Planning for Chea's party: Looking for that special place, part 2 continued

(2015/12/22). So as soon as I was able to get off work, I had to rush to Makati to meet my mom, who's accompanying me to check out some bars near Chea's office. We'll be meeting Chea's cousins, Karen and Em, who'd bring a car so we could drive around a few places if necessary.

First off, ridership of the MRT really has ballooned over the years. It's around 5pm, and the southbound trains are just half full about 2-3 years ago based on the few times I've taken it. But when I took it this time, it's practically full.

It's nice to note that they've implemented those contact less cards (beep cards). I think you're able to use them with the other train lines, and possibly with buses and taxis too. Wouldn't that be great?

After getting off the train, I went to the Shell station at Buenda where my mom was waiting. I was texting Em, but she told me they were still far off as traffic was heavy. I told her that we'll go ahead to Alchemy Bar since she's seen it already, and I want to see it for myself. I want to be able to compare the ambiance and other tangible factors, aside from just the cost.

So my mom took a jeep and got off at Makati Avenue, and walked towards Alchemy Bar and Bistro.

Alchemy Bar. Very Attractive. 

It's about a 10 minute walk (and even closed from Chea's office). From the outside it really looks nice. Very modern with large windows, and neon lights.

We went in and was met with one of their waitresses. Another one was behind the bar, prepping the area. I asked the one closest to us (didn't get her name) if Tina was coming in, or her other rep, Icar (Maricar). I was told that she wasn't sure if Tina was coming in that night, and Icar was still not around.

Some of the tables and chairs in the ground level

So I just asked her a few questions along with my mom. I counted the seats already on the ground floor level, and arrived at around 56. I asked her about the seating capacity, as I was told the place could fit 100 guests. She said that the area before the closed main entrance (there's something like a receiving area with a few tables there, probably for smokers) could fit around 30 people. And outside near the road where a few more tables that could probably fit around 10 people.

Pan to the right and you see the stage for the band. Big open windows. Very classy

Bar to the left

I didn't bother looking upstairs as it probably couldn't fit 100 seating people since it has a smaller floor area than the ground floor.

The wall near the main door entrance

The place looks really nice, very conducive to relaxing and just chilling out with your friends with a few drinks. The place is dimly lit. I'm not sure if it's possible to light the place up a bit more in case you want to see everybody for party games.

Blurry shot of the stage

There is a stage for band performance which was already set. They had drums and separate speakers for the instruments. Looks like everything I'd need for the party would be here.

Except of course, a contingent would be sitting outside, and wouldn't be able to hear the party's activities.

Overall, it looks really, really nice. If only it didn't cost 98,+++ because of the other charges, and we were able to stick to the original 80,000 package.

Em and Karen were still a ways out, so we decided to walk towards BBZ, where we'd be mitting Tet, the manager. There's another bar there, Grilla, which we could check out as well.

On the way there, we passed by Chea's office. We had texted Chea that my mom and I would be meeting somebody and Rockwell and was hoping we could catch a ride home with her if she was working late. She said she could wait for us, so it's fairly safe we could walk around the area as she'd be inside her office still.

So after a brisk walk, we arrived at Grilla, right beside BBZ.

Grilla from the outside

The place looks a bit dated. It has the same vibe as Congo Grille, or Dencio's. My sister called ahead, so we knew who to look for. We spoke with her (I already forgot her name now that Im writing this) while people were coming in. It looks like there's an event for tonight, and they're setting the place up already.

Now as soon as you get passed the main door, there is the main area to the right, and stairs to the left.

This is the main area fronting the stairs. Or the area to the right when you enter the door. That's where the DJ sets up his equipment. To the left and right are the tables

The area to the right is usually where the tables are on regular days which could probably seat around 60 pax. Tonight, the middle part is where the projector and the audio equipment are. There's a small area that could fit a host, and or a band. So with that, you'll probably have just enough space for 40 pax.

