by Jing Ramos | photography Doro Barandino

Modern Indian cuisine is a departure from traditional Indian dishes through innovative techniques, elevated presentation, and inspiration from international flavors. This culinary movement shifts away from overly complex dining toward a more comfortable yet refined experience. It moves away from heavy cream-based sauces in favor of lighter, healthier options using local and seasonal ingredients. The process often involves deconstructing classic recipes and incorporating cultural diversity.

Smash samosas are influenced by traditional Indian street food served on lotus design plates.

Executive chef Luis Cipriano created a modern Indian menu with clever and playful twists.

Goa Nights has its roots in Old Taipa Village in Macau, where it drew in both local residents and members of the expatriate community. Its prominent address became known as one of the area’s hottest cocktail bars, offering a uniquely hip and varied experience. When one hears of Goa, it typically conjures images of a laid-back beach destination with Portuguese colonial heritage—but Goa is, in fact, a culturally rich Indian state. This multicultural blend has fueled the brand’s expansion as a destination that celebrates the vibrant flavors of Goa.

Onion and okra fritters pair perfectly well with chai masala served in blue ceramic teapot with tea cups and serving plates.

The interior design of Goa Nights borders on the minimalist with a striking use of contrasting color hues.

In February 2024, Goa Nights found a second home in Cebu, bringing the same dauntless spirit with its modern Indian dishes and curated cocktails. Owners Gagan Sethi and Gwen Trott set out to create a rarefied yet relaxed atmosphere, blending current twists on Indian gastronomy with distinctive beverage pairings.

The menu, created by Chef Luis Cipriano, finds its voice by shedding labels and categorizations. Instead, it embraces bold, creative, and globally influenced flavors. “We wanted to keep things fun and a little cheeky, so you’ll find playful twists and the unexpected. It’s still Indian cuisine—but reimagined, new, and highly unpredictable,” the executive chef explains. The food ethos focuses on new techniques and fresh interpretations for an upbeat vibe. Classics are still honored—like the popular set lunch thali, Indian street food bites, comforting favorites like chicken tikka masala, and more dishes from the tandoor—for a clever balance of tradition and innovation. The authenticity of each dish, rooted in its history and culture, transforms every plate into more than just food—it becomes a full experience.

The tall ceiling allows a dramatic entrance to the powder room partitioned by linen damask drapes.

Curated cocktails are served on a well -stocked bar featuring a polished marble counter top.

Modernist aesthetics showcase blue -upholstered dining chairs and veneered wooden tables against a visually charged mural.

Blue colored steel beams support glass windows that afford street views from a pink colored banquette setting.

by Jing Ramos

This iconic restaurant was named Hill Station because of the building’s personal history. Casa Vallejo was built in 1909 as a dormitory for Japanese engineers and workmen who were responsible for the construction of Kennon Road under the American regime at the turn of the last century. The Americans invested in road construction to improve Baguio’s infrastructure.

The upholstery of the dining chairs similar to the color palette of the curtains are a suggestion by Lulu Tan Gan.

Hill stations were usually located in high-altitude areas with a predominantly subtropical climate, similar to other hill stations found in Sri Lanka and India during the British colonial period. Baguio was established as a hill station by the Americans primarily for its cooler climate, which proved ideal for their military servicemen in need of rest and recreation. The hill station also served as a recovery location for men stricken with viruses such as dengue and malaria, often picked up in the lowlands.

Owner and chef Mitos Benitez-Yniguez.

“So my concept for the restaurant—being inside and part of an old historical building such as our setting—was to build a menu that reflected the times when indeed it was a hill station,” owner and chef Mitos Benitez-Yñiguez explains the challenge of creating the restaurant’s fabled menu. “Spanish and Mediterranean food for Spanish colonial times, American colonial when it switched over, Filipino with a twist reflecting our mestizo roots. And basically, I like to introduce certain dishes from my travels around the world. Hence, some entries are North African, some European, Sri Lankan, Thai curries—whatever was inspirational in my travels and the taste of their local food.”

