SPANISH CHEF CHELE GONZÁLEZ GATHERS TWO MICHELIN STARS AND THE ONLY GREEN STAR AWARDED AT THE FIRST EDITION OF THE 2026 MICHELIN GALA HELD IN THE PHILIPPINES
Renowned for his high-level territorial cuisine, Chef Chele González holds the distinction of being the first Spanish chef in the Philippines to be recognized with a MICHELIN star – and the only Green Star awarded – for the restaurant Gallery by Chele and a MICHELIN star for Asador Alfonso. His other two projects, Cantabria and Enye By Chele Gonzalez, have been highlighted as Recommended.
Manila, October 30th, 2025 – Filipino and Spanish cuisine celebrated a historic milestone today when Chele González, the renowned Cantabrian chef, was awarded a MICHELIN star and the only Green Star awarded, for Gallery by Chele, and a MICHELIN star for Asador Alfonso, at the inaugural ceremony of the Michelin Guide Philippines 2026, held at the Marriott Manila Hotel in Newport World Resorts. Renowned for his regional cuisine of the highest standard, chef Chele González thus becomes the first Spanish and Cantabrian chef in the Philippines to receive two stars and a Green Star, plus two awards for two other projects in the ‘Recommended’ category in that country.
This landmark edition marks the first appearance of the MICHELIN Guide in the Philippines, in recognition of the country’s dynamic and rapidly evolving culinary scene. Among the newly starred restaurants, Gallery by Chele is notable for its creative fusion of European techniques and Filipino culture, cementing its position as one of Asia’s leading dining destinations. The restaurant is helmed by Spanish-born chef Chele González who co-owns the restaurant with business partner Carlo Calma and family. The Cantabrian chef has been a long-time resident of the Philippines and is one of its most passionate advocates of local ingredients and Filipino culture, having made a home here with his Filipina wife Teri and their daughter, Ainara. “I thank my family for their support, not just my little family at home but also the Calma family who have always believed in me and this project”, expressed the chef.
“Receiving two MICHELIN stars for two of my projects, plus a Green star, is beyond a dream come true,” he added. “This recognition is not only for me or my team, but for the Philippines. It’s a celebration of its people, its ingredients, and its incredible culinary heritage. Gallery by Chele is a love letter to this country that has become my home. I would also like to dedicate it to my homeland, Spain, which has given me the foundations of my culinary traditions” he said.
A pioneer of what he calls anthropological cuisine, González has spent the past 13 years reinterpreting Filipino traditions through the lens of innovation and locality. His cooking merges indigenous ingredients, regional products, and modern European techniques, building bridges between cultures and telling the story of the Philippines through flavor. Born in Cantabria, Spain, and trained in some of the world’s most acclaimed restaurants — including El Bulli, Arzak, El Celler de Can Roca, Nerua-Guggenheim, and Mugaritz — González made Manila his home over a decade ago.
Since opening in 2013 as Gallery Vask (now Gallery by Chele), the restaurant has become a benchmark for innovation and authenticity in Southeast Asia. Consistently recognized among Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, it redefined fine dining in the Philippines by giving humble local ingredients a place on the global stage.
Chele’s close collaboration with farmers, fishers, and communities across the archipelago has earned him the title of “The Innovative Chef”. In 2023, Tatler Dining Philippines named him Chef of the Year, recognizing his leadership in pushing Filipino gastronomy forward with sustainability, creativity, and cultural respect. The chef also has been recently awarded with 2 Knives by The Best Chef Awards in 2025.
Gonzalez admits that this accolade not only signifies their level of expertise in the kitchen but of the restaurant industry as a whole. “We are truly grateful to receive this recognition which is something we worked very hard for as a team”, Gonzalez expresses “so I share this with them, especially Carlos Villaflor who has been my longtime partner in the kitchen, as well as head chef Ian Udtujan. I would like to thank every single individual that has worked in Gallery by Chele over the last 12 years— without you this would not have happened. Gallery by Chele is a love letter to the Philippines, so while we are truly honored to be awarded by Michelin, I believe this award is for the Philippines. Finally, we have gained international recognition. This is not just about fine dining, but also about heritage so it’s really something special for the country. Also, this is not an individual award but an award for the whole industry. It feels good to have Filipino gastronomy up there with other countries in Asia”, González added. “These stars are proof that passion and collaboration can truly make dreams happen”.
