Celera: Reimagining Taste, Rediscovering Identity
In Manila’s ever-evolving dining scene, some chefs leave a lasting impact by continuously pushing culinary boundaries. Over the past decade, Nicco Santos and Quenee Villar have been at the forefront of this movement, introducing some of the city’s most memorable dining experiences. With a portfolio that includes Your Local, Hey Handsome, Elephant Grounds, Restaurant Aurora, and the pandemic-era cloud kitchen Sambar, their names have become synonymous with innovative, flavor-driven cuisine. Yet, their latest venture, Celera, is not merely a culmination of their journey—it marks a new beginning.
Santos, known for his bold and inventive approach to Asian cuisine, has a deep understanding of regional ingredients and a talent for blending traditional Southeast Asian flavors with contemporary techniques. Villar, his longtime collaborator and business partner, plays a pivotal role in shaping their restaurants’ identities, overseeing operations, concept development, and menu creation. Together, they share a passion for flavor exploration, continuously evolving their style while staying true to their philosophy of expressive, personal cooking.
At Celera, they move beyond their signature Southeast Asian influences to craft dishes that feel both familiar and exciting. Their culinary philosophy remains rooted in layering flavors with intention, creating food that is complex yet refined, nostalgic yet forward-thinking.
Nestled within Comuna, a creative hub along Pablo Ocampo Extension in Makati, Celera finds itself among designers, bakers, artists, and creators, an environment that perfectly aligns with its ethos. For Santos, choosing this location was deeply personal. He sought to step away from central Makati in favor of a space that felt more organic, collaborative, and, importantly, closer to his father, who resides in the area, in hopes that they will be able to spend more time together.
The restaurant’s interiors were designed by J.J. Acuña, an internationally recognized architect known for his sophisticated yet effortless elegance. A fellow Comuna tenant, Acuña created a space that balances industrial rawness with refined details. The interiors incorporate raw concrete, warm wood, textured walls, rattan lamps, and metal chains—elements that add depth and contrast. Large dried flower arrangements bring a touch of organic elegance, reinforcing the restaurant’s immersive, inviting atmosphere.
Every design choice at Celera feels deliberate and bespoke; it not only reflects the restaurant’s distinct personality, but is its strongest tool in the telling of its story. The result is a visually striking and welcoming atmosphere—an immersive backdrop for the innovative dishes that unfold within. The quiet energy of the open kitchen showcases a flurry of young chefs in dark uniforms working together in cool and collected precision: chopping, frying, smoking, and grilling. This transparency in the cooking process reinforces Celera’s commitment to honest, unpretentious, and immersive dining.
The name Celera comes from the Malay word selera which means “appetite” or “taste,” thus a tribute to Santos’ Malaysian mentor who taught him the art of layering flavors. Santos admits that his early approach to cooking stemmed from a deep insecurity about his cooking skills.
“I used to smoke a lot. My mentor told me, ‘If you want to learn how to cook and layer flavors, you have to quit smoking.’ So I did. But I still felt my palate wasn’t sharp enough, so I continued to hide behind strong flavors.” Santos’ once bold, assertive flavor profiles were, in a way, a mask for self-doubt. Over time, through collaboration and experience, he built confidence in his style, learning to refine his bold approach into something more nuanced.
Every meal at Celera should begin with its focaccia, sourced from Scratch Bakery, a neighboring establishment within Comuna. Unlike traditional olive oil-infused focaccia, this version is made with lamb tallow, lending it a distinct richness. It is served with whipped kesong puti, a soft Filipino white cheese made from carabao’s milk, adding a creamy, slightly tangy contrast to the bread’s hearty flavor.
One of the restaurant’s standout dishes is the crudo, which embodies the chefs’ philosophy of layered complexity. Unlike a traditional raw fish dish dressed simply with olive oil and acid, Celera’s crudo features thinly sliced fish from Basilan paired with delicate protein noodles made from deeply flavorful fish stock, derived from roasting fish bones and heads. The dish is further elevated with a laksa leaf and peanut pesto, and finished with a bright, umami-rich ponzu sauce, creating a beautifully balanced and multi-dimensional flavor profile. “The way Filipinos cook is about making the most of what we have,” Santos explains. “This dish is a call to action—it represents the state of the Philippines, its produce, and its fisheries.”
Another deeply personal dish is the barbecued meatball, inspired by Santos’ childhood in Baguio. He recalls the scent of bonfire smoke, fresh pine, and the sweetness of Baguio strawberries. To capture these sensory memories, his team blends Pekin duck and chicken with kiniing, a smoked pork belly from Sagada that his grandmother often used in her cooking. This homage to his past is presented in the style of a Japanese tsukune, served with a miso egg yolk, yuzukoshō, shiso, and thinly sliced strawberries.
Celera’s lamb entrée showcases the restaurant’s innovative approach to global flavors and techniques. A rack of lamb, dry-aged for two weeks, is marinated in sake kasu, the lees from sake production, which enhances umami depth and tenderizes the meat. After spending eight minutes on the grill, it is served with a herb gremolata made from vegetable stems and a beetroot mole composed of beets, black garlic, and chocolate, creating a rich, earthy balance to the lamb’s savory notes. A wine, hibiscus, and black garlic jus adds the finishing touch.
“The sake kasu creates a nice crust and makes the meat more flavorful and less gamey with just a hint of sake,” Santos explains. “It speeds up the aging process, concentrating the flavor even more.”
Currently, Celera offers an à la carte menu, but a tasting menu is in the works, complete with a thoughtful wine pairing. The wine program, managed by Santos’ business partner and resident sommelier Pam Begre, ensures a carefully curated selection that complements the restaurant’s evolving dishes. In addition to wines, Celera also offers a range of cocktails (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and specialty coffee, reinforcing its commitment to refined yet approachable dining.
In many ways, Celera represents the continued evolution of Nicco Santos and Quenee Villar. It is a place that embraces the past while forging an entirely new path, where flavors feel familiar yet are reimagined with fresh perspectives. Located within Comuna, the restaurant embodies a spirit of collaboration, creativity, and reinvention. Rather than serving as a final statement on their culinary journey, Celera is a space of ongoing discovery—a testament to the idea that, even after years in the industry, Santos and Villar are still finding new ways to surprise and delight their diners.
Celera is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 6 pm to 11 pm, at 3F Comuna, 238 Pablo Ocampo Sr. Extension, Makati City
Photographed by Miguel Nacianceno