At Gallery by Chele, every tasting menu is a narrative of flavors, textures, and traditions. With Tree of Life, Chef Chele Gonzalez and his team take diners on an immersive journey through the Philippines’ natural bounty—celebrating coconut as a core ingredient while incorporating zero-waste principles and highlighting the depth of local cuisine from various regions in the Philippines.

"It was a natural progression from our previous menu, which focused on cacao. Over the 12 years since we opened, coconut has always been an important part of our cuisine. Sometimes, we had to stop ourselves from using it too much because it was everywhere,” Chef Chele explains. 

Chele Gonzalez, chef-owner of Gallery by Chile | Photo: Gallery by Chile

"Over the years, we've developed so many techniques and approaches to working with coconut. When I brought up the idea to the team, they explained to me that in the Philippines, it's called the ‘Tree of Life.’ That made so much sense to me. It felt amazing to embrace how important and versatile it is… When you start diving deeper, you realize coconut is everywhere — there’s lambanog (coconut liquor), coconut vinegar, fermentation techniques… It’s an incredibly diverse ingredient.”

Rooted in extensive research and collaboration with local producers, Tree of Life is not just a tasting menu; it’s a culinary expedition through the Philippines by way of the coconut, one of the most ubiquitous ingredients used in Filipino cuisine. The menu is at once familiar and innovative, bridging the gap between culinary traditions and contemporary gastronomy.

When asked how long it took them to come up with the Tree Of Life menu, Chef Chele explains, “It took months, but if we put it in context, I’d say it took 12 years because the techniques we use today come from all those years of experience working with coconut. It’s an evolution of everything we’ve learned."

The main dining room at Gallery by Chele | Photo: Gallery by Chele

As a Spanish chef living in the Philippines, he’s travelled throughout the country in search of unique ingredients and even rarer techniques. But for this current menu, Chef Chele said he didn’t travel as much as he used to. “Now that I have a baby and a busier schedule, I don’t travel as much as I used to. But I’ve been all over the Philippines, and this menu reflects those adventures. Each dish tells a little bit of our story and our love for the Philippines."

The experience begins with Cocktail Time, a vibrant introduction to the journey ahead. A house-made Dragonfruit Kombucha sets the tone with its tangy, fermented complexity, followed by a single grape soaked in Lambanog—a refreshing yet subtle nod to the locally made alcohol derived from coconuts.

Cocktail Time | Photo: Ching Dee

Before the main meal begins, diners are treated to a tour of the Gallery floor one bite at a time.

The next bite presents a Scallop Tart served al fresco at the restaurant’s very own rooftop garden. It’s a signature bite that has graced Gallery by Chele’s menu for over a year, balancing delicacy with depth.

Scallop Tart | Photo: Ching Dee

The next bite is served at the Stvdio Lab and it’s a combination of something so familiar presented in such a Gallery by Chele way: a fermented Coconut Ice Cream, naturally creamy with a mild sweetness, and a house-fermented Nata de Coco, offering a delightful sour note that rounds out the flavors. Their version of nata de coco is similar yet also different from the jarred variant most of us grew up eating; theirs is much softer, milder, and has a distinct sourness that will remind you of the common nata de coco while also introducing a new depth to this uniquely Pinoy ingredient.

Sustainability takes center stage in the Zero Waste section, where inventive techniques transform kitchen byproducts into refined dishes. A Seafood Bisque Ice Cream, crafted from seafood shells stewed in coconut milk, delivers deep, earthy flavors unexpected of a frozen treat. A Wagyu “Puff” evokes the delicate crispiness of a taro puff, revealing tender, flavorful chunks of meat inside. Then, in a single bite, an unsuspecting tomato bursts with lovely sour Sinigang broth, which encapsulates the bold, sour-salty essence of the beloved Filipino stew — a umami bomb in your mouth.

Zero Waste | Photo: Ching Dee

The Tree of Life menu fully embraces coconut’s versatility with Coco-Nuts!, a trio of bites made with Ikura & Cream presents subtle briny flavors with whipped coconut cream on top of a crunchy, edible crystal vessel; the Cebuano Tamales offers a spicy, creamy interplay of corn and coconut cream; while the Kare-Kare Bonbon reimagines the classic dish with a literal meatball begging to be dipped in some glorious bagoong mayo. On that note, bagging mayo should be a thing!

Coco-Nuts! Inure and Cream | Photo: Ching Dee

The last bite features the comforting warmth of home cooking in Lutong Bahay, where Binakol broth (Visayas’ coconutty answer to tinola) soothes with its subtly sweet and deeply savory profile.

Lutong Bahay | Photo: Ching Dee

"I think it's important to give value to humble ingredients,” Chef Chele shares. “If we ate wagyu every day, after four days, we wouldn’t want it anymore because it’s too fatty. But small things—like coconut—make life special. Sometimes, we forget about them. That’s why I feel fascinated by it."

The meal officially begins with Tropical Ceviche, where oysters find an unexpected but welcome companion in locally grown Señorita bananas, adding texture and sweetness to the tangy marinade.

Tropical Ceviche | Photo: Ching Dee

Next, Crab XO introduces a new take on the beloved umami-packed sauce, replacing traditional dried scallops with extra old (XO) shaved coconut (niyog), elevating the dish’s succinctly savory notes.

Crab XO | Photo: Ching Dee

The Palawan Lobster follows, pairing its delicate flesh (perfectly cooked, such a tender bite) with an indulgent uni & coconut sauce; a splash of calamansi in the mashed potato adds a hint of freshness.

