MANILLA, MANY THINGS TO MANY PEOPLE

I have never had so much fun , such an amazing birthday or such delicious food and great company. This trip was relaxed and sensational, peppered with amazing events, meetings of absolutely great authentic people.

At 43, birthdays had actually become a little mundane, loved ones closest often seemed to always forget or find excuses why 12 months was never long enough to plan anything.

This year the plan was simple, two best friends and a good time. We chose the right place. Manilla, Phillipines.

Manilla is many things, it is old, it is rustic, it is run down and down right smelly and seedy in places but it is also the home to some of the newest buildings, towers and developments you will ever see, including the soon to be TRUMP tower, MAKATI.

As a part time writer, I see that it is not our place to judge cities or its people , to judge other cultures or judge the way people are or how they live but experience their lives and to draw from it how we choose to live our lives ourselves. We can not save everyone and not everyone that we deem in need wants or really requires saving. On this trip I met street kids who are cheeky and want cash but who are happier to actually accept a donation of food,(cash they have to give to an older minder, food they can fill their hungry bellies with)

We met Real Estate sellers and we got profiled by them, we met waitresses and got teases and laughed at and with, dancers, street urchins and we met regular folk…we fell in love with everyone of them.

I have been to the Philippines many times over the past few years and have always spoken of my love for the place to my friends, each trip giving me more to love about the diversity of this country and its culture.

With the ability to prove what I had spoken over the past few years to my closest friend, I took him from the newest developments of this city , Bonafacio Global City and the new Acqua development which will see the River of this city developed into a Clarke Quay style promenade, to the oldest and most historic, Intramuros , (the Walled City) and Fort Santiago and both learnt a few quotes from an amazing Hero of the Philippine nation, Jose Rizal . We toured the nicest of outdoor cafes to some of the seedier Malate venues. We never once felt out of place, we were always greeted with amazing hospitality and we ate some incredible food.

To name the people we met, might just get me into a little hot water, but I wish I could. The diversity of the group would surprise most. The resounding differences between them cemented as a common thread in their warmth and hospitality and their desire to show my friend and I a great time.

Last month I read an article by a close friend JAMES CLAIRE who had found a rekindled love for Waikiki, Hawaii and I concur whole heatedly, for his heart beats the same as mine in respect for the Hawiian  island, but I truly have to say to everyone, that in your lifetime, give MANILLA, a chance and experience every level of its offerings, high class, street level and underground. This place rocks my socks.

Here’s a few places you may wish to try to prove my words of the food and the hospitality.

MESE

Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Makati City

Filipino new age food, in Greenbelt Mall. We were attracted to this restaurant because of the fact that out of 6 restaurants on this particular row you could never get a table here, or a one hour waiting line. Just pick your times and its easy, dine early or dine late and you will get seated and find out why it is so popular. Prices reasonable and food sensational ; simple but done right. Jacki was our server and she had the right attitude to deal with two chefs and made our dinners here a treat. Dining is not just about food, but about the interaction of staff, food and ambience, Mese is just so perfectly located with outdoor tables, rustic sensational new age food and quality staff that it was worth return trips.

Try the Inihaw Sampler - A BBQ platter of everything delicious and really too much for two , the melt in the mouth Pork and Chicken Adobo, Drunken Emu was delicious as was the fried whole fish.

CHELSEA RESTAURANT

High Street Bonafacio Global City

We ate here several times, but one lunch went from noon till dark, its just so amazing to sit and people watch here is amazing. We never knew who JAMES YAP was until we realized the throngs of excited children with cameras where not there to take photos of my friend and I, but this famous Filipino celebrity.

