Open 24 Hours

Yes, there’s life in Metro Manila after office hours. Fact is, the city hums with frenzied activity (not necessarily of the shady kind) long after the sun has gone down. Incurable, caffeine-challenged insomniacs and assorted creatures of the night (not the fanged, blood-sucking variety) will be happy to know that there are establishments which are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week (aside from funeral parlors, hospitals and hotels) if they know where to look. These places never really sleep. But before this article puts you to sleep, let us take you on a 24-hour tour around the metro.

First stop is Whistle Stop which has branches in Makati on Jupiter St. (telephone numbers 890-47-28), Shangri-La Edsa Plaza, and in Quezon City on Tomas Morato (where you’d most likely see showbiz people in the wee hours of the morning drowning themselves in cup after cup of coffee to ward off drowsiness).

"You’ll also see a lot of band members there after their gig," says yuppie Lourdes Guerrero of Coca-Cola Co.

At Whistle Stop, there’s nothing like starting the day (or ending it, depending on your body clock) with good Filipino breakfast like daing na bangus with sinangag to warm the heart and the belly.

It’s the favorite stop of another hardworking yuppie, Frances Yu, who goes for Whistle Stop’s comprehensive Asian menu which includes Thai, Filipino, Singaporean and Chinese.

"We like to grab a full meal at Whistle Stop Libis in the wee hours of the morning," say newlywed couple Christian and Evan Panganiban of their favorite dating place.

For those looking for comfort food at the end of a long, hard day (or at the beginning of a long, hard day), you can rice and shine with so many congee (lugao) dishes and rice toppings to choose from, all hours of the day, at Goto King at 159 Kamias Road, Quezon City (922-32-06) and Goodah, whose outlets (except Libis) are open round the clock.

"Good! Ah!" exclaims Marc de la Cruz, communications manager of Shangri-La Makati. "I go to West Avenue for my favorite adsilog (chicken and pork adobo with sinangag and eggs."

Or you can drive off to Cable Car on Pasay Road, Makati where the grilled goodies are enough to rev you up. It’s the place to be after dark if you’ve got wheels and the willpower. "It’s a bit dark and can get rowdy during peak hours," says one habitue. "And because it never closes, it already smells of alcohol at 6 a.m."

"The problem with a 24-hour establishment," marketing lady Frances Yu notes, "is that it’s hard to keep it clean. Because it never closes, you have to clean it section by section. Then of course, you have bigger overhead expenses in terms of manpower and electricity. There’s also the added security risk of holdups."

Also in Makati (on Makati Ave.), North Park Noodle House (896-34-75, 895-34-71, 897-90-39) and Shinjuku Ramen House (890-61-06, 890-61-07) offer oodles of noodle choices anytime of the day and night. One Shinjuku regular swears by its gyoza. As for North Park, Eric Cartman of South Park would probably go gaga over the congee.

"The place has got a very wholesome ambience (yes, it’s a place you can bring your mama to)," says a North Park fanatic. "Even at ungodly hours, you don’t see ladies of the night cavorting with their foreign customers."

For those craving for fondue in the middle of the night, there’s Swiss Inn on Makati Ave.

For donut nuts, Dunkin’ Donuts in Makati (in front of Dusit Hotel, 815-14-56) and Dunkin’ Donuts on West Ave., Quezon City (373-02-38) and Agora, San Juan (721-94-53) deliver for a minimum order of P300. There are donuts to go, as well as croissants (if you find that hard to pronounce, order the sandwiches or bunwiches instead).

Burger buffs have Burger Machine and Wendy’s on Morayta and España to turn to. Burger Machine, a ubiquitous sight all over the city, has got burgers and more (kids are crazy about the sans rival). Doctors on graveyard shift at the University of Santo Tomas Hospital cure their hunger pangs at Wendy’s España. The two-story Wendy’s in Ermita doesn’t close, too.

