Quest for Bohemia

Handlebar: Big Bikes and Rock & Roll

2010-08-11T12:23:00.000-07:00

Image borrowed from Jovan Farren

When traveling back to Manila from Cebu, I usually have my friends pick me up so we can go straight to a bar and catch up. The first bar I usually have in mind is Handlebar, It has always been a favorite destination to hear great music and enjoy ice cold Red Horse beer while eating their awesome appetizers.

The first time I came to the place, Wally Gonzales’ Band was playing, Ryan one of my closest friends and my frat brother took me there to meet up with his girl and her best friend Kat Agarrado from Sino Sikat? Wally Gonzales is a legend. We used to go every Thursday night to hear him play at Chaquico’s in Makati Avenue where Kat was also one of his featured singers. I also had the chance to chat with Paolo Manuel of The Jerks, a schoolmate from San Agustin, Makati. It’s seldom for me to get to talk about music and the scene since I stopped entertaining the illusion that I can be a rock star when I was still in high school, but the thought had always haunted me. I still wish I could have been a rock star.  Last time I was there it was Razorback playing, I didn’t even know they still played until that night. It took me back to the days when I often tagged along with Wolfgang and Razorback when they had gigs, since my ex-girlfriend’s friend was Manuel Legarda’s girl. Handlebar has always been a place I felt at home, even if I’m not a biker.

Handlebar is hardcore biker bar, and steak house and home to the Mad Dog Motorcycle Club located in the busy and exotic area of Burgos Street and Makati Avenue. Harley Davidson and BMW motorcycles are a regular sight at the front of the bar. It’s a bar run by bikers for bikers. The bar itself looks like it came out of those biker movies with the rowdy crowd, you don’t have to worry though, these guys are bad ass but they’re all good. When you see a guy in black leather vest with a bulldog patch on it, just don’t get too cocky or you might just end up going out through the window.

On days where there are no bands playing, you can enjoy playing pool while watching your favorite sports channels on the wide screen LCDs and projectors inside and at their al fresco dining area outside.The special thing about handlebar is you can grill your own steaks at the al fresco area, and help yourself to potatoes and other side dishes already prepared on the grill. The steaks are surprisingly cheap compared to other steak houses, 3-pieces of lamb chops costs Php528 while a 12oz Pork chop costs Php389.

Handlebar Bar and Grill is located at 31 Polaris Street, Bel-Air Village, Makati City parallel to Burgos street. You call contact them though 63-2 898-2189 or visit their website at http://www.handlebar.com.ph/. You can also add them on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/note.php?saved&&note _id=429987817611#!/ handlebarmanila?ref=ts

70's Bistro: Where You Can Be Who You Are

2010-08-11T09:51:00.001-07:00

I was trying to find a place to hang out on a Monday night and my friend Emman from Above Zero told me they were playing somewhere in QC. I’ve heard of the place before but that was the first time I tried going there. It’s a long way from home and the location was unfamiliar. I was just really bored so I decided to go there even if the bands playing that night were not my cup of tea.

The 70’s Bistro has been around since 1994. It’s one of the remnants of the old Manila rock scene when Club Dredd in KM18 EDSA and Mayrics in Espana where still the places to go to if you want to hear the up and coming bands and the certified rock stars.

It’s another beat up place with a lot of character. It’s a musician’s haven, and for a place that looks like it’s about to fall apart, bands like Franco, Radio Active Sago Project, Brownman Revival and the Jerks have regular schedules. 70’s Bistro is not a place you’ll take someone for a date, its somewhere you’ll go to just to listen to great music.

AUGUST GIG SCHED

02 Mon SOAPDISH / STONEFREE / BILLY GAGA / ABOVE ZERO
03 Tue YOSHA / JULIANNE
04 Wed SILENT SANCTUARY / LETTERDAY STORY
05 Thu BROWNMAN REVIVAL
06 Fri THE JERKS
07 Sat SESSION ROAD
09 Mon SUGARFREE
10 Tue CALLALILY / PROTEINSHAKE
11 Wed SAGO PROJECT / TROPICAL DEPRESSION
12 Thu BROWNMAN REVIVAL
13 Fri THE JERKS
14 Sat to be announced
16 Mon THE JERKS
17 Tue JULIEN DROLON / KADANGYAN
18 Wed REGGAE MISTRESS / LADY I
19 Thu JOHNOY & KAKOY
20 Fri THE JERKS
21 Sat KALAYO
23 Mon FRANCO
24 Tue TALAHIB / MAKILING
25 Wed DONG ABAY / COFFEEBREAK ISLAND
26 Thu BROWNMAN REVIVAL
27 Fri THE JERKS
29 Sat LUNA / BERSUS
30 Mon PAROKYA NI EDGAR

