Earning a Michelin Star is a lifelong goal for many in the culinary world, but doing so less than a year after opening feels like catching lightning in a bottle.
Nestled along Chino Roces Avenue in Makati is FLOW, a fine dining tasting-menu concept co-founded by young chefs Kevin Jonathan Uy and Gabriel “Gato” Ong that has officially joined the prestigious ranks of One Michelin Star restaurants in the Philippines. Marrying Peruvian techniques with vibrant local ingredients, the duo took a bold gamble on an ambitious, modern vision.
As FLOW takes its place among the country’s elite dining spots, it’s worth looking beyond the prestige to understand the hard work behind the achievement.
How Do FLOW’s Chefs Handle The Michelin Star Pressure?
Any major achievement is bound to stir something within you, no matter how confident or self-assured you may have thought yourself to be. Chefs experience this no differently.
When the local culinary world watched FLOW earn its first Michelin Star, it raises the inevitable question: does the weight of the Star give rise to more confidence, or more pressure?
Chef Kevin admits it is a daily balancing act. “[Imposter syndrome is] something I struggle with every day,” he shared. But rather than taking it as a source of anxiety, he views it as a grounding mechanism: “I do think [some] sort of ‘imposter syndrome’ can be good because it keeps us grounded and constantly having to prove ourselves.”
Chef Gato emphasizes a different kind of mindfulness, one that keeps their egos in check. “It’s really easy to be swept off by the Star,” he notes, quickly shifting the credit outward. “We always remember that the Star isn’t ours, but our team’s. I don’t think we [would have gotten] the Star if we didn’t have the support, passion, and dedication of the team we currently have.”
He makes it a point to see the Michelin recognition for what it truly was. It is a collective accomplishment that came from joint effort, despite the pressure and regardless of the confidence.
Doubters Be Damned
There’s a quiet assumption that the path to earning a Michelin Star is a long and arduous business and creative venture. The moment they walked onto that bright red stage, FLOW’s win broke that very mold. But building something unconventionally often invites skepticism.
“We all have our doubters,” chef Kevin shared, recalling a time when he was questioned why he continued to work so hard manually when he could just let machines do the work.
Instead of focusing on outside noise, the chefs choose to channel that energy inward, letting their dedication speak for itself.
“The idea is to never let yourself be affected by these statements,” Kevin explained. “Focus on what is important—the work. You need to have a filter and the ability to block out the noise.” As motivating as proving yourself to others can be, both chefs believe that proving themselves to themselves is far more gratifying and will better serve them in the long journey they see ahead of them.
For chef Gato, silencing the doubt means leaning heavily into continuous self-improvement and leadership. “Each chef has their own savoir-faire,” he reflected. “It’s about being aware of your strengths, realizing where you can still polish yourself, and not being afraid to go back to basics, learn, relearn, and cross-learn.” Chef Kevin carries that philosophy into how he chooses to manage the kitchen, noting, “My only focus is to be good not only in the kitchen, but out of it, too. Now, whatever I do reflects the restaurant and the team.”
After The Star, Back to Work
The thing about triumph is that there is always the day after, and the day after that.
“It’s back to regular programming,” chef Gato simply said, though with a distinct shift in perspective. With a surge of new bookings following the Michelin Guide ceremony, the stakes are undeniably higher as diners walk through the door with soaring expectations.
While Chef Kevin admits the win hasn’t fully sunk in yet, the reality of what it means for their future has. “From a dream that Gato and I chased [it] has now become an expectation for us, so we have to be more careful.”
They are choosing not to let the pressure paralyze them. Instead, they are embracing the heightened standards, choosing to prove themselves not just to the critics or the public, but to each other.
Above all, they are choosing to go back to work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Less than a year after opening, FLOW was awarded One Michelin Star in the Michelin Guide Philippines 2027. It became the only new restaurant to earn a first star.
The restaurant features a modern tasting menu that marries Peruvian cooking techniques with vibrant local ingredients.
Chef Kevin Uy and Chef Gabriel “Gato” Ong chose to filter out the critics and skeptics, opting to concenttrate entirely on their work. Chef Kevin noted that while proving oneself to others is good motivation, proving yourself to yourself is even more gratifying.
Chef Gato emphasized being fully aware of one’s strengths,recognizing areas of improvement, and remaining unafraid to go back to the basics to learn, relearn, and cross-learn.
Moreover, chef Kevin strives to model good behavior both inside and outside the kitchen since his actions reflect not only on the team but on the restaurants as a whole.
While the win hasn’t completely sunk in for Chef Kevin yet, both chefs recognize that the stakes are much higher noe due to the surge in bookings and soaring expectations of to-be diners.
Rather than letting the pressure overwhelm them, they are choosing to view it as a heightened standard to carefully maintain as they return to their “regular programming.”