Founded by Chef Chele González and architect Carlo Calma, Gallery by Chele was conceived as a space to explore the intersection between food, art, and culture. Inspired by the biodiversity and regional heritage of the Philippines, the restaurant offers immersive tasting experiences that engage all senses. Its test kitchen, Studio Lab, serves as a hub for research, innovation, and sustainability, where González and his team continue to develop new narratives around Filipino cuisine. Back when fine dining meant opulent furnishings and imported ingredients, Gonzalez was giving the local dining scene new ways of appreciating humble local produce but presented in a way that is globally understood and at a standard that is on the same level as the world’s finest restaurants.
In 2024, the chef and Calma opened Asador Alfonso, nestled in the lush highlands of Alfonso, Cavite, over 70 kilometers from Manila, a Spanish gastronomic restaurant that brings the heart from the central plains of Spain to the Philippines.
“This recognition is definitely the cherry on top of a long career,” González admits, “but it only encourages me to keep working hard and to keep getting better at what I do. This is only a part of that long and challenging road and it only proves to me and my team that we can keep aiming higher to take both the Philippines and Spain to the next level in gastronomic terms”.
The chef also has other gastronomic projects, such as Cantabria By Chele Gonzalez, a gastronomic nod to his region of origin, at The Westin Manila, as well as a catering company and a gastronomic consultancy.
The arrival of the MICHELIN Guide in the Philippines marks an exciting new chapter for the country’s gastronomic landscape, celebrating a nation of more than 7,000 islands, where heritage and innovation harmoniously collide. The first edition concluded with one restaurant awarded two stars, eight restaurants awarded one star, 74 selected restaurants, and 25 Bib Gourmands.
Recent Awards and Recognitions
#72 best restaurant in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025
2 knives by The Best Chef Award |2025
Tatler Best 20: The best restaurants in the Philippines | 2025
100 Tatler Best Restaurants Asia Pacific 2025
2025 Best of the Best Dining by Robb Report Philippines
Chef of the Year, Tatler Dining Philippines | 2023
About José Luis «Chele» González
Born in Torrelavega, Cantabria, Spain, he graduated in cooking in Artxanda, Bilbao. He worked in some of the world’s most renowned restaurants, such as Nerua, El Bulli, Arzak, Mugaritz and El Celler de Can Roca, which have honed his approach to cooking into a philosophy, revolving around his passion for discovery, along with his deep and abiding respect for local culture, products, flavours and culinary techniques.
Chele Gonzalez came to the Philippines guided by his adventurous spirit, where he worked in the kitchens of some of the country’s finest hotels, including Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts and Sofitel. Eventually, he decided to put his particular approach to gastronomy to the test and created Gallery Vask (now Gallery by Chele), which has become one of the most distinguished restaurants in the Philippines, and was recognised as the best restaurant in the Philippines by Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2016 and 2017, being also the first Spanish chef to enter the Asian list.
Throughout his career, Chele González has accumulated a long list of awards and recognitions. The most recent, as Chef of the Year, according to Tatler Dining Philippines magazine (2023). The Cantabrian chef is also known in the Philippines as «The Innovative Chef», due to his personal relationship with the growers, producers, breeders, manufacturers and communities of the different regions of a country with more than 7,000 islands.
Having developed different restaurant concepts located in major Philippine cities, Chele Gonzalez also spends time researching in his test kitchen, Studio Lab, his centre of creation and innovation, where he works alongside his culinary partner, Carlos Villaflor. He is also currently the culinary and creative director of one of the country’s most reputable restaurant consultancies, Adviche Inc.
Outside the kitchen, Chele maintains his adventurous spirit. He travels the world, constantly searching, learning and discovering. As an explorer, his goal is to bring the collaborative spirit of his restaurants to the world.
