LaMeza: Salo-Salo Brings Global Filipino Chefs Together at Megaworld Hotels

Filipino cuisine continues to evolve through the exchange of ideas, techniques, traditions, and personal experiences. Megaworld Global Hotels & Resorts (MGHR) is creating a new space for this exchange through LaMeza: Salo-Salo, a culinary collaboration that connects Filipino chefs from around the world with chefs working across MGHR properties in the Philippines.

Originally introduced in 2022 at MGHR’s first Culinary Conference, LaMeza began as a tasting-menu concept envisioned as the “modern Filipino table.” It gave MGHR chefs an opportunity to reinterpret Filipino dishes while exploring the stories, ingredients, and traditions behind them.

Salo-Salo expands that concept by inviting Filipino chefs from overseas to collaborate directly with MGHR’s culinary teams.

The series goes beyond a traditional guest-chef program. It creates an opportunity for Filipino chefs from diverse professional backgrounds to exchange techniques, experiences, and perspectives on Filipino cuisine.

Building Connections Through Filipino Food

The name Salo-Salo reflects the Filipino tradition of eating and sharing food together. It also represents the collaborative spirit behind the program.

According to Chef Franco Martin “Panky” Lopez, Corporate Chef of Megaworld Global Hotels & Resorts, the Filipino table has always been a place where food brings people together.

Through the initiative, MGHR hopes to connect Filipino chefs working overseas with its culinary teams in the Philippines. International chefs can share techniques and ideas developed in foreign kitchens, while MGHR chefs bring their knowledge of Filipino ingredients, local traditions, and Filipino hospitality.

The collaboration also supports MGHR’s Sampaguita service philosophy, which centers on Love, Honor, Dignity, and Healing. Food becomes another expression of these values, particularly through the Filipino tradition of sharing meals with family, friends, and colleagues.

Chef Fhred Batalona Returns to the Philippines

The first Salo-Salo collaboration features Chef Fhred Batalona, a Filipino chef based in Melbourne, Australia.

Chef Fhred has built a reputation for promoting Filipino cuisine in Australia after encountering the perception that Filipino food was difficult to market internationally. His food pop-ups, Palay and Barangay, introduced Australian diners to Filipino flavors and dishes.

Palay later evolved into a permanent restaurant in Fitzroy, Melbourne. The restaurant presents Filipino-inspired dishes influenced by Chef Fhred’s culinary experiences and techniques from working with different cuisines.

His career has also included collaborations with Filipino culinary personalities such as Chef Rolando “Lau” Laudico, Chef Jac Laudico, and pastry chef Miko Aspiras.

His return to the Philippines through Salo-Salo gives him a different opportunity. Instead of simply bringing his Melbourne-developed dishes home, Chef Fhred will work directly with MGHR chefs to explore new interpretations of Filipino food.

The collaboration allows both sides to revisit familiar flavors and ingredients from different perspectives.

Palay+ Brings a Filipino Tasting Experience to Eastwood

The centerpiece of the first Salo-Salo collaboration is Palay+, an immersive 10-course Filipino dining experience inspired by Chef Fhred’s Melbourne restaurant, Palay.

The “+” represents the collaborative element of the experience. The menu was developed with chefs from MGHR properties in the NCR+ region, combining Chef Fhred’s international experience with the MGHR team’s familiarity with Filipino ingredients, local flavors, and Filipino diners.

For Chef Fhred, bringing Palay+ to the Philippines represents an opportunity to reconnect with the food and culture that shaped his culinary identity.

He also sees the collaboration as a chance to exchange ideas with MGHR’s culinary team and offer Filipino diners another perspective on dishes and flavors they may already know.

The result is designed as a shared culinary experience that reflects both international influences and Filipino culinary traditions.

Kalma Opens a Conversation About Kitchen Culture

The Salo-Salo program also extends beyond food.

Chef Fhred will introduce Kalma, a moderated discussion focusing on positive workplace culture, mental health, leadership, and accountability in the hospitality industry.

The discussion reflects Chef Fhred’s advocacy for mental health in professional kitchens. Hospitality environments can be demanding, and conversations about leadership, workplace culture, and accountability play an important role in how culinary teams operate.

By incorporating Kalma into the Salo-Salo program, the collaboration addresses both the food served on the table and the people who create it.

Filipino Cuisine as a Shared Culinary Story

Salo-Salo reflects a broader conversation about the evolution of Filipino cuisine. Filipino chefs working overseas often adapt local ingredients and traditional dishes to different markets, diners, techniques, and culinary environments.

At the same time, chefs based in the Philippines continue to work closely with local ingredients, traditions, and dining preferences.

Bringing these perspectives together creates an opportunity to explore how Filipino cuisine can evolve while maintaining its connection to its cultural roots.

For MGHR, the program also reinforces its efforts to showcase Filipino hospitality and cuisine across its hotel properties.

Experience Palay+ at Eastwood Richmonde Hotel

The first Salo-Salo collaboration featuring Palay+ will take place at Eastwood Richmonde Hotel on September 26, 2026.

Guests can choose between two seatings:

• Lunch: 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM
• Dinner: 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
• Price: PHP 4,800 per person

The limited-seat experience offers diners an opportunity to explore a 10-course Filipino menu created in collaboration with Chef Fhred Batalona and MGHR’s culinary teams.

For reservations, guests may contact fb@eastwoodrichmonde.com or (63) 917-821-0333.

With Palay+, LaMeza: Salo-Salo turns the Filipino dining table into a meeting point for chefs, ideas, techniques, and stories. The first collaboration sets the stage for a culinary platform that brings Filipino chefs together, wherever their kitchens may be.

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Read:

• Why Iloilo City was Named a UNESCO “Creative City of Gastronomy” — and What You Should Eat There
• A Culinary Journey Across the Philippines: How Megaworld Hotels & Resorts Is Turning Every Stay Into a Food Adventure