#bangbar

Poblacion has become the place where people go to when they want to bar hop, or grab a few drinks. However, it has also become one of the most gastronomical cities, with restaurants featuring different kinds of dishes and experiences. One of which is the newly opened VBQ Vietnamese BBQ Restaurant. VBQ adds a twist to your usual BBQ, with the establishment offering an all-in-one package from dining, drinking, and post-drinking dining, so you don’t have to go elsewhere.

Step One: VBQ Restaurant

Aside from your usual BBQ, their meat is marinated in Vietnamese spices. Like any other Vietnamese restaurant, they also offer the usual bahn xeo, vermicelli spring rolls, and the like. However, what sets them apart is their other fusion offerings, such as their Beef Pho Pot, a rendition of the Vietnamese Pho served in hotpot, and my favorite, The Obama Noodles, which is a mixture of vermicelli noodles, grilled pork, pickled vegetables, sausages, and herbs, topped with peanuts and their special sauce. Yum!

After the filling dinner, they have a secret bar on the second floor called - Bang Bang Bar, that offers drinks so beautiful, you’ll be tempted to snap photos all night long!

Step Two: Bang Bang Bar

Not only do they have an instagrammable ambiance, their drinks are to-die-for. Exhibit A: Do you know they have a cocktail disguised as milk-tea because packaging-wise looks exactly like the milk-tea you would get in shops!

I dare you to say, these drinks don’t pique your interest! The one above is called Pride and Tonic, a drink inspired by the LGBT community. I mean, look at those rainbow ice cubes.

After a night of happy drinking, and for those who need a quick hangover meal, look no further, as behind VBQ is the perfect place to have one of the best goto in Manila!

Step Three: Lugaw Manila

The Goto Fiesta is one of their signature dishes - goto with bagnet, chicharon bulaklak, egg, and tofu. This one is my favorite because the texture of the crispy bagnet, and chicharon, really complements the smooth lugaw. Their lumpia is really good too because they make their vinegar in-house, and it's sweet and sour at the same time, making it the perfect pairing for the goto. If that's not all, what makes this goto place unique is for those na naghahanap ng forever, dito meron. They have a menu item called goto forever, which, as the name implies, means unlimited goto and unlimited toppings from their choice of bagnet, chicharon bulaklak, laman, lumpia, and tofu, for just P245! Definitely the best ending to this Poblacion experience!