Marvin Agustin, Frances Tariga Bring ‘Kineme Nights’ to Poblacion

You’ll hear the word kineme a lot these days at Marvin Agustin’s restaurant-bar, Kondwi, in Poblacion. The expression appears to be a playful riff of the Filipino gay lingo word keme, which first caught on in LGBTQ circles, and later seeped into mainstream pop culture through comedians like Vice Ganda. Keme works like a catch-all filler when you don’t want to say something directly or prefer to keep it vague. For instance, “May keme ako bukas” translates to “I have something tomorrow,” without specifying what. Over time, variations like eme also entered the slang, carrying the same playful, ambiguous vibe.

“Kineme Nights” is what actor-turned-restaurateur Agustin and internationally celebrated Filipina chef Frances Tariga call their newly launched collaboration. The two met recently when Tariga—known for her modern Filipino restaurant, Tadhana, in New York City, which made it to the Michelin Guide in 2024—invited Agustin to check out Incanta, a restaurant bar in Quezon City, where she is a partner and consultant. 

“I’ve actually been wanting to try [Incanta]. My kids saw it online, so I brought them there, and we loved the food,” says Agustin. “Of course, aside from the food, you’ll love Frances’ vibe.” 

Chef Frances Tariga doing her magic in the open kitchen.

He returned the gesture by inviting Tariga to his Filipino restaurant, Cochi, in Bonifacio Global City. “She loved the food. She loved how we make traditional kare-kare from scratch. At Cochi, we make everything in-house, and she appreciated our attention to detail,” he adds, beaming.

Agustin and Tariga hit it off instantly, and after a food crawl in Poblacion, they both knew they wanted to team up.

“Pareho kami ng nasa isip na we would work good together. May ganong feeling. I guess it’s because we both came from the same background—we struggled in life. And I immediately connected with how she persevered in life. I like people like that,” Agustin tells Esquire Philippines.

Sinuglaw

During their conversations, Tariga asked what he was doing with Kondwi. When Agustin replied that he was eyeing collaborations, she didn’t miss a beat—“I’ll do one.”

“We're thinking of a lot of big things, but we thought, let's start with something simple. And this—believe it or not—is her version of simple,” he says with admiration. "I like her personality. I like what she does. I like her flavors. I guess, at the end of the day, food has to be delicious. [Her food] is kind of a complete package for me. Her story and her food.”

Tariga’s culinary career spans working with UAE royals and acclaimed restaurants in New York City. She has competed on hit culinary shows such as Top Chef, Chopped, Beat Bobby Flay, and Sushi Master, where she was crowned champion.

“Everything I’ve learned has led to this—having fun and meeting famous people,” she says with a laugh, nudging the former teen star.

Kineme Salad

What does “kineme” mean to them and how did they come up with the name?

According to Agustin, they spent time trying to think of a name that would encapsulate what they want diners to experience, but nothing seemed to fit. Until Tariga suddenly blurted out, “kineme.” To which, he jumped in, “That’s it!”

“We don't take things too seriously, but for sure you'll experience something amazing. That’s kineme,” says Agustin, who obviously had become a huge fan of Tariga’s cooking.

“Frances has the ability to turn something ordinary into something extraordinary. In the beginning, when she mentioned the salad, of course I knew what she could do—it was going to be great. But when I actually tried it, I was surprised. Now I call it my new favorite salad,” offers the actor-turned-entrepreneur.

He swears by their Mema Tacos—a bold mix of Tagaytay shortrib, local prawns, calamansi, crema, shiso, and pickled vegetables. “It has everything—flavor, texture, balance. Kumpleto siya sa elements, that’s why I love it,” he says.

Penoy & Caviar

For Tariga, the octopus dish stands out as the highlight of the Kineme Nights menu. “Many Filipinos shy away from cooking octopus because it’s often tough and chewy, usually served only as pulutan. Growing up, I didn’t even realize octopus was available in the Philippines; I only knew pusit. That’s why, transforming octopus into a tender, flavorful star on the plate makes the dish all the more special,” she says.

