Filipino fine dining is on the rise but is still far from mainstream. Chicago’s Michelin-starred, James Beard-winning Kasama and husband-wife chefs, Tim Flores and Genie Kwon, elevated the cuisine of the Philippines, playing with it in inspired ways (my review). As has chef Francis Ang in San Francisco on a more mid-range scale at Abacá and his prior pop-up Pinoy Heritage. Debuting December 5, 2025, SF’s new Restaurant Naides is pushing the conversation forward dramatically. If it doesn’t garner a Michelin star (they were just listed immediately), the system is broken. Naides was already that honed merely a couple months in.
As context is everything, Naides’ SF location holds significance. At over 1.7 million, the Golden State is home to the U.S.’ largest (by far) Filipino population dating back to the 16th century and spread across 30 counties, heavily in greater Los Angeles. But from San Francisco’s dense “Manilatown” on Kearny Street since the 1800s, its substantial Filipino communities South of Market (SoMa) since the 1960s, to the neighboring town of Daly City, which currently has the highest concentration of Filipino Americans of any municipality in the U.S., the Bay Area alone is home to more of the community than the two second largest U.S. populations (Hawaii and Texas respectively), which fall a good 80% lower than California.
Naides’ home is in the former Sons & Daughters on Bush Street, merely three blocks from the historic Manilatown on Kearny Street. Partners in life and co-owners, Patrick Gabon and Celine Wuu, launched the 11–13 course tasting menu-only restaurant centered around Gabon’s Filipino heritage and ingredients. They took over the space after Gabon’s years as chef under Harrison Cheney at two Michelin Sons & Daughters (my S&D review coming soon since it moved to the Mission).
Read the rest on Substack: Upping the Filipino Game Sustainably & Artfully: Restaurant Naides is One to Watch