The eclectic revival of MCS

(First of two parts)

The Rufino-owned Makati Central Square along Chino Roces Avenue in Legazpi Village, Makati City, is undergoing a subtle change that is not visible to many passersby. It may seem business as usual for vehicles passing along that strip of road between MCS and Little Tokyo from Amorsolo St. to  Chino Roces and vice versa, but a new more vibrant and hip vibe is slowly taking shape within the landmark.

I have been a regular patron of MCS for three decades since the 1980s when it was initially known as Makati Cinema Square. To be honest, I never patronized the cinemas there, but I did occasionally shop at the defunct Plaza Fair and look for pirated DVD films at the lower ground floor shopping area and bargain items that might catch my fancy on the way up or down to the two-level basement parking area.

I frequently park at MCS and cross over to Little Tokyo to dine at the restaurants in the area, or to shop at the Japanese grocery stores that used to locate there.

Among the restaurants I frequented at Little Tokyo facing Chino Roces Avenue were Shinjuku (for its ramen and gyoza) and  Kikufuji Izakaya for sushi, tempura and yakitori. They continue to operate there to this day. However, Kikufuji appears to be in the process of repositioning its restaurant to face MCS, taking over the space, which in the past used to be a popular coffee/bar/ restaurant known as Bunchums.

My favorite Japanese restaurant in Little Tokyo, Seryna Restaurant, opened around 1999–2000 and faces the entrance to the MCS basement parking.I have been a loyal patron of Seryna, especially since it allowed us to continue enjoying our favorite Japanese food through the one-and-a-half-year-long COVID lockdown in 2020 and 2021 by continuing to operate and offer take-out orders.

Strangely enough, throughout the three decades that I have been visiting MCS, I never really ventured to explore the other commercial areas of  the condominium mall, even as I would pass by and notice the transformation of the ground floor from a department store to restaurants and high-end nightclubs catering to a primarily Japanese market.

I was not aware that MCS has been home to the AMF-Puyat Superbowl and Billiards Center for the past 40 years, and that it has been loyally patronized by employees of the Makati City Hall for their bowling tournaments.

I did notice around three years ago that a trendy bar, Nokal, had relocated to the first basement parking area, so much so that we could no longer park there and had to go down to the lower basement parking.

We never even ventured to find out what Nokal was.

Nokal, I eventually learned, is a Poblacion institution. Poblacion in Makati is known for its nightlife and is patronized by millennials and Gen Zs.

But hey, for baby boomers like my husband and me, we are basically clueless about nightlife nowadays and prefer to tuck in safe and sound by 10 p.m. We did check out the Poblacion area night scene once, which in the past we knew simply as an old quiet neighborhood behind Makati Avenue that  eventually attracted some good Korean restaurants.

We did not really appreciate that parking was difficult around the area and that it was also close to the dodgy and rowdy Makati Avenue girly bars and clubs where a lot of  touting and”solicitation” goes on.

But it has grown harder to ignore the increasing buzz about MCS’ transformation into the new Poblacion. Last week, I finally decided to check out the increasing buzz I had been hearing about MCS and its slow, but steady transformation into the new place to hang out – a compact and safe space that offers an eclectic mixture of restaurants at different price points, nightclubs and so-called “snack bars” to cater to a primarily Japanese clientele.

An evening of exploration opened my eyes and fascinated me with the slow and quiet transformation of MCS from what I had previously thought was a rundown warren of stores and shops that sold just about anything from clothes, shoes, electronic items, cellphones, fake luxury goods, hardware, pet food stores, air guns, shooting range, a grocery store, fruits and even vegetable stalls.

The cinemas have long-been shuttered and, in fact, will be replaced by next year with a new climbing and bouldering space to attract nearby Legazpi Village residents and office workers who have learned to enjoy the new sports activity in lieu of the real thing that is done outdoors.

But what surprised me most is the ongoing redevelopment and transformation of the basement and the mezzanine floor.

Without any visible signage, except for a glittery gold wall and a series of doors, MCS has transformed a wing of its mezzanine floor into a small replica of Tokyo’s famous Shinjuku Golden Gai night club strip.

I guess it is an “If you know, you know or IYKYK” kind of thing. Each door opens up to a small cozy “snack bar” space that offers different attractions. One offers games and karaoke along with snacks and drinks and includes a cover charge.

Another door opens up to a small bar area that offers all kinds of libations and is subject to a cover charge for those who opt to just drink, although it also has another room where patrons can simply dine and are not subject to a cover charge. It actually even opens as early as lunch for patrons who simply want to eat.

(To be continued)