Artist and designer Chito Vijandre takes us on a tour of Manila

I was born in Negros Occidental and moved to Metro Manila when I was eight because of my father’s work. I’ve been living in the same neighborhood of Makati City ever since – now I’m with my partner in life and work, Ricky Toledo, and our Italian greyhounds Ornella, Carla and Piero. To an outsider, Manila may appear crazy and chaotic, but when you get used to its rhythm, discover pockets of serenity and beauty, and get charmed by the Manileños, you’ll want to stay forever.

Manila can be quite laid-back because the people are generally accommodating and very warm. You can have almost anything made bespoke by amazing artisans and designers, and there’s a thriving visual and performing arts community. Ricky and I are both judges for the local Gawad Buhay Awards for theater and dance, so we get to watch many stage productions. I’m constantly exposed to such creative sources that inspire me in my work – be it interiors, fashion or art. These are the avenues through which I express my creativity. The food scene here is also really exciting, with talented chefs constantly rolling out new concept restaurants.

I find that the people of Manila are always a source of great fascination, and that Philippine hospitality and our fiesta spirit are unbeatable. We spontaneously find reasons to celebrate all year round and throw the best parties, where everyone is welcome to join! This is most apparent during the Christmas season. There are lights and decorations everywhere you look, and everyone exudes Yuletide cheer.

Ricky and I see this in our second home, Greenbelt Mall in Makati City. We go there a lot because that’s where our stores Firma and ac+632 are located, and because it’s a premier shopping destination with all the major European labels, as well as homegrown brands, specialty stores and art galleries. There are also many good restaurants, like Restaurante Pia y Damaso, Lusso, Sala Bistro, People’s Palace, Cibo and Via Mare, among others. Ayala Museum, a major repository of Philippine art and culture, is also a must-visit.

In December, Greenbelt holds many special performances: you have Steps Dance Studio performing ballets, orchestras and choirs singing Christmas carols. I think it’s safe to say that activities like this happen all over the country, which shouldn’t come as a surprise since we have the longest Christmas season in the world.

FRIDAY

10AM

Ricky and I head to Greenbelt Mall (Ayala Center, Makati) to check on our stores. We wanted Firma (Greenbelt 3, Esperanza St, Makati) to be a venue for fine art and design, and aside from having a roster of designers and artisans who create one-off pieces for us, we also design our exclusive line of jeweled pillows, lamps and tabletop accessories. People say that we have a reputation for offering Asian-inspired pieces that are unusual, unpredictable and out of the ordinary. On the other hand, ac+632 (Greenbelt 5, Legazpi St, Makati) explores the romance of the Old World and the joys of gracious living with a more European slant. Many people don’t pick up on this, but +632 is the country and area code of Manila, Philippines. Greenbelt is right in the country’s central business and shopping district, and can be hectic during the holidays with all the Christmas shoppers.

Midday

We often hang around and take our lunch in the Greenbelt area. Our favorite restaurants are Lusso (Greenbelt 5, Legazpi St, Makati) for an upscale spin on comfort food (think truffle mac and cheese, or a foie gras burger); People’s Palace (Greenbelt 3, Esperanza St, Makati) for Thai curries and refreshing pomelo salad; and our restaurant, Restaurante Pia y Damaso (Greenbelt 5, Legazpi St, Makati), for its creative take on heritage Philippine food based on the novels of José Rizal.

Our chef, Bambi Sy Gobio, is our constant travel companion, and has created an entire menu of what we bill as “subversive Filipino cuisine”. Our favorites include Placido Penitente with Mussel Cerveza, Sisa’s Dementia Chocolate Cake, Pepay the Dancer’s Halo-Halo and Tubig ni Maria Clara (cucumber juice with ginger, orange, lemon and lime). During the holidays, I love having the Quezo de Bola Polvoron with Hot Tsokolate. Like typical Filipinos, a large part of our lives revolves around food. Ricky, Bambi and I take note of the best dishes we’ve ever tried – both here and abroad – and even when we’re eating, we’re still talking about food and planning what our next meal is going to be!

3PM

My line of work is highly creative, and I find that there is so much to draw from in Manila because it is rich in history and culture. If I need to feel inspired, I simply visit one of the city’s museums and galleries, or spend a night at the symphony or ballet. If I have time in the afternoon, I like heading to the art galleries and auction houses in Makati – The Drawing Room (Building C, Karrivin Plaza, 2316 Chino Roces Ave, Makati), Silverlens (Lapanday Center, 2263 Chino Roces Ave, Makati), Finale Art File (Warehouse 17, La Fuerza Plaza, 2241 Chino Roces Ave, Makati) or León Gallery. For antiques, there’s La O’ Centre (1000 Makati Ave, cor Arnaiz Ave, Makati) on Pasay Road. Otherwise, we’re lucky that we can just walk over to the Ayala Museum (Greenbelt Park, Makati) whenever we want to check out some art.

6PM

We have an early pre-show dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in Malate, Casa Armas (Greenbelt 2, Esperanza St, Makati). We always make sure to call before going, as our favorite dishes – paella, cochinillo, ibérico chicken – need to be prepared ahead of time.

8PM

Friday evenings in Manila are usually spent at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP Complex, Roxas Blvd, Metro Manila) to watch Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra concerts, Ballet Philippines performances or Tanghalang Pilipino plays.

