Bruce Ricketts and Jae Pickrell have transformed the way Manila experiences food. With their innovative restaurants &mdash; Sensei,&nbsp;La Chinesca, and&nbsp;IAI &mdash; they blend global techniques with local flavors, creating dining experiences that are as much about artistry as they are about taste.&nbsp;

PHOTOGRAPHY Shaira Luna
CREATIVE DIRECTION Maura Rodriguez
STYLING Loris Pe&ntilde;a
Culinary tradition and innovation often dance in a delicate balance, but Bruce Ricketts and Jae Pickrell-Ricketts have emerged as visionaries of modern gastronomic experiences. Their partnership &mdash; both in life and in their craft &mdash; has redefined creating, consuming, and celebrating food no matter the cuisine. &ldquo;We have a professional dynamic where we know each other&rsquo;s strengths and weaknesses so we&rsquo;re able to allow each other to shine in the different departments that we&rsquo;re good at,&rdquo; Jae shares.

"I think the menu is a personal reflection because as I&rsquo;m constantly evolving and growing, my menu will do the same.&rdquo; &ndash; Bruce

Bruce Ricketts&rsquo; journey into the culinary world began humbly, as a dishwasher in the United States, where he absorbed the nuances of California-style cuisine. &ldquo;I love that working in the kitchen utilizes a different kind of energy that requires physical experience and mastery by way of repetition. Over two decades, he honed his craft, eventually returning to Manila to open Sensei, his first restaurant, followed by the bold flavors of La Chinesca, and the refined artistry of Iai. With nearly 20 years in the industry, 14 of which have been spent leading his own kitchens, Bruce has cultivated a culinary philosophy that is all about intentional exploration.

"Ultimately, that&rsquo;s why we do what we do &mdash; to share what we love, in the hopes that others would enjoy them too." &ndash; Jae

Meanwhile, Jae, CEO of their company, is the quiet force behind their ventures. With a background in publishing and a keen eye for aesthetics, she brings a visual and conceptual flavor to their collaborations. &ldquo;The discipline of honing a perspective, telling a story, cultivating taste, and being involved in all the nitty-gritty of bringing ideas to life &mdash; all of these translate to my work right now, so the rigor and approach I had as a former lifestyle and copy editor aren&rsquo;t new to me in my current line of work,&rdquo; Jae shares. But it&rsquo;s their latest restaurant Iai that encapsulates the purest expression of their shared vision. The name is inspired by the Japanese word Iaido, the art of drawing, cutting, and resheathing the katana or sword. &ldquo;Iai is the continuation of Bruce&rsquo;s culinary journey as an avid practitioner of the craft and art of sushi. After nine years of working in Mecha Uma, which closed in December 2023, Bruce wanted to further refine his practice and it was a natural extension of our business partnership that we would open this together, with him overseeing the kitchen and service, and me taking care of the design and backend operations,&rdquo; Jae explains.

At Iai, Bruce crafts an omakase-style menu that is both intimate and immersive. &ldquo;We try our best to have our menu reflect my personality through non-traditional dishes, as well as my interpretation of classic items like nigiri sushi. I think the menu is a personal reflection because as I&rsquo;m constantly evolving and growing, my menu will do that same,&rdquo; the chef ruminates. The result is a culinary journey that is as much about introspection as it is about indulgence. Jae&rsquo;s touch is evident in the restaurant&rsquo;s serene ambiance, where every element &mdash; from the handcrafted tableware to the soft glow of the lighting &mdash; has been carefully chosen to enhance the diner&rsquo;s experience.
What sets Bruce and Jae apart is not just their culinary ingenuity but their ability to tell a story through food. &ldquo;Ultimately, that&rsquo;s why we do what we do &mdash; to share what we love, in the hopes that others would enjoy them too,&rdquo; Jae says.

PRODUCERS&nbsp;Loris Pe&ntilde;a and Maura Rodriguez
MAKEUP and GROOMING Don de Jesus
HAIR Miggy Carbonilla
STYLIST ASSISTANT Tere Gabat
PHOTOGRAPHER'S ASSISTANT Emelito Lansangan

How Bruce Ricketts and Jae Pickrell Are Redefining Filipinos' Food Experiences

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