya salad, pad thai, and tom yum, beef short rib, crab curry, and mango sticky rice for dessert. The restaurant also serves tasty Crab Omelette, Rice Chicken Satay, Roti, and Singha Beer.
Location: 195 Tomas Morato, Scout Fuentebella Street, Quezon City, Metro Manila. A second branch is set to open in Opus Mall, Bridgetowne, Quezon City.
Esmeralda Kitchen is a cozy Michelin-selected Filipino restaurant and bakery near the Dapitan and Banawe area. Their main branch is a bright, plant-themed house-turned-restaurant with warm and cheerful interiors and vibrant green touches.
Their extensive menu boasts Filipino favorites like Pork Dinuguan with puto, Pancit Puti, Aligue Spaghetti, Kare-Kare, Chicken Inasal, Halo-Halo, and Latik Coco Cream Coffee. It’s a good option for brunch, lunch, or dinner, but if you’re doing a food crawl, you can also stop by for coffee, merienda, cakes, or take-out.
Address: 43 Mayon Street, Santa Mesa Heights, Quezon City, Metro Manila (near Welcome Rotonda). A second branch is located along Balete Drive, cor N. Domingo, Quezon City.
Michelin restaurants for special occasions
For special occasions, or if you’re in the mood to splurge, two other Michelin restaurants in Quezon City to choose from include Deo Gracias and Modan.
Deo Gracias is an elegant Spanish restaurant located in a restored house on Jamboree Street, known for authentic dishes like paella, croquetas, and tapas. It offers both indoor dining, alfresco seating, and a deli (La Tienda) for hard-to-find Spanish goods, wine, and charcuterie.
Meanwhile, Modan is an intimate, 12-seater progressive Japanese degustation restaurant in Cubao led by Chef Jorge Mendez, which blends neo-traditional Japanese techniques with local and imported ingredients. The highly personal, omakase-style dining experience offers a multi-course tasting menu that tells a story of the chef's journey, focusing on seasonality and artistic presentation in a minimalist setting.