11PM

After a full day out, we head home for a drink with friends. It’s the perfect way to unwind after a hectic day. Some of the people we like having over are the designer and conservation consultant Tats Manahan; Gigi de Jonghe, one of our designers ever since we opened a by-appointment store out of our home back in 1999; jewelry designer and perfumer Gemma Suzara; Gus Vibal, a childhood friend who now heads up the Vibal Foundation, which is a publisher of Philippine art and culture books that we carry in our stores; Ricky Punzalan, another close childhood friend who’s now an interior designer; Jim Tan, an interior designer who designed our house when we first renovated the place and is also our partying and bar-hopping partner; and Patrick and Evelyn Uy, who are our traveling buddies when we go to Japan and Hong Kong. Patrick also does the photography for our stores and shot my recent fashion show for the Red Charity Gala.
We usually talk about our travels, the latest finds in art and design, fashion, movies, music and books, as well as the latest gossip. We avoid talking about politics and religion, of course, the way all civilized salons do. The music selection is quite eclectic, from classical to samba to house and EDM (electric dance music). Maybe a soundtrack from a movie or Netflix series we’ve seen recently, like Narcos.

Bambi Sy Gobio, our chef at Restaurante Pia y Damaso, always prepares the food for our cocktail parties and dinners at home. She makes fabulous pâté and duck rillettes, but usually surprises us with her new experiments in the kitchen. Her hors d’oeuvres are always beautiful, aside from being yummy. Bambi also makes cocktails using liqueur that she’s infused with peppers and herbs. When Bambi’s away, we have our own recipe for a chicken liver pâté and a nice guacamole dip, which goes fabulously with chicharrón and crudités. And caviar always makes everyone happy.

If we still have the energy after all that wining and dining, we like to go for a drag show at O Bar (Ortigas Home Depot, Julia Vargas Ave, Ortigas), or to dance at TIME (7840 Makati Ave, Makati) nightclub if a special DJ, like our friend Steven Lovina, is playing.

SATURDAY

8AM

We start the day early and pass by the Saturday Market (Jaime C. Velasquez Park, Salcedo Village, Makati) in Salcedo Village. We come here for our supply of organic fruits and vegetables, and like to see what other stalls have to offer. We often pick up some fresh bread and quiche, as well as Himalayan salt, wheatgrass and colloidal silver for the week ahead.

10AM

We head to the National Museum (Padre Burgos Dr, Rizal Park, Ermita) of the Philippines in Manila, which is a delight for its impressive collection of artistic, archaeological, ethnographic and natural historical treasures. On other days, we visit the Metropolitan Museum (BSP Complex, Roxas Blvd, Malate) of Manila, which has a precious collection of Philippine pre-colonial gold and pottery, or the fine-art collection and contemporary art exhibits at the Central Bank of the Philippines (BSP Complex, A. Mabini St, Malate).

Intramuros, also called the Walled City, was built by Spanish colonizers in 1590. It houses the beautiful and awesome San Agustin Church (General Luna St, Metro Manila) and museum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; Casa Manila (Intramuros, Metro Manila), a colonial mansion-turned-museum showcasing Philippine decorative arts; and Fort Santiago (Intramuros, Metro Manila), a shrine to the country’s national hero José Rizal.

Midday

We like to eat at Bistro Remedios (1911 M. Adriatico St, Remedios Circle, Malate) or Café Adriatico (1790 Adriatico St, Remedios Circle, Malate) in Malate, or President Tea House (809 Salazar St, Binondo, Manila) in Chinatown where we order the dim sum, steamed fish and lechón Macau. These restaurants are special because they serve consistently good Asian and Filipino comfort food. They also have an atmosphere that’s similar to turn-of-the-century homes in Old Manila, which we like. The service is always attentive, and we know all the waiters since we’re regulars.

At Bistro Remedios, we have the sinuteng baby pusit in olive oil, the crispy pata for a quick cholesterol fix and the coconut milk-laden gising-gising vegetable dish. The kare-kareng oxtail is also hard to resist, especially with a piniritong hito with mustasa and burong hipon as condiments. At Café Adriatico, we love the lengua, spare-ribs adobo rice and embutido.
If we happen to visit later in the night, we always go for the omelets or the arroz caldo with tokwa’t baboy. The toffee sans rival is also absolutely to die for.

2PM

We usually pop by Silahis Arts & Artifacts (744 General Luna St, Intramuros, Manila) on General Luna Street for ethnic crafts, textiles and other unique curiosities. There are other interesting places in Ermita like Hiraya Gallery (530 United Nations Ave, Ermita, Manila) on United Nations Avenue and Casa Tesoro building on A. Mabini Street for antiques and furniture.

5PM

Manila serves as a great jumping-off point for short trips. When we get the chance, we leave the city and venture out to Manila’s surrounds like Tagaytay, where we stay at domicillo (Maharlika East, Tagaytay), a design hotel which showcases the work of top designers like Kenneth Cobonpue and Budji Layug. It also has one of the best views of the breathtaking Taal Volcano and surrounding Lake Taal.

7PM

Antonio’s (Purok 138, Barangay Neogan, Tagaytay), a fine-dining restaurant owned by chef Tony Boy Escalante, is one of our favorite places to dine, and it just so happens to be one of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants of 2016. Sometimes we just go to eat in all the three restaurants of Antonio’s in the area: Fine Dining (Purok 138, Barangay Neogan, Tagaytay), Breakfast (Purok 138, Barangay Neogan, Tagaytay) and Balay Dako (Tagaytay-Nagsubu Highway, Tagaytay). You can actually eat at all three if you spend a whole day in Tagaytay!

10PM

We make our way back to domicillo for a relaxing drink on the terrace facing Lake Taal. If anyone visits Manila for more than two days, we highly recommend a short out-of-town day trip. It really helps complete the experience.