‘Take me Back’ to the joy of the ‘90s
Ahumongous game console doubling as a door is the first come-on of Take Me Back, a ‘90s-themed bar in the heart of Tomas Morato in Quezon City. The door is a giant Gameboy and when you push either of its two red buttons, the cutting-edge portal gently swings open to the happiness of the ‘90s, replete with the music of that time that envelopes the 77-sq.-m. speakeasy.
It’s dimly lit inside but the incandescence is inside you. Eyes glow in the dark. Hands and hips sway to the welcome beat. Happiness is the motif — specially to a child of the ‘90s. You seemingly become intoxicated with joy long before your lips make love to a sexy glass of Pomelo Wan, a cocktail of Tanqueray, Aperol, pomelo, lemon, agave, saline, milk and water. The vibe inside is frenetic — what with the guest DJ of the bar mixing tracks of Radiohead, R.E.M., Parokya ni Edgar and Eraserheads.
The ‘90s era is a tale of pleasing and enjoyable nostalgia, according to actor, dancer and TV host Vhong Navarro, a co-owner of the bar. His business partners at Take Me Back are some of his closest friends: Joel Dimabuyu, Vittorio Cruz, Frankie Cruz, Kirt Delovino, Jason Pua, Noel Claro and Andrew Muhlach. The partners are also into build-and-sell business.
At the bar, Vhong and his friends recreated memories that take one back to the glory of the time when Forrest Gump, Edward Scissorhands, The Silence of the Lambs, Fight Club, The Mask, Mission Impossible and Notting Hill were the top-grossing drama, sci-fi, comedy and action films. The posters of those films are enlarged, veneered, illuminated and displayed on a wall of the bar.
There is even a private room that has the letters of the famous TV sitcom Friends spelled in neon lights. And hundreds of VHS tapes were stacked together, turned into an installation art on the wall to depict scenes from The Matrix and Titanic. Even the toilet is a repository of memories — what with cassette tapes used as wall décor. The mural on the entrance wall is resplendent with everything ‘90s.
“Take Me Back is not just a bar, it’s a look back to where we came from. Dreamers lang kami noon. Mga batang ‘90s. Nag-ambisyon,” says Vhong. He has been in the entertainment business for 30 years now.
“We always wanted to bring back the days of the ‘90s when we were all dreamers. ‘Yung mga hindi namin abot-kayang bilhin noon na kaya nang ibigay sa amin ngayon ng panahon — ‘yun ang gusto naming balikan. That’s the story of Take Me Back,” says Vittorio, now IT head of Petron Corp. Philippines.
“The drinks and the bar chow that we could only afford then were gin and crackers mixed with tuna in can. We decided to bring them back in the bar. But this time, sosyal na,” laughs Joel, an engineer who owns a construction company. He and his wife Thessa Dimabuyu, an interior designer, are mostly responsible for the refined and upbeat ‘90s look of the bar.
“I’m the bunso of the group. We cater also for cast parties, for events,” says Andrew, an actor and younger brother of Aga Muhlach. (Take Me Back also does catering with mobile bar.)
Because the bar is an ode to their past — and the challenges and triumphs that came with it — Vhong and his friends offer familiar bar chows to the kids of the ‘90s but with an elegant twist.
The bar’s Tuna Tasty Dip is a creamy, yummy incantation of baked tuna in a ceramic bowl. It is served fresh from the oven, with Skyflakes on the side. The origin of this dish, says Vhong, was the Spartan pulutan of crushed crackers mashed with tuna flakes.
The Nacho Nirvana is a sure palate pleaser. It’s a beautiful pile of crispy tortilla chips loaded with savory seasoned beef, melted cheese, fresh jalapenos, sour cream and salsa. It’s a classy “rip-off” from the original pulutan of Nachos chips from the suking sari-sari store that were crushed to bits and mixed with mayonnaise in a tetra pack.
Oh, the Spam Chips at the bar are thinly sliced and fried crisply. There’s joy and memory in every bite. “Of course it was not our brand of canned meatloaf then. But we can afford it now. So, why not Spam Chips,” Vhong reminisces with a smile. (I was not ashamed I asked for a cup of steamed rice and catsup to go with the dish. Had I ordered a sunny side up, it could have been a breakfast experience for me at 10 p.m. in the bar.)
The Shrimply-Red (slightly spicy plump gambas sauteed in olive oil with garlic longganisa) and Mad About Wagyou (wagyu saplicao) are mouthwatering entrees in the menu that were only almost aspirational for Vhong and some of his partners.
“The bar symbolizes success. We welcome everyone here. More so the kids of the ‘90s who did not have money then but made it through life now. Take Me Back is all about celebrating our simple childhood. Those were the days when all we had was the ambition to make it in life,” says Vittorio, raising his stylized glass of Iskrambol, s signature cocktail of vodka, dragon fruit, condenced milk and Banana Markgeoli. (It honestly tastes like the modest iskrambol from the neighborhood — minus the kick. Or spank!)
Other cocktail drinks that will remind one of one’s ‘90s childhood are Bazooka, Root Beer Float, Shembot, Slurpee and Agent X44.
“It’s the joy of the ‘90s we want to bring back. That’s our intention — to take you back to the ‘90s,” Vhong ends. *
(Take Me Back is on the second floor of CKB Centre, 203 Tomas Morato St., Quezon City. For reservation, call 0960-0624115 0r 0931-9088549. Instagram @takemeback.ph.)
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