My friends and I were looking for a cheap place around Morato to have drinks, (in Morato "cheap"…read moreand "drinks" often don't belong in the same sentence) and we ended up at Luna J in Il Terrazo. Their cocktails were a revelation in that though they were inventive in local flavor, which is somewhat the whole theme of the restaurant, but they tasted kinda weird and were off the mark. What was a surprise though was their food--pretty standard Filipino fare, but pretty decent and done well. The price was fair, if just a tad expensive given how conventional the food is. It definitely made up for their odd-tasting drinks, enough that it had us go back another time. The beer wasn't so expensive either, given the area and how easy it is for most to hike up prices for local beer. Add to that their laid-back, pub interiors and a pretty chill night can be had here. Their outside tables on the balcony and in the open-air Il Terrazo area are nice, and I believe a live band plays at the spot on occasion, though I'd much rather stay inside and cradle my beer.

Classy place in Il Terrazo that my uncle took us to when I was visiting the Philippines. I liked…read morethe ambience; it's more of a restaurant than a gastropub (nearby Livestock is more of a gastropub), but that was fine cause I wasn't really drinking anyway. The food was decent. They have your standard Filipino food fare, though it didn't really stick out all that much. The Bicol Express wasn't very spicy, and the Bagnet was more just fried pork belly. Still, the place was clean, and the service was good though a little slow on getting some of the orders. There WERE 10 of us, so it was more of a hassle to serve, but it was fine in the end.

"Look for the polka dot house."…read more "Say what, now?" "Look for the polka dot house!" Yes, these were actual directions given to me the first time I was invited to hang out at Boho Sarapsody Bistro a couple of years ago. Located along Ermin Garcia Avenue on Quezon City, you'll know exactly what I mean when you see it. Boho is the only house on the block that does, indeed have polka dots. Frequented by a wide range of oddballs and weirdoes, Boho Sarapsody Bistro is a converted house that serves excellent cocktails, cheap beer and really good food. Also, the group of regulars and the sexy bartenders are warm and welcoming, so it's easy to feel like you're part of the community. You can count on quiz nights, acoustic gigs, pop-up bazaars and art exhibits to be part of the colorful scene that Boho provides to the Quezon City social scene. My favorite dish of theirs has to be their Smurf Fries, which are essentially deep-fried mushrooms, served with mayo ketchup dip. However, I would opt not to have it with the dip and have it with vinegar instead!

It might not look like much, but BoHo Sarapsody is (in my opinion) one of the best places to hang…read moreout. BoHo is pretty much a cozy house turned into an artsy bar - you get there, order a drink, pick a seat, and see where the night takes you. The place doesn't have a sign upfront, and usually, the only indications you've arrived at BoHo are the sounds of performers or loud voices coming from behind a black gate with a bamboo fence. (No! I won't say it! I hate the term "hipster"!) They've got a witty selection of drinks and food, such as their Wong Kar Wai Wings, their Anak ng Tokwa selections, alcoholic drinks The Remedy and the Alien Blowjob, and arguably one of the best mojitos in the metro. Their food is also great, although be patient with their kitchen as they've only got a handful in their trusted staff. They host quiz nights, live gigs with acoustic musicians, the occasional spoken poetry, film showings, and other random events promoting Manila's independent art scene. I once asked them if they could host a fundraiser for a film and they were the most accommodating of hosts. BoHo isn't just a bar or your everyday watering hole, it's a community! Be sure to drop by when they have one of their events! You're bound to meet someone with a story, make new friends, and overall, have an interesting night. PS: Check out their bathroom as well! It's got a lot of stories from the minds that drop by BoHo and feel like scribbling down a thing or so.

