Clubs in Resorts World Manila

Resorts World has become the Philippine Mecca for barhoppers and clubgoers hoping to have everything from a quiet evening with friends, to a wild night on the town with the boys/girls. How could it not be the place for excess when it houses a casino, restaurants for every budget, and a 24-hour movie house just in case you change your mind about that wild night out.

Locals and foreigners alike frequent the Republiq Super Club. Flight crew on layovers who know the lay of the club land around the world claim that this club, aside from being the best bar and club in the Philippines, stands right up there with the best that they prefer around the world. The club has hosted every famous French, Dutch, and Ukranian DJ to grace Manila with their presence. If you’re looking for a place to dance til 7am in Manila, this is it.

 Inside Republiq Super Club is the Cabana Club, the VIP clubbing room with it’s own DJ booth as well as 2 bars. It has 2 floors, and 8 private VIP rooms complete with its own bathroom and fitted with curtains if you want privacy. The club is connected to Republiq’s main room.

 Right across Republiq is another place in the running for the best bar and club in the Philippines, Opus –a restaurant and luxury lounge, is where celebrity chef Carlo Miguel gets to play with food. And by playing, I mean experimenting with his molecular gastronomic take on European cuisine. You’ll have foam, fizzy stuff inside pearls, and soup where you wouldn’t expect it but your taste buds will gladly welcome it all in the end. Case in point is the Caesar Salad Soup with the romaine lettuce coming in the form of liquid. The Modernist Caprese Salad comes with tomato sorbet, black caviar, and basil foam. The drinks don’t disappoint either. Try the Molecular Lychee Martini, which is just as you’d expect it but topped with delicious organic coconut foam on top, and lychee pearls at the bottom. This is where DJs and acts who play in Republiq come to eat and unwind after a crazy set or show.

 The Bar 360 of the ground floor casino at Resorts World Manila is where you can catch performances by famous local acts and visiting foreign musicians. Sometimes it even plays host to acrobatic acts from Russia, Belarus, and the Ukraine, as well as theater artists showcasing a little of what they’re offering at the Newport Performing Arts Theater upstairs. Sip on your cocktails in this neon-lit area whether to take a respite from gambling or while your night away in style.

To get phone numbers and make reservations, search for the club you want here.

Restaurant List: Restaurants You Can Propose In

Here is a cutesy list we came up with, inspired by a dear friend who just got engaged! 

You’ve been going out with your girl for more than a few years now, and you feel it in your bones – it’s time. You know she’s ready to tie-the-knot too, but a simple proposal just won’t cut it. This is the girl of your dreams we’re talking about, she deserves more than a sudden urge on your end to ask for her hand while, say, watching TV at home. What better way to elicit the coveted word “yes” from her than in a fine dining restaurant in Manila, right? A grand gesture won’t hurt. Besides, it makes for good memories. Here’s a list of fine dining restaurants in Manila you can check to make your proposal memorable:

 

      1.      The Tivoli, Mandarin Oriental Manila

The Tivoli claims to be the “finest European dining in the heart of Manila,” and rightly so. The contemporary menu and elegant surroundings will definitely set the romantic mood for your proposal. We suggest ordering the Home-smoked Duck Foie Gras-artichoke Terrine or the US Angus Prime Beef Rossini.

 

2.      Kashmir

If you and your girlfriend are the adventurous type, especially when it comes to food, then bring her to Kashmir, a formal Indian, Malaysian, and Middle Eastern restaurant. Choose from the Tandoori Peshkash, Ayam, or Aquil Saluna dishes to start your feast. You might want to cleanse your palate with Lassi before starting the proposal. “Will you marry me” with bad breath can be an interesting memory, though.

 

3.      Ilustrado

Intramuros’ rich history and amorous vibe make it one of the best places to propose in. Bring her to the Walled City’s favorite fine dining Filipino restaurant, Ilustrado. Choose from the range of delicious Filipino and international meals, such as Callos Madrilena, Oxtail Ragout, or Baked Aklan Scallops on Half Shells.

 

4.      Lolo Dad’s Café

Here’s a prominent fine dining restaurant in Manila that you and girlfriend will love – Lolo Dad’s Café. The ambiance is warm and the seats are few, making it intimate. Tasting menus are around P2,650 but is worth it. Do Lobster Carpaccio and Sea Urchin Flan with Moluga Caviar or the Goose Liver and Duck Breast Roulade with 
Spiced Apple Tartlet and Balsamic Reduction sound good to you? Then make a reservation now!

