Celebrated Toronto chef opens new Filipino restaurant downtown
Published July 25, 2025 at 3:52 pm
A new passion project from one of Toronto’s most celebrated chefs is bringing true Filipino cuisine to the city.
Makilala is a new restaurant from Chef Nuit Regular, Toronto’s resident culinary virtuoso behind such staples as Pai, Kiin and Sukhothai.
Set to open downtown at the end of this month on Church Street, Makilala’s serves as a love letter to Chef Nuit’s husband, Jeff Regular, her in-laws, and the abundance of inspiration that comes with Filipino family dining.
“There has been so much Thai food in Toronto for the last 20 years. So when it comes to Filipino cuisine, I feel like it has been greatly underrated compared to other Asian cuisines here in the city,” Regular told yourcitywithIN.com. “There is such a diversity of flavours and culture when you dive into Filipino food; in one dish, there is so much to explore.”
[Makilala’s front market, photo courtesy of Torchwood PR]
Regular went on to note that, due to the Philippines being an archipelago, each island has its own centuries-old history of flavours and techniques that overlap and complement each other like nowhere else on the planet.
This abundance of choice, combined with the family-centric pace of dining, is a crucial component that makes Makilala stand out from other places in the city.
Guests can expect a front market curated with works from local artists upon entry, which leads into a spacious main dining room styled as a ‘barangay’ — a small village community in the Philippines — paired with a large stage for DJs during the space’s late-night operations.
For Jeff Regular, co-owner of Makilala, the restaurant’s design was inspired by his time and experiences in the Philippines, and more importantly, bringing that sensation to Toronto in a way that rings as sincere and exciting.
“My inspiration is the Filipino household that my brother and I grew up in, even though we were both born in Canada, the cultural influence was very alive in our upbringing. Then, when I was 20, I lived in the Philippines for almost five years, and got to dive even deeper into that culture. So when we started to open this space, all of that was in my mind,” Jeff Regular told yourcitywithIN.com.
Beyond the main dining space (which also features a private room that seats 14), Makilala hosts a bar nook designed to resemble a sari-sari store, a typical Filipino corner store.
[Makilala’s sari-sari bar, photo courtesy of Torchwood PR]
The bar’s namesake, ‘Nonoy and Myrna’, pays homage to Jeff Regular’s parents.
“It’s bringing the Philippines to Toronto and letting people know what it’s like once you step off the plane,” Joel Regular, Jeff Regular’s brother, as well as co-owner, told yourcitywithIN.com. “We grew up in that kind of household here in Toronto. So, in having that mixture, sometimes we don’t always see where the culture comes from, so I think putting ourselves in this project allows us to explore these roots.”
One final tribute from Makilala’s proprietors includes a massive basketball court painted underneath the long family-style dining tables in the main room.
[Makilala’s main dining hall, complete with basketball court. Photo courtesy of Torchwood PR]
A fundamental component that, according to Jeff Regular, practically holds the whole place together.
“In the Philippines, there is a basketball court every two blocks, and they are all full almost at all times. Every neighbourhood has one, and it kind of functions as a town hall; it’s not surprising to go by one and see big weddings and anniversaries happening.”
As for the cuisine, Nuit Regular indicated that she is immensely excited to use her Thai culinary experiences to tweak and pay homage to the home-cooked meals she has been exposed to in the Regular household.
“I get to use my Thai experience in balancing the flavours,” she says.
In terms of standout dishes that Nuit Regular is excited to introduce to Toronto, the list includes a Filipino yellow curry, Filipino-style Chicken Adobo (a signature dish of the region), and Tortang Talong, a savoury pan-fried eggplant omelet — just to name a few.
“Makilala means ‘to get to know,’ and that’s the way I plan to serve my food to those who visit,” she says. “They’ll get to know a variety of things each time they come in, and they’ll have to come with many people in their lives because there are so many things here to share, or even if they come by themselves, there are just so many things to experience.”
[Makilala’s DJ and karaoke space, photo courtesy of Torchwood PR]
Makilala is set to open at the end of this month and will incorporate a comprehensive menu of Filipino staples expertly crafted by Nuit Regular, a dynamic cocktail program, and a late-night menu alongside karaoke and DJ nights.
As for how Nuit Regular feels leading up to the launch of this passion project, she told yourcitywithIN.com, “I think I am very lucky to have married into a Filipino family.”