Very good and pretty authentic (flavorwise) Peruvian food in a quite stylish atmo. Place is on the…read moreoutdoor level of the upscale Shangri La Hotel where their gorgeous outdoor pool is. For the restaurant they have both indoor and outdoor dining. The outdoor patio is right by the pool with some tables even poolside. Great ambiance with nice Peruvian native artifacts as art pieces. Service pretty good but they tend to run out or not have certain items on the menu available. Aku Aku (P550/3.5) They were out of my first choice for a cocktail so went with this. Didn't love it just had a strange fermented taste that clashed with the tropical vibes. Maybe cuz it had Cachaca which is a Brazilian spirit that I'm not to familiar with. Also had spices, dragon fruit and grapefruit. It tasted better once I started eating. Ceviche de Atun al Recoto (P750/4*) Nicely uniform cubes of yellowtail tuna, finely slices of red onion and a recoto pepper leche de tigre. Marination was proper and you can tell they mix everything perfectly to order so that tuna doesn't get overly cooked by the citrus. Very light handed on the salting tho, which in my current taste I actually don't mind it as much. But a lot less salty than what I've had. Empanadas de Lomo (P600/4*) They use very puffy and buttery puff pastry dough for their empanadas. Not traditional but makes for a more dramatic plating as they are taller and more airy. The filling is diced up filet meat which is a huge upgrade from the ground beef versions I usually try. Well-seasoned beef with that cumin and pepper profile. Anticucho de Pulpo (P750/4.5*) Super tender big chunks (3 on a skewer) of tentacles rubbed with aji panca marinade which is a bomb Peruvian chile marinade bursting with red chile flavor then grilled pretty aggressively so that strong char flavor permeates without tasting burnt. Served with an herbaceous creamy sauce that went better with the plain roasted baby potatoes as the grilled octopus didn't really need anything. Causa de Congrejo (P700/5*) Love this dish and I usually try a Causa dish when trying a new Peruvian resto. To me it is uniquely and undeniably Peruvian in nature. It deals with Peruvians love for potatoes (they say this is where potatoes got their start for human consumption) and the addition of something from the sea, in this case...crab. Causa is a very smooth mashed (cold) potato salad. Except the Peruvians flavor that mashed salad with their flavors like aji amarillo in this case which produces a tangy yet slightly spicy flavor to that filling. Here they top these piped potato fillings with lump blue crab which is super tender and very 'crabby' in flavor. I loved their interpretation of this dish here. Arroz con Mariscos (P1450/4*) Basically a Peruvian paella. Rice had a perfect texture of al dente short grain rice, where it was very wet but not sticky. Big seafood flavor imbedded into that rice too but very rich as I think they use coral from the crab (crab's innards) and make a coral butter that they use to enrichen the rice grains. I loved it but honestly did not want to keep eating it as about 6-7 bites in I was totally satiated. My aunt is sensitive to dairy only had 2 bites Lol. The seafood included 2 large prawns shelled but head on. Some calamari and maybe a few small scallops. Outside of eating 1 prawn to myself, I actually found the rest of the seafood to be quite scarce like for the amount of rice there were. So maybe think of this as a rice dish first and don't put as much weight for the actual seafood. Merangado de Guanabana (P500/3.5*) Very dramatic dessert with east meets west vibes. A huge hollow sphere made of white chocolate arrives on a plate. It is filled with a Soursop cream (tropical fruit), studded with firm meringue stars, some nuts and coconut shavings for texture. Upon arrival they will pour some liquid nitrogen into that sphere so this cold 'smoke' starts to erupt. Then they'll instruct someone from the table to pick up that sphere and drop it onto that plate. The white chocolate sphere will then crack allowing all the components inside to spill out onto the plate, where everyone can now stick their spoons in for some bites. I gotta say I didn't love the taste experience as much as I loved the visuals. The tropical cream was a bit tart and clashed with the sweetness of the white chocolate and the meringue candy. The nuts were a nice textural break, but I just felt the flavors didn't meld as well as I was hoping. Still an unforgettable dinner roof top in a big city, poolside with beautiful lighting, very friendly service and surprisingly legit Peuvian flavors and techniques. A dining adventure I just can't skimp and dish less than a fiver.

I'd recommend Samba for the classy vibes. We chose to dine inside their dining room but their…read moreoutdoor seating areas sit adjacent to the Shangri La hotel pool which is beautifully lit at night, with the area nestled amongst the clean skyrisers in the area. Food-wise we found to stretch the wallet quite a bit, and even opting for the less extravagant fare, the lomo saltado dish was a tiny portion; 4 small and quick bites of steak considering the 1175 PHP tag. The parihuela sopa was very nice though, with excellent seafood portions, including a tasty octopus leg and large mussel, clams, and prawn. It was a tad too salty but not to a serious fault. Staff were very professional, positive, and helpful. Lovely presentation of meal. Would recommend for a date or small group looking for a quieter but trendy atmosphere compared to Forbes town noise 5 minutes walk from Shangri La's hotel entrance.

After a night at another location in Manila, Philippines we were looking for a lounge that was open…read moretill late, so we could go relax and not be pressured by time constraints. Salon de Ning is the late-night lounge bar at the Peninsula hotel in Manila. In order to get here, you have to walk through the magnificent and awesome lobby of the hotel (see pictures). Walking into the Salon gives one a cozy feeling. Nice decor, especially the spectacular portrait on entering the lounge. Lights were dimed and soft music prevailed in the background. Free snacks and good service was provided. Nice place to celebrate with friends, decompress and not have to scream to speak.