 

5.      La Cocina de Tita Moning

Another superb place to bring your sweetheart is La Cocina de Tita Moning. The old mansion turned restaurant, which the Legardas own, is a feast for the eyes. The well decorated rooms and preserved mementos allow diners to share in the lives of the Legarda family. Reservation is a must, so call ahead of time.

 

6.      Champagne Room, Manila Hotel

The lavish Champagne Room isn’t like any other fine dining restaurant in Manila, which usually takes on a minimalistic, homey, or industrial design. The Champagne Room’s Victorian-esque interiors simply spell ROMANTIC – what you need for your equally lavish marriage proposal.

For comparison here is another take on Manila's most romantic restaurants.

Korean Food at the Malls

Korean food has been increasing in demand over the last few years. This can be accredited to the good number of Korean tourists, businessmen and the local palate that appreciates Korean cuisine. Korean soap operas and entertainers are partly to blame for this. With that a lot of restaurants have successfully gained a fan base and can be frequented in malls. Restaurants such as Kogi Bulgogi, Kaya Korean Restaurant and Bulgogi Brothers have been serving Korean dishes at affordable prices.

Kogi Bulgogi caters to the Korean cuisine fans through their branches in Eastwood Mall and Lucky Chinatown Mall. Budget per person ranges from 150 php to 300 php. They serve a wide variety of dishes from salad, soup, and stew to noodles, sashimi, rolls and bibimbap. For starters sesame spinach salad, kimchi pancake, steamed dumplings and tofu steak are great choices. The hard part comes during the main course since bulgogi, ramyeon, rice toppings, grilled favorites, fried favorites, and more are in store. Korean ice cream and beverages are also available to cool the day off. With so much to offer, customers would definitely dine time and again in Kogi Bulgogi.

Kaya Korean Restaurant has 5 branches to satisfy that Korean food hunger pangs. They have branches in Power Plant Mall, The Podium, Paseo Center, Glorietta 2 and Jupiter street. Budget for this restaurant also ranges from 150 php to 300 php. For appetizers fresh rolls such as urchin, tuna and salmon are recommended to go with salad or soup. Their specialties like bulgogi, spicy sauteed squid and vegetables, pan-grilled marinated sirloin strips and premium flanks strips are undeniable. The usual grilled choices are readily available as well as noodles, hot pots and stews. The beverage list is composed of carbonated drinks, tea, coffee, fruit shakes, and wine. This is a great place for the whole family to enjoy.

Bulgogi Brothers a great place to dine too, but is a bit more expensive than the restaurants mentioned above. They have branches present in Greenbelt 5, SM Mall of Asia, and Alabang Town Center. Budget for this restaurant ranges around 500 php to 800 php per person. WIth that customers can expect a comfortable area with good ambiance and service. Their ala carte menu offers braised short ribs, japchae, seafood dumplings and tofu steak. The barbecue specials is their masterpiece and rightfully priced. The Bulgogi Brothers’ special cost around 1,500 php and is good for 2-3 people. Other Bulgogi orders are Seoul style bulgogi, Beoseot Bulgogi, Unyang style bulgogi, and Gwanyang style bulgogi. Rice and noodle meals are available as well as bulgogi burger and bulgogi bibimbap. They serve an extensive selection of drinks and premium wines.

Whenever the craving for Korean food hits the stomach, the malls are the usual place of venture.  Kogi Bulgogi, Kaya Korean Restaurant and Bulgogi Brothers await in their halls to satisfy the Korean cuisine craving.

For even more K Pop Food info on Anton Diaz' guide click here for directory info so you can call click this Korean Restaurants to see Yellow Page listings.

Manila Microbreweries

Alcoholic beverages in the Philippines are easy to find, and none is as ubiquitous as beer. But microbreweries in Manila are difficult to find. Once upon a time Paulaner Brahaus existed at the Dusit Hotel. It is now called Fiesta San Miguel, which is anything but a microbrewery given that San Miguel is the largest beer operator in the Philippines. In Glorietta stood The Brewery, a stalwart in the ‘90s accompanying the Hard Rock Cafés heyday as the bar to see-and-be-seen in. Grappas Ristorante in Bel Air Village, Makati, stood its ground before finally capitulating to the non-demand for specialty beer then. Microbrewed beer is like the unicorn for alcoholic beverages in the Philippines and this list will help you go find the needle in the haystack that is microbrewed beer.

