Cover Offbeat Bistro by chefs Don Baldosano and Angelo Comsti (Photo: Jar Concengco)
Offbeat Bistro by chefs Don Baldosano and Angelo Comsti (Photo: Jar Concengco)
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Friends Angelo Comsti and Don Baldosano join forces to bring their shared passion for regional local cuisine to life at their newly-opened Makati City restaurant, Offbeat Bistro
Much has been said about the bright red walls of Offbeat Bistro—the new restaurant at The Shops in Ayala Triangle Gardens, helmed by co-chefs and friends Angelo Comsti and Don Baldosano. Glaringly bright, some say, even aggressive. But, for those who know the creative and highly skilled duo behind this newest dining destination for innovative Filipino cuisine, the startling hue is an accurate representation of the intense passion they share for the genre.
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“I’ve always advocated for regional Filipino cuisine, as evidenced by my cookbooks and published features,” explains Comsti, who is also a respected cookbook author and lifestyle journalist. “I want to celebrate the diversity and variety of our cuisine and let people know that there’s more to Filipino food than sinigang, kinilaw and kare-kare. And what better way to follow up (my cookbook) Also Filipino than to introduce the dishes I immortalised in that book with a restaurant.” This advocacy is one of the many reasons why Comsti and Baldosano formed a strong bond. Their friendship was fostered by countless Sundays spent in Baldosano’s progressive Filipino restaurant Linamnam, experimenting with dishes and then enjoying them over drinks and rich conversation.
Above Offbeat Bistro by chefs Don Baldosano and Angelo Comsti (Photo: Jar Concengco)
Above Fried chicken inasal at Offbeat Bistro by chefs Don Baldosano and Angelo Comsti (Photo: Jar Concengco)
Offbeat Bistro by chefs Don Baldosano and Angelo Comsti (Photo: Jar Concengco)
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What was once just an idea from drunken talks of opening a restaurant together, began to take form as time progressed. Soon, they came up with a cohesive and singular concept—modern retro Filipino. “Offbeat makes for a great vehicle for regional Filipino cuisine as, as the brand name suggests, we are flexible enough to present our ‘homework’ in a form that’s familiar and more presentable to people, without jeopardising the flavours,” Comsti imparts. The name also allows them to present dishes from the past which is perhaps considered by most as “old-fashioned,” and to hopefully keep them alive through taste and memory.
Monghe, for instance, is a meatloaf-like dish endemic to Pasig and its neighbouring cities, and something that Comsti grew up eating with family. When developing the menu, they singled out dishes that they felt were familiar and with taste profiles customers of varying backgrounds would appreciate. “Based on my experience, monghe is a crowd pleaser and becomes an instant favourite among those who get to try it. And so I developed it for the restaurant and, together with Don, came up with a form that delivers not just in texture—something lacking in the traditional—but also complexity in flavour,” he says. With the many dishes they learned to make and love, it was difficult narrowing them down, so they devised a simple formula: “we constantly ask ourselves, ‘is it modern?’, ‘is it a throwback?,’ and ‘is it even Filipino?’ It cannot also be too regional, which is where the fried chicken inasal and lengua sandwich came in. These are two dishes many people know of, but we serve them in a way that’s, well, offbeat while retaining their satisfaction level.”
See also: All the new restaurants in the Tatler Best Philippines Guide 2025
Above Offbeat Bistro by chefs Don Baldosano and Angelo Comsti (Photo: Jar Concengco)
Offbeat Bistro by chefs Don Baldosano and Angelo Comsti (Photo: Jar Concengco)
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They must have done something right because so far, according to Comsti, all the items on their short menu (seven small plates and seven large plates) have been flying out the dispatch window. However, if he had to pick the most popular ones, it would be the lumpiang kulawo, ginataang pancit, monghe and bibingka topped with a savoury shrimp salad for the small plates, and the fried chicken inasal, fish piapiran and lechon carajay for the large. “They resonate the most to our diners because I think they naturally gravitate towards the form (lumpia, pancit, fried chicken) and the familiar flavours too (inasal, lechon, gata). We hope to continue banking on this formula as it has proven to be effective,” Comsti confesses.
Above Offbeat Bistro by chefs Don Baldosano and Angelo Comsti (Photo: Jar Concengco)
Above Offbeat Bistro by chefs Don Baldosano and Angelo Comsti (Photo: Jar Concengco)
Offbeat Bistro by chefs Don Baldosano and Angelo Comsti (Photo: Jar Concengco)
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Another thing that has proven effective is his collaboration with Baldosano who, just like him, has always worked well on his own. As most in the industry—or any industry for that matter—know, going into partnerships with friends does not always blossom into a fruitful endeavour. What has their experience been like, working together on Offbeat? “It has been so easy. And not surprisingly so,” Comsti candidly shares. “Before we even thought of actually working together, I believe we already asked ourselves if it would work. Nothing hinted at it failing. Despite the age difference, I think both our passion for Filipino cuisine, for discovering almost-lost flavours and our whimsicalness in the kitchen are of the same intensity and level. There are things unique to each of us that we both bring to the table. Apart from that, we openly communicate with each other and respect each other's opinions. Everything feels so easy and natural. Not forced.”
See also: Kumba by chef Tina Legarda is now open in BF Homes, Parañaque
Above Offbeat Bistro by chefs Don Baldosano and Angelo Comsti (Photo: Jar Concengco)
Above Offbeat Bistro by chefs Don Baldosano and Angelo Comsti (Photo: Jar Concengco)
Offbeat Bistro by chefs Don Baldosano and Angelo Comsti (Photo: Jar Concengco)
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Passion alone does not make a successful restaurant, neither does a clever concept, nor a kitchen full of talent. There is an inexplicable alchemy that brings that all together, the right measure of each element nobody really knows. But, for Comsti and Baldosano, Offbeat Bistro is a combination of everything they love about their food and each other, and luckily for us, it is perfectly in tune.
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Jaclyn Clemente Koppe is a food and lifestyle writer, as well as a consultant to some of the country’s beloved food and beverage brands. Her passion for food and drink is only surpassed by her devotion to her family, most especially to her soulmate, Pepa the poodle.