70’s Bistro is located at 46 Anonas St., Project 2 Quezon City, Metro Manila Philippines. You can contact them through 0921-6402491 (632) 434-3597

Or check their website at http://www.70sbistro.com/

Or like them on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Quezon-City/70s-Bistro/

"Rockeoke" Cebu Style

2010-07-20T07:55:00.000-07:00

Handuraw in Gorordo Avenue is a beat up two-storey house turned pizza parlor. The main dining area can occupy around 60 people while the upstairs dining area can accommodate around 30 people. They also have an Al Fresco dining area for smokers. The main and upstairs dining area can be rented out for special occasions.

Besides boasting to have the best thin crust pizza in town they also serve Beer Below Zero which is the perfect compliment to a tasty thin slice of pie.

I particularly like one of their more Adventurous Pizzas, the Mexicana (php298). It's made with chili beans, beef, shredded cabbage, tomatoes, onions, and cheddar cheese on top of a generous layer of homemade tomato sauce spread over a thin crusted dough. Another unusual pizza that I would recommend is the Filipino Anchovy (Php288)which is made with homemade pesto sauce topped with Filipino anchovies fillet (ginamos), kesong puti, oyster mushroom, and mozzarella cheese. A delicious adventurous alternative to the boring Hawaiian and Pepperoni pizzas. The best seller is the Handuraw Special (Php298), It's loaded of all the usual topping that make up a "Special" pizza.

Handuraw is a regular venue for the Cebuano music scene. A lot of known local bands there regularly. Thursdays are specially fun with "Rockeoke", Handuraw's sing-along jam sessions where anybody can be a star for the night.

Handuraw is located along Gorordo Avenue in Lahug, Uptown Cebu near the University of the Philippines Central Visayas campus.

You can reach them through
(032)412-2230 or (032)232-6401

Their website is http://www.handurawpizza.com

or add them on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Handuraw-Pizza/24899644977?ref=ts

Home Away From Home

2010-07-19T05:54:00.001-07:00

Kukuk's Nest Garden Restaurant & Pension House is a small backpackers’ Inn located in uptown Cebu City.

The 24-hour garden restaurant is a venue where local artists and writers meet regularly. The resident artist, Lino, had lost both his arms in an accident when he was young, but despite his disability he can create unbelievable charcoal portraits.

There is also a business center and gallery at the back of the bar where they sell local artists creations.

The menu is a mix of Filipino, German, Thai, Indonesian, and French. Try the Cabrito (Kalderetang kambing) and the Chicken curry, both are patrons’ favorites. The place has a definite character to it, it’s a somewhere you can relax and put your leg up.

A kukuk is a German bird that has no nest, hence the name Kukuk's Nest as it was intended to be a place for people who didn't belong anywhere else.

Kukuk's Nest was established in 1989 and is listed as a top place to stay in Cebu for backpackers on Lonely Planet and other travel sites.

The Pension House is at the end of a lengthy makeshift driveway offering rustic rooms with native furnishings. There are 11 rooms in 2 worn-out American colonial houses out back behind the garden restaurant. Most rooms have shared baths. A single fan room costs Php330 and a double fan room is Php450. Air-conditioned rooms are also available. Discounts are given for longer stays and also applies to the breakfast.

Kukuk’s Nest is located along Gorordo Avenue near the corner of Escario Street in Uptown Cebu. It’s a few minutes’ walk from Ayala Center and Mango Avenue. You can contact them through (032) 231-5180

Endangered Gallery of Tibetan Art

2010-07-18T10:57:00.000-07:00

Emotions Art Gallery is a huge warehouse like studio which houses fine artworks of known local Cebuano artists and a few talented in-house artists.

My friend Vince from Bacolod who just moved in the vacant room in the gallery’s compound introduced me to the place. He toured me around and gave me some insights on what the gallery sold.

He said they started out just selling charcoal, mixed media, oil and acrylic paintings but has now branched out to selling antique sculptures, Buddha statues, wood carvings, bird cages and furniture imported directly from Tibet.

The sad part about the gallery is the place is somewhat threatened due to the road widening of Escario Street which will destroy almost half of the main gallery and the whole frontage of the place.

I enjoyed looking around, there’s a certain feel to the studio that is non-intimidating. It almost feels like you’re in a market and not in a place of extravagance - It's laid-back and unpretentious.