Another dining room up the stairs which they vacated half of, for the buffet set up

The stairs leads to the a second floor where there's a room that could again fit about 40 or so people. But since the event that night had a buffet option, they turned the room to the buffet area. You could probably add a couple of tables there so people could sit since there's no other area on the 2nd floor available except for the outdoor balcony.

A few more tables in the open air area at the 2nd level. The shot is taken from where we were seating at the balcony

That's where we sat and continued discussing with the manager. A few minutes later, Em and Karen arrived and joined us. The tables here could probably sit around 20 max.

So while we haven't discussed the costs, the obvious issues are:

• How could you fit 100 pax along with a band?
• Only about 40 pax could sit downstairs and watch the band and activities. So the rest of the guests will not be able to watch the band perform.
• The place looks old. Like 80s old. The lighting is gloomy. Like they're using old incandescent bulbs.

Then we got into the details of the food. In order to reserve the entire place, we had to shell out 35,000. That's like 350/pax, which is pretty good. That's less than half of what I need to pay for Alchemy or BBZ.

We looked at the menu, and it looked good. However, it doesn't include drinks. So i did a few computations, with assumptions that each guest would only drink 4 bottles of beer (which is safe, since Im sure that only half of the guests actually drink). There were no corkages for anything that they don't serve. So cakes, would be ok. Lechon isn't since they offer it. No hidden charges, etc.

Based on my computation, it would be around 55,000 pesos for the entire thing. That's about 2/3 the cost of hosting it at Alchemy. I'm getting tempted.

However, the open bar option with local beers AND cocktails at Alchemy was the real incentive for having the party there. I didn't have to worry about people ordering too much and end up with a bill I can't pay. Lol. At the same time, I don't want to tell my guests that you can only have 4 beers for the night. Lol again.

Anyway, the place got me thinking, so we said thanks and we'll contact them again if we do decided to have the party there.

We then headed next door to BBZ.

Simple and clean. But still a bit modern

We were met by Tet at the ground floor and we proceeded to the 2nd floor. The walkway to the entrance of the 2nd level is a balcony with a few tables. When you get inside, you'll see a room with the main bar. Beside the bar is the 2nd level comfort room which we were told would be exclusive for us.

Tet leading us to the 2nd floor rooms

The bar room's size is pretty decent. You could probably fit 60 sitting people here if you use long tables. More, if you have people stand up and use cocktail tables.

The bar room. Actually there's still a bar downstairs I think near the kithen, although they hold most of the liquor here

To the left of the room is a door, which leads to a larger room which we were told could sit down 70 people.

Right part of the inner room

There was a private party almost starting, so there was a guy inside and people were coming in, so we couldn't get a long hard look at the bigger room. Beyond the bigger room, was another room accessible through another door. It seemed to be an office.

Left part of the inner room. At the far left corner is the area for the host. Kindly ignore the gentleman in the pic. 

At the corner of the room was probably a 8-12 inch elevated platform, where hosts could probably stand. It looked small. I don't know if it will be big enough for the band.

So after a quick look, we stood around a cocktail table and started discussing the party.

I originally told Tet over the phone that my budget was around 90,000 pesos (given that Alchemy was quoting me around 100,000 pesos), but after Grilla, I asked her that I'd like to revise my budget to around 70,000 pesos (since the band's about 20,000 and the audio equipment is around 5,000) so I could still keep my total expenses to around 100,000 pesos.

Normally, her budget per person, was around 900 for a buffet setup. At least 700 of that would go to the food and a round of drinks. That would be enough to let us get the entire 2nd level. Otherwise it would just be for the main room.

But since we were around 100 pax, we wouldn't fit in just one room. So she told us that we could still probably get the entire 2nd floor (the main room + bar room) for 100 pax for 4hrs, if we could at least spend 70,000 pesos.

Other details were, ff we stayed on past 12mn, we would have to pay extra for the electricity. There was a fee for bringing in electrical equipment such as a photo booth, projector, etc. They didn't have an audio equipment.

