SFUMATO: An immersive Dining Experience Where Art and Flavor Coalesce

BS Restaurant Entrepreneurship Program of the John Gokongwei School of Management (JGSOM) and Le Cordon Bleu Ateneo de Manila proudly bring an extraordinary immersive six-course dining experience to Katipunan.

Quezon City, Philippines — Take a gastronomic adventure in Areté Ateneo, Loyola Heights, with BS Restaurant Entrepreneurship Senior Class as they invite you to take part and be their guest in a one-of-a-kind fine dining experience named “Sfumato”. In the era of the Italian Renaissance, sfumato is a painting technique famed for its smooth and "smoky" transitions between colors and tones—a visual feast for the beholder. Today, you can experience sfumato through your sense of taste in this new dining experience prepared by fourteen new promising restaurant leaders and food & beverage entrepreneurs for their capstone project in their Business Implementation class, under the mentorship of their class advisor Mr. Leofel Vergara.

The Making of Sfumato

*Photo: SFUMATO (@sfumato.manila) / Instagram*

Sfumato as a dining concept was born out of the inspiration that participating Seniors General Manager (GM) Ma. Danica Rose “Madie” Yacob and Front of House Server (FOHS)Julianne “Ianne” Marie Ponce had from their summer term studying in Milan, Italy, at Università Cattolica, which shifted their perception on food and dining forever.

“What we noticed right away was how simple but intentional everything was. The food wasn’t trying to impress through complexity, it was more about balance, quality ingredients, and letting flavors come out naturally. Meals also felt slower and more connected, like each course had a purpose and didn’t compete with the others,” explains GMMadie on the culinary experience she had during her stay in Italy.

“At the same time, we were exposed to many Italian traditions and art, where we came across the idea of sfumato, which is about soft transitions instead of harsh lines. That really stayed with us because it reflected how we experienced the food, nothing was forced, everything just flowed. It was simple, but impactful. So when we developed Sfumato, we wanted to bring that same feeling into the dining experience here in the Philippines,” added GM Madie on how her Italian summer inspired and influenced the concept for the tasting menu course.

In addition to GM Madie and Ianne Ponce’s Italian Summer term experience, Sfumato team members FOHS Jorryn Jenell Tan, Maitre d’ Mikaela “Mika” Billote, and Sous Chef Makayla Therese Yu are all equipped with knowledge and skill in Italian cuisine through their completed internships at renowned Italian restaurants in Manila such as Wildflour Italian. Their combined experiences greatly influenced the degustation concept.

This newfound inspiration was then shared with their team to further develop the concept into a multi-course tasting menu. Head Chef John Joshua “Teki” Teknomo and Sous Chef Makayla share that they began by researching the main characteristics and sub-techniques of sfumato, such as layering, blending, softening edges, and smudging. From there, the team brainstormed how the ideas could be exhibited through dishes—through flavor progression, texture, and presentation.

“We really made sure that before the concept can come to life, the food must be cohesive first, hence we start with a bread course, then a salad course as a light appetizer, then going to a hot appetizer, a palate cleanser, the main course, then a dessert,” share Head Chef Teki and Sous Chef Makayla through a written response.

They continue to explain, “Once that is established, we then went about discussing the alignment of certain sub-techniques with food. One example would be our Tuna Carpaccio, which takes inspiration from the technique Micro-Modulation of Color. This dish really started with the question of “how can we show the different hues of one color through food”. We then narrowed a color down and applied that question with creating a salad in mind, which led us to showcase a tuna carpaccio which covers a salad filled with different ingredients with different shades of red such as watermelon, pomelo, red wine vinegar, and bell peppers.

Similar to the Italian Renaissance masters’ process of creating masterpieces of visual sensation, these young chefs’ process of creating the menu involved initial testing and lots of intentional revision and refinement to arrive at a final menu that reflected the idea of sfumato authentically.

“We also made sure that the idea of Sfumato wasn’t just present in the food itself, but also in other parts of the experience, like the course names, the progression of flavors throughout the meal, and the plating techniques,” emphasize Head Chef Teki and Sous Chef Makayla.

Sfumato blends culinary and artistic expression into a new conceptual dining project with its tasting menu consisting of six unique courses, each an experience of the sfumato technique applied as core philosophy to food, manifesting in subtle shifts in flavors, textures, and aromas blending into one another seamlessly, where no singular note dominates the palate; and each course builds upon the last.

