A city is how you define it. Boundaries, landmarks, and pathways are always redrawn in your head, depending on the memories you keep and the situations you navigate. I enjoyed walking around my village on the weekends because it recreated for me the thrilling ambulatory freedom of exploring the niches of New York, where I used to live. But as the image of that city receded in my mind and was replaced by this newer concrete entanglement where everywhere is reachable only by motor, the concept of “hoodness” also disappeared. All roads seemed to lead to the mall and its cold embrace. But things are slowly changing.
Salcedo Village is beginning to live up to its “Upper East Side” comparison, not because of the appearance of a high-nosed cafe with the same name, but because there are actually things to do within a comfortable walking distance. If we follow the analogue, Legazpi Village would be the Upper West Side, since the two are similarly divided by a busy thoroughfare, Ayala Avenue. But Legazpi has a relatively more downtown, “Soho-like” vibe. Perhaps the twin villages could be renamed Noya and Soya (north and south of Ayala), or combined as Woma (West of Makati Ave) in the New York neighborhood-making tradition of creating by contraction. But I’ll just call them the Village (and leave the right of being little Williamsburg to be settled between Cubao X, Maginhawa and The Collective). In the spirit of staycations and letting your imagination do the work, here’s how to spend a weekend in the city:
Saturday
Noon. Salcedo Market
Come hungry. Come earlier if you want fresh produce, otherwise, this place is all about eating, picnic-style under shady trees or communally at the set-up tables.
Picks: First, a shot of wheatgrass to cleanse away the previous night’s sins. A Wagyu shawarma from Rafik’s will hit that hangover spot and knock it out of the park. Vegetarians will delight in The Yogi Chef’s tasty dishes like buckwheat tokyo noodles and madras lemon rice. The Japanese pancakes are warm, fluffy treats for your mouth.
Where: Velasquez Park, Tordesillas Street, Salcedo Village, Makati
4 p.m. Chocolate Fire
Picks: Chocolate-covered Pringles are addictingly salty-sweet, and the spicy dark “bark” with chili bits has real bite.
Where: Corner Leviste and Rufino Streets, Salcedo Village, Makati. Open until midnight.
6 p.m. The Picasso
This serviced residence/boutique hotel is inspired by the prolific Spanish painter and his thematic palettes. The hotel is cubist, modern and slightly whimsical but bears traces from its past as the Blanco apartments. The Art Cabinet on the third floor is an in-house gallery that features work from different Filipino artists, and revolving artwork is displayed throughout the hallways. There’s a salon, a spa and even a modeling agency within this contained community.
Picks: Have a glass of wine and a light appetizer out on the terrace of Brasserie Bohemian and feel Parisian-like as you watch the cars go by. Chat up an expat or visiting foreigner, and maybe invite them to dinner.
Where: 119 Leviste St., Salcedo Village
8 p.m. Masseto
Swank yet warm interiors and chef Tippi Tambunting’s elegant yet unpretentious menu make Masseto the latest foodie blog hit. Also, the 300-bottle wine list is not to be ignored. Only the letter M marks the location outside, a signal for those in the know. High quality for a low profile indeed.
Picks: Sophisticated bar chow like parmesan chips with goat cheese and chorizo puffs with aioli sauce.
Where: 114 Valero St., Salcedo Village, Makati
11 p.m. Vice Coffee and Ink
Now it’s time to head on over to the dark side. You’ve had wine warm your belly and numb your pain threshold. You’ve been hankering over that Chanel wrist tattoo for some time now. It’s not your average tramp stamp, it’s Chanel! Vice is a newly opened tattoo parlor — that also serves coffee — run by Raoul Olbes and David Rappaport. If you’re still unsure, spend some time flipping through the clearbooks to see which artist’s style you connect with.
Picks: Anything with dragons and naked chicks. Maybe a naked chick on a dragon.
Where: 104 Aguirre St., Legazpi Village, Makati
Sunday
11 a.m Legazpi Market
You pigged out yesterday so trawl this market for unique handmade items and organic body care products. The band Django sometimes gives an upbeat tribal performance next to the leathergoods stall. Owners will be happy to talk to you about their wares, and small food samples are often passed around.
Picks: Yummy, gorgeous all-natural bar soaps from Tindahang Sakto. As part of its less waste initiative, the soaps are wrapped in leaves. Bring your own shopping bag! Nariz de Vida has great organic household cleaning products and pure body butters like the RoCocoa, which are sold in recycled confiture jars from hotels.
Where: Carpark on Legazpi and Rufino Streets, Legazpi Village, Makati. Open on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
1 p.m. Trilogy Boutique and Canteen
Brunch time! It’s really just too hot to be milling outdoors. Trilogy serves up a twist on brunch, with eggs bennies, bacon, even Spam. Shop around their tightly-edited selection of American streetwear, street art books, and Lomography. The ’80s soundtrack will keep you grooving all day, and you’ll feel like you’re in L.A.
Picks: The Trailer Park Monte Cristo, a deep-fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich, is serious win. Fun, but adult, sneakers for guys and a classy line of locally-produced, unconventional perfumes called Wright.
Where: 110 Alvion Center, Rada St., Legazpi Village, Makati
3 p.m. Theodore’s
Your shopping fix is not yet complete without one last stop. The new location of Theodore’s is much smaller and more straightforward than its previous incarnation on Bonifacio High Street, which was an amazing space conceptually. But the collections are the same, and this unceremonious spot adds to the village-y feel of seeking things out on foot.
Picks: Jeans. They only carry one of each style in each size from cult labels like Evisu, William Rast, Stitch’s, and Cheap Monday.
Where: G/F 106 Carlos Palanca St., Legazpi Village, Makati