There is no better way to understand the soul of Roots Siargao than a trip to Siargao’s public market. I had the pleasure of joining chefs Filippo Turrini and Inés Castañeda, and I witnessed the daily ritual where the island’s freshest catch dictates the evening’s menu—a practice where every fish has a story, and every story becomes part of the meal. This is the living, breathing heartbeat of a restaurant truly rooted in its community.
We talked about and picked the seafood that would be served for dinner that night. A lot of stories were told, and this is just part of what makes Roots a treasure on the island.
My culinary journey through Siargao’s most celebrated dining destination, Roots, and its sun-drenched counterpart, Branch by Roots, was an immersion into a philosophy where food is narrative.
Every ingredient, from a foraged leaf to the day’s fresh catch, carries the story of its origin, and every dish translates that story into a profound taste of place. This ethos is brought to life by the founding team—Chef Filippo Turrini, sustainability strategist Ricardo Miranda de Sousa, and creative sisters Inés and Marina Castañeda Matos—a collective who have woven their global expertise into the fabric of the island, creating not just meals but a meaningful dialogue with the community and land.
Dinner at Roots is an experience they aptly term “fun dining,” a multi-course exploration that is both inventive and deeply rooted. The tasting menu is a daily revelation, dictated entirely by the morning’s market haul and discoveries from their network of local farmers and foragers.
From a crudo of “Filipino salmon,” sparked by a glimpse of children playing with pepinitos, to a carabao lasagna weaving Italian heritage with Davao cheese, each dish is a narrative. Plated on local ceramics and served in an atmosphere of collaborative warmth, the experience embodies a simple truth: the environment is the most essential ingredient.
By daylight, the experience shifts seamlessly to Branch by Roots, the group’s brilliant brunch concept that carries the same philosophical weight in a more casual, vibrant format. Here, the global-local alchemy continues with joyful, approachable dishes designed for the island’s rhythm. Marina joined me at the table that morning and described how they source, experiment with, and utilize the diverse ingredients from the mangroves to create their dishes.
The morning meal is a celebration of comfort, reimagined through the lens of Siargao’s bounty, proving that their commitment to locality is not confined to fine dining but is a versatile language of flavor.
The true magic of Roots and Branch lies in the palpable intention of its founders. Ricardo Miranda de Sousa’s management ensures their model generates tangible community impact, with over 90 percent of ingredients sourced through direct, fair relationships with island producers.
Inés and Marina craft the entire sensory journey, from the architecture and tableware to the curated music, considering design the “sixth flavor.” And Chef Filippo, with his profound respect for ingredient integrity, acts as the translator, turning these stories of land and sea into cohesive, thrilling cuisine.
Together, they speak of Filipino food with awe, inspired by its biodiversity and the cultural openness that allows their experiments to flourish. To dine with them is to understand that the ultimate taste they are cultivating is one of connection—a goodness that arises only when food is treated as a living story of people and place, making Roots not just a restaurant, but a vital, rooted institution on the island.
My time at Roots Siargao was a profound reminder of how deeply food can connect us to a place. Through their creative use of local bounty, the team doesn’t just serve dishes; they share a story of the island, one unforgettable plate at a time.