Chelsea is everything you want a restaurant to be, right place, amazing food, great location for seeing everyday people and celebrities and sensational looking staff (say hi to Kim and you'll understand what AMAZING means). I have eaten here now probably a dozen times in the past few years and still can not work out the way they make their famous chocolate cake, Im glad really, because it keeps making me return for it over and over again, if I knew how that might just stop. For the real accolades of how good Chelsea chocolate cake really is  read Executive Chef Paul Britton’s Blog about it (http://paulbritton.blogspot.com/)

CAFÉ HAVANA

Greenbelt 3

Most nights ended here, till the early hours of the morning. It is stylish, affordable and a really peoples place. Think open air TRADER VICS, hotter waitresses, longer legs and better uniforms and you’ll understand. Sit here long enough and you’ll eventually get picked up. It’s a kind of 60’s love one , love all kind of establishment in the middle of a raging metropolis and hard to believe that this interaction between business people, tourists and professional ladies of the night can be happening in plain sight, but it is. Amazing place to just sit and watch the theatre of it all take place. Frequented by business men from 6pm till late, tourists during the day and everyone looking for a good time all other hours. Try their black bean hummous for a real surprise served with warm banana chips, sensational place for a night out. I guess they close but we drank most nights for as long as we could stay awake and this place was still pumping.

LANDMARK FOOD COURT

Landmark Building, Manilla opposite Greenbelt 3

Some days you just want to slip on a muscle shirt, a pair of thongs and have a cheap meal. Well go somewhere else, because we don’t want to see you here. Dress respectfully even for this mall food court and watch the smiles of the locals greet you as you eat in their own domain. Friendly place with cheap, cheap meals which could feed the hungriest chef. We are not talking gastronomy but still food well done. 99% Filipina workers dine here for lunch from the cheaper department stores with their friends and families, so don’t think its going to be Expat-ville, but that’s why we liked it, we were alone to be watched as much as we were their to watch the watchers. Gotta truly love this place.

MALATE (Ermita)

Cnr Adriatico and Remedios streets

Seedy, dirty and amazing. I guess you have had to travel to love places like this but , this is where the real people of Philippines SURVIVE for a living. EVERYTHING is on offer here, E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G…..

At the end of the street near Remedios Circle is the old and famed Café Adriatico but mid street walk on Remedios Street you will find the Cowboy Grill. We ate opposite this pub several nights for cheap street food. It may look un-tempting but its cooked well and smoky to taste and neither of us got ill on our journeys here. Eat and drink here for two for less than $10 and you will not leave hungry. Opposite this street side cacophony of street life and homeless kids you will see a first floor patio. Head upstairs there and sit outdoors viewing the real world at its best.  From your first floor chair, whistle up your favorite offering, pork BBQ a guitar, a girl , a guy, a snake seller (yup-live ones) or anything else this place has to offer.

Anyone who tries to preach about people living indifferent lives should visit this street…as I said before not everyone can be saved and made to join the amazing lives we have, but then again not everyone wants to be saved either. Sure the street kids of malate might be different people if they had better chances, but watching them doing cartwheels between the taxis and being cheeky for a free feed, watching the kids play every theatrical role they have in their repertoires to get you to buy a single rose for 60 cents, you have to wonder who the happy people in this world really are. Those with everything always find something to complain about , those with nothing , know no different and are happy with what they have. Sure, we all should have the chance to be millionaires and high flyers, but then the world would be hell to live in. Some people are happy with the lot they have been dealt with in life and we who are given better opportunities may not like what we always see, perhaps instead of trying to change them, it is us who should just become better people with what we have been given and prove our worth of the better opportunity. (NOTE;While some spoke of being careful of safety in this area, common sense prevails and we never felt more at home on several trips to this reality check of life.)

Actually this place was safer than the local banks which was hit with hand guns and a grenade during our trip.Fact is its a Megaplex of humanity and 90 million people need to survive here, so be careful and travel smart.) We ran into the BOURNE LEGACY movie set filming here on our first venture to this amazing street so it can't be that bad a place when Hollywood has even found it.

BIZU PATISSERIE

Several locations around town

Looking for modern world Patisserie, then BIZU around the city offers it all. We ate Blue Cheese Macarons and the famed Pierre Herme White Truffle macaron. Neither floats my boat and I still can not understand why you’d ruin a macaron with white truffle oil, but that’s my opinion, my taste buds and my pesos speaking. I do love the food here though as an occasional reminder of my real life as a pastrychef.