And so, it was my first time to hang out at the SM MOA (Mall of Asia) by the bay. I thought I would just be seeing the famous sunset of Manila, or maybe enjoy MOA cruising, or ride the giant ferris wheel or the thrilling Anchor’s Away. But to my surprise, the area houses food establishments, and among them is a bar.
A bar just at the back of the SM MOA? Yes, a bar or a retail-business establishment that serves alcoholic beverages. It’s The Roadhouse Manila Bay—the home of blues, bikes, rock and booze! An offshoot of the highly successful The Roadhouse Macau, the Manila version offers exactly the same ambiance and the best of live blues and rock with a heavy bike theme, according to The Roadhouse Manila Bay Marketing Manager Mike Manansala.
“When you’re in The Roadhouse Macau, you’ll think you’re in Manila. What you see here is exactly the same there, except of course for the beautiful sunset here,” Mike said during the interview by the BusinessMirror.
“We have all the bikes here because it’s supposed to be bikers’ watering hole, and we have guitars, musical mementos and posters of biking events, as well as of concerts and famous roc-and-roll musicians,” Mike added.
The bar even has the original guitars of famous artists like Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton and Bruce Springsteen on display.
Initially, bar owner Ciaran Carruthers, who’s a biker and music lover himself, didn’t want to serve, food since it’s supposedly a place just to booze and hit some blues.
But clients, both foreign (mostly expats) and Filipinos prodded him to turn it into a complete resto bar at the same time. A night’s gimmick, after all, isn’t complete without food taken either as pulutan or as full meal.
It isn’t surprising that The Roadhouse offers big serving—that could even be shared by five people—since the idea is to share with friends and family. But the pleasant surprise is they serve good, mouth-watering food.
“We take pride [in] our food. And they are served fresh. Because we don’t have a commissary, not even a big freezer to hold our stock, we do the marketing every day from best sources. So everything is fresh, from the meat and fish down to the least ingredients that we need,” Mike stressed.
No wonder, The Roadhouse Manila Bay’s crispy pata is to die for—soft and tasty on its own. But the special dip of vinegar and soy sauce, of course, complements this meat dish. This makes a perfect pulutan for those who love pork.
Meanwhile, the Finger Food Platter composed of onion rings, cajun fries, garlic mushroom, chicken tenders and spicy wings, is champ! Top it with Tondo dynamite and different dip sauces, then your day is done.
Another mouth-watering dish is the baby back ribs slow cooked, barbecued and served either with rice or fries. Finally, The Roadhouse Pizza Special is truly cheesy and meaty with its mozzarella cheese.
We ate until we didn’t have space for more in our stomachs and then we had to take out some of the food that was served to our group.
I found interesting items from their menu that’s worth tasting next time: Poki-Poki Balls with Crazy Fried Rice, Binagoongang Pork Adobo, Fried Sinigang na Adobo, Fried Halo-Halo, Spicy Suzuki Sisig, Roadhouse Bibingka and Biko with Vanilla Ice Cream.
Mike said he has tried, with much success, incorporating Filipino food on their menu.
Aside from their promos on ladies’ drinks and the drink-all-you-can SMB Light Draft and the live band playing blues and rock at 8:30 p.m. The Roadhouse now also offers the place for corporate events. And why not? Aside from a safe place with a good sound system and musical instruments for live singing, the bar can accommodate up to 200 guests. Mike said they can even tailor fit the food the clients may want. Moreover, they have the sunset in the afternoon, and the kids can safely roam around to enjoy the leisure rides within the vicinity. I believe this is a nice event place. If liquors are your concern, worry not because they are properly and neatly displayed.
Best of all, The Roadhouse Manila Bay doesn’t smell like a bar! There’s no hint of cigarettes booze and the smell of intoxicating drinks. It’s well lit. In fact, it’s an open bar, literally, where one can see the ongoings inside the bar.
In recent years, the bar has become a musical venue not just for blues but for other musical genres as well. Many artists and performers have launched their career there. Many of them now perform abroad. Recently, indie rock band Bonifacio Republic launched its first single, Unang Sigaw, at the Roadhouse Manila Bay. Soon, more musical groups would be hitting notes there, the amiable marketing manager said.
Visit The Roadhouse Manila Bay at Building H, SM By The Bay, Sunset Boulevard, MOA Complex, Pasay City.
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