A lot of partygoers in Legazpi City (in the Province of Albay, over 471 kilometers south of Metro Manila) are said to drive over two hours to go to Naga City. Because it may already be a first class component city and the capital of the province, but Legazpi remains… provincial in so many ways.

But this is how we were led to this party venue called Quento, which is – supposedly – frequented by those who choose to stay and party in Legazpi City.

Here are some observations regarding Quento.

Una, this place is NOT an LGBTQIA+ venue; instead, it is but a business that recognizes the power of the pink peso, and is therefore open to LGBTQIA+ party people.

Ikalawa, if you want to cruise while here, you’re more likely to find hetero-identifying men who have sex with men instead of other gay and bisexual men. This is actually true in most party venues in Legazpi City… at least so I was told.

Ikatlo, this place is open every day from 5 PM until the last customer leaves… so we were told, though in truth, they start making you feel unwelcome at around midnight.

Ika-apat, this fits approximately 100 pax, so it’s actually spacious. Looking at Quento from outside, you’d think its but a small place. But inside, you’d see a properly laid-out venue that has two seating areas, with the main area housing the stage where performances happen.

Ika-lima, the staff’s nice naman, even staying past their supposed closing time to accommodate us tourists.

Ika-anim, most nights, there’s a band performing… and, if you dare, you can sing with them. This is why it’s popular among groups with members who want to belt out a song or two.

Ika-pito, the food sufficed. For instance, we ordered Chili Cheese Nachos (₱276), and – while it was not even memorable – it was okay enough as pulutan.

And ika-walo, the alak, the alcoholic offerings were priced almost the same as in Metro Manila. A liter of Fundador Light, for instance, costs ₱850.

Apparently, heavy partygoers head to Naga City to party. That’s including LGBTQIA+ people who, I was told, consider the party scene in Legazpi City as backward, too provincial. But if Naga City isn’t an option, or if you want to see how those who choose to stay in Legazpi City actually party, then Quento may provide some glimpses. Yes, it won’t be for everyone… but you’d really only know after you checked.

But off we go for more rampa…

Quento is located at 5P3V+W8C, 219 Lakandula Dr., Legazpi City, 4500 Albay.

If you’ve grabbed food from the street vendors of, say, Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam, then you know how tasteful – albeit simple – Vietnamese cuisine is. So, yeah, it is always good to keep your eyes peeled so you won’t miss what may be good Vietnamese restaurants outside of Vietnam.

@outragemag Curious about #Vietnam food? #LGBT checking #vietnamesecuisine via #HiddenVietnam in #Cavite ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

But that’s also why we decided to check Hidden Vietnam, a restaurant chain that may have originated from Tanza, Cavite but now has a handful of branches captivating pho-hunting diners.

So… how was Hidden Vietnam for us?

Una, the original store – the branch we tried – is, yes, truly hidden. It’s inside some village, so accessing it isn’t easy for those without private vehicles. There’s also no big signage in front of the residential-looking venue, so you could even miss it if you don’t look hard enough.

Ikalawa, the actual venue is… homey. There are two “sections”, so to speak, in the restaurant: one is where you order, and the other is where the bigger tables with more seating are. Yep, malinis naman siya… even if there were flies here and there during our visit.

Ikatlo, this is not just a Vietnamese restaurant as they now also offer Thai food (via Keri Thai).

Ika-apat, the people working there were friendly while elaborating about the business and its offerings (e.g. how many branches, where these are, the differences in seemingly similar offerings, and so on).

Ikalima, how was the food?

• The Fresh Rolls (₱180) weren’t dry, so were fresh and malasa (tasty). You don’t get a lot of dip, though, so… stretch whatever is given to you.
• The Banh Mi BBQ (₱185) was tolerable… if not for that mayo/ketchup combo auto-slapped on what you get even if: it’s not to your liking, and whatever was used isn’t of okay quality for you.
• The Beef Pho (₱205) was… refreshing, the soup base actually flavorful to properly complement the more-than-enough beef slices, veggies and noodles. Alas, not enough pho condiments here, so if you want to PROPERLY season your pho, well then, sorry to you.
• The Shrimp Pad Thai (₱175), sadly, didn’t taste like Pad Thai at all. It’s supposedly because they use a “special sauce”. Though for us, if Pad Thai no longer tastes like Pad Thai it shouldn’t be sold as such… sorry.

In a gist, if you’re in the area (or at least nearby), yes… drop by this place. The offerings are not bad at all, particularly considering their prices. But is it worth to dayo, to seek out? Not when there are already branches in cities, malls, and so on. Plus the availability of numerous Vietnamese restaurants now.

But that’s why we continue heading out in search of more lafang venues…

Hidden Vietnam is located at Sta. Cecilia 1 No. 91, Irish St., Mulawin, Tanza, Cavite. For more information, contact +967 2 679 690, or email hiddenvietnamph@gmail.com.

So… Antipolo has long been promoted as a creative hub in the Province of Rizal, hosting the likes of the Pintô Art Museum, and art collectives like the ARTipolo Group, Inc. This may also explain why major Antipolo destinations are sold as art spaces that offer add-ons… such as restaurants or cafés or whatever.

And here, the Crescent Moon Cafe and Studio Pottery easily comes to mind as a Southeast Asian restaurant that’s also a pottery store and art space with creative workshops.

How was the place for us?

Una, the place isn’t easily accessible to those without private vehicles. So… from this alone, you already know the target market of this place.

Ikalawa, the actual venue is… artsy. There are various buildings here – e.g. one houses paintings that are also for sale, and another houses pottery outputs also for sale. So if you arrived early, or if the orders take too long, you can tour the area to check the art pieces on display.

Ikatlo, the staff’s okay naman, able to offer help as needed – e.g. sundo while touring another building when our food was about to be served already

Ika-apat, how was the food?

• We started with the Gado Gado (₱470, mixed spring vegetables with tempeh and peanut sauce) that may have been refreshing, but… the serving was quite small.
• The Beef Rendang (₱640) was actually good, properly blending the flavors of lemongrass, ginger, galangal, turmeric and chili for a savory, spicy and sweetish offering. Too bad the serving’s quite small considering the asking price.
• The Lemongrass Pork Belly (₱500) was delish, malasa (tasty) without the overpowering taste of any particular ingredient (not even the lemongrass).

As FYI: this is not a cheap place, seemingly emphasizing the “art is for rich people” mantra. A serving of rice, for instance, costs ₱55, which should actually already pay for one kilo of rice if bought in some marketplace. The coffee, too, was disappointing, served quite cold (not even lukewarm), making you feel you just wasted ₱135.

So…

1. Art-wise, this place is worth checking out. They may not have as big a collection as, say, Pintô Art Museum, but… what’s there is okay enough.
2. Those workshops may also be of interest to some, particularly for those interested in pottery. Plus you can buy pottery goods here, so yeah, a quick check may not be bad at all.
3. Food-wise, however, we found this place wanting. The flavors we expected weren’t there… at least for most of those served to us. Considering the asking prices (and those reviews), the expectations were high. Too high, they weren’t met.

But off we go in search of more lafang venues.

Crescent Moon Cafe and Studio Pottery is located along Sapang Buho Rd., Brgy. Dalig, Antipolo. For more information, contact +63282345724, or email crescentmooncafeantipolo@gmail.com.