At KAEN, Marvin Agustin Sets Expectations Ablaze

“This is my new baby.”

That’s how Marvin Agustin describes his newest venture, the open-flame concept KAEN, that has been open barely two weeks. Inspired by Dave Pynt’s Burnt Ends in Singapore, which Agustin first visited nearly a decade ago, this new restaurant is built around one simple idea.

“I really liked to have a concept that’s open fire,” he says, recalling that trip. “It’s actually more challenging than throwing a lot of things together. This one, it’s just open flame. So simple.”

Located in the space once known as Kondwi, KAEN is named after the Japanese word for “flame” or “blaze,” and, of course, the Filipino word for “to eat.” The restaurant welcomes guests through heavy double doors and thick black curtains into a single open space. The lighting is subdued and the dining area is stark and no-nonsense. Diners can choose to sit in any of the tables and chairs around the edges, but those who sit in the middle will get a front-row seat to the chefs in the open kitchen putting on a performance.
 

Agustin—who has built quite a reputation within the local F&B community as a high-profile restaurateur, in addition to his even more high-profile life as an entertainer—may have started with the open fire idea, but he expanded it to one with a deeper purpose.

He previously worked with USAID (United States Agency for International Development) as ambassador for agri and aquaculture, helping promote sustainable seafood sourcing and empowering local fishing communities in the Philippines. In addition to reshaping his outlook on food, this chapter in his life connected him with farmers and producers across the country. It was an experience he shared with his collaborators in KAEN.

“My brief with my team was simple: let’s find the best produce in the Philippines,” he says. Even the decision to go à la carte instead of offering a tasting menu reflects that mindset. Agustin says he wants people to have control over their experience; he wants them to order what they want, share dishes, come back and try something new each time.

The directive shows up all over the menu. Vegetables come from Quezon, seafood is sourced from places like Iloilo and General Santos, and some ingredients—like mulberries or tawilis—are things you don’t often see highlighted in restaurants, but here they’re treated as main attractions.

There’s also a strong personal thread running through the dishes. “This is my mom’s recipe,” he says, about the Charred Ginataang Langka, whose main ingredient he sources from the Calungsod Integrated Farm community that he works with in Tiaong, Quezon. It definitely reminds one of the Filipino staple of ginataang langka, but given a novel twist.

And because the approach is so stripped down, the quality of the ingredients becomes obvious right away. The Sardine Toast, for example, features a single piece of fresh tawilis—yes the freshwater sardine from Taal Lake—resting on a bed of lightly buttered toast. For anyone who has ever tried crispy tawilis in and around Taal and Tagaytay, this interpretation promises to elicit wide-eyed wonder and satisfaction.

Of course, as an open-flame concept, the spotlight is on the proteins cooked in the grill. The seafood, including wild-caught shrimp, tuna collar, and lapu-lapu are all sourced locally, while the runners like the black angus ribeye, black angus tomahawk, and the Japanese F1 Wagyu striploin, are imported from the best suppliers abroad. Order the striploin and it comes sizzling cooked medium with just a dash of salt for flavor. Servers will tell you that this is generally how they serve the meats, but diners can still request the chefs to cook it to their preferred level of doneness.

For dessert, there are a couple of cheesecake options, including an ube one, but don’t miss out on the Shokupan Brulee wit Banana Cue, which is a pudding made from the pan de sal served in Agustin’s other restaurant, Cochi. Light, creamy, and familiar, it’s a good way to end the meal.

KAEN is an attempt to strip the dining experience to the basics: high-quality ingredients, fire, and the people who put them together. It’s not the first time it’s been done, of course, but there’s something to be said about Agustin and his collaborators putting their own spin to it. It’s a new venture that deserves to be taken seriously.

KAEN is located at 6109 Albert Street, Poblacion, Makati City.