Driven by their knowledge and experience, credited to their Alma Mater, the De La Salle College of Saint Benilde, it’s no wonder that Confusion Diner, headed by partners Nadine Almario, Mylah Quezon and Jordan Ongtangco, is on a steady rise along the south’s dynamic dining scene. Fitting as well that their Kitchen Culture Team, as she refers to her kitchen headed by their talented Executive Chef, Mae Montalban alongside a team of gifted alumnus line cooks. Intrigued, we spoke with this motley crew and found out exactly why they’re starting to make a name for themselves, which as we found out, was in no small part to their interesting take on Filipino-American Fusion. A mouth-watering (and eyebrow-raising) example of which is their lauded Forrest Gump seen above, their take on the classic Seafood Pesto, basted generously with Confusion’s signature Malunggay-Pesto. Bet you never had that one before?
THE STATE OF CONFUSION
CONFUSION DINER -
"TASTE THE F!"
This is the story of a humble eatery, who aspires to change norms and shake-up traditions. This is about the beginning of the end for what you once believed.
Seated by a corner on Confusion’s dining area beside her partners, clad in her favorite Little Black Dress, Nadine quips that the above is arguably, “My most overused expression!” The giggle that escapes from her is barely contained.
Her smirk doesn’t fade as we ask get down to the basics, “What is Confusion?” Thankfully, despite the namesake of the concept, she keeps it simple for us to understand as she explains, “‘Con’, is Spanish for ‘with’. The red “F”“, represents the Filipino touch. All that we do and create, will have an essence of that touch. That combination. That FUSION of the Filipino element.”
When asked the same question, Chef Mae Montalban, Confusion’s paragon palate, defines it with a knowing smile, “It is harmony at ang kakaibang lasa that we carefully fuse with local elements. Tastes that make you wonder if what you’re eating is for example, truly a Classic American Hamburger, or a delicious Pinoy knock-off!” Enthusiastically, Mylah takes this moment to put in her two cents worth, “Pero mapapaisip ka rin. You’re going to ask, ‘Why does it taste more familiar? Closer to home? Pinoy?! When what you’re eating definitely looks far from it. Classy, or sosyal as most say.’”
And we couldn’t agree more. It’s no secret that Pinoy Cuisine, even in its most refined form, sometimes can’t help but look and taste a bit hodgepodge.
We brought this up with the team and it was Jordan who opened our eyes to their dream. Their endgame. “We believe in elevating the pre-conceived notions with Filipino Culture, lalo na ang cuisine, which is so much more than the sweet flavors most foreigners seem to resent or the ‘usual’ flavors that we as Filipinos have become desensitized to.”
He goes on to elaborate and reaffirm some of what Nadine mentioned in the beginning, “In the State of Confusion, all that is done, from the food, design, concept and hospitality retains the Filipino Touch, basta lahat, whatever it’s combined with. It’s really going to make you stop and think about what you’re really eating.”
Mylah goes further, saying, “By combining our culture, our tastes, with those found elsewhere, our goal is to show everyone that local flavors are not as simple-minded as most people assume, but are in-fact on par if not beyond more recognizable fare like the simple yet elegant Japanese, classic Italian or the French’s Haute Cuisine.”
For Confusion’s first venture, the group decided to theme out Filipino-American Fusion, “A classic done right.” as they said. Local Baby Back Ribs anyone? No? You’ll regret not trying a slab.
Setting up shop along the well-known commercial hub of Aguirre Avenue, south of Manila in BF Homes Paranaque, Nadine explains that, “We offer a perfected menu of selected items from our main repertoire.”
Chef Mae and her Kitchen Culture Team who have promised that, “We are set to continuously showcase new and exciting combinations of classic American favorites with Filipino twists and even common-fare-at-first-glance such as our revered Chocolate Lava Cake with a little something extra!” We couldn’t help but agree that it would certainly surprise even the most high-brow of foodies and delight the child in you. Walking in, you’ll be met with a sense of nostalgia evoked by beautiful and authentic high-resolution posters of both classic movies and some personal favorites, coupled with an industrial ambiance that gives both comfort and a certain level of ‘casual class’ that isn’t intimidating, but reassuring, and even comforting.
“Gusto naming nang medyo kakaiba, but not too much,” Says Mylah as she toured us around the humble diner, “We like to keep things simple. We’ve watched most of the movies here, and they are truly the best of both worlds.”
“I’ll always compare FPJ’s stark coolness and ‘angas factor’ to that of a weathered Marlon Brando,” Says Jordan, as he gestures at the intimidating wallpaper of a scene from the classic Godfather, then to a wallpaper on the opposite side at one of FPJ’s Masikip Ang Daigdig, “In this age, culture is preserved and expressed in many forms, pero I think we can all agree that nothing brings us together like a good flick on the fly.”
Mylah laughs heartily as she admits that she leans towards western films more than locally made ones, “Pero for the sake of the brand, I’ll try sitting through a good old Pinoy movie or two every Sunday. Pero it depends talaga!”
You’d probably think the spot would cost a pretty penny to try out, but you’d be proven wrong.
“Allergic kami sa mahal at walang value!” Exclaims Nadine. She goes on to express that when they thought about Confusion, it wouldn’t be a place where you’ll be ripped off. “I have money to burn, but I’m not crazy.”
It’d make you wonder how such great tasting (and looking!) food coupled with to-die-for signature cocktails and shooters, plays a refreshingly different ball game without breaking your bank? Well, you’ll just end up scratching head at the delightful value they offer, with a decent meal for two costing an average of a little less than four hundred pesos on a good day. “Pleasantly confused.” is the term that comes to mind aside from, “It’s part of the Confusion.”
Speaking with the team had left us not only hungry for more of their mouth-watering menu, nor just thirsty for their signature concoctions, but also absolutely itching to see where their first branch would take them next.
“Probably The Fort!” Nadine says with a wink. And we couldn’t stop the smile that crossed our faces.
