New Spot: ARCANA LOUNGE

If there's something that is lacking in San Juan City, it's the fact that there's really a scarcity of good bars... but here's good news. ARCANA LOUNGE finally has opened and we've got first dibs on things they offer.

Ambiance: I think I've seen this being worked on a couple months ago when a couple workers went outside and pat dust off their clothes... and I saw a new sign put up in front, I stopped and said to my self, this is interesting! When I entered ARCANA this evening, my eyes were certainly drawn on the copper clad ceiling. I felt they did this on purpose so you get to feel how large the room was. The place could seat 50-60 people (maybe more) and tables were arranged for groups of 4 or more to fit friends, family. The back side had a long bunk chair and the others were upholstered thick, pretty comfy to be seated for hours. They also had fresh flowers, dropped in several places. Design wise, it reminded me of a little mix of modern, industrial and art deco. There's a sense of it being posh, their attention to detail was astounding.

The Bar on the other had was built differently. The racks are filled to the brim with different kinds of booze as they serve hard drinks and cocktails. The bar is all clad in gold, black, aimed to complement the restaurant interior. It also has their huge logo, intimidating to look at but once you know the bartenders, you'll love them instantly.

Gourmet Nachos -Warm nachos with hearty chili con carne topping. Fresh and complements Gin, Tequila based drinks.

Purple Sour - Something they whipped up to surprise me, this was refreshing and perfect to start the evening.

Buffalo Wings - It had the flavors, not too spicy... make sure you eat it while it's hot!

Sisig Rolls - A different take on the usual bar chow. Like a mix between Filipino and Vietnamese. Again, make sure you consume while it's hot.

Truffle Pizza - One of my favorites that evening. It had the right amount of cheese, crispy crust and truffle permeated all over the top.

Sliders - If you need something filling, the sliders would surely do that. It comes with fries, which I think was also laced with a little truffle.

Fra Diavolo - Fresh pasta with shrimp, cheese and lemon on the side.

Steak Fried Rice - I liked their version, like the other items I mentioned earlier, eat it while its hot.

USDA Rib Eye Steak - They made it the way I like it. Medium, still has the right amount of fat (which I love) and buttery soft still. I would even love to have seconds. I would go back for this in a heartbeat!

Prawn Thermidor - For prawn lovers out there, here's your fix. You may have this shared but I doubt you'll do because it's cheesy good.

Lamb Rack - For those who would want something a bit more lean, get the Lamb rack. They cooked it perfectly... I'd assume this would be for those special date nights or "treat to self" days.

ARCANA LOUNGE maybe new, but fret not as they've got some seasoned Chefs and Mixologists behind all their counters. They plan very well, and honestly, the ambiance is a huge selling point. If you have guests, friends or family that need to be given a classy dinner, something to drink afterwards, this is the place you should be looking for. A plus is that they also customize drinks, just ask the friendly bartender what you prefer so they could whip up something for you.

ARCANA LOUNGE is located at the Greenhills Promenade's second level. You may enter through the stairs from Music Museum or the one on the left door of the mall's old door. I enjoyed my time there and surely, I'd be back for more!

New Spot in Town: GREENHILLS SKYLINE

Looks like there's a new spot in Greenhills that you have to visit today, it's called Greenhills Skyline and they opened it a few days ago. It sits right above the Connecticut Arcade and boasts an open air space with lovely San Juan cityscape views while you enjoy affordable food, booze and music to entertain family and friends in this district.

Food Selections

If you're looking for a quick snack or something to share, they've got a lot of merchants in this floor that you would enjoy. From Italian and Filipino viands, street food, sushi, shawarma, cord nogs, juices, coffee, cocktails and a whole lot more are available... and they're not that expensive which is a plus on the budget conscious.

Must try vendors include Kape Imperial who serve single origin coffee from the Philippines, Sunset bar for their cocktails and beer. You can also buy fruits and fresh produce from the Urban Garden during the weekends. Not to mention the lovely bean bag area so you can chat with friends and family while having bar chow and food from the stores there. You can choose from Tuna Town Ihaw-Ihaw for grilled stuff, Takamura Sushi and Ramen for some Japanese flare, House of Pizza and Pasta for those who want something Italian, Fresh Deli for fruit shakes and juices, Zhai's Delights for Filipino desserts, King Shawarma for middle eastern food, Wings on Wheels for your spicy wing fix, Monster Burger for grilled Australian Beef burgers, Hungry for Hungarian for sausages, corndogs and Vigan Empanada, Mix n' Munch for fried street food faves, and a whole lot more.

They are open mall hours and even have busking/performers on special days, go visit them soon! I'll be going there this weekend with some blogger friends, I hope I get to experience this (because I got stuck in traffic and got no grab a few days ago). I'm just so excited for this new spot!

Ken Chan's Empire: Opens Second Branch of CAFE CLAUS

Just left Greenhills Promenade while writing this piece as I've attended the launch of CAFE CLAUS at this location, their second one after putting up CAFE CLAUS in Tandang Sora QC. For Ken, this has been a pretty memorable place because his tatay German Moreno aka "Kuya Germs" used to bring him here to unwind and have fun when he was still alive. The new branch has a German Christmas theme as they wanted a different one in every branch they put up, and yes, talks are in the works for putting up about 3 more of these within the year.

 

Their Ensaymada is glistening in gold! Just one of the nice things at Cafe Claus!

Ken and his partners are ecstatic that the first branch is doing well and they've been able to study the market well even if we're still under the pandemic. Food served in this branch still has the classics but will have some special items in the menu that would represent the German them they are executing for the Greenhills branch. We talked to Ken, his partners and chefs about their future plans which seem so exciting especially for those who are in the look for a coffee shop that would make them escape reality while having a cup of joe in their shop (even for just a few hours). Here's what transpired during the launch!

My only question was, is he building his empire? Ken says "I don't know if it's an empire or not, I'm just venturing into businesses that I love, ones that I have passion in and if that means it'll all be successful in the near future, I'd love that!"

In the press conference, they also have confirmed reports about building branches in Eastwood City, Tagaytay City which will also have different themes. So if you're a fan of Ken or just love Christmas, you've got several places to go this year as they expand CAFE CLAUS in Mega Manila. They also have plans to put up one in nearby provinces, pretty soon in Visayas and Mindanao too. I suggest you get the Roast Chicken and Lasagna which is such a hit with regulars at Cafe Claus. They have mean cakes and pastries too that's not too sweet because they do use sugar free options too (perfect for diabetics like me). For those who would want to visit, just go to Greenhills Promenade and find them at the center right at the side of the escalator from the cinemas. Thank you to the super nice people at Cafe Claus Greenhills Promonade, I'll be back there real soon!