(Read more to see The Sfumato Team’s Favorite Courses to Serve)

The BS Restaurant Entrepreneurship Program Experience

*Collage from Photos by: Soundbites Events and Blog*

Sous Chef Makayla (left) and Head Chef Teki (right) share with Tipunan that BS Restaurant Entrepreneurship program allows students to freely express ideas with guidance from great chef instructors namely Chef Annalisa Margarita Mariano - Program Director of BS Restaurant Entrepreneurship Program, Chef Cyrille Soenen - Technical Director (Le Cordon Bleu Ateneo), and Chef Julien Bispo - Pastry Chef (Le Cordon Bleu Ateneo).

“Le Cordon Bleu has instilled in us a need to showcase a great amount of effort into the technical process as well as a perceived complexity in the food, which we proudly try to showcase through a cohesive menu with many working parts, intentional ingredients and flavors, as well as a philosophy to add complexity in subtle but impactful ways.

These standards really stem from the French culinary tradition that Le Cordon Bleu proudly commits to wherein providing excellent food and service is deeply instilled in our team as we have gone through the many kitchen classes that Le Cordon Bleu has provided for us and internship opportunities of BS REnt that really align us with the standards of great food and service of a restaurant.

We as a team have culminated this concept as a reflection of the many experiences we have had under Le Cordon Bleu,” shares the two chefs in a written response.

The Sfumato Team’s Favorite Courses to Serve

FOHS Paolo De Guzman and FOHS Julianne Ponce both gave “Lost Edges” (Focaccia, Pesto Butter, Marinara, Balsamic Gel served on a palette) as their favorite course to serve. This dish invites guests to take part in the artistic process and use the housemade focaccia as a brush to blend the three sauces or to experience each flavor separately—the artistic choice is yours to make.

“This course sets the tone for the whole service, everything the guests hear, see, touch, and taste aligns to communicate the same idea,” explains Julianne.

Paolo adds, “Whenever I take a bite of our Focaccia, I share the same sentiment as our customers, for being able to taste bread in its purest, natural form without any additives is an experience which we do not often get in our day-to-day lives in the modern world; making the experience of eating our first course truly something special.”

FOHS Jorryn Tan introduces us to “Micro-Modulation of Color” (Tuna Carpaccio, Red Hue Salad, Herb Oils, Paprika served atop a Ruby Charger Plate) as her favorite course to serve.

“It stands out the most because of its uniqueness. It has its own setup, using a red charger plate, and it utilizes different shades of red to represent and make the dish. The dish is also shaped like an eye, inspired by sfumato paintings, which made it even more interesting. Most of the guests also said that this was their favorite dish out of all the courses. In terms of taste, I like the bright and acidic taste that the red-hued salad within the carpaccio gives,” shares Jorryn on why the red course is her favorite course.

As for Maitre d’ Mikaela Billote, Barback Miguel Reginio, and Head Chef Teki Teknomo, their favorite dish to serve is “Soft Blending” (Pork Tenderloin Mosaic, Prosciutto, Gremolata, Verde Gel, Foam, Triple-Cooked Carrots, Polenta, Fried Capers). The course is inspired by sfumato’s gradual blending of tones. As the components meet and blend into each other on the plate, the colors and flavors gently mix into a soft development of flavor.

This main course features an intricate pork mosaic, achieved by wrapping prosciutto around pork tenderloin which is then encrusted with gremolata, sitting on a bed of polenta and triple-cooked carrots. It is served and garnished with three distinct sauces and fried capers.

Miguel explains, “My favorite dish from the service would be the Pork with Prosciutto, also known as the Soft Blending. In my opinion, it incorporates both taste and design.”

Mikaela adds, “It’s the highlight of the menu. It requires the most effort and coordination, and it’s the dish that guests really remember and appreciate the most, which makes it really satisfying to serve.”

“It was really fulfilling to create a dish like that with my team as it really allowed us to grow as cooks and really experience together the process of refining a dish as important as the main course,” explains Head Chef Teki.

Finally, GM Madie Yacob and SousChef Makayla Therese Yu present “Finger Smudging” (Strawberry Coulis, Lemon Custard, Dark Chocolate Sauce, Mascarpone, Butter Crumble, Coffee Shards, Cacao Spongecake) as their favorite dish to serve. This dessert course gives guests one last invitation to take part in the artistry by encouraging the guests to physically touch the art with their own hands—drawing from the most intimate technique of Renaissance art.

General Manager Madie explains, “ It allows the guests to become part of the experience. Instead of just being served a finished dish, they get to create their own version of it, almost like making their own masterpiece.”

Sous Chef Makayla adds, “Instead of something perfectly structured, it’s more deconstructed and even a little messy, but that’s also the beauty of Sfumato. The blending, the freedom, and the lack of strict boundaries are all reflected in that final course.”

