Have you ever found yourself stuck in the city because of your many responsibilities? Maybe you’re a student trying to handle all your course load. Maybe you’re an artist trying to make a name for yourself. Or maybe you’re a young professional working a long full-time shift. Regardless of how much you love the city or how much you love what you’re doing; you’d also like to sail away, take a day’s leave or two – just to take a break. But you can’t – your responsibilities won’t let you… at least for now.
Well, there might be a solution for you now, especially for those who frequent the North – Katipunan, Quezon City, in particular. A new concept resto-bar has opened up once more in Katipunan, and it proves to be a guaranteed compromise if you want to unwind but at the same time still allow yourself to keep up with real life.
Let Yourself Be Whisked Away
Tortuga is a new concept resto-bar located along Esteban Abada – the street just behind Katipunan Avenue – that will almost make you believe that you’re on a far-off island, eating exotic food in tiny huts and drinking fresh cocktails. Just as the name of the place suggests, the island resto-bar is much like the turtle it is named after: slow-paced, relaxed, and fluid, which essentially captures everything about Tortuga.
Let Time Slow Down – Just for a Moment
Because of its innovative idea, it isn’t surprising that this island bar had a huge turnout during their soft opening last October 7, 2016. With its jungle aesthetics and its music ranging from tropical house and funk and soul to reggae, Tortuga’s customers feel no need to make themselves relax, for the resto-bar sets the mood quite nicely for them.
Although the owners, who visit the bar almost everyday, won’t tell you outright what they hope the place aspires to be for you; it’s clear that Tortuga refuses to just be a place where you can eat and drink. It seems to seek to be the go-to place for when you want time to just slow down for you. If you’re looking to have a lengthy conversation with good friends, find inspiration, unwind after a long day, or even maybe start the day right, then Tortuga is where you’d want to be.
Let Yourself Come Back for More
The owners of Tortuga actually have a sister bar called Walrus. If you’ve been to Walrus or heard of it before, then you also know of their freshly crafted cocktails that all of the bar’s customers love. Naturally, the owners of Tortuga also made sure that its cocktails are brilliantly concocted.
These artisan cocktails were actually designed from scratch by Tammy de Tavera, one of Manila’s top bartenders. The island bar’s bestseller cocktails are the Jungle Pumba, Sneaky Tiki, and Castaway; but for the full Tortuga experience, it’s best to try everything – as recommended by the owners (and by yours truly)!
You need to remember the rule of thumb when it comes to drinking, though: never drink on an empty stomach. The food served in Tortuga aren’t just appetizers to go with your drinks; they have delicious and tasty main dishes, too! In fact, some people frequent Tortuga mainly for the food.
The menu was initially designed by a young chef, Bobby Guingona, and more items were later added by Chef Allen of Tortuga. As the owners also said: it was a team effort. The owners recommend the spicy dilis, chicken curry, fajita, and gambas. I tried some of them and I was honestly really surprised that I loved the food because I’m not much of a foodie!
My personal favorite is their chicken curry, but like I said earlier, it’s better thaift you try everything because each food item is different and exciting to the tastebuds.
While your life in the city may seem just fine right now, maybe you’ll find that there’s something that’s still… off, or missing. Maybe you’ll find that you want to hit the snooze button on life and imagine yourself sailing off to a distant place where you can relax and take a breather, as if you were on a real vacation. That’s what Tortuga will make you feel like by serving you good food and drinks and by simply being what it is with its raw, jungle vibe, relaxation, conversation, and inspiration.
Tortuga
42 Esteban Abada, Loyola Heights, Quezon City
0995 590 8803
www.facebook.com/TortugaKatipunan
