A surprise after hours

A hair salon by day becoming a tapas lounge by night? Impossible, chorused my dear friends. Read on and discover a wonderful surprise!

Long standing friends - international hair stylist Stephan Zenz and Alastair Schurch, creator of cult-objects in jewelry - have made Cebu their home since 1990. Both eventually married sisters Margie Zenz, a master colorist, and Merly Schurch, an international spa trainer.

Wanting a place to relax and unwind, the partners came up with an ingenious idea.

With a spin of a revolving bar, rearrangement of furniture and change in lighting, Expose, the high-end ultimate hair salon located at Crossroads Banilad, is transformed into a cozy lounge.

Over excellent wine, culinary delights and great company, I discovered what makes After Hours Tapas Lounge simply a haven for relaxation and enjoyment.

After Hours is a stylish place perfect for private conversations in a cosmopolitan ambiance. It serves a wide variety of innovative fusion and authentic tapas. Much sought after food consultant Chef Ed Quimson masterfully prepared the menu and trained the cooks. The favorite picas include gama de tostas - a selection of tomato, home-cured ham, manchego cheese and tuna pate, bunuelos - exquisite potato fritters with choice of sardines, bacon bits and three cheeses, Spanish chorizos, fried stuffed mussels and lots more.

The lounge, which is enveloping rather than intruding, is equipped with state of the art sound system and an impressive selection of songs - 15, 000 and still counting, with emphasis on Latin and African beat.

The service is done through touch screen POS system that guarantees 8 minutes or less for freshly prepared dishes.

Aren't these reasons enough to drop by the After Hours Tapas Lounge and experience a different lifestyle?