Explore the full six courses when you dine with Sfumato—all intentionally set and paced to follow the sfumato flow of soft transitions and smooth unfolding of sensations and flavors, while taking you through the creative process of sketching, coloring, up to refined blending and final touches translated into the world of food. Enjoy the courses with Sfumato’s carefully crafted drink pairings.

(See complete menu below)

*Collage from Photos by: SFUMATO (@sfumato.manila) / Instagram*

The Sfumato Team’s Favorite Parts of the Dining Project

More than just delicious food and an artful experience, Sfumato celebrates inspiration and the potential of the fourteen upcoming chefs—their dedication and passion in what they do which are apparent throughout the entire dining experience. Tipunan asked the young chefs what the most fulfilling parts of the service were to them.

FHOS Paolo De Guzman tells us, “Oftentimes, whenever I check in on customers and see the smiles on their faces, it gives me true fulfillment for it allows me to see that all the hard work, passion, and soul we have poured into this project was truly worth it.”

FOHS Julianne Ponce says,”Being a part of a very talented team that was able to create and integrate a complete experience where the service, food, and design are intentional and tell the same story and show the Sfumato technique.”

For Maitre d’ Mikaela Billote, “Seeing how everything comes together during service. It’s very rewarding when the timing is smooth, the dishes go out correctly, and the team communicates well. There are moments when it gets overwhelming, but it’s always going to be worth it, especially when we can still manage to deliver an excellent experience for the guests.”

Barback Miguel Reginio tells us, “Being able to put a lot of effort when it comes to each service. From preparation, to service, up until taking note of feedback, this helps not only improve ourselves as a team, but also how we can deliver a better service in the succeeding days. At the end of the day, we also love to see how satisfied our customers are.”

FOHS Jorryn Tan seconds the motion and says, “Seeing everything we worked hard on receive positive feedback. It shows all the effort we put in—from planning and designing to setting up every Saturday, preparing the food, and paying attention to small details. It felt rewarding to know that these were all recognized and appreciated. In the end, it felt worth it when we saw the guests’ reactions, hearing and seeing that they enjoyed what we made for them.”

Sous Chef Makayla Yu says, “Seeing our concept evolve from ideation to actuality. At the start, everything was just concepts and discussions, but slowly seeing it come to life was really rewarding. Beyond the concept and execution, what made it even more meaningful was the camaraderie we built throughout the process.”

GM Madie Yacob shares, “It truly feels like the culmination of our four years in college. It’s fulfilling to see how everything we’ve learned, and how much we’ve grown is reflected in this dinner service. At the same time, as General Manager, I’ve seen how an idea that started as a simple inspiration turned into a full dining experience through the team’s effort, coordination, and trust. It’s been meaningful to witness everyone grow into their roles and come together to create something we’re all genuinely proud of.”

And for Head Chef Teki Teknomo, “Bringing an idea into life and seeing great reactions from our guests, really acknowledging the effort that went behind each dish and each service. It brings me a lot of joy seeing me and my team work tirelessly together towards the same goal of providing the best possible experience for our guests through the concept that we collectively ideated together.”

See what the amazing chefs of Sfumato have in store for you. Take part in the art of Sfumato and experience the symphony of flavor and feeling blending together to bring you an unforgettable experience of artful dining—transforming a delicious meal into a decadent sensory adventure.

For reservations and inquiries, please visit Sfumato Manila’s official social media pages:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sfumato.manila

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sfumato.manila

Special Thanks to Soundbites Events and Blog for media courtesy and

to the talented Sfumato Team:

Bersola, Karl Vincent - Front of House Server

Billote, Mikaela - Maitre d’

Cuazon, Nathan Thomas - Chef de Partie

De Guzman, Paolo Miguel - Front of House Server

Go, Geoffrey Keith - Chef de Partie

Lim, Sophia Erika - Bar Head

Lim, Chase Theodore - Chef de Partie

Ponce, Julianne Marie - Front of House Server

Pua, Lanz Adler - Chef de Partie

Reginio, Miguel Marco - Barback

Tan, Jorryn Jenell - Front of House Server

Teknomo, John Joshua - Head Chef

Yacob, Ma. Danica Rose - General Manager

Yu, Makayla Therese - Sous Chef

SFUMATO: An immersive Dining Experience Where Art and Flavor Coalesce

The Making of Sfumato

The BS Restaurant Entrepreneurship Program Experience

The Sfumato Team’s Favorite Courses to Serve

The Sfumato Team’s Favorite Parts of the Dining Project

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