Daily Tribune
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For nearly two decades, Atty. Nilo Divina has been known for building one of the country’s most formidable law firms — a powerhouse that counts among its clients some of the Philippines’ wealthiest tycoons and most influential figures. But a different kind of perfection — one plated and seasoned, not argued or notarized, has recently brought him a new kind of recognition.
Opened as Café Aurora in early 2023 and located in Makati’s Pacific Star Building, Aurora earned a spot in the inaugural MICHELIN Guide Philippines selection, which was announced on 30 Oct. 2025 — roughly two years and nine months after the restaurant first opened.
Named after his late mother, Aurora, the restaurant has become Divina’s passion project — a tribute wrapped in flavor and finesse. The establishment’s refined take on Asian comfort food, coupled with slow, deliberate cooking, captured the attention of Michelin’s reviewers, who lauded its heartfelt, grounded cuisine.
“Aurora delivers Asian cuisine with a focus on slow, deliberate cooking,” noted the Michelin Guide, describing the restaurant’s menu as one that “honors and tributes to the owner’s mother.”
From its quiet spot in Makati, Aurora has blossomed into something much bigger — literally and figuratively — with the recent opening of its sister restaurant, Bistro Aurora, at the top of The Podium in Ortigas Center.
If Aurora in Makati evokes intimacy, Bistro Aurora is its urbane cousin — more expansive, more experimental, yet still unmistakably faithful to the philosophy that “good food begins with heart.”
Nestled within Podium Social on the mall’s sixth level, Bistro Aurora showcases a repertoire of dishes that has left even seasoned diners breathless. Each creation — from the ikura-topped GenSan tuna ceviche laced with kimchi aioli to the luscious Wagyu beef dumplings kissed with Szechuan oil — is crafted with precision by executive chef Mark Sanchez, whose mastery of Asian flavors has given the restaurant a distinctive voice.
The menu reads like a culinary tour across Asia: Nyonya laksa mussels, tamarind-glazed pork belly skewers, and apple wood chip-smoked salmon donburi that releases a wisp of fragrant smoke as its lid is lifted — a multisensory experience that lingers long after the last bite.
And then, there’s the showstopper: a bone-in Australian Tomahawk steak, perfectly seared and impossibly tender — a dish that captures the restaurant’s confident balance of opulence and restraint.
Behind the gleaming surfaces of both Aurora and Bistro Aurora lies Divina’s clear, methodical touch — the same discipline that made him a top corporate lawyer and the dean of the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law. His restaurants, much like his legal career, are the products of vision, patience, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.
Yet, beyond precision, there is sentiment. Aurora is a love letter to his mother and to the warmth of Filipino hospitality, expressed through food that comforts and inspires.
During a previous conversation with business journalists, Divina expressed admiration for respected restaurateur Ana Lorenzana de Ocampo of the Wildflour Group — a hint that he sees himself not merely as a lawyer dabbling in dining, but as someone intent on shaping Manila’s modern restaurant landscape.
With whispers of more concepts on the horizon, Divina’s culinary chapter seems to be only beginning. And if Aurora’s Michelin nod is any indication, it’s a story destined to continue shining — luminous, refined, and deeply personal.