 
Pivo Praha Czech Microbrewery, part of the Bravo Best Foods branch in Makati, is one of the only commercial microbreweries you can find in Metro Manila. Pivo Praha means Prague beer and the microbrewery offers four type of pilsner: a classing, light, dark, and weizen (wheat beer).

 Bogsbrew hails from Bacolod in the Negros Occidental Province of the Western Visayas Region of the Philippines (apologies for sounding like a beauty queen introducing herself right there). The Negros Island Craft Beer company that makes this Bogsbrew is one of the first known craft microbreweries in the Philippines serving its beer commercially. The craft beer uses organic Negrense muscovado sugar (a specialty of the region) and pure spring water. The Primo version, a light adjunct lager of sorts, also by Bogsbrew lists malted barley, organic rice, corn, Negros Island muscovado sugar, wild bee honey, and natural mountain spring water as a few of its ingredients. You may find Bogsbrew in Manila at Penpen’s Filipino Kitchen, CAB Café, Ritual, Bob’s Restaurant as of now.

Katipunan Craft Ale’s Indio Pale Ale is a commercially available beer, brought to you by 4 young boys who decided to leave their corporate slavedrivers to become microbrewers of craft beer. If you want to try their beer on tap, then you’d have to reach them through social media and maybe they’ll let you visit their brewing setup. With plans to expand their business because of its popularity, it doesn’t seem like such a grand idea that you’d be able to taste their new beer experiments in their brewhouse and restaurant in the next few years. If you’re too shy to ask for a brewery visit via the social networks, then stock up on this soon-to-be-famous beer at Sa Kanto and Ritual.

 Another craft microbrewery to look out for is Great Islands Craft Brewery by Allan Baldis Agalda. His beer is already making waves in the close-knit and supportive craft beer community where he lets fellow beer geeks taste his experiments such as red chili beer, green chili beer, and a more daring Bicol Express Wild Chili Ale. He also creates other beers not involving chili such as an Imperial Red IPA and a few of the classic types that every hophead should love.

Filipino Beer - Guide and History

 

 

If you ask a Filipino what the local beer is, wherever you are, the answer will be San Miguel.  You can’t avoid it. The brand has been mass produced and burned into the psyche of generations of alcohol loving filipinos through countless hours of binge drinking and a very effective use of media.  San Miguel endorsers include musicians from the Apo Hiking Society to Apple D Ap, and famous personalities from Manny Pacquiao to Jet li.  This local beer has been brilliantly advertised by these endorsers as a staple of the Filipino Fiesta.  And as the saying goes, the Philippines has a fiesta for everyday of the year.

 

San Miguel has over 100 years of beer making history.  Starting out in the 1890’s, San Miguel Beer was first produced by La Fabrica de Cerveza de San Miguel.  It was only renamed San Miguel Corporation in 1963, when it branched out into food, packaging and other businesses while housing its brewery business under the San Miguel Beer Division. San Miguel Brewery Incorporated only came to be as we know it today in 2007.

 

San Miguel has an effective monopoly on the local beer industry.  It boasts of a market share of roughly 95% in the Philippines and also lays claim to the title of largest producer of beer in the archipelago.  It has a brand of beer to cater to the rainbow that is the sophisticated beer drinker’s palate.  It has the San Mig Light for the health conscious calorie counting casual beer drinker.  It has the Cervesa Negra for lovers of Dark Lagers.  It has the classic Pale Pilsen, a brew San Miguel says has been perfected specially for Filipinos.  It also has the strong brews of Red Horse and San Mig Strong Ice for drinkers who want to get drunk straight away.  And it has Gold Eagle Beer, a favorite in the provinces.  More recent offering include flavored beers in apple and lemon variants, and another low calorie beer that is still in product testing.

