Chef Fhred Batalona Brings 10-Course ‘Palay+’ Homecoming Dinner to Eastwood
Last Updated on September 23, 2026 by Over Here Toronto
Filipino-Australian chef Fhred Batalona is bringing his Palay concept home for a one-day, 10-course dinner at Eastwood Richmonde Hotel on September 26, 2026.
Called Palay+, the menu pairs Batalona with chefs from Megaworld Global Hotels & Resorts. The event takes place at Eastwood Café + Bar in Eastwood City, Quezon City. Seats cost ₱4,800 net per person, with two scheduled seatings.
The dinner marks Batalona’s return to the Philippines after building much of his food career in Australia. His Palay project grew from pop-ups into a restaurant in Melbourne, where he used Filipino dishes and ideas alongside methods he learned in other kitchens.
Palay+ Brings Filipino Chefs Together
Palay+ opens a new food series called Salo-Salo, part of Megaworld Global Hotels & Resorts’ LaMeza program.
MGHR first formed LaMeza in 2022 during its Culinary Conference. The program gave its chefs a place to work with Filipino dishes, local ingredients, and food stories. Salo-Salo now adds Filipino chefs who work overseas to that setup.
The first event puts Batalona in the kitchen with MGHR chefs from properties in the NCR+ area.
The hotel group says nine chefs will take part in creating the 10-course meal. The menu combines Batalona’s work from Australia with the local knowledge of chefs who cook for Filipino diners every day.
MGHR has not published a full course-by-course menu in the sources checked for this article. That means diners should not rely on unofficial menu posts unless the hotel or chef confirms them.
At a media launch on September 18, Batalona gave guests a small look at his approach. He prepared a dessert that brought together polvoron, tamales, and an Australian-style lamington. The dish linked food from the Philippines with part of his life in Australia.
Chef Fhred Batalona Built Palay in Melbourne
Batalona spent years building his career in Australia.
Before opening Palay as a restaurant, he ran food pop-ups called Palay and Barangay. Those projects brought Filipino dishes to Australian diners. He later opened Palay in Fitzroy, Melbourne.
His work has also included collaborations with Filipino chefs Lau and Jac Laudico and pastry chef Miko Aspiras.
For Batalona, the Eastwood event also has a family link.
During the September media launch, he spoke about his mother, Alma, and the role she played in his early love for food.
“Long before I became a chef, she was the person who sprouted that love of cooking and creativity in me,” Batalona said.
He later gave the dessert he prepared at the event to his mother.
The ‘Plus’ Comes From the Collaboration
The name Palay+ points to the joint work behind this Manila menu.
Batalona is not simply bringing his Melbourne restaurant menu to Eastwood. He and the MGHR chefs developed the dinner together, using ideas from his work abroad and their knowledge of Philippine ingredients and local diners.
MGHR Corporate Chef Franco Martin “Panky” Lopez said the wider Salo-Salo project aims to let chefs from home and abroad share skills and ideas. The group plans to use the series as a way for its own chefs to work with Filipino cooks based in other countries.
That makes the September 26 dinner the first event under the new Salo-Salo format.
Batalona Will Also Bring His ‘Kalma’ Project Home
Food is only one part of Batalona’s return.
He is also bringing Kalma, a discussion project focused on work culture inside the hospitality field. Topics include mental health, leadership, accountability, and healthier kitchen teams.
The project connects with Batalona’s work on mental health in professional kitchens.
MGHR says the exchange should continue beyond the meal, with chefs sharing lessons about both cooking and the way kitchen teams work.
Palay+ Tickets Cost ₱4,800
Palay+ takes place on Saturday, September 26, at Eastwood Café + Bar.
MGHR’s latest official event post gives the following details:
- Date: September 26, 2026
- Venue: Eastwood Café + Bar, Eastwood Richmonde Hotel
- Address: 17 Orchard Road, Eastwood City, Bagumbayan, Quezon City
- First seating: 12 noon
- Second seating: 7 p.m.
- Price: ₱4,800 net per person
- Menu: 10 courses
- Reservations: (02) 8570 7777 or 0917 821 0333
- Email: fb@eastwoodrichmonde.com
An earlier Richmonde Hotel post listed the first seating as 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. instead of noon. Since MGHR’s newer post gives 12 noon, diners should confirm their assigned time directly with Eastwood Richmonde Hotel when booking.
The hotel says seats are limited.
Diners can also check Eastwood Café + Bar details through the hotel’s official dining page. The restaurant sits on the ground floor of Eastwood Richmonde Hotel and normally operates daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
View Eastwood Café + Bar’s official page
For reservation contact details, Eastwood Richmonde Hotel also lists its Food & Beverage line on its official contact page.
Check Eastwood Richmonde Hotel contact details
For Batalona, the September 26 meal brings his work back to the country that shaped his food story. For diners, it offers a one-day look at how a Filipino chef working abroad and local hotel chefs can build a menu together.