Down Roxas Boulevard, the incurable romantics no longer get a view of the famed sunset – it’s been clouded by infrastructure. Instead, one is greeted by the sight of restaurants. Chowking (524-91-84) and Aristocrat (524-76-71 to 80) vie for the palate’s attention 24 hours a day. Aristocrat offers 24-hour take-out/delivery specials that include noodle and rice dishes, sandwiches, beverages, desserts and salads. Also open 24 hours are the Aristocrat Bakeshop and Aristocrat Convenience Store.

"From 6 to 10 p.m., Aristocrat Roxas Blvd. is pampamilya," advertising man Mario Tan describes. "At 12 midnight up, it’s for ladies of the night, and from 5 a.m. to early morning, it’s for joggers."

The house that chicken built – Max Fried Chicken, but of course! – opens its doors to customers 24 hours a day at its branches on Aurora Blvd. and Alabang.

For coffee hounds, there’s Cafe Adriatico in Malate (525-25-09) that also serves chocolate e, the bestseller of the house.

In Chinatown, Royal Garden on Gandara corner Ongpin (where Far Eastern restaurant used to be) and David’s Noodles (on Mapua, formerly Misericordia) are open all day and all night long. And you bet, there’s always a long line at David’s where the hot noodles are such hot favorites.

But this sour note from a Chinese businessman: "A lot of places in Chinatown now close early because the owners are afraid of holdups. And not so many Chinese dine out anymore because they’re afraid of getting kidnapped."

If you suddenly discover you’re all out of bread at 3 a.m., you can always knock at the backdoor of Bakerite (on R. Hidalgo, Quiapo), that’s been giving us our daily bread these past 55 years. Owner Eddie Wong assures customers that there’s always somebody – ask for Manong Manny – who will be there to serve them.

Where there’s a Wendy’s, there’s probably a 7-Eleven store. All 7-Eleven outlets are open 24/7. It’s got groceries and food-to-go. "But the prices are higher there," one housewife whines. "Yung P7 nagiging P11. Maybe it’s the high cost of maintaining a 24-hour business, which they’re passing on to consumers."

There are other convenience stores that are conveniently open 24 hours daily.

"I go to Mini-stop on España and Shell Select on South Superhighway," says Albert Almendralejo, events organizer and president of Apogee Productions.

There’s also Easy, that’s not really hard to find as it’s just beside Holiday Inn on UN Avenue corner T.M. Kalaw.

Then there’s Star Mart. "I go there to buy some needed toiletries when all the supermarkets have closed for the day," says Marc de la Cruz. "There’s also hot food there like hot dog, siopao and dimsum. I also buy wine there if I’m spending the night at home with some friends."

Fernando’s Stop & Shop in Sta. Mesa has a streamer that screams it’s open 24 hours.

In case of an emergency and you need to buy medicine, Mercury Drug on Plaza Miranda (in front of Quiapo Church, 733-21-12, 733-66-30) and on Commonwealth Ave., Tandang Sora, 932-99-37 to 39) are, according to its ad in the yellow pages, gising 24 hours.

"I also like to buy little grocery items there like toothpaste, shampoo and detergent," says PR girl Eliza Gotico.

Need to send laundry for dry-cleaning? Fret not – you can let off steam because the Metropole Laundry on Valero St., Salcedo Village, Makati is open 24 hours.

"Its clientele is composed mostly of Makati’s corporate crowd," says Marc. "Makati now has more 24-hour establishments. I wish though it would have a 24-hour locksmith for people who forget their keys inside their cars in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night. I found myself in such a situation one night – I was locked out and was totally helpless."

Nighthawk Albert Almendralejo gives a list of other 24-hour establishments he patronizes: ATM, UCPB on La Salle, Taft, which is well-lighted, safe and on-line always; car wash, car repair and vulcanizing shops on Vito Cruz corner South Superhighway; Shell on Buendia Extension and Total on Kamagong if he runs out of gas in the middle of the night; Avis transpo airport service; San Andres Market where fruits are always aplenty, rain or shine; AMS Massage Center on Balagtas, Vito Cruz to ease frayed nerves after a long, nerve-wracking day; and TV and cable services like HBO, ESPN and CNN to wrap up (or unwrap) a day.

Sleepless in Manila? You bet!