 

The only real competition to San Miguel, if you can even call it that, would be the offerings of Asia Brewery. Asia Brewery sells Manila Beer, and brands imported from abroad, Colt 45 and Coors Light.  It is sad that the Philippines has not fostered an environment similar to the local beer traditions of Germany, where almost every bar and tavern has their own brewery hidden within their cellars.  What the Philippines does have is a rich history of drinking.  Beer is the number one alcoholic beverage in the country.  It just so happens that everyone has been drinking the same beer for decades.  San Miguel has been so successful, that it has exported its products to neighboring countries, with some success.  The flagship Pale Pilsen is exported to over 40 countries around the world.  San Miguel Beers have also garnered international recognition, with gold awards from Monde Selection International, and Japanese brewer Kirin even purchased a stake in San Miguel Brewery.  It is the Filipino Local Beer gone global, embedded in the country’s history for the last 100 years.  By the looks of it, it can keep going for a 100 years more.

Beverage list - Battle of the Shakes

I don't mean shakes like withdrawals, feverish rattling or tremors under your feet!  I mean delicious mixes of fruit and ice cream and here is why!

The Philippine is a tropical country with the weather being humid and warm. People in Metro Manila love to quench their thirst during meals or during breaks with fruit shakes and the like found in beverage lists. Companies have put up stalls, and shake bars to cater to this delight that people enjoy. Special blends are dependent on the different brands, but each bring their own original flavors to sate the need for a cool drink.

 

Fruit Magic has 15 branches across the metro to serve and deliver their cool goodness to everyone. They have fruzion drinks which are selected combinations of fruits that give a distinct taste and also boosts energy. Pineapple Pleasure has a mix of strawberry, ripe mango, banana, and pineapple. Melon Myth is a juice which is the combination of banana, ripe mango, papaya and melon. Mango Mania is one of the top sellers because it is sweeter and is a fruity combination of pineapple, ripe mango and papaya. Frugurt is their fruit yogurt drinks with flavors such as banana, mango, kiwi mango and strawberry. Shakes are their mainstay and have a long list of fruit combinations like fruit penta mix, merry berries, raspberry banana, strawberry mango, mango melon, strawberry kiwi and choco banana. Drinks cost around 50 php to 150 php. Some flavors are seasonal.

 Fruitas is another shake stand that offers great shakes and smoothies. They can be found in most malls and bring their own special blends and flavors to the people. Fruits shake flavors consist of apple, banana, mango, papaya, pineapple, melon, watermelon, lychee, mango and carrot. They are more creative with their smoothies and have combination flavors like apple carrot, apple banana, banana papaya, banana carrot, carrot pineapple, carrot watermelon, mango banana, melon mango, pineapple banana and banana split. They also sell fruit juices and their special seasonal flavors include avocado, kiwi, orange, and strawberry. Prices of drinks range from 50 php to 100 php.

 Just like the other two franchises above, the Big Chill has dotted the metro and is usually situated in malls to serve their drinks. Their classic blends are available in avocado, pineapple, strawberry, watermelon, peanut butter, dalanghati, green mango, grape, banana peanut, melon, lychee and kiwi. Boosters are offered to enhance drinks and they include calcium boost, spirulina, whey protein and vitamin c. Their power blends have catchy names and are fruit combinations. Names like Coldbuster-c, Fantastic Five, Power Breakfast and supercharger, customers have an idea what they are looking for. Fruit shake combinations are under the splendid blends and gives options in combining just about any fruit available. Flavors like grape banana, apple lychee, grape orange, kiwi orange, kiwi melon, orange carrot and strawberry orange are some possibilities that can be enjoyed.

 An extensive selection of beverage list which includes fruit shakes are made available by brands such as Fruit Magic, Fruitas and Big Chill.

Beer, king of alcoholic beverages in the Philippines

Filipinos love them alcohol. Alcoholic beverages in the Philippines are creative and usually sweet. From the strong boozy taste of gin killed off by being poured into the sweet concoction of Pomelo (local grapefruit) juice, to the many cocktails created using native mangos and local rum, there are indeed many ways to enjoy alcohol in the Philippines. But something you can find everywhere and anywhere is beer. Here is a short guide to Philippine Beers.

 Amongst all alcoholic beverages in the Philippines, the Red Horse brand of beer, with its sweet-cereal taste, and antiseptic smell, is the most popular amongst all options. This is meant to be drunk when refrigerated thoroughly. Enjoyed by many, it is affordable and even comes in a liter bottle. If you’re lucky, you might find the bottle with the mythical happy horse on its logo, supposedly promising that the beer you’ve received is of a stronger variant.

