A Michelin journey with Maserati
Maserati has long stood as a symbol of Italian craftsmanship where performance, design, and heritage converge with quiet confidence. In much the same way, the Michelin Guide celebrates discipline, culinary artistry, and an unwavering devotion to craft. These shared ideals came together as the Maserati Legacy Circle: an exclusive culinary road series through Metro Manila.
It was an evening designed to bring together an intimate group for a multi-stop drive through the city’s Michelin-starred dining destinations, each reached behind the wheel, or from the passenger seat of a Maserati.
The evening started at one-star Michelin restaurant Hapag, where refined Filipino flavors and precise execution reflected Maserati’s own engineering philosophy—intentional, emotive, and meticulously crafted. Maserati Philippines president Sam Verzosa welcomed guests as Chefs Thirdy Dolatre and Kevin Navoa prepared a soup of Tiyula Itum (beef broth with fresh ginger and burnt coconut oil) plus two appetizers—Siyagul with Roti Martabak (local pesto roti, swordfish, coconut Mornay, caviar, pickled onions, chimichurri, borracho) and the Mindanao version of satay, Satti (beef tongue, beef cheek, chicken skin, chicken tail served with satti sauce).
Guests were driven over to Manila’s only two-star Michelin restaurant, helm, whose avant-garde menu echoed Maserati’s drive for innovation: evolving without losing its soul. Chef Josh Boutwood prepared three entrées for the group—Patagonian tooth fish (a.k.a. Chilean sea bass) with dill and chili paired with Domaine Ostertag Riesling; Quail with chanterelles and hazelnuts; and Wagyu with beetroot and fermented root crops paired with Tinto de Toro Gago.
Throughout the night, guests were all chauffeured in a fleet that underscored Maserati’s breadth of craftsmanship. The fleet featured Maserati’s own halo car, MC20, the Grecale, the Ghibli Hybrid, and their pioneering SUV, the Levante.
The evening concluded as the Maserati fleet arrived at the third stop, the one-star Michelin restaurant Celera, where a curated menu was served which was composed with elegance and restraint, mirroring Maserati’s belief that true luxury lies not in excess, but in refinement. Chefs Nicco Santos and Quenee Villar prepared a choice of starters—either BBQ white Peking duck and chicken meatball, shiso, spiced lime condiment, and Baguio strawberries or Crudo of marinated Japanese scallops, allium cream, cold walnut sauce, and dark chocolate.
The choice of entrée was grilled Maine lobster tail served with laksa bisque over pappardelle and cauliflower puree or grilled aged lamb ribs with beetroot, gremolata(parsley, lemon zest, and garlic), and red wine sauce. The duo also made two desserts, dark chocolate and Milo tart with coconut caramel and banana cream plus a dill meringue with two low-alcohol drink, borracho and amazake granita, and sobacha (buckwheat tea). The chefs gave petit fours of kueh, bonbon, and compressed fruit for guests to bring home.
More than a gastronomic tour, Maserati Legacy Circle reframes the modern date night where the road itself becomes part of the experience and the smooth ride becomes a form of indulgence. Through this exclusive driving and dining experience, Maserati continues to position itself as a symbol of performance and a cultural companion to the world of cuisine, design, and luxury.
(Hapag is located on the 7th floor of Balmori Suites in Rockwell, helm is on the 3rd floor of The Shops at Ayala Triangle Garden, and Celera is on the 3rd floor of Comuna Building on Pablo Ocampo Street. The Maserati showroom is located on the ground floor of Primex Building, EDSA corner Connecticut, San Juan City.)