At that time, I excused myself and called Dan Billano of Gig Manila. I asked if they could bring their own audio equipment. He told me they knew one, and the fee is about 5,000 pesos. Sounds reasonable enough. So I went back to the discussion with Tet, my mom, Karen and Em.

There were corkages, but Tet would wave the one for cakes. We were also allowed to bring a bottle of hard liquor for the hard drinkers. They would serve local beers (mostly SMB products) at around 80 pesos each, since they have a process to bring the drinks down to below zero degrees (hence the name BBZ or Beer Below Zero).

There's also surcharges, but it's smaller as compared to Alchemy.

L-R: Karen, Tet, Em and my mom having a discussion.

So we went back to the menu. Since my budget is just around 700/pax, we had to bring down the budget for the food to around 500/head which would mostly be pica pica food. I told her I'm ok with that, but if she could include something heavy. I could just tell my guests to eat before hand, as the birthday celebration would be a cocktail party instead. So she told us that she'd talk to her chef and ask him a menu that's around 500 pesos person, but should be good enough as she wants BBZ to make a good impression with the guests.

That's good business strategy folks. Most of our guests are from banks and pharmaceutical companies who actually spend big hosting private parties at places such as this. And Tet knows about Chea's company since it's just a few blocks away, and they had inquired before.

So we ended up agreeing on Tet emailing me the menu that I can choose from the next day. And since it's almost the holidays and I wouldn't be able to drop by (without Chea noticing anything), she told me that just sign the menu I'd like, take a picture and email it to her, and it would be enough as confirmation that we'll proceed with the contract. She will also try to send the contract after  Christmas so I can pay the downpayment the succeeding week.

After saying goodbye to Tet, we went downstairs sat down at one of the tables, and had a brief discussion with my mom, Karen and Em.

I told them that I'm a bit sold on BBZ as compared to Grilla. It's a whole lot expensive, but it's fairly brand new. Ambiance is great, not to mention that we have one continuous floor for the entire party, so people wouldn't miss anything the other set of people are doing or enjoying.

The below zero degree beers are also enticing. I've tried really cold beers before and they almost taste like water especially if they're fresh stocks.

So definitely, we'll be going for BBZ over Grilla. But I still want to ask Alchemy if we could trim some of the surcharges, so I'm still torn. That open bar option is really tempting, even with Em telling me that their food is not that impressive.

But one other thing Alchemy has that isn't going for them is just the size of their venue. We could only pack around 60 people in the main ground floor, and the rest would be outside. Even if they're smokers, I don't think they'd enjoy being outside while the rest of us are having a blast in doors. Not to mention, that since we'll hanging out at the ground floor, the 2nd floor is still open, so other patrons would be coming through the front door, and up the stairs. So it wouldn't feel too exclusive.

Anyway, I'll give myself the holidays to think it through. So my mom and I said our goodbye to Em and Karen, as we headed towards Chea's office who was waiting for us.

Planning for Chea's party: Looking for that special place, part 2

It's 22nd of December, 2015, which is less than 3 weeks from Chea's birthday. And still, I have not yet finalized the venue yet.

The emails between me and Alchemy is taking a bit too long. I've already asked for a sample contract to make sure that all the terms are favorable. But it seems that Tina is most of the time away on other business, while her other people aren't too keen on replying via email.

I probably could call, but I want everything documented via email, so I could always refer back to them in the future.

I finally got the sample contract yesterday, but I still had a lot of questions. When we finalized on the amount, we actually agreed on a package for 80,000 pesos for 100 pax. We will be using the ground floor, as my sister told me that the 2nd floor could probably just hold around 50 people max when she did an ocular. The ground floor was supposed to be larger, but minimum amount for reserving the entire place was 80,000. But when I got the contract, they included other charges that ballooned the amount to almost 100,000 pesos. That plus the band I'm getting (they're good. they're worth every peso) is around 20,000 pesos. So that'll push me beyond my budget.