 If Red Horse doesn’t quite do it for you, then you probably will be the man for the bitter-tasting San Miguel Pale Pilsen, arguably the drink of choice for many a father or brawny uncle in the Philippines. As stereotypes go, the San Miguel Pale Pilsen drinker has the sort of alcoholic equivalent of mystique that the Marlboro Man presents. This beer, with a good hoppy flavor, and decent head, can be found anywhere from the local roadside beer gardens in provinces to the top hotels in the country. A similar style would be the San Miguel Super Dry beer, a little harder to find but also well appreciated by many an educated beer drinker, good to accompany you through dinner.

 IF you’re just looking for something light to accompany you through your long night of partying, the San Miguel Light beer promises 0 calories, and none of that heaviness that you feel in your stomach that accompanies most wheat beers. Marketed using the sexiest and most popular local celebrities of the moment, this adjunct lager is also best served cold and will be enjoyed by people who enjoy the similarly styled Corona, Heineken, or Dos Equis beer.

 Now if you’re the kind of beer drinker that only partakes of this calorie-laden alcoholic beverage if it is prepared by Trappist monks in Belgium or small award-winning craft breweries in the US, fret not, as there are growing options for you all-around the Philippines –you just have to know where to look. A good place to find these handcrafted beers would be in Global Beer Exchange, owned by beer geek Jim Araneta, who sources Craft Beer from Japan and the US, while helping nurture local beer-making enthusiasts through monthly meetings with the Beer Club of Manila.

One of the local beers that is well-stocked at the Global Beer Exchange is by a local craft brewery called Katipunan Craft Ales. They brew a mean American Pale Ale beer that is slowly garnering the attention of beer connoisseurs everywhere.

 If you’re still under the notion that the choices for alcoholic beverages in the Philippines are limited, then, obviously, you don’t get out much. 

List of Hotel Bars and their Specialty Drinks

As of last year, with the Department of Tourism’s push for everything being more fun in the Philippines, it was decided that if Singapore had the aptly named Singapore Sling in the historical Raffles Hotel, then the Makati Shangri-La would also have a signature drink for Manila, called, the “Manila Sunshine” of course.

 The “Manila Sunshine” is made with lambanog, a coconut wine, as its base. It is also mixed with local fruits including mangos and pineapple, with a dash of triple sec, and the local rum much loved by tourist, Tanduay. The cocktail is then garnished with lemongrass and a sliver of sliced pineapple. A non-alcoholic version of the drink is also available, appropriately called the “Virgin Manila Sunshine”.

 Not to be outdone, The Mandarin Hotel’s Martinis Bar provides live music in a sophisticated setting, and of course –excellent martinis. Have your fill of the hotel signature drinks in the form of the Ginger Martini, Calamansi Martini, and the Coconut Martini. If you’re looking for something not easily replicated in other bars though, have a “Manileno”, a mojito/caipirinha mix made of the local dark rum muddled with fresh ginger and topped with ginger ale.

If cocktails aren’t quite your thing, then head over to Dusit Thani Hotel’s bar and restaurant called Fiesta San Miguel.  Here you can take partake of their signature drinks in the form of unlimited San Miguel Draft Beer with beer matches such as currywurst, fish and chips, and adobo pizza. You can take your drinks in the main area backdropped by big brewery kettles while listening to the Top 40 tunes provided by the house DJ. If you’re looking for a more laidback evening with your friends or workmates, head over to the terrace to bask in the open air for a relaxed evening.

 A reliable list of hotel signature drinks in Manila would not be complete without mentioning the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila’s grand restaurant Spiral. With 21 dining ateliers to cater to your every gustatory need, including a peking duck oven, a churrasco, a cheese room, a hug chocolate station, and all the sushi and sashimi you could ever hope to eat in an evening –there is certainly the a drink to match your every need. But because this is a French-run hotel, you might as well have something from their impressive wine cellar. Have their in-house sommelier choose a wine to go with your food, and don’t be afraid to tell them your budget beforehand, they won’t sneer at you if you want something affordable.

 The Salon de Ning of the Peninsula Manila provides the setting for a 1930s Shanghai ala Wong Kar Wai’s film “In The Mood For Love”.  Lose yourself in the cocktail lounge’s signature drink “Ning Sling”, a blend of Belvedere Pomerancza, lychee liqueur, passionfruit fruit puree, and orange juice.