Local Expert
Knox Balbastro
Having grown up outside the Philippines, Knox was raised on a diet of Macaulay Culkin movies, Barbie dreams, and the sounds of MTV. When she returned to the Philippines during her teens, she began to…
Having grown up outside the Philippines, Knox was raised on a diet of Macaulay Culkin movies, Barbie dreams, and the sounds of MTV. When she returned to the Philippines during her teens, she began to seek out a distinctly Pinoy culture. So far, she loves what she’s seeing. Manila for her is a fertile ground for art, music, fashion, and fun. Living in a little known, third world country definitely has its perks. Adventures are affordable and discovery doesn’t come in the usual package.
Her best advice for travellers new to the Philippines is to go out on the streets where faces, traffic, and landscape can create a collage of experiences that’s gritty and real.
Knox is a 24 year-old dreamer who also happens to be an advertising copywriter. She loves to travel and dreams of bag packing throughout the entire Philippine Archipelago. She hopes that through this blog, people from all over the world will find a reason to drop by.
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Basilio's: Boy's Club
Basilio’s is one of the few restaurants that strike me as being very manly. The dark interiors have walls punctuated by leather cutouts of countries and stark wooden tables are masculine indeed. I can imagine men of age drinking here amidst a puff of cigar smoke. Perhaps the owners were thinking the same thing because they have a dedicated smoking area with a flat screen TV usually tuned in to a news or sports channel.
Mannish too is the menu with immediate standouts being meat dishes: Steak and Mushroom Pie, 50 Clove Garlic Chicken, Callos, and Spanish Adobo. The cuisine isn’t traditionally Spanish but there is a reason for them being called Basilio’s. The dishes are pricey, but the servings are hearty. Expect to spend around P400 to P500 a person.
I went to Basilio’s on a Friday night when the crowd consisted of dating couples and groups of friends. But I feel the best time to go here with be mid-afternoon on a weekday. They have a lot of foods here that just scream out, “Get out of the office and work here!” They have an interesting set of liquor and beers available to cool off any hard working employee. Not only that, they offer free WiFi and free valet parking so you can still “work”.
Basilio’s can easily become a foodie boy’s club- a refuge from all things stressful. Since it’s not located where busy restaurants and commercial areas at the Fort, it’s a cool place to getaway. Perhaps, you’ll get to finish off that report… or maybe just that Molten chocolate cake.
Unit 151 Forbeswood Heights,
Rizal Drive corner 29th Street
Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
(near Furnitalia)
Tel. 856-17-42 to 43
Mobile: 0929-420-88-42