What a fantastic lounge! Quietly nestled away in the lobby of the Peninsula Hotel, Salon de Ning is…read morea great place that serves many functions simultaneously. The first choice upon entering is a right or left turn. Go right, and you are in a nice bar with lots of seating, plenty of cafe tables, and low music that allows conversation. Choose left, and you enter the main offering; a small dance hall with a stage, dance floor, tables, and small bar. Surrounding this setup are multiple rooms (hence "salon") that allow groups to have a bit more privacy while still enjoying the main show. The theme is a very cool 1930's style chic. The Friday night that I was there, they had a very enjoyable and extremely versatile cover band that played a bit of everything, in at least 3 different languages. I especially enjoyed the wide age range of customers, and did not feel out of place at all. I would definitely recommend Salon de Ning to anyone visiting Makati over a weekend.

I pride myself on having an excellent sense of direction, especially in Metro Manila. However, when…read morea friend of mine told me we were going to Tago, my inner GPS completely conked out. Tago's name is apt, then, because the bar is completely tago (hidden) somewhere in Cubao! The place itself hosts no gaudy signage. In fact, you'll be hard-pressed to find it if you've never been. Giving directions to tago is a BITCH! But it's absolutely worth it. The bar itself is small, and the outdoor area is narrow. Frequented mostly by jazz musicians and fans, Tago is an intimate little hideaway in Quezon City that's mostly for friends and fans. No annoying young millennials to be seen here, folks! It's all a bunch of old, funny farts who play really excellent music, and the retired hipster in me likes it this way. There's something comfortable about a place that doesn't require you to dress to the nines because you're not there to impress anyone. You're there to watch a fantastic show, and you are always guaranteed a good time. This is because the patrons are passionate about what they do, and when they go on stage, it is immediate the moment the first chord is strummed, or the first drumbeat is banged.

They weren't kidding when they decided to call it Tago Jazz Cafe. First of all, it was pretty…read moredifficult to find. Okay, granted that my friend who brought me there was just guessing directions, it would have taken some guessing regardless. Don't expect outdoor signage or anything fancy to let you know that you have arrived; Tago, after all, exists for the art, not for the attention. It is real music for real music lovers. My visit was an outlier to the more regular patrons who frequent Tago. They are serious jazz enthusiasts, all from a tight-knit community of savants and seasons musicians. All that talent convened in just one tiny place is both intimidating and humbling. I would compare the experience to seeing Julliard-trained talent performing on the street corners of New York City: overflowing talent, yet so understatedly served. On the one hand, I wish there were more places like Tago, or that people knew how to appreciate jazz and jazz bars more. On the other hand, all that attention might mean losing the charm and intimacy that tiny Tago provides its best patrons.

I was staying at a hotel nearby, so I decided to drop in…read more Looks are deceiving. If you are standing outside, the place doesn't look that big. But the place is big inside. The Cowboy Grill is a honky-tonk, with a full-sized stage and two levels of dining / viewing. They are open daily, from 17:00pm to 04:00am. I only went to drink beer and listen to music; but they have a full menu for food, and a full bar. On the night that I visited, they had a cover band; but they also host DJs. (Check their website for the calendar and menu.) On the night of my visit, when I entered, I was assigned a waiter. This individual took my orders that evening. I think they did this to evenly distribute work (and potential tips?). It was fun.

It was my first time going here. It's nice place to relax and listen to live music. The foods was…read moreok. The bands that was playing that night are ok. I've requested a couple of songs and give the bands 2k pesos tips. Unfortunately they don't know any of the songs that I requested. I requested No Digity and Bad Fish. They said that they don't know RnB. Oh well.

I went here and food for me, I had mixed opinions. The roast pork was crispy and fragrant, although…read moreserviced with little rice but delicate sauces. The chicken satay was juicy but a bit cold. The beef noodles had a warm, salty broth which complimented the juicy beef. However the noodles felt hard to seperate and were clumpy and stuck together. The laksa tasted nice but it's soup was rather more dense than I expected, it was filled with meat and toppings. But it did taste good. The croquettas were definitely a highlight: crispy on the outside but nice and warm with potato and stretchy cheese in the inside. The kataifi prawns were nice but the prawn once bited would be instantly devoured leaving a pile of fried bits with nothing inside. The orange juice was filled with citrus and pure. The coffee and cold drinks went well with the cookies. In general all the food had their ups and downs. Service felt above average and I enjoyed the comfortable seatings and chairs. Although some tables felt too higher than the chairs to properly eat. Would probably come back to eat if I visit this hotel again.