Palawan Lobster | Photo: Ching Dee

A house-brewed Banaba Tea, infused with pandan and lemongrass, cleanses the palate before the next dish.

The next course starts with a bite of crispy chicken skin dipped in coconut vinegar; once again reminding the diner that these flavors come from familiar grounds even if Chef Chele is Spanish. Dubbed Fired! (and it deserves that exclamation indeed), it features Bacolod-style Inasal octopus—plump and juicy—enriched by chicken jus, the satisfying crunch of fried chicken skin, and pickled papaya’s tangy brightness.

Fired! | Photo: Ching Dee

If you ordered the Tree Of Life menu with the non-alcoholic beverage pairing, a house-made ginger ale (subtly fizzy and infused with warming spices) is served before the Grouper Pilpil course, which provides a splash of freshness before enjoying the meaty fish. Steamed to perfection, the grouper’s natural collagen is accentuated with a velvety coconut sauce laced with Arbequina olive oil, layered over kailan stems stewed in some pineapple juice for a hint of sweetness.

Grouper Pilpil | Photo: Ching Dee 

While this writer is normally not a fan of duck, the Duck Roselle course proved to be a masterful interplay of sweet, tangy, and earthy flavors. The seared duck, paired with sauce made from roselle (a flower from the hibiscus family, usually used in tea and jams), served with silky smooth and earthy cacao mole on the side, and pieces of fried Señorita banana for a creamy balance. The dish is served with a sliver of house-cured duck pastrami (salty, savory, and slightly smoky), a curious yet delightful surprise that hints at the team’s experimental nature.

Duck Roselle | Photo: Ching Dee

Buko Salad is a beautiful palate cleanser that offers a refreshing transition, combining house-fermented nata de coco, buko sorbet, and a mix of seasonal fruits like pineapple, watermelon, and honeydew, all enhanced by a subtle lemongrass-basil gel.

Biko Salad | Photo: Ching Dee

A house-crafted root beer, made from licorice root, cloves, and cinnamon, is a tangy prelude to the Wagyu A5 course: perfectly trimmed Japanese Wagyu off-cuts—kissed by fire with the perfect amount of heat—enriched with black garlic emulsion, demi-glace toyomansi, and a side of morish steak-fried rice. Gallery’s personal take on the distinctly Pinoy flavors in bistek, this dish is Chef Chele’s way of embracing what Filipinos crave: meat, rice, and bold, straightforward flavors.

Wagyu A5 with rice | Photo: Ching Dee

“As chefs, we have a responsibility to make people happy. After 14 years in the Philippines, if there's one thing I’ve learned, it's that a steak will make a Filipino very happy. So, even with all our philosophy-driven, conceptual cooking, we still need to pause and say, ‘Let’s make a dish that doesn’t have coconut and will make our guests happy.’ That made me happy, too."

In a revolutionary take on local ingredients, Gallery by Chele presents their home-made (and accidentally vegan) cheeses: Kamote Camembert, crafted from sweet potato and coconut milk, this soft, subtly salty creation develops a natural rind, pairing beautifully with mango; and Roquefort, made from coconut milk and cured for two weeks, provides the intensity of classic blue cheese without overpowering aroma or flavor. They say these cheese became vegan accidentally, because the reason why they made it in the first place was to push the boundaries of coconut, not to create a dairy-free cheese. Rounding out the trio is a Latik Sourdough, its dense yet soft crumb a perfect complement to the cheeses.

House-made cheeses | Photo: Ching Dee

A Cacao Kombucha, tangy with deep chocolate undertones, leads (and pairs perfectly) into Mucilage, an ice cream sandwich made from the cacao’s often-overlooked white flesh. The crisp cacao meringue shell hides within a tangy cacao (flesh) sorbet and ganache , balancing sweetness and tanginess with subtle bitter notes of the cacao.

Cacao Kombucha with Mucilage | Photo: Ching Dee

A Halo-Halo drink is the last part of the beverage pairing and it reimagines the iconic Filipino dessert with puff rice-infused genmaicha, whipped coconut milk, and ube halaya. It pairs well with the Coconut Sago, which celebrates tropical decadence with mango tapioca, latik ice cream, and a crisp coconut tuile for contrast in flavor and textures.

Halo-Halo with Coconut Sago | Photo: Ching Dee

The journey ends with a selection of Petit Fours, each a final tribute to Gallery by Chele’s philosophy: deep respect for local ingredients, boundless creativity, and an unwavering commitment to sustainability.

Petit Fours | Photo: Ching Dee

At its core, Tree of Life is more than a menu—it is a love letter to the Philippines, to its natural abundance, to its history, and to its people. Through innovative techniques and a deep understanding of local flavors, Chef Chele Gonzalez and his team bridge the past and the present, creating dishes that honor tradition while fearlessly pushing the boundaries of modern Filipino cuisine. As diners leave the table, they carry with them not just the memory of a remarkable meal, but a newfound appreciation for the land that makes it all possible.

Chef Chele points out, “We are not a Filipino restaurant, but I would consider Gallery by Chele an Asian restaurant. Even though our presentation might look more European, our approach to ingredients and flavors is deeply rooted in Asia. Without coconut, we wouldn’t be able to do much… If you want your guests to feel something through food, you have to feel it first. If you don’t, you can’t translate that emotion into the dish.”

The Tree of Life menu is available at Gallery by Chile | 5/F Clipp Center, 11th Avenue corner 39th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig | Call: 0917 546 1673 | Website: GalleryByChele.com | Instagram: @gallerybychele.