Manila

[mimi]

Is there anything happening in Manila (restaurants, clubs, etc.) ? I will be there in November... suggestions appreciated!!!

[chut]

restaurants:

the new greenbelt mall is ground zero for new restos - although only a few are worth checking out. uva is good for modern filipino cuisine. kai is modern japanese ala nobu complete with nobu alumni chefs. sentro is popular for trad filipino in a casual setting.

at the soon to open ayala museum there's the brand spanking new M. modern asian fare in a nice space by local design luminary budji layug. probably the hottest table in town right now.

an hour out of manila in tagaytay, there's a great place called antonio's. chef/farmer tonyboy does filipino with an austrian accent in a gorgeous farm setting. go on the weekend and chill out watching taal volcano from taal vista hotel.

sala (euro) and people's palace (thai) in malate have achieved classic resto status and reliably serve great food in manila's bohemian quarter.

clubs:

manila has had a dearth of clubs as bars have flourished in its place. but a new club called government is opening up next week which sounds promising.

peligro in legaspi village plays house upstairs and hosts live bands downstairs. haven't been there in months as the place gets ultra packed.

there's halo on pasong tamo if you like banging house and are a tweaker.

temple at greenbelt is usually packed with young models, modelizers and wannabes.

bars:

nuvo in greenbelt is still very happening. it's a see and be seen scene. and you can smoke on the terrace.

lounge at the mandarin's paseo uno just opened but it's members only for now.

v bar has risen from the ashes once more to be a hotspot once again.

teak and mati, both at rockwell's strip are great for a drink and conversation.

[mimi]

Thanks a million !!!!

[mimi]

Just updating this thread. I've been to Manila twice since I asked where the hot places where: Nuvo was great. Great Euro-Asian cuisine, stylish white circular bar that's also heated. A favorite for lunch was the Museum Cafe, delicious food made with local ingredients, great view of Greenbelt's Japanese Garden, very appeasing. An evening favorite was Kai for new Japanese Cuisine, Nobu-trained chefs, very contemporary settings. A person visiting Manila doesn't really need to move out of Makati City, specially the Greenbelt area where most of these places are located. Greenbelt 3 also offered an array of restaurants which I found, although more popular, lacked the quality and the style of 2.

[darkanimal]

Was in Manila a month ago, part of my Asian tour. If you don't like the mainstream and love dancing, check this article:

[url=" http://www3.mb.com.ph/I2005090943940.html"] <a href="http://www3.mb.com.ph/I2005090943940.html" target="_blank">http://www3.mb.com.ph/I2005090943940.html</a>

The scene is close to what you can get to New York or London, and is totally word of mouth. I was fortunate enough to know friends who hooked me up. It's totally unpretentious and anything goes. Frequented by style makers, opinion leaders, and cutting edge fashion designers and indie rock stars.

[stickykrylon]

sounds dope actually. where else did you go? how long were you out for?

dig.

[darkanimal]

Hongkong, Shanghai, Seoul, Bangkok. The whole trip was a month. Night life in HK is mediocre, my expat buddy said this is the reality. Bangkok is cool, much more spots to go to. It was a good way to avoid the NY heat wave, it was rainy season in Asia.

[john11f]

hottest club in manila now is at the fort. the bar is called embassy.

[chut]

yup, wednesdays are best at embassy. house in the VIP room and hip hop in the main room. a nice mix of society brats, media types, local celebs, artists, etc. only thing is the drinks are super watered down, so stick to beer or buy your own bottle of veuve.

word on the street is a new megaclub is being built on makati avenue opposite the old Orange space (now Government)

people's palace moved to greenbelt 3 from malate. currently the best food and interiors in greenbelt in my opinion.

a few good restos have opened at the new hyatt hotel in ermita. the chinese place li li has great dimsum and is run by the former manager of one harbour road at grand hyatt hk. their other resto, i think it's called market, has the best sunday brunch in town. there's also a new steak joint that i'm planning to check out still.

for an offbeat bar, check out saguijo on guijo street in san antonio village, near the yakal area. cool indie bands play every night, cheap drinks and a hip, boho vibe.

[stickykrylon]

are you guys living there? what do you guys do for work? what's the cost of living like?

dig.

[john11f]

yup. 100% Pinoy! stock broker. And yes. cost of living here is cheap...

[chut]

i'm an architect and have been living in manila again for the last 3 years.

cost of living is cheaper than asian cities such as hong kong and singapore, but more expensive than bangkok.

tall latte at starbucks - USD 1.80

newspaper - USD 0.27

cd - USD 9.00

movie ticket (DTS sound, stadium seating)- USD 2.75

pack of dunhill cigarettes - USD 1.00

bottle of veuve cliquot at a liquor store - USD 90.00

dinner for two at a good restaurant - USD 45 to 90

1 br apt in CBD - USD 455/mo

roundtrip ticket to an island resort - USD 90

a deluxe room at the peninsula/mandarin hotel - USD 115

full tank of gas - USD 36.00