the best watering holes in the metro a.k.a., bar reviews!
i did this as a commisssioned piece for the same magazine i'm doing cd reviews for, for next month's issue. this is what kept me busy last week, with all the barhopping stuff and stuff. i must've smoked an entire ream of yves saint laurents last week, because everytime i finish an interview with the owners, i couldn't help but step out and light a stick. i know it's bad for my health, but i can't help it. cigs are the ultimate stress reliever. at least it's waaaay better than crack or crystal meth, or those pathetic poppers. and besides, ysl makes smoking look sooo glamorous. hehehehe(btw, after marl lights, this is my next preferred brand. it's soo light on the nicotine like capris, but with the same kick as average marls. think of it as like marlboro ultralights silver, only in more glam packaging. i'm swearing off davidoffs because they give too much kick, and dunhills make me want to throw up after 3 sticks)
enjoy
xanananananana
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Maybe you’re bored with your surround sound. Maybe your ears are dying for a break from your 10-year-old headphones. Maybe some of your mp3s have that pathetic cracking sound with the slow bitrate. Or maybe you’re perfectly happy with your sound system, but you need to save your atrophying social skills. At any rate, it’s time to head to the very few places in the metro where iPods are useless, and beer bottles may offer you something more profound than a screaming hangover.
Conspiratorial
A sparsely-lit driveway with a black sign for an entrance may make Conspiracy look like a sublime watering hole to the casual outsider. But like its name suggests, Conspiracy’s great details are bursting inside. Conspiracy is the three-year-old brainchild of “conspirators” and Pinoy music greats Joey Ayala, Gary Granada, Noel Cabangon, Cynthia Alexander, Bayang Barrios and even Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist Conrado de Quiros, who turned this former Italian restaurant into a regular tambayan (hangout) and outlet of both established and up-and-coming artists, writers and musicians. The name attracted so much attention and intrigue in the past that police, thinking Conspiracy meant some code for an underground meeting place, almost raided it when a political group staged its press conference there. But Conspiracy is anything but a cold and sinister underground. This place combines an al fresco grill and dining area, an open art exhibit, a music room, and a bar/café in a free-flowing Filipino ethnic/bohemian-inspired space that encourages people to move around, be friendly and lose all pretension.
Although Conspiracy aims to be more of a “dining” place now, it still doesn’t run out of great music, with nightly gigs by the “conspirators” themselves and the occasional big band gigs (Parokya Ni Edgar/ Edgar’s Parish, Brownman Revival and Rivermaya are equally popular acts). The artsy crowd will find a home in this place, with weekly exhibits and open poetry reading sessions. And where there’s great music, there’s great food: Conspiracy’s specialties include crispy pork tadyang (thigh), creamy chicken cordon bleu (chicken cutlets filled with ham and cheese), and the classic “balut” (unhatched duck embryo). Conspiracy is one secret you won’t doubt sharing.
Conspiracy is located at 59 Visayas Avenue, Quezon City, Tel. +63 2 453-2170
Open everyday, 4p onwards; Php 100 entrance fee (music room only)
Writer’s night sessions most Tuesdays
Conspiracy serves Appetizers (Php 25 – 180), Grilled specials (Php 55 – 150), and Dishes for sharing ( Php 110 – 320), and vegetarian dishes Php 50 – 150
Drinks start at Php 30 (beer)
Where the world meets Corik’s
A dispenser of irreverent punch-in-the-gut humor and “kilig (swoon) to the bones” music, Corik’s prides itself in its very diverse clientele. With the slogan “where the world meets” proudly emblazoned in the bar’s neon-lit entrance, Corik’s proves the sign by having expats, politicians, students, yuppies, and celebrities packed together and enjoying the antics and jam sessions of its owner, Pinoy music legend Rico J. Puno (Corik’s is Puno’s nickname, given and used by his friends). This former pastry shop plays trendy acoustic, jazz and alternative beats most days with the likes of up-and-coming group Metafour and Pure N Simple. You can even do karaoke here. But come any given night, and you might just be pleasantly surprised with an impromptu jam session by Puno and his friends, among others fellow Pinoy music icons Hajji Alejandro and Nonoy Zuñiga. And if Puno’s sharp-witted antics aren’t enough for you, there are the bar’s well humored signs (check out the witty “Wiwi” (Pinoy childspeak for “pee”) room). The humor extends to the names of bar’s specials, among them the Macho Guapito (vodka, orange juice, and three parts grenadine syrup), Dirty Sucks (blue Curacao, orange juice, apricot brandy, and cherry brandy), and the Bartender’s Midnight Kiss (vodka, tonic water, three shots Tequila Hombre, and cherry brandy).
