Kineme Nights: A flavorful Filipino feast at Kondwi

"Guess what, we’re not at Fear Factor today, we’re at Kondwi," said chef Frances Tariga, making everyone laugh, as she presented the balut-free dish Penoy & Caviar.

Kondwi is the art gallery-slash-gastropub that actor-turned-restaurateur Marvin Agustin and artist Leeroy New opened in Poblacion, Makati in 2020. Named after the word “conduit,” it’s a space they created to support artists of different disciplines. “That includes culinary,” Marvin said.

On the day of our visit, the spotlight was on the artistry of chef Frances, owner and chef of Tadhana in New York, Top Chef alum, and the first winner of Morimoto’s Sushi Master. She’s teaming up with Marvin and taking over Kondwi all Fridays and Saturdays of September, starting on the 12th.

At Kondwi, chef Frances enjoys creative freedom. “No holding back, basically. Kondwi fits me very well. I’m an unapologetic chef.”

“Her technique, her flavors, her textures are so, so good,” said Marvin. “Plus, we kind of came from the same background. We struggled in life. We were determined and we persevered. Her journey was going international. My journey was going from being a waiter, a mascot in the restaurant, to acting, and then going back to what I first fell in love with—restaurants.”

For Frances, who grew up in Sampaloc, Manila, before working as a private chef for the royal family of the United Arab Emirates and then moving to New York, the collaboration was an easy yes. “Why not? It’s Marvin! I respect the guy with his hustle. We both have humble beginnings, and I think if there’s someone who could understand me, it’s him. I think we have chemistry as well. Mahirap mag-pop-up if you don’t like the person that you’re collaborating with.”

They named the collaboration Kineme Nights—”kineme” being playful gay slang that loosely means “whatever.” Marvin said, “Chef Frances likes the word ‘kineme.’ It also shows that we don’t take things seriously, but we’re going to give you something extraordinary.”

Not your usual tasting menu experience

They promise not your usual tasting menu experience. Chef Frances said, “It’s not stiff, not super formal.”

“It will be fun,” Marvin said.

It really was fun—in fact, it felt more like a party. And, most importantly, the food was damn good. Frances said, “Of course, you’ve got to put the hits—the Tadhana hit list. But we also want to push the envelope.”

The seven-course tasting menu began with Sinuglaw—kurobota jowl, local buri, cashew vinaigrette, and chive oil hiding underneath a pretty lumpia wrapper cover. “I suggest you crack the wrapper,” said Frances.

It was fresh and tangy, with a lovely contrast of textures—a beautiful start to the meal.

Next came the Kineme Salad. “Para kumain naman ng gulay yung mga Pilipino, napapansin ko laging naiiwan yung gulay, eh (So that Filipinos would eat vegetables, too—I notice that they always leave the vegetables behind),” said chef Frances, who stopped by our table to explain each dish.

The salad—a mix of hydroponic romaine, boquerones, citrus crumble, pickled shallots, and Parmesan—is so good it might convert the most stubborn veggie-haters. Marvin calls it his “new favorite salad.”

Course no. 3 was Penoy & Caviar—duck custard, velouté, and ikura served in an egg shell. “Mix it and drink it like balut,” said Marvin.

Octopus

The fourth course is a favorite of both the chef and Marvin: Panalong Pugita—fried octopus served with calamansi sofrito, pili gremolata, smashed potato and topped with Benguet strawberry slices.

Chef Frances said, “It’s local octopus. Not a lot of people here eat local octopus because people think it’s matigas (tough).”

It wasn’t. The octopus was tender and the ingredients came together to create one perfect bite after another. Such a satisfying dish.

Next came Pala-beok: crispy palabok noodles with palitaw gnocchi, tofu, aligue fudge, pork cracklings, and tinapa flakes. “It’s a very rich dish,” said the chef. It really was—and we enjoyed every last bit of it.

Mema Tacos came next—Tagaytay short rib, calamansi, crema, shiso, and pickled veggies. In the prep area, chef Frances made one and stuffed it into her mouth. “Sarap!” she exclaimed, making people laugh for the nth time that day.

She wasn’t kidding. It’s a beautiful taco, one we’d love to order again at Kondwi. “It’s short rib cooked in asado and underneath, there’s a caldereta puree. On top, we added avocado and sour cream and some salad.”

Throughout the meal, Frances walked around wielding patis-calamansi in a spray bottle, ready to add a dose of umami and citrusy tang to anyone who wanted it.

Dessert was Ube Puff made by Marvin’s sister May Galvez. It’s a little pâte à choux stuffed with whipped Good Shepherd ube and sprinkled with magic dust. Marvin said, “It’s a cold, one-bite dessert.” Delicious.

The menu won’t be exactly the same each week. While some dishes will always be part of the tasting menu, others will change weekly depending on what’s fresh and available at the market. You will also get to try Marvin’s dishes. He said, “We agreed to use local flavors. We said, ‘Let’s use whatever we find here in Poblacion.’ We get a lot of our ingredients from the local market and, of course, Farmers Market.”

The tasting menu is priced at P3,500. They made a conscious effort to lower the price to make it more accessible. “We want to be more inclusive. We want to make sure that people from all walks of life can enjoy this dinner also,” said chef Frances.

Cocktail and wine pairings are available for an extra P1,500.

Kineme Nights doesn’t just showcase chef Frances’ culinary talents, it also lets her personality shine—she’s warm, funny, playful, passionate, and approachable.

 These past months mark her first time working in the Philippines after being away for 22 years. “I’ve been enjoying it so much.”

In fact, she doesn’t want to leave. She and her team are moving Tadhana to Los Angeles next year. But chef Frances also has a lot of projects lined up in the Philippines, including a destination restaurant in Tagaytay and a spot in Bonifacio Global City. We can’t wait.

Chef Frances said, “I’m not re-imagining Filipino food. I’m just saying this is what Filipino food can be. That’s my plan, to elevate my childhood food.”

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 Kondwi is at 6109 Albert St. Poblacion, Makati. The Kineme Nights tasting menu will be available for dinner all Fridays and Saturdays of September starting Sept. 12. There will be two seatings each night. For reservations, contact 0966-335-0089.