Thought it would be a fun idea to do afternoon tea at the Shangri La, BGC. They've been open for 3…read moremonths and I was dying to check it out. I saw some pics on their website of the cocktails and I just couldn't resist! Firstly, anyone going for afternoon tea, it starts at 2PM. We arrived a little early because our previous engagement was cancelled. We arrived a little after 1PM and had to wait until 2PM to try the afternoon tea selection, but time doesn't stop this guy from diving right in... I figured we could do a la carte until 2PM, why not, afternoon tea and finger sandwiches never really filled me up anyways! For the Foodies: Alcohol first! Always, right? So it's about 1:15 (45 mins to tea time) Let's get this party started. - El Diablo (php400): strawberries, basil, lime, tequila! what's not to like! It does come on the rocks, a lot of ice... A LOT of ice... The drink was interesting, I'm not big on tequila, last time I had tequila I almost got arrested in Mexico for dancing on top of a telephone booth! Tequila and I are not good bedfellows, yet the aesthetics of this drink on their website was enticing enough for me to want a taste. Overall light and refreshing with a twist of alcohol. - Blueberry & Pomegranate Ice Tea for the lady (php200): So darn aesthetically beautiful... And she did say it tasted pretty darn good! - Crispy Duck Spring Rolls (php475): Delicious. What can I say, crispy duck, cucumber, onions, wrapped in a fresh spring roll wrapper with plum sauce. Delicate and definitely tasty. A must try. - Croquettas (php425): Honestly, I wasn't sure what to make of these as the plate approached. They looked like fried cheese sticks... Inside these little treats however, you will find fontina cheese, mushrooms, and foie gras! Well, please don't mistake the list of ingredients, you're not going to find hunks of foie gras in these bad boys, but certainly a welcome treat because, I heart foie gras in any shape or form. Plated with a balsamic/honey sauce drizzled on the plate. P.S. the plating was quite nice... So all of the above took us to 1:40... more Drinks! - High Street Market (p400): Gin, elderflower liqueur, cloudy apple & pineapple, cucumber, and basil... I'm a fan of gin, another very refreshing drink! So far I've had 2 drinks that I believe a lady who likes to drink would thoroughly enjoy... just, well, I'm a gin martini guy through and through. - Bruschetta (p450): mozzarella, tomato prosciutto, basil... Not my favorite dish, I like it stupid simple sometimes. This dish would have been just fine without the prosciutto, but would have required stepping up on the tomato and mozzarella which would have been just fine by me. Perhaps it was because the prosciutto was kind of crispy-ish/bacon-ish with the texture, and it wasn't like a little slice it was more like a crumble which was reminiscent of bacon bits on a wedge salad. 1:50... What? 10 more minutes! - Hendricks Martini (php400): OK, no more games... Not on the menu, but you can let them know what you would like and the manager was more than able to make it happen. 2PM: Tea Time! They have 2 Tea Time plates, East and West. We decided on the west because, well we flipped a coin! - Hendricks Martini: Same as the first, wonderful. Hey, it's been about 15 minutes since the last one! West Tea Plate (php950): The amuse bouche, scrambled truffle egg topped with caviar. Let me say this, first, the egg was pretty delicate I would give just the truffle egg an 8 out of 10. This little treat lacked wholeheartedly in the amount of caviar served considering the portion size. I have had this many times in the past and it just simply lacked the necessary amount of caviar, but then again, I love caviar too, so a good dollop would have done nicely, even if I had to pay extra for it. The platter itself I thought was very sweet, I've had afternoon tea many places and I would have liked to see more substance to the finger sandwiches. The smoked salmon was ok, it could have used more salmon (of course), the cucumber sandwich was open face, could have been closed with a bit more cream cheese and dill... The sweets were pretty solid. The french macaroon had a perfect texture to the shell, very impressed with that considering many french places in Manila have french macaroons with a chewy shell, at best. Served with tea for 2, but, yeah we skipped the tea and just had more alcohol! - Hendricks Martini: One more for the road, so to speak. Service was above average and excellent at times. I did have to look for someone from time to time to bring another round of drinks, but the Manager was great! She was roaming around and helped us quite a bit. Great afternoon tea time, if you have the chance, the ambiance and good food certainly make this place a nice stop for me, I hope it is for you as well. Stay Hungry my Friends!

First time here with my family. Had a few drinks. Service was Filipino standard. The severs are…read morereally nice and accommodating. The Patatas bravas ,the Gambas and the smoked eggplant with feta was good. Will come again when in town.