It didn't help that their replies took days or weeks. And we're too close to the party date.

Since I'm not that too busy at work, I decided to try and look for other venues. I also asked my sister although she's a bit busy with her other events.

So I browsed the internet for bars and restos near Poblacion Makati:

• Centerstage - I emailed them again. However, I never got a reply.
• Moonshine - Read the review in Spot.ph and WhenInManila.com and it sounded intriguing. I decided to keep it in the list first.
• The Back Room -  The review with WhenInManila.com looks very promising. Unfortunately, it's a bit small. I don't think I can fit a 100 people there along with a small band setup.
• Z Hostel - Although it's primarily a hostel, their rooftop have been playing host for a number of events. It's actually popular nowadays from what I've read over the internet. I decided to give them a call. I managed to speak to one of their staff, and was informed that their rooftop is almost split into two, each can hold about 50 guests. But only half can be reserved for private parties. The other half is a first come first served venue for patrons who want to drink and enjoy the festivities. I was given the number of the owner I think, Cao Ocampo. So I decided to text him. Unfortunately, he told me that starting 2016, they won't be taking in reservations anymore for Friday to Sunday nights. Looks like their night parties are a hit with the guests and local partygoers.
• BBZ Bar. I got the recommendation from my sister who got it from Chea's cousin, Em Lopez. I got the number for Tet Manares and decided to call her. We spoke for about 30 minutes, and she was pretty accomodating. She said she could work with a budget of mine which I pegged at 90,000 including all charges. I told her that I'll try to drop by tonight to see the venue. We'll be looking at the venue along with my mom, Em Lopez and her sister Karen.

With that, I just waited for the time i could log out from work and head off to Makati for the ocular.

Planning for Chea's party: Looking for that special place, part 1

So Chea's turning 40 on January 8, 2016. It's a decade birthday, so it should be a little more special than your normal birthdays.

Like my dad's 70th birthday last February 2015, I'm working with my sister Maricel, and my mother, Estrella, in planning for the party.

I've decided that it should be held on Chea's actual birth date, January 8, which is a Friday. It's actually a good day for the party as it's the last working day of the week. Guests can go to the party if it's scheduled after work, and they'd still have the weekends to get some rest.

I'm thinking of having it at 8pm. Even with a 4-hour party, it would end at around 12 midnight. It's a little bit late, but most people who go out on fridays do go home around that time. They can either arrive late at the party, and the party'll still be going on. Or they can arrive early, and leave around 10pm, and we'd understand if they do.

My sister laid out this for me as Im busy. Based on a design we saw over the net. Lol

And since it's the last day of the week, traffic will probably be horrendous, and since most of Chea's guests will be coming from work, the best option will be to hold it in Makati, as most of them work there anyway.

Now, all we have to find in less than two months, is a party venue. Now two months may be short, but this isn't exactly a wedding.

The initial option is of course a venue specific tailored for private parties. But since it's just a 40th birthday party, it doesn't need to be too grand that we would need to rent a place for the party and get a caterer, like what we did with my dad when we rented the function rooms at SM Grass Residences.

I think we could just go with a place that provides their own food. One of the option is at hotels with function rooms. I looked at Marco Polo's option via a previous email that I got, and some deals being offered at Deal Grocer, but it seemed a little bit expensive. Not to mention it's at Ortigas, which would require people from Makati to commute at rush hour.

I checked one that's very close to Chea's office, City Garden Grand Hotel. I actually got the contact number of one of their Account Executives from Chea's phone. Lol.

I sent them an email and was promptly given a quotation. It's a bit beyond my budget though. Their cheapest buffet option is at 1,350/pax. Their cheapest sit down menu is at 1,199/pax. And their cheapest cocktail package is at 1,450/pax. Ouch. And why is the cocktail package more expensive than the buffet options?

