Le Bon Funk returns to a hungrier Manila
When asked about the paradise jelly tart that opened his menu at Offbeat Bistro, chef Keirin Buck doesn't hesitate. “Paradise, to me, is Southeast Asia and tropical fruit.”
It's a fitting philosophy for a chef who's finally back in Manila after a seven-year absence. The last time Buck cooked in Manila was in late September 2019, when he did a four-hands dinner at Helm with chef Josh Boutwood. Helm has since earned two Michelin stars and relocated to Ayala Triangle Gardens. On Jan. 21, Buck returned to a different Manila, a different venue at Offbeat Bistro, and a dining scene that's transformed dramatically since his last visit.
Both seatings at Offbeat Bistro were full. Manila's dining scene has become experimental, curious, and hungry to see what's happening beyond its borders. Buck brought the food from his Singapore neighborhood wine bar, Le Bon Funk, to Ayala Triangle Gardens, serving eight dishes that embodied everything his establishment stands for: playful, produce-driven, and deliberately unfussy. It's the kind of food where you're encouraged to reach over and share with one another.
Le Bon Funk is a neighborhood wine bar with locations on Club Street and in Holland Village in Singapore. Its original Club Street space, which has been home to the bar for about eight years, is closed for renovations from January to late February 2026. This was then the perfect time for Buck to visit Manila.
A different Manila
The Michelin Guide's arrival in the Philippines in 2025 has shifted the city's energy, with its first restaurant selection for Manila and environs unveiled for the 2026 guide. In Singapore, where Buck has operated Le Bon Funk for the past decade, the guide has long been part of the dining landscape. Here, it's fresh territory.
Buck's approach to cooking remains unchanged. If you're expecting one kind of influence, you won't find it here. At Offbeat Bistro, chefs Angelo Comsti and Don Baldosano are known for their deep ingredient research and for using Filipino produce in thoughtful, contemporary ways. Both Le Bon Funk and Offbeat Bistro share a philosophy: thoughtful cooking that draws from carefully sourced market ingredients.
“I wouldn't say we have one real style. We do Western, French, and Spanish, but with our own take,” Buck explains.
Of Canadian and Japanese heritage, Buck grew up in Toronto with parents who made market-fresh produce part of everyday life. He went on to hone his craft in Canadian restaurants before moving to Singapore to cook at Burnt Ends, another “no rules” restaurant that coaxes flavors using wood and fire, eventually opening Le Bon Funk as his first solo venture.
"A lot of the base flavors are Japanese, then we build on that and bring in European dishes, but fortified with those Japanese flavors," he says of his approach at Le Bon Funk, which features organic, all-natural wines complemented by his myriad of dishes.
Paradise on a plate
That opening tart was everything Buck promised. Frozen, shaved foie gras with barbecued tropical fruit jelly made from mango and pineapple, spiced with warm tropical aromatics like clove, cinnamon, and cardamom, served in a crisp brick pastry tart shell. The freezing and shaving method creates a much lighter dish than traditional pan-roasted foie gras. “Paradise Jelly came from wanting something local, but still built with a lot of process and flavor,” he says. “We're using mango and pineapple, we barbecue it down, add spices like clove, cinnamon, and cardamom, infuse it, then set it into a jelly.”
Next came tapioca fritters, a playful twist on an ingredient Filipinos typically encounter in sweet dishes. Developed specifically for this takeover at Offbeat, the crisp tapioca fritters were enriched with Parmesan and milk, topped with raw tuna marinated in yuzu kosho aioli and shaved onions. “We'd been playing with the tapioca fritters for a bit. Before the event, I wanted to make sure it was something different.”
The menu continued with Seabream Crudo layered with eggplant escalivada seasoned with kombu, finished with apple, basil, and mint. Wagyu beef tartare came with smoked cherry tomatoes and hickory sticks, a nod to Buck's Canadian roots.
A salad of Rosa del Veneto, seasonal Italian lettuce, arrived tossed in fermented plum vinaigrette, dotted with candied pumpkin and sunflower seeds and fresh grapes. Plump agnolotti stuffed with roasted white corn and mascarpone sat in porcini and morel sauce with bullhorn pepper kosho and aged gouda.
But it was the main that showcased Buck's ability to elevate the simplicity of a roast chicken: brined chicken with grilled green pepper harissa, served over cashew rice pilaf studded with mint, coriander, and green olives, finished with fried curry leaves and ginger.
Sharing is everything
For Buck, the format matters as much as the food. "Sharing style matters because it creates engagement. If everything is plated and set in front of you, you just sit there and take it in," he says. "We want people reaching around the table. I like having three or four things on the table at a time, so there's always something to pick at."
It's an approach born from collaboration. “We have a big team. All the dishes are collaborative. We sit down every week for R&D, get everyone's input, and decide what the main flavor is,” Buck explains. “Each chef in the kitchen today has their own dish on the menu.”
He shared, “My role is making sure we pare it down. Everyone has ideas, but we don't need to do everything. If one ingredient is really good, you just need one.”
The reality of restaurants
The restaurant industry is challenging in Singapore as it is in many other places like London and New York. In Buck's view, roughly one in five restaurants shut down last year—a figure he says shows how tough the current climate is. “For us, we're doing pretty good. We're not cheap, but we have good quality, and we're consistent. Even when things dip, people know what we do, and they trust we'll deliver.”
That consistency, paired with a genuine desire to connect with diners, keeps Le Bon Funk thriving in Singapore. And it's what made Buck's rare Manila appearance feel like an event worth the seven-year wait.
With the last bite of caramelized brioche with cereal milk semifreddo and kinako, the question lingered: when will he be back? Manila's dining scene has certainly earned a quicker return than seven years.
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Le Bon Funk is located at 29 Club St and 277 Holland Avenue, Singapore. Visit www.bonfunk.com or @lebonfunk for details. Offbeat Bistro is located on the second floor of The Shops, Ayala Triangle Gardens. Visit @offbeatbistroph for more kitchen takeovers.
