This is Team Lakay's go-to restaurant for delicious recovery meals

Mixed martial arts fighters are known to have a taxing training camp when preparing for a bout. Other than mastering skills and techniques, athletes also have the burden of cutting weight to meet the strict weight limit for their respective weight classes.

Some would argue that the most important part of an athlete's preparation would eventually boil down to recovery after the weigh-in.

Depending on what s/he eats, a fighter could either harvest the fruits of his labor in training or flop even after the hardship they went through in training camp.

In the case of Team Lakay, the renowned stable from the mountains of Baguio has a staple go-to place for recovery each time they compete in Manila.

Secret Shop, in the heart of Pasay City, is a reservation-only place owned by Bryce Vestre, an IT professional and lifelong martial arts practitioner who's always been popular in the scene for the delicious food served in his house-turned restaurant.

"It's just at my house and it merely started as an internet cafe," Vestre said of his small restaurant. "Parents asked if I can serve food so the kids won't have to go out and for them to have food because it's a 24-hour operation so they want their kids to be looked after," he further shared.

Bryce Vestre (R) poses with former UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn (Middle) photo by Bryce Vestre

Secret Shop is something of a pop-up: all communications are done online, with no clear operating hours. They open for lunch sometimes, but diners have a better chance during dinner service.

It started with three tables that could accommodate up to 15 hungry diners. 

These days, however, a single long table stands in the middle of the space, located in Baclaran, giving out real cafeteria-vibes.

"When someone makes a request, I would usually find a recipe to imitate to get an idea of what they want. I either eat the food or have them describe it to me, then I will try to cook it at the shop."

Vestre never studied nutrition nor did he go to culinary school, but successful experiments, feedback, and on-the-job training had hit the mark for Team Lakay's taste buds.

"After their first dine-in was when I learned what to feed them because I served everything. There were meat, seafood, chicken, and vegetables. There wasn't soup on the menu, and it was by then that they started to request bulalo and sinigang," he said.

"Each Team Lakay fighter has their own requests," he quipped.

"Folayang's favorite is adobo, that's going to be his request each time he has a fight. Pacio would usually go for bulalo and white rice. Eustaquio, Banario and Kelly all want seafood. Belingon on the other hand is not choosy and will eat anything."

According to Vestre, roasted chicken, pork, and seafood are the most-ordered items on his pretty affordable menu.

Dishes range from P200 to P1500 for a kilo of  crabs. 

Vestre says he does what he does purely out of passion. He has vehemently refused to expand his restaurant, saying the love and extraordinary experience could fade if he starts to focus way too much on monetizing the small business.

"I get a lot of offers for partnership and branching it out. But my investment is really just my passion, my love for what I do," told Vestre.

"I'm in my mid 30's, I just want to have sense of value as a person. If I focus too much on making money, chances are the love and passion for what I do might go away."

He shared that the most rewarding part of his job is getting thanked by fighters he looked up to as heroes. Profit aside, Vestre says that there is no better feeling than seeing Team Lakay finish a meal on his table.

"It's a good feeling when they thank me. I'm not the only one helping, there's a lot of us," he stressed.

"This is my own little way of helping. I never wished for recognition, but to be thanked by people who I look up to as heroes is truly rewarding."

Vestre is expecting a heavy workload after the weigh-ins, as ONE: Dawn of Heroes is set to take place at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines on August 2.

He is scheduled to serve recovery meals for former ONE lightweight world champion Eduard Folayang, Danny Kingad, Edward Kelly, former ONE flyweight world champion Geje Eustaquio, and former ONE featherweight world champion Honorio Banario.

With five competitors from the fabled Team Lakay slated to compete in the biggest show ONE Championship has ever put up in Manila, Vestre is bent on serving his team the finest meal he can cook for recovery.

"My fight will be in the kitchen," he stated with a laugh. "But it's doable, what's important is they get to eat and recover for the fights."

Team Lakay's battle lies inside the cage; his would be in the kitchen. — LA, GMA News