In 2015 Chele Gonzalez participated in Madrid Fusion Manila and in 2016, 2024 and 2025 in Madrid Fusion and Spain Fusion, highlighting sustainable Filipino cooking practices and serving also as a gastronomic ambassador representing Spain in the Philippines. He also collaborates with local chefs to raise the country’s gastronomic standards. He has conducted in-depth studies on local rice, the impact of the galleon trade and the cultural aspect of Filipino food, while maintaining strict sustainability standards. Oceana’s «Save the Oceans, Feed the World» project allowed him to explore the sustainability of seafood.
About Gallery by Chele
In 2013, Chele Gonzalez and architect Carlo Calma teamed up to create a distinct restaurant that would stand apart from conventional dining establishments in the Philippines and provide a variety of immersive experiences. The Spanish chef, born in Cantabria, wondered how to contribute to the increasingly demanding and sophisticated Philippine food scene. Aware of the vibrant food community in his adopted country, he immersed himself in Filipino culture and explored its diverse regions.
For 40 days, he explored remote areas of the Philippines, learning about the local cuisine, ingredients and environments. With the knowledge gained and the inspiration from his travels, Chele Gonzalez and Carlo Calma decided to offer a proposal they called anthropological gastronomy to their diners, reflecting the chef’s love for the Philippines.
Thus was born Gallery Vask, later renamed Gallery by Chele, a place where customers could see, hear, smell, feel and taste the art of the Spanish chef’s food using Filipino products. The restaurant entered Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2016 and is now ranked #72.
Throughout its evolution, Gallery by Chele has celebrated the diversity of ingredients and collaborated with world-renowned chefs such as Andoni Luis Aduriz, Josean Aliija, Elena Arzak, Andre Chiang, Virgilio Martinez, Yoshihiro Narisawa, Julien Royer, among many others.
The restaurant’s kitchen and research teams work permanently with local communities to perfect traditional techniques and skills, defending the cuisine of the territory. González and Calma have transformed the restaurant into a real jewel of the local scene, noted for its ambience, its gastronomic proposal and its excellent service, which positions it in a relevant place also at an international level.
About Asador Alfonso
Nestled in the lush highlands of Alfonso, Cavite, over 70 kilometers from Manila, Asador Alfonso is a Spanish gastronomic restaurant that brings the heart from the central plains of Spain to the Philippines. Located within The Lava Rock, a visionary 9.4-hectare farm and leisure development designed by renowned architect Carlo Calma, the restaurant’s striking volcanic-inspired structure reflects both artistry and nature. At its core burns the essence of Spain—fire—symbolized by the Horno Jumaco Maestro Castellano, a traditional roasting oven found in only a few of the world’s most celebrated asadors. Under the culinary direction of Chef Chele González and Chef Rodrigo Osorio, Asador Alfonso celebrates authentic ancestral-style cooking with a modern flair, offering specialties such as cochinillo, lechazo, and carabineros, alongside unique creations like tawilis boquerones and in-house cured Wagyu A5 jamón. Complemented by an exceptional wine cellar curated with fine Spanish and international labels, and a service led by maître Irene Fernández, this architectural gem redefines dining as an immersive experience of fire, flavor, and craftsmanship. Opened in 2024, Asador Alfonso invites guests to indulge in a culinary journey that unites agriculture, gastronomy, and leisure in one extraordinary destination.
“It has always been our shared dream to create a landmark restaurant here where we could cook traditional Spanish dishes, such as the special roasts we prepare in our master oven, including the much-loved suckling lamb and suckling pig. Together with our incredible team, led by chef Rodrigo Osorio in the kitchen and our restaurant manager Irene Fernández, Asador Alfonso has allowed us to share our culinary heritage with our guests, which is not yet very widespread in this country, but is certainly worth sharing», says Chef González.
Asador Alfonso offers authentic Spanish flavours and culinary traditions in an idyllic setting, with warm and efficient service from the front-of-house staff, led by his wife, Irene. Together, the couple has brought a level of skill and service to Asador Alfonso that has made it one of the most popular restaurants in the Philippines, attracting not only regular diners but also international attention. “We are grateful that our customers appreciate what we do here at Asador Alfonso, which is our tribute to traditional Spanish cuisine,” says Chef Rodrigo. “This is the food of our ancestors, the flavours we grew up with, and it makes us happy to share it with other people who have learned to love it.”
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