Bistro Group bets on homegrown flavor with Siklab’s biggest branch

By Angelica Villanueva 

For years, The Bistro Group was best known for bringing American casual dining brands to the Philippines. With Siklab’s newest and biggest branch at S’Maison, the company is now making a confident bet on something closer to home, Siklab, a Filipino restaurant done at scale and built to last.

Siklab is the group’s first fully realized homegrown Filipino restaurant concept. While the company has operated international franchises for nearly three decades, according to Guia Abuel, chief operating officer of The Bistro Group, those years of experience were essential before attempting a local concept with the same level of discipline and consistency.

“Our strength really came from running foreign franchises. They’re very systematic, especially in the U.S. You learn about service standards, kitchen operations, food safety. Those are things we’re now able to apply to a Filipino brand,” said Abuel.

The original version of Siklab debuted in 2014 but struggled to gain momentum. At the time, Abuel admitted Filipino diners were more inclined toward Western brands, and the group itself was more comfortable working within proven franchise models. The idea was eventually shelved, as American brands like TGI Fridays continued to drive the business.

“For locally grown concepts, it really takes more time and effort to come up with something strong. Maybe we didn’t have the expertise yet back then,” she shared.

It took nearly a decade and a maturing organization before Siklab was revived, this time as Siklab Plus. Inspired by the growing success of local Filipino restaurants, the group decided it was finally time to invest fully in its own concept.

“We realized we already had all cuisines, American, Italian, Japanese, but we didn’t have a local concept. Looking at the success of other Filipino restaurants, we saw there was great potential. So we said, maybe it’s time,” Abuel said.

Reviving Siklab meant starting from the ground up. Menu development took five to six months, with concept chefs, including its executive chef and Michelin-starred chef Josh Boutwood, from across The Bistro Group brought together to reinterpret Filipino classics.

Each chef presented versions of dishes such as adobo and kare-kare, which were tasted, refined, and combined into a final menu. The result is a lineup that feels familiar yet playful, with generous portions, approachable flavors, and dish names that lean into humor rather than formality.

While food anchors the experience, Abuel said Siklab’s edge lies in execution.

“Everyone says their mom cooks better. Food is everything, but it’s not everything. It’s also service, ambience, and consistency,” she explained.

Those elements are on full display at the S’Maison branch, the largest Siklab to date. Seating up to nearly 300 guests, the restaurant includes multiple function rooms designed for celebrations, corporate events, and large gatherings, reflecting how Filipinos typically dine in groups. The scale was intentional, after Siklab’s first branch at Edsa Shangri-La quickly proved too small to accommodate demand.

Since its 2024 debut, Siklab has shown steady growth rather than a short-lived opening surge.

When asked whether Siklab could eventually be brought outside the Philippines, Abuel was open to the idea, adding that Siklab carries a deeper meaning beyond expansion.

“Why not? If there’s an opportunity, we’re always open. This is our first Filipino restaurant, and we’re proud of that. We’re in the Philippines. It was really a must that we finally put our full energy into a Filipino concept,” Abuel told Manila Standard Life.

Encouraged by the response, The Bistro Group plans to open several more Siklab branches this year, including locations in Makati, BGC, Cavite, and Las Piñas.