20-05-2025
A taste of modern-retro Filipino fare: Offbeat Bistro by chefs Don Baldosano and Angelo Comsti
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)
