Chef Robby Goco&rsquo;s Elaia by Cyma redefines Greek cuisine for the Philippine countryside &mdash; honoring tradition, championing local farms and practicing real sustainability with every plate.

In the quietness of Silang, there is a serene escape that feels equal parts restaurant and belief system, serving up traditional meals rooted in everything that makes Greek cuisine so wonderful. <a href="https://qrco.de/elaiabycymasilangcavitestoredetails" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elaia by Cyma</a> does not announce itself with grandeur, but one step into the understated four walls of this countryside retreat, something shifts. More than a dining destination, chef <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bleurobster/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Robby Goco</a>&rsquo;s latest concept is a slow food sanctuary and a celebration of nature&rsquo;s abundance.
Having built quite a reputation as the country&rsquo;s authority on Greek cuisine, and nearly two decades at the helm of Cyma, a stalwart in the metro&rsquo;s dining scene, Goco wanted to go even closer to the roots of Greek cuisine.

&ldquo;Greece isn&rsquo;t just about beach tavernas; there are mountain villages where slow food reigns: hearty stews, mushrooms, lamb cooked, low and slow. I dreamed of serving that, but in a setting where I can grow my own red tomatoes and work directly with local farms,&rdquo; he says. With its agricultural richness and proximity to the metro, Cavite showed itself to be the obvious choice. &ldquo;It allowed me to build a place where nature, food and sustainability could intersect.&rdquo;
The Greek word for &ldquo;olive&rdquo;, Elaia is chef Robby&rsquo;s most personal work yet. Retaining beloved Cyma signatures but also introducing a menu reflecting Northern Greek cuisine best, Elaia takes time and honors ingredients. &ldquo;It isn&rsquo;t just another branch; it&rsquo;s a statement about where I&rsquo;ve come as a chef and where I want to take Greek dining in the Philippines.

&ldquo;[Elaia by Cyma] is not about fast dining; it&rsquo;s about reconnecting with how food should be experienced &mdash; with intention, care and a deep respect for nature&rsquo;s bounty.&rdquo; &mdash;Chef Robby Goco

At Elaia, sustainability isn&rsquo;t a word thrown around for the sake of it &mdash; it&rsquo;s a true way of life. Goco&rsquo;s kitchen adheres to the Blue Zone philosophy anchored in longevity: fresh, seasonal vegetables, good fats (like extra virgin olive oil) and slow, deliberate cooking that preserves nutrients and flavor in equal measure.
&ldquo;We intentionally crafted the menu to highlight these ingredients, not as side dishes, but as the heart of the meal. Instead of serving grilled meats with the usual rice or potatoes, we pair them with ladera &mdash; vegetables lovingly cooked in EVOO,&rdquo; Goco explains. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s low-carb, nourishing and incredibly satisfying.&rdquo;
The restaurant&rsquo;s design echoes this ethos and mirrors the food &mdash; rustic, relaxed and deliberate. Here, nothing is rushed. Guests can slow down and savor a languid afternoon, coming together with family and friends over fantastic food, cocktails in hand. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not about fast dining; it&rsquo;s about reconnecting with how food should be experienced &mdash; with intention, care and a deep respect for nature&rsquo;s bounty,&rdquo; he quips.

Elaia&rsquo;s menu moves with seasonality and intention, and leans into memory. For instance, the homemade phyllo pies, each meticulously crafted from scratch and filled with wild greens or cheese, embody the slow food philosophy the concept champions. There&rsquo;s also the eight-hour roasted lamb, slow-cooked and so tender that it falls off the bone &mdash; seasoned simply to let the meat speak. The lamb al ajillo &mdash; an elegant nod to Spain with a touch of Greek sensibility &mdash; is cooked gently in garlic and olive oil, delivering a deep, familiar flavor.
&ldquo;Personally, I have a soft spot for our grilled seafood served with ladera. We source the best local catch and treat it with respect, grilling it over charcoal and pairing it with olive oil-cooked vegetables,&rdquo; says Goco.
While there is a distinct but very subtle sweetness in the food, it&rsquo;s not sugar. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t even keep sugar in the kitchen,&rdquo; the chef laughs. &ldquo;What you might perceive as a hint of sweetness comes from the natural flavors of our ingredients, especially the high-quality extra virgin olive oil we use. We also incorporate Mavrodafni, a sweet red wine from northern Greece, which adds subtle depth and character.&rdquo;

