Heartbroken on Valentine's Day, woman receives free meal from Michelin Selected restaurant

There's no easy way to mend a broken heart, especially during the height of Valentine's Day celebrations. But sometimes, even a small act of kindness helps.

On TikTok, a post shared by user @hey_merie went viral after she shared her attempt to cancel a lunch reservation at Modan, which was supposed to be her Valentine's Day celebration with her partner.

"Valentine's plans changed last minute, so I reached out to cancel dinner at Modan," she wrote.

In her email to the Japanese private dining restaurant, the woman said she had no valid reason for the late cancellation other than their split.

"[My partner and I] broke up, thus no more Valentine's Day date," she wrote.

In response, a member of the Modan team replied to her email, saying that Chef Jorge Mendez, the owner and chef behind the upscale restaurant, would refund the full amount of her reservation.

The chef even offered to invite her to dine at Modan free of charge.

"More than that, he would still like to invite you to dine with us on Valentine's Day or any date you prefer," the email read.

"Chef simply wants you to still feel love in another form," they added.

In a text exchange with GMA News Online, Chef Jorge confirmed that the account shared in the viral post was true.

"I really didn't expect her to post or for it to blow up," he said.

Modan is among the Michelin Selected restaurants in the Philippines for 2026.

Aside from Modan, Chef Jorge is also the brain behind Some Thai, a Michelin Bib Gourmand awardee, and ramen bar Mugen. —MGP, GMA Integrated News