The Kineme Nights menu is a playful showcase of unexpected pairings and bold flavors. It opens with Sinuglaw, where kurobota jowl and local buri are brightened by a cashew vinaigrette and chive oil. The Kineme Salad elevates crisp hydroponic romaine with boquerones, citrus crumble, pickled shallots, and parmesan—its briny punch setting it apart. There’s Penoy & Caviar, a luxurious duck custard with velouté and ikura, and Panalong Pugita, an octopus dish that surprises with its crusty exterior, chewy bite, and an interplay of calamansi sofrito, pill gremolata, and smashed potatoes—an unlikely but successful match with strawberry. Pala-beok reinvents palabok as palitaw gnocchi layered with tofu, aligue fudge, pork cracklings, and tinapa flakes for rich, salty textures, while the Ube Puff closes the experience on a playful note, turning the humble local tuber into a delicate pâte à choux dusted with “magic.” Each dish balances the nutty, herby, sour, sweet, savory, and briny—Kineme’s trademark of making the ordinary extraordinary.

Pala-beok

After walking us through the flavors of Kineme Nights, Marvin loosened up for a more playful round of questions—sharing food memories, guilty pleasures, and even a few stories from his showbiz past. Here's our chat: 

If your life were a tasting menu, what would you be—an appetizer, a main course, or a dessert?

I’d be your octopus—I’m local but extraordinary. (Laughs.)

If you could cook for any of your past co-stars, who would it be and what dish would you serve?

When Jolina and I were kind of dating in our teens, I invited her to my house. I wasn't much of a good cook then, and I made her crispy pata because it’s my favorite. Since I had little time to prepare, ‘yung crispy pata parang bubble gum sa tigas at sa kunat. So when I started making cochinillo from my home during pandemic, she's one of the few people that I first sent cochinillo to kasi I wanted her to try it and get her feedback, and she loved it. Sabi ko sa kanya, "Oh, hindi na 'yan bubble gum, ha. Restaurant-quality na 'yan."

Mema Tacos

What dish instantly brings you back to your childhood?

What came to my mind is rice, sabaw kape, sugar, and daing or tuyo. I did that again after a very, very long time in one of the teleseryes I was doing years back. Inabot kami ng six in the morning sa shooting and they wanted to order something because we were all so tired and I still needed to perform. They asked me, ano ba daw gusto kong kainin. E merong kape at rice, pero walang tuyo. Sabi ko, “Hanapan n’yo akong ng tuyo.” Sabi nila, "Why?" Sabi ko, "Basta." I whipped all that up—kape, asukal, kanin at tuyo—and ate that to my heart’s content. They saw me enjoying and they asked, "Ano yan?" They tried it and they loved it.

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What's one food trend you wish would disappear?

Hindi naman sa gusto kong mag-disappear pero parang naumay ako sa dami ng nagpapadala sa 'kin. It’s sushi bake. Mayro'ng gumawa na sobrang sarap and na-post ko yun online. From then on, ang dami na nagpadala sa bahay. I guess nawala na rin ang trend kasi a lot of people just did it and hindi na-sustain.

How about a food trend that you still love up to now?

Cheesecake. Actually ang favorite ko at ‘yung sa El Born.

Ube Puff

If you’ll do a food crawl with friends anywhere in the world, where would you do it?

Ang pumasok agad utak ko ay Japan and Spain. But since I just did Spain and it’s been a long time since I've been to Japan, I'd love to go to Japan again. Japan is just so complete in terms of food texture—from fried to grilled to raw food. Parang pwede kang mabuhay na puro Japanese food lang yung kainin mo. And 'yung crawl, parang pwede siyang i-design na you'd be surprised with flavors in each place that you go to.

What's your guilty pleasure that might surprise people?

I eat a full meal between 12 midnight and 2 a.m. while watching Netflix.

Is that your dinner?

Midnight snack. I normally I sleep at 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. But once I cross the 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. mark, I’m hungry again. So while watching, I have to eat a full meal. Either I order fried chicken or cook whatever is in the fridge.

How do you stay trim?

I fast for 16 hours.

Kineme Nights happens every Friday and Saturday at Kondwi, Poblacion, Makati, starting September 12. Guests can choose between two seatings—6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. For reservations, contact Abby at +63 966 335 0089. Seats are limited, so early booking is highly recommended.