My experience at Elaia felt like an unhurried conversation, as I took my meal on the sun-drenched veranda. It began with the Taramosalata &mdash; Greek fish roe blended with lemon, dill, cucumber and olive oil &mdash; a cold mezze that was bright and surprisingly elegant, especially as I sipped The Elaia, a specialty cocktail made with EVOO-washed rum, tamarind, lime and Greek yogurt. The Fried Hand-crafted Halloumi was another standout, paired with a subtle tomato jam and cherry tomatoes that gave just the right hint of sweet and acid.
Of course, the grill was not to be missed and I indulged in the 900-gram Aussie MB2 Porterhouse, cooked perfectly medium rare just as requested, served alongside a herb garlic EVOO sauce and Greek fries that are perfectly crisp. The seabass, flaky and moist, was mild and flavorful, and elevated by a garlic ladolemono sauce which the restaurant serves with most of its excellent fish dishes.
For starch, beyond the generous and satiating helpings of ladera (the oven-roasted vegetables were my favorite), the Seafood Elaia stood out. It is an understated but incredibly satisfying aglio olio served with fresh shrimp, squid, mussels and clams &mdash; each component shining in its own right.
To close, because there&rsquo;s always room for dessert, the Ekmek &mdash; a Greek-style tiramisu made with kataifi, semolina custard and whipped cream &mdash; served as a light and comforting way to end the meal.

While Elaia imports a few keystone ingredients &mdash; like the authentic feta cheese and high-quality Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil &mdash; the majority of its inventory is proudly and thoughtfully local. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the beauty of countryside Greek cooking &mdash; the simplicity and adaptability of the ingredients,&rdquo; Goco explains. Vegetables are grown nearby. &ldquo;Our salt is my own customized blend and our pepper, which comes from Alfonso, Cavite, brings local depth and character to every dish.&rdquo;
Lamb, not a common protein in the country, is sourced with care and prepared with precision &mdash; balancing bold spices, the richness of the lamb and the freshness of local herbs and vegetables. &ldquo;Over the years, we&rsquo;ve worked hard to make [lamb] approachable, tender and crave-worthy. It is the result of years of refinement and respect for the meat. I&rsquo;m honored to have been named the &lsquo;Lambassador&rsquo; by the Australian government in 2023,&rdquo; Goco says with a smile.
This cross-cultural conversation and blending of the best local and imported ingredients are central to Elaia&rsquo;s identity. &ldquo;This dedication to quality ensures we preserve the soul of Greek cooking while celebrating what&rsquo;s exceptional here in the Philippines,&rdquo; says the chef.

&ldquo;Sustainability, for me, goes beyond just sourcing and operations &mdash; it&rsquo;s about responsibility. We run Elaia with a clear focus on it: using everything, minimizing waste and ensuring profitability while being conscious of our impact,&rdquo; Goco reveals. He personally checks what gets thrown away, believing nothing should go to waste. &ldquo;We practice nose-to-tail cooking, and we&rsquo;re even looking into composting, though it requires collaboration.&rdquo;
But Goco&rsquo;s vision goes beyond the kitchen, saying, &ldquo;Sustainability means holding ourselves accountable as business owners &mdash; proud to register, pay taxes and contribute to the community. Looking at things from the systemic side and supporting farmers go beyond just buying their produce &mdash; we are helping them build sustainable businesses, too. This helps them gain access to more opportunities, protection and the ability to grow. It&rsquo;s about creating a local ecosystem where everyone thrives, and that, in turn, supports a stronger and more sustainable food system for the country.&rdquo;
While the chef admits that achieving true sustainability in the F&amp;B industry is difficult, it is essential if we collectively desire a thriving food culture decades down the line. &ldquo;Encouraging local production of key ingredients, investing in proper waste management systems and educating consumers and restaurateurs on why these efforts matter require patience, innovation and a willingness to rethink how we&rsquo;ve always done things,&rdquo; shares Goco.

With decades of culinary magic under his belt, Goco&rsquo;s vision continues to expand. With Elaia marking a quiet turning point in his culinary journey, there is still more to come &mdash; exploring different sides of Greek cuisine and exposing the Filipino palate with more to discover.
Kyma by Cyma, celebrating seafood and coastal flavors; Go Greek, which brings casual Greek dining to beach tourist areas across the country; and Athena Pita, which spotlights souvlaki pitas &mdash; making Greek street food accessible to everyone. &ldquo;Each concept is a new chapter, a way to share more of Greece with the Philippines,&rdquo; says Goco with a grin. And to say we&rsquo;re excited for what&rsquo;s to come is an understatement.
Elaia by Cyma is open daily and located at Buenavista Avenue, Silang, Cavite.

Courtesy of Elaia by Cyma.

Elaia by Cyma Serves a Slower, Smarter Kind of Greek in Silang

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