EMOTIONS ART GALLERY is located along the corner of Escario & Molave Streets near the busy Cebu Business Park. You can contact the main gallery through (032) 412-2147 or 0917-643-8785

Nesting Ground for Artists

2010-07-17T19:34:00.001-07:00

Turtle's Nest is a run-down 1950s house that was converted into a book café and gallery. The owners kept the place looking like a functional home with the living room and dining area still intact.

Coming from the front door, you would easily notice the floor to ceiling bookshelves filled with all sorts of books, sculptures and paintings lining the whole house.

Turtle’s nest is like a mini library where you can borrow books for private reading or you can buy them for a reasonable price, just don’t look for a new book though, the selection consists of old reference books, classics and bestsellers much like Booksale only older.

Upstairs are rooms for rent which serves as extension to Kukuk’s Nest- The owner’s Backpackers Inn, Bar and Restaurant across the street.

At the back room is a gallery currently housing the exhibit entitled BAKUNAWA by Pierre Famador II

The Turtle’s nest serves as an artist haven where one could read, write, draw, paint or meet with friends to have coffee or a few beers.

I’ve read that Turtle’s Nest is home to Pusod, Inc., an organization of budding and accomplished artists who uses Turtle’s Nest as a venue where they could criticize literary works.

It is also where SineBuano, a group of Independent Cebuano Film makers currently meet and do auditions.

Pictures from the exhibit BAKUNAWA by Pierre Famador II

Turtle’s Nest is located at Gorordo Avenue, Lahug, Cebu City (near the corner of Escario Street and across Kukuk’s Nest)

Operating hours are from 4pm-1am Mon-Sat

You can add them on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Turtles...

The Cozy Little Pub in Talamban

2010-07-16T21:29:00.000-07:00

The Urban Cellar is primarily a wine shop and English grocery owned and operated by Cebu Beverages- the wholesaler and supplier of imported beers, wines and spirits for most of the restaurants, bars and pubs in Cebu.

This small store is designed as a cozy, medieval inspired pub, with old wooden tables and chairs and a lot of European trinkets which takes you back to Europe in the 15th century, It's like drinking at a public house in the old town of Karlovy Vary in ancient Bohemia.

I love reading the wall posts and brass stamps on the tables where you can learn interesting facts and a lot of “drunk” quotations. The prices are surprisingly cheap, a bottle of Redhorse stallion costs php30 while a 500ml can of Stella Artois cost Php140.

They also sell hard liquor by the bottle at really low prices and you just get charged 10% extra for drinking it inside the store. There’s no bar keep so you have to take the bottle home if ever you don’t finish it.

They started out serving just sausages, deli sandwiches and cheeses but their menu has now improved and includes several kinds of curries, English meat pies, jacket potatoes and more. I just love their Samosas, It’s something you should try when you get there.

"THE CHAPEL" is the smoking section of the cellar, It also serves as a private function room for small parties and sporting events. Inside is a single fourteen foot hard wood table that could sit around 14 people. It’s usually packed by Pinoys and Europeans alike. It’s a communal drinking experience where you get to share the table and talk with people you meet there.

The Urban Cellar is located at Piazza Elisea Mall in Talamban, Cebu City across Rose Pharmacy and VECO. Store hours are from 11am ‘til late. Check out their website at http://www.theurbancellar.com/

Ye Olde Bookshoppe in Mandaue

2010-07-15T22:10:00.000-07:00

I used to pass by this quaint little bookstore in the middle of nowhere and I finally decided to give it a visit.

From the door I could smell the glorious scent of old pressed paper and the wonderful sight of floor to ceiling bookshelves. There were poetry, which I assume are of the owners, tacked in the sides of the shelves along with pictures and other memorabilia of the owner’s that add a homey feel to the place.

There is something about small independent bookstores that I really like. The store has character and I admire how it still survives amidst giants like Power Books and Fully-Booked.

The name La Belle Aurore was borrowed from a coffee shops name in the classic movie “Casablanca” and literally translates in French as ”Beautiful Daybreak”. The owner thought it was perfect to name a business that he loves.

I didn’t think there was a place in Cebu where you can find used rare books at good prices, I found a copy of Jean-Paul Sartre’s The Reprieve for Php275 and Henry David Thoreau’s Walden & Civil Disobedience for only php150.

La Belle Aurore Bookstore is located at Hernan Cortes in Mandaue City, just a 5 minute walk from the famous Lartian's in AS Fortuna.

Business hours are from 12nn-9pm (Mondays thru Fridays) and 9am-9pm (Saturdays & Sundays)

You can visit their website: http://labelleaurore.multiply.com

or add them on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/labelleaurorebooks