The theme for this year’s MEGA Ball was Fashion + Film, and though these two were highlighted by the presence of big-named celebrities garbed in black-and-white ensemble made by local designers, another form of art shone through. And that is, food.
As with the past installments of the prestigious gala, a chef gets invited to present a menu inspired by the Independence Day to all 250 guests. This year, Tadhana’s Frances Tariga fulfilled the role—in spades!
“I love being on camera,” she replied when asked about being given the opportunity to be 2026’s featured chef. “In the States kasi, you can’t be just a good chef. Kailangan may character ka. The pressure there is representing your roots to a very A-list crowd. At the same, I just want to have fun. It’s something I would say is a going to be an important journey in my life. I’d say it’s going be one of the big ones. And we just want to represent well.”
For the by-invitation-only dinner, she composed a five-course menu that showcased some of the strongest dishes they offer at Tadhana.
Hors d’oeuvres
- Binatog (corn tortilla, truffle comte es puma, coconut snow)
- Pa-kwan (crispy rice cake, watermelon, miso honey)
- Ensalada (spiced lavash, baba ganoush, mulberry gel)
First Course
Second Course
Main Course
Dessert
With chef Frances Tariga’s stellar menu, MEGA Ball 2026 proved to be less of a society event and more of a grand celebration of Filipino arts—film, fashion and of course, food too!
Frequently Asked Questions
Chef Frances Tariga of Tadhana was the featured chef for MEGA Ball 2026.
The theme for MEGA Ball 2026 was Fashion + Film.
Guests were served a five-course menu highlighting modern Filipino cuisine and local ingredients.
The menu included Balayan Caesar, Ginat-an, Sinigang sa Bayabas, Inihaw at Gulay, and Maja Blanca.
Chef Frances Tariga is the chef behind Tadhana.