Anyway, I'm adamant that my budget for the entire thing is around 100,000 pesos for 100 guests. And that should include the entertainment as well.

There are probably other hotels around the area with a slightly cheaper option. I'd have to look harder I guess.

Another option, which is one that I'm leaning more to, is make the party into something like a night-out with family and friends. But we'll be paying for everything.

So I searched the internet for some options and I found Centerstage KTV in Jupiter Street. It's very near Chea's office, so it has that going for it.

The rooms

Now, they have the Sala room, which the image above says can hold 120 guests. It has the usual videoke machine with 2 x 32" tvs and a projector. They even have a billiard table in the room. And all of that for just 35,000 pesos (consumable). You get the place for 4 hours!

When you think of it, it looks a bit of fun there since you can have your guests sing their lungs out for four hours, and you have a billiard table for those who doesn't sing. But when you think about it, our guests doesn't necessarily know everyone. Not to mention, it'll be hard to figure out who gets to sing in turn.

Another thing is, I want to bring an acoustic band along for entertainment. Now the band would probably have 3, 40-minute sets, which means people can't sing on the videoke while the band is playing which leaves about 120 minutes of videoke time (that's during the the breaks between sets) . And if you consider each song is about 5 minutes at length, that's just 24 songs. And no time for any other activities such as speeches and games.

And like I said, they probably don't know each and every one of the guests, so I don't know how they'd act if someone blurts out "My Way" during the course of the party.

So on second thought, it may not be a good idea for the party.

Still, I do like the notion of a night-out with family and friends, so I'm thinking of the next best thing: a private party at a bar or bistro.

I did a google search for bars that can host parties, and two of the ones that I managed to contact was Tipsy Pig and Alchemy Bar and Bistro. Although I contacted Alchemy first, I'll write about Tipsy Pig first.

After taking a gander at their facebook page, I saw a post where they said they can host private parties. They posted a number which I promptly texted. Their reply came two days after. I sent them my email so we could continue the inquiries there. They replied via email the next day.

So after a couple of emails, they quoted me a price of 170,000 pesos for 100 pax, in order to block off their 2nd floor and al fresco area. It has an open bar for 1 hour. Having been communication with Alchemy Bar, and some hotels, I was a bit surprised at the price.

Now it may be that they could actually earn 170,000 pesos on a friday night, hence the pricey quotation, but I told them in my email reply that it's still 1,700/head and you could get a party package at a hotel for 1,300/head and that included the decorations, and certain equipment for use.

Coz you know, between a bar (which would still have guests at the other areas) and a 3-4 star hotel, the hotel would almost always win. And if that's their package for a 100 pax party, it will turn off a lot of potential clients. But again, they might actually earn that amount on walk in customes on a friday, so I'm not a lost business for them.

Alchemy Bar and Bistro, also popped out on my Google search. The best part about it, is that it's actually pretty near Chea's office. So there's no way her co-workers won't be able to make it to the party even if it starts at 8 pm.

I first email corresponded with a certain Gordon, until Tina Currie (the owner) picked up the conversation from him.

I was told that the place had two floors and both floors could hold 100 guests. We could have the top floor completely blocked off for a minimum of 70,000 pesos. Now that's more like it.

I asked what the 70k package could give me, and she told me about a 3-hour open bar option (I'm liking it more with every email sent) for at least 380/pax which included local beers and certain cocktails. She agreed to adding iced teas and sodas since I assume half of our guests don't drink alcohol.

The remainder (320/pax) would be spent for pica pica foods such as canapes and their wood fire oven pizzas. Now I think I'm ok with the pica pica option and just tell our guests beforehand to have a light dinner before heading to the party. Or if they're light eaters, the pica pica food should suffice.

My sister picked up the email conversation for me, since she knows other things to ask as she's an events planner. I haven't been to the place, but i'll try to check it out before December.

I'm also planning to take a look at other bars near the place to see if there's a better option. Wish me luck!