There are no entrance fees for regular gigs, although for those who have something else in mind, Corik’s holds special shows at least once a month. Everyone knows everyone in this place, but Corik’s runs under the guiding principle that a bar should never intimidate the customer, especially the first-timers. So even if you’re just a newbie, you’ll surely be treated like you been there from the get-go.
Corik’s Bar & Café is located at G/F Kingswood Condominiums, Vito Cruz corner Chino Roces Avenue (formerly Pasong Tamo), Makati City.
Open everyday, 6p onwards
Corik’s serves chicken, pork, beef, goat and seafood dishes (Php 220 – 380), sizzling dishes (Php 240 – 250), apéritif (Php 100 – 240), pasta (Php 200) and salads (Php 120 – 280)
Drinks start at Php 50 – 75 (beer)
Kitchen art
By the power of suggestion, M Café (or Museum Café) is a place for those who want to see and to be seen. The artsy factor is not the only one behind this (it’s next door to the iconic Ayala Museum), or its sheer location (it’s right smack in the middle of Greenbelt 4, haven to Prada, Gucci and Louis Vuitton fans this side of the planet). M’s ultra-modern interiors by designer Budji Layug, architect Royal Pineda, and original artwork by design group Movement 8 command instant sophistication the minute you walk in, making you want to check if you wore your Fake London top or Goyard bag right. But the apparent high-fashion vibe of the place is immediately balanced out with the domestic comfort of its Modern Asian cuisine specials, which happen to be cutting-edge marriages of Filipino and Western-style food. Prepared by Filipino chef and culinary artist Sau del Rosario, special must-tries at M Café include the guava scallop sinigang teapot and the chicken adobo foie gras. The innovation doesn’t stop at desserts, though, which include the Choc-Nut Valrhona cake and the jackfruit Sans Rival.
Although as a fine dining place M Café is cool enough, it’s not until Friday that M Café gets really hip and happening. Transforming into Kiss MyHOUSE every Friday night, the café epitomizes its high-fashion reputation and hosts a sexy house party spearheaded by resident DJs Elian habayeb and Mark Cali-Jentes, with drinks (“liquid art”) courtesy of M Café chef and owner Martin Wisniewski. If you’re lucky enough, you might even step into special gigs by renowned artists and musicians the world over. And when it’s time to cool down, M Café dishes out soothing live jazz and mellow music on Sunday afternoons. But when you’re in a café this sophisticated, any setting, any situation gives you a high, like walking into prized artwork.
M Café is located at the G/F Ayala Museum, Greenbelt 4, De La Rosa St., corner Makati Avenue, Makati City, Tel. +63 2 757-6000
Open from 8a-12mn (weekdays), closes later on weekends
Kiss MyHOUSE every Friday, 10p onwards; Jazz Sunday Brunch every Sunday, 10a-3p
M Café serves aperitifs (Php 225-460), soups and salads (Php 110-260), wok dishes (Php 240-275), sandwiches (Php 120-275) and main dishes (meat, seafood, rice, poultry, curry and vegetarian; Php 220- 550)
Drinks start at Php 70 (iced tea), Php 75 (beer)
Cigarettes start at Php 65 (Dunhill)
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