Okada Manila debuts two culinary gems with Michelin-starred mastery

Okada Manila unveiled Yue Lai, its modern Chinese culinary venture, to an intimate circle of guests. The restaurant, guided by a Michelin-honored chef with deep roots in Cantonese heritage, reinterprets imperial recipes through contemporary techniques. Lacquered duck with chrysanthemum glaze and truffle-scented dumplings graced celadon ceramics, while Ming-inspired silk screens framed the elegant space — a seamless blend of ancestral wisdom and modern luxury.

XO wagyu fried rice with lettuce, dong po braised pork in fruit tomato

Later in the week, the spotlight shifted to Kappou Yoshi, a Kyoto-style counter and Madame Okada’s personal passion project. Radiant as ever, she poured sake for guests at the hinoki counter — her hands steady, her presence a masterclass in Japanese hospitality. Beside her, a Michelin-starred chef demonstrated Onko Chishin — “innovate from roots” — transforming A5 Wagyu and sea bream into edible haiku. Wine connoisseur Ralph Joseph and close friends witnessed the culinary theater, where each course, from silken edamame to tamago yaki, whispered seasonal poetry.

Jinky Rabano, Hi Society, Miaki Narita, Takako Okada, George Sarakinis and Jerry Rabano

Yu Lei culinary team headed by Chef Mikiya Imagawa

Miaki Narita, Ralph Joseph, Linette Ablan and Butch Bunsol

Staff of Yoshi Japanese Kappou

Homemade chilled tofu

Chef’s choice of seven appetizers

Chinese sponge cake and black sesame glutenous rice ball in osmanthus syrup

Taro puff and crispy duck spring roll

Charcoal-grilled Wagyu Steak

Daikon salad, thinly sliced radishes topped with sakura ebi shrimp

Grilled lobster with uni

Chef’s signature set Japanese bluefin tuna, toro, shimaaji and octopus

Yue Lai’s scholarly elegance and Kappou Yoshi’s soulful minimalism, both steered by Michelin pedigrees, reflect Madame Okada’s refined ethos. As one guest observed, “Her grace turns meals into legacies.” With these ventures, she reaffirms that true influence thrives not in grandeur, but in the quiet mastery of tradition — guided by a distinctly feminine touch.