Ready, Set, (Pat) Go!
Meet Chef Pat Go and a month in his deliciously busy life
August has been a whirlwind month for Chef Patrick “Pat” Go, the Filipino-Chinese chef behind the beloved Your Local in Makati.
Known for his refined yet playful take on Asian flavors, Chef Pat has been everywhere this month — popping up in steakhouse kitchens, folding tacos with Chinese flair, and preparing to launch his newest passion project. It’s the kind of energy that makes you think: Does this guy ever stop cooking? Spoiler: he doesn’t (except for his birthday).
From Wolfgang’s Steakhouse to Taquería Franco and soon The Podium, Chef Pat is proving that Asian flavors can thrive in any setting. Here’s a closer look at the three big things he’s been up to.
Chefs Chris Oronce (left) and Chef Pat; Skirt Steak Satay (Photos by Pol Divina for Wolfgang’s Steakhouse)
Wolfgang’s Steakhouse x Chef Pat: “What’s Your Beef? Part 4”
Earlier this month, Wolfgang’s Steakhouse hosted the fourth installment of their collaborative series, What’s Your Beef? This ongoing event pairs Wolfgang’s with guest chefs for a “four-hands” menu that takes steakhouse classics into new territory. For this round, they tapped Chef Pat, who brought his love for Asian flavors to the beloved steakhouse.
The menu was a carnivore’s dream but with a bold twist. Wolfgang’s signature USDA Prime Black Angus beef was reimagined in dishes that spanned the Asian continent: a Korean-style Yukhoe steak tartare, Skirt Steak Satay laced with Southeast Asian spices, and even a fragrant Beef Rendang reminiscent of Indonesian home cooking. Chef Chris Oronce of Wolfgang’s matched Chef Pat’s vibe and prepared a playful Pho & Banh Mi mashup, a must-try Wolfgang-fied Gyudon.
This collab just about beef cooked differently, it’s about showing how versatile the steakhouse format could be when infused with flavors Chef Pat knows by heart.
Char Siu Taco; Chef Pat with Chef Miko Calo (Photos by Pol Divina for Taqueria Franco)
Char Siu, Meet Taco: Taqueria Franco x Pat Collab
If the steakhouse collab showed off Pat’s refined side, his second project this month leaned into the playful. Over at Taquería Franco, the “Friends of Franco & Friends” series spotlight guest chefs every month with limited-edition food and experiences. For August, Chef Pat rolled out a Pork Char Siu Taco that had foodies buzzing.
Char siu, the Cantonese-style barbecued pork known for its shiny red glaze and sweet-savory flavor, might not sound like an obvious taco filling. But in Pat’s hands, it just worked. He layered sticky char siu pork over a base of ginger-scallion sauce, tucked it into a buckwheat tortilla, and served it with a side of spicy sambal for heat. The result? A taco that felt familiar yet entirely new.
It’s only available until the end of August, which makes it all the more crave-worthy. It’s collaborations like this that highlight Pat’s (and Taqueria Franco’s) strength: he can take something traditional, fold it into another cuisine’s format, and make it feel effortless.
Lazy Suzy: Coming Soon to The Podium
Chef Pat’s busy season seems to be culminating with the upcoming launch of Lazy Suzy, his newest restaurant at The Podium in Ortigas. Set to open by late September to early October 2025, Lazy Suzy is Pat’s answer to the question: what if East Asian flavors were given a stage that’s equal parts refined and fun?
“Lazy Suzy is an East Asian dining concept inspired by Hong Kong, Taiwanese, Korean and Japanese cuisine,” Pat tells The Garlic Press. “Aside from Filipino cuisine, these are the flavors that I lean towards when it comes to cooking.”
Unlike Your Local or his other projects, Lazy Suzy is envisioned as a “Fun Fine Casual” dining spot. The food will be polished but never intimidating, playful yet deeply rooted in Asian comfort. Pat hints at dim sum-inspired small plates, slow-cooked specialties, and fried rice dishes as highlights to watch out for, though he’s keeping the exact menu under wraps for now.
What ties all of these projects together is Chef Pat’s passion for Asian food. Whether he’s experimenting with tacos, rethinking steakhouse menus, or building an entire restaurant concept, his cooking always circles back to flavors that feel personal.
There’s also a collaborative spirit in everything he does. Working with Wolfgang’s Steakhouse and Taquería Franco shows that Pat enjoys stepping into other culinary worlds, not to overshadow them, but to leave his mark with flavors he knows intimately. Lazy Suzy, meanwhile, feels like the natural progression: his own space to fully express the cuisines he loves.
From August collaborations to a September opening, Chef Pat is unstoppable. He’s not just cooking, he’s telling stories with every dish. And right now, his story is all about the flavors of Asia served his own way and a whole lot of heart.
All photos by Pol Divina
