Marvin Agustin turns fish balls into blockchain art
From Pampanga to Manila, celebrity chef fuses flavors and tech: 'Rich in culture, rich in flavor, labor of love'
Celebrity chef Marvin Agustin has taken the humble Filipino fish ball and transformed it into something entirely new: a blockchain-inspired culinary creation that’s turning heads at Philippine Blockchain Week.
“They first approached me to create something exciting… our favorite street food, which is fish balls,” Agustin told The Crypto Radio. “Instead of serving balls, we manipulated the fish balls and made it into a square, into a block form, so that represents the blockchain somehow.”
A creative challenge, not a luxury stunt
The project wasn’t just about novelty or showing off. According to Agustin, the original brief pushed him to make “the most expensive fish ball,” but he pushed back. “I said, if it’s super expensive, it won’t be accessible,” he recalled.
“We could push it creatively," he said. "Filipinos are very talented. We have very flavorful dishes from all over the country.”
His idea was to highlight the country’s diverse culinary landscape. “For Luzon, I chose oyster seasoning with calamansi caviar; for Visayas, cochinillo humba with pineapple caviar on top; and for Mindanao, dapa with coconut caviar,” he said.
Agustin wanted diners not only to savor the taste but also to connect with the meaning behind each dish. “They will definitely enjoy the flavor, but they will enjoy the stories behind these street foods.”
Why fish balls hold a special place
Agustin’s choice of fish balls wasn’t random. For him, they carry deep cultural meaning. “Why fish balls? I guess that’s everyone’s favorite,” he said. “When we see a fish ball stand, we’re magnetized by the smell, by the hard work of Manong, and the sauces he creates. Every fish ball vendor is a master of all the sauces, each with a distinct flavor and changes.”
For Agustin, Filipino street food is much more than a quick snack – it’s a symbol of hard work, creativity, and community. “Rich in culture, rich in flavor, and definitely a labor of love by Filipinos,” he emphasized.
A playful crypto integration
Beyond the kitchen, Agustin’s project also offers a taste of technology. Customers can pay for their fish blocks using not just cash, GCash, or credit cards – but cryptocurrency too. “When they purchase with crypto, it comes with an NFT,” Agustin explained. “That’s the integration.”
He’s realistic about the stage of crypto adoption in the Philippines. “Interest? Definitely, there’s so much interest. Penetration and adaptation, not much,” he said. “That’s the reason why they’ve been holding these kinds of events – for Filipinos to be more familiarized, for the Philippines to be more educated about this new technology.”
It’s not just about advancing payment methods – it’s about keeping innovation creative, accessible, and rooted in culture. “We could push it creatively,” he said with a smile.
Innovation with a Filipino heart
What began as a playful challenge became a unique way to introduce people to blockchain – one delicious, block-shaped fish ball at a time. By combining culinary creativity with technological curiosity, Agustin shows that innovation doesn’t have to be intimidating or out of reach.
Instead, it can start with something familiar, something beloved, and something that brings people together. For Agustin, that’s the magic of Filipino street food – and the exciting future that might just come with it.
