Oarhouse Pub: It’s Where We Catch Up!

When in Manila, we party, we gather, we talk. Malate Manila has transformed in a commercial area during 1970’s. Café, restaurants, bars and pubs suddenly popped up in no time, and now it’s been the center of nightlife in the Philippines.

We went to Oarhouse pub in Malate, Oarhouse is one of the oldest pubs that I have encountered. Originally it was in Mabini Street owned by a retired US Navy pilot, Mr. Chuck Monroe established Oarhouse in 1977. When he went back home to the states then some friends took over the pub to continue the friendship he had started. From 2010 up until now Mr. Ben Razon is the one taking over Oarhouse and continuing the closeness of the customers of Oarhouse (also a friend of Chuck).  Today Oarhouse is J. Bocobo St. 

 

 

One thing I like about it is their ambiance, it has a western touch that brought the bar a very cozy feel. I can say that it’s not the usual bar that we go to, it seems that the bar is quieter than the usual bars that we go to (at least here in the south), which seemed to be a nice thing, Oarhouse is a place where in you can have a conversation with the people you’re with and catch up, the place is made to just sit back, say hello and ask your friend how they are. 

 

 

As I was going around Oarhouse, I noticed that there were a lot of artwork around it, so I asked Sir Ben, where he got it from, and he told me that not only that Oarhouse is a Bar, but it’s also a gallery for artist in the indie industry. 

 

 

We ordered baked eggplant since I’m trying to eat more veggies that I could, and it surprised me! This dish is really good, it has oozing mozzarella cheese on top that when you get some of it from the platter, you will see the cheese pulling away, having string like cheese in between the platter and your spoon setting your expectation that the food I’m going to eat will have an explosive cheesy flavor, and It did! Everything on it was balanced the tomato sauce that is not too sweet but not too salty, everything complimented the cheese. It’s just like lasagna but instead pasta it was mashed eggplant layered with the tomato sauce and topped of mozzarella cheese. The recipe came from the family of Chuck and was passed from owner to owner. 

 

 

Now the main dish, upon looking at the menu there I saw that they offer lamb chops, and I’m a very big fan of it, so when I saw that they have it I ordered it right away. And it set my standards of what should lamb chops should be. When it arrived in our table, I took my fork and steak knife to savor it, as I placed my fork in it and started to cut a piece of bite you can really see how tender and juicy the lamb chops were because every stride I make to cut a portion of it, you will see the juice oozing from the meat. But when I finally took a bite, the taste was just awesome! Not too salty, not too sweet, and very juicy, while I was chewing it, all the flavor established in my mouth that lamb chops should be juicy, not too salty not too peppery but definitely a balanced flavor off all the ingredients leaving a strong flavor in our mouth. My standards of a great lamb chops steak was set to be like the Oarhouse lamb chops.  

 

Lamb Chops 

 

Prime Rib Steak

 

Here are some of the best dishes we tasted too!

 

Beef Caldereta

 

Buffalo Wings

Nacho Cheese with Melted Blue Cheese

 

When we were about t leave, Sir Ben told us to taste this one of a kind longganisa. The Longanissa Gua-gua, it’s an original recipe from the town of Gua-gua in Pampangga, Sir Ben told me that today, there is just one vendor in town who makes that kind of longganisa, and ‘there’s a process before we can eat it. We have to place it under the sun and let the oil from the langgonisa drip out of it. Then you have to have the langgonisa oil in a bottle or ziplock because that’s the oil that you have to use when frying it and making fried rice as well.  That’s how Oarhouse  prepares the langgonisa upon buying it. And when I finally tasted it, it was the bomb! It has this strong salty but full of garlic flavor that when you dip unto a vinegar balances everything. Oh how it gave us a reason to come back in Oarhouse since they will launch it first week August! 

 

Langonissa Gua-gua

So when in manila, when you want to just relax and catch up with your friends and family, go to Oarhouse Pub in Malate, Manila and be a part of the Oarhouse and just talk with everything and anything that you like to talk about. 

 

 

 

Oarhouse Pub, it’s where we catch up!

 

Oarhouse is located at 1688-B J. Bocobo St. Malate Manila, Philippines

For reservations and inquiries you may call them at (02) 516-7296

They start serving at 5:00pm onwards Mondays to Saturdys

You can also visit their website Oarhouse on ther facebook page HERE!

 

 

 

 

 Oarhouse Pub: It’s Where We Catch Up!