Where Nature Decides the Menu: Dining with Chef Thorsten Killian
On the southeastern tip of Siargao Island, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, dining at Nay Palad Hideaway unfolds like the tide: fluid, natural, and entirely of the moment. There is no menu here, only what the sea and soil offer each day, interpreted through the imagination of Executive Chef Thorsten Killian. The result is a cuisine that defies boundaries: deeply personal, spontaneous, and inseparable from the island itself.
In this undisturbed natural setting, Chef Thorsten starts each day with a blank slate. “Every morning, we start afresh,” Thorsten says. “We see what the ocean brings, what the farms have, and we let that guide the food we create on the day.”
Cooking without a map
The absence of a set menu is a concept that might unsettle some chefs but energises Thorsten. “Without a fixed menu, you start each day with an open mind. The ingredients, the weather, even the tides become your guide,” he says. Of course, it also demands flexibility; sometimes the sea or the farms decide for you. “If a certain fish isn’t available, or the weather changes, we have to adapt,” he explains. “You start thinking differently, using what the island gives you. It’s not always easy but it’s the best kind of challenge, that’s where creativity thrives,” he smiles.
Around 70% of the ingredients used in the kitchen are sourced locally. Fish arrive directly from the hands of fishermen who have supplied the resort for more than 15 years; vegetables and herbs come from their own on-site organic garden, as well as a larger farm which grows special varieties exclusively for Nay Palad Hideaway. “There’s a real sense of partnership,” Thorsten says. “These relationships make what we do possible.”
In keeping with Nay Palad’s philosophy, they have recently partnered with a farm in the north of the island to cultivate special vegetables and varieties that aren’t usually found on Siargao, including tomatoes, pumpkins, and beans – showing how collaboration and curiosity can unlock new flavours and possibilities for the island.
Rooted in heritage, inspired by adventure
Thorsten’s culinary journey began long before Siargao. Born in Germany to a Thai mother, he grew up surrounded by two very different food cultures, one precise and structured, the other generous and expressive. “In my family, food was how we connected,” he recalls. “My mother and grandmother cooked together every day. In Thailand, food is never just eaten – it’s shared, celebrated, talked about. That atmosphere shaped how I see cooking even now.”
His formal training began near Frankfurt, where he apprenticed in classic European kitchens. Yet his heart always returned to the warmth of those family meals, the mingling aromas of herbs, coconut, and spice that spoke of belonging. “That mix of discipline and emotion still defines how I cook,” he explains. “You need both, the structure and the soul.”
After travelling and working throughout the world, Chef Thorsten has experienced a smorgasbord of global influences, learning and adapting from each. From five-star hotels in Switzerland to Michelin-starred Restaurant São Gabriel in Portugal, he made his way to Asia where he worked with luxury hotels in Malaysia and, most recently, among the skyscrapers of Singapore – a distinct contrast to the thatched roofs and organic architecture of his current island life.
A love letter to Siargao
When Thorsten first set foot on Siargao, he admits he had little idea what to expect. “I didn’t come here with a plan,” he says. “But the island has this magnetic energy. The people, the landscape, the sense of time slowing down, it’s unlike anywhere else.”
He was drawn in by the rhythm of local life and the abundance of ingredients available on the island: pristine seafood, fresh coconuts, native vegetables, tropical fruits that release their aromas under the warming glow of sunlight. “The produce here is so pure,” he says. “It hasn’t been overworked or overthought. That simplicity is beautiful.”
Barefoot luxury on the plate
Ask Thorsten to describe “barefoot luxury” in terms of dining and his answer is as intuitive as his cooking. “It’s about ease and authenticity,” he says. “Luxury doesn’t have to mean formality. It’s the feeling of comfort, of something made just for you.” Every dining experience at Nay Palad is designed around the guest, their preferences, and the gifts of the island. “I like to understand what each person enjoys,” Thorsten explains. “When I can translate that into a dish that surprises them, that’s the true reward.”
Strolling among the sandy pathways and ancient mangroves that the hideaway lies adjacent to, there are as many as 18 different locations where exceptional dining experiences can be arranged. One night might bring a candlelit meal under the stars; the next day, a simple picnic on a barely-there sandbar – your own private island. The sea pavilion hovers above turquoise waters, creating the feeling of dining suspended above the ocean, while the open-air restaurant comprises two upper decks overlooking the resort’s pristine beach. Treetop hideaways and intimate thatch-roofed pavilions are just some of the other ways you can immerse yourself in nature as you dine.
The cuisine mirrors the elegance of the surroundings. A four-course dinner might begin with a tuna-and-pineapple “lollipop,” followed by steamed grouper and prawn mousse, enriched with lobster bisque and pil-pil sauce. Every plate is a celebration of the island’s bounty, the season’s gifts, and the thoughtfulness of the kitchen — a perfect harmony of simplicity, luxury, and care.
The soul of Siargao
For those seeking the essence of the island, Thorsten’s recommendation is simple: start with the day’s catch. “There’s nothing more honest than a fish caught that morning,” he says. “I love serving tuna with fermented coconut vinegar, it’s a flavour that belongs only to Siargao. Every family makes their own version, and each one tastes slightly different. That uniqueness is what makes it special.”
Much of his team grew up on the island, bringing generations of culinary knowledge into the kitchen. “They know instinctively how ingredients should taste, how the flavours should feel,” he notes. “I learn from them every day.”
A cuisine that breaks boundaries
For Thorsten, food is more than an art form, it’s a means of communication. “The most meaningful dishes aren’t necessarily the most elaborate,” he says. “Sometimes a guest will ask for something simple, and we’ll transform it into a meal that feels personal, using what’s available at that moment. That’s what makes my work worthwhile, when I can see that what I’ve created truly touched someone.”
He pauses, thoughtfully, “When guests recall their time at Nay Palad, I hope they remember the feeling, that sense of being completely present. Food has the power to create that. It’s not just about taste, it’s about emotion, about belonging.”
Experience the island’s uniqueness through Chef Thorsten Killian’s cuisine at Nay Palad Hideaway
