Fresh island herbs and tropical ingredients — the living pantry of Roots Siargao
The Journal

Stories from
the kitchen.

Seasonal ingredients, island producers, tasting notes, and the conversations that shape every menu.

All Stories

From the
island table.

Adlai — the ancient Filipino grain at the heart of Roots Siargao's kitchen
Featured Ingredients

Adlai: The Forgotten Grain
Finding Its Moment

Long before rice became the dominant staple of the Philippine table, adlai — also known as Job's Tears — was a foundational ingredient across the archipelago. At Roots, it has become one of our most important anchors, bridging the ancient and the contemporary in a single dish.

January 2025 6 min read
Read Story
Local Siargao fisher bringing in the daily catch
Producers

The Fisher's Table: Our Relationship with the Sea

Every morning, before the first prep begins, the kitchen receives its most important delivery — not from a warehouse, but from the water. A portrait of the fishers who shape our menu daily.

November 2024 5 min
An intimate dinner table at dusk — warm candlelight at Roots Siargao
Dining Stories

A Night at the Table: What the Tasting Menu Feels Like

A course-by-course account of one evening at Roots — told through the perspective of a first-time guest who expected dinner and got something more.

October 2024 8 min
Wild honey — a precious ingredient from Siargao's forests
Seasonal Notes

Honey Season: Notes on Sweetness and Patience

When the honey arrives, the kitchen shifts. Wild, raw, and unfiltered — Siargao's honey carries the entire island in its flavour. A meditation on why we built a dessert around it.

September 2024 4 min
Bignay berries — the base of a distinctly Filipino wine
Ingredients

Bignay Wine and the Filipino Pantry's Hidden Depths

Few ingredients tell the story of the Philippine pantry as honestly as bignay. A wild berry that ferments into something complex and local — and became the soul of our raviolone sauce.

August 2024 5 min
Fresh vegetables and herbs from an island farm
Producers

The Farm: Where Our Herbs and Vegetables Begin

Behind every herb garnish and vegetable component is a relationship built on trust, shared values, and respect for the land. A visit to the farm that feeds the Roots kitchen.

July 2024 6 min
The tamal — a dish that bridges Mexico and the Philippines
Dining Stories

From Mexico to Siargao: The Cacao Mole Story

The tamal with cacao mole and Filipino Wagyu short rib didn't arrive fully formed. It was years in the making — a slow discovery of the extraordinary affinity between Mexican and Filipino flavours.

June 2024 7 min
Come for Dinner

The story continues
at the table.

Reserve Your Table