The curtains in swaths of grey and burnt-sienna fabrics are by Jiro Estaniel.

The interior décor of Hill Station Baguio harks back to the American colonial period: painted in all white, with high ceilings and exposed wooden beams in natural tones. This time around, the space has a spruced-up look, with the ceiling redone in a deep shade of taupe. The drapes around the restaurant were designed by interior designer Jiro Estaniel in swaths of grey and burnt sienna fabric. The upholstery of the dining chairs, in a similar color palette, was suggested by fashion designer Lulu Tan Gan.

The buntings hanging on the wooden beams are called banderitas.

There were also multicolored buntings hanging from the wooden beams, called banderitas. Installed by the waitstaff and some bakers from the kitchen every summer for a festive touch, Mitos explains the process of seasonal changes in the restaurant’s look:

“When the monsoon season begins and it starts to pour—usually around July and August—we change the look to classic off-white curtains to brighten up the entire floor. At Christmastime, the restaurant’s look changes again, and we set it up with vintage Capiz shell lanterns in diamond shapes for a totally festive look.”

Hill Station has an extensive collection of black and white photographs by important artists.

The most important facet of the restaurant’s décor is the extensive black-and-white photography by Mitos’ husband, Boy Yñiguez, and his friends and colleagues—giving the space a deeply personal touch. The photographs mounted on the walls are silver prints from the 1970s to the 1990s, all of which are valuable and irreplaceable.

There are works by Tommy Hafalla, famous for his images of people and rituals from the Cordilleras; portraits by Wig Tysman; architectural photographs by Boy Yniguez; and a striking series by Charlie Lenoir featuring Ifugao women and traditional huts. There’s even an Ansel Adams original tucked unobtrusively among the artworks.

The restaurant has a view of a pocket garden right in the midst of Baguio central.

by Mia Durano

After a period of reconsideration and restructuring, Qube Gallery opens its doors once again at Crossroads, Cebu — its original home — with a new curatorial direction. This reopening signals a clear shift from event-driven programming to purpose-fueled representation and deeper cultural engagement. With a focus on long-term artist support and a commitment to thoughtful, locally grounded art exhibitions, Qube Gallery repositions itself as a platform for contemporary practices that speak with clarity and intent.

We Are So Much More Than Our Scars, 2021 | Sio Montera | Mixed Media on Canvas; Seek What Sets Your Soul on Fire, 2023 | Sio Montera | Mixed Media on Canvas.

Director of Qube Gallery, Maris Holopainen, is emphatic:
“This isn’t just a reopening — it’s a return to intention. At Qube Gallery, we have chosen to move more deliberately, with focus and care. It’s no longer about keeping pace, but about creating space for artists to grow, for ideas to deepen, for practice to unfold with meaning. Cebu remains our anchor, but our conversation is widening — reaching across disciplines, communities, and contexts. This moment is a distillation of what matters: a commitment to clarity, care, and presence in the works we show, the people we stand behind, and the stories we choose to tell.”

Stillness, 2025 | Xandrine | Acrylic and Oil on Canvas.

Spotted gum, 2025 | Francis Dravigny | Handwoven Fabric, Abaca, Raffia, Buntal, Antique Pinoy tribe fabric, hand embroidery mercerized cotton.

The reopening exhibition, Unscattered Voices, sets the tone, featuring works by Sio Montera, Francis Dravigny, Jewelle Yeung, Amanda Luym, Golda King, Janine Barrera, and Xandrine. The show brings together seven distinct voices whose disciplines are rooted in material, memory, and form.
This moment marks more than just a return — it’s a reset. Qube Gallery moves forward with a curatorial mandate that extends beyond the gallery walls, emphasizing artist-led narratives, cross-industry collaboration, and meaningful placement within both local and global contexts.

Interconnecting | Janine Barrera | Oil on Canvas.

📍 Qube Gallery, Crossroads Mall, Banilad, Cebu City
📞 +63 956 839 4598 | ✉️ info@qubegallery.ph