The Philippine Embassy in France visited a Filipino-French fusion restaurant listed in the Michelin Guide Selection and the Gault and Millau Guide Selection 2026.
Located in Le Mans-a city in the Pays de la Loire region of France-Maison Nipa serves curated Philippine-inspired flavors beyond France’s bustling capital. It is owned by chefs Sharon and Jason Le Glatin-a Filipino-French couple. They invited Ambassador Eduardo José de Vega and the embassy’s Cultural Diplomacy Section to sample the restaurant’s uniquely developed menu of sumptuous French dishes with a Filipino flair: pinangat grey mullet, barbecued white asparagus in Filipino-style curry, lamb in mami noodle soup, and green asparagus leche flan tartlette. The fine-dining restaurant is hailed by the Michelin Guide as a ‘divine surprise’ and is listed under Philippine and creative cuisines. Gault and Millau describes the dining experience there as ‘a gastronomic journey, blending local terroir with the flavors of the Philippines,’ and the cuisine as ‘rich in emotion and meticulous craftsmanship.’
Maison Nipa opened in 2022 and has since been included in the Michelin Guide Selection, gaining recognition for four consecutive years. It was also honored by Gault and Millau with the title ‘Young Talent 2023’ and has consistently been included in the guide’s selection, earning another recognition for 2026.
Chef Sharon is a Filipina-British pastry chef who was born and raised in the Philippines, while Chef Jason-originally from Le Mans-serves as the restaurant’s head chef. Their shared culinary vision led to the establishment of Maison Nipa, with the mutual goal of presenting, with every service, an authentic expression of French-Filipino identity through gastronomic pleasure.
The culinary creations presented by Maison Nipa embody a harmonious fusion of Filipino and French cultures, showcasing the rich gastronomic heritage of both countries to their patrons. For Filipinos living in France, the restaurant also offers a comforting sense of home through menu selections that pay tribute to traditional Filipino ‘lutong bahay,’ evoking nostalgia and familiarity, served in French haute cuisine style.
The upscale, innovative presentation of Philippine cuisine offers French and global fine-dining enthusiasts a vibrant introduction to a variety of Filipino tropical flavors. According to the embassy, the dining experience at Maison Nipa and other Filipino restaurants across France could spark further interest among restaurant-goers in discovering Philippine offerings in both authentic delicacies and haute cuisine menus.
The embassy said it continues to honor Philippine culinary heritage by supporting Filipino culinary artists and practitioners in France. Gastrodiplomacy speaks many languages through food, thereby strengthening further the people-to-people and cultural ties between the Philippines and France.