After a night of guzzling your favorite alcoholic beverages, you can't exactly make your way home if you find yourself with the motor coordination of a two-year-old. You need to sober up with non-alcoholic drinks, good chow, or just a couple of hours of peace and quiet in a clean well-lighted place. SPOT.ph lists 10 places where you can fight your hangover.
1. HACIENDA
Ground Floor, Transcom Building Frontera Verde, Pasig City
Tel. no. 782-2559
Open 24 hours, Tuesday to Saturday, closes at 12:00 midnight on Sunday and opens 7:00 a.m., Monday
Crowd situation: The place, which opened in October 2008, is strategically situated in the same building as a BPO firm and it's a stone's throw away from Tiendesitas. Most of the regulars are, not surprisingly, customer care representatives from the BPO firm. More people start to stream in sometime around 11:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. so be prepared for the collective buzz of conversation. You may even hear a funny call center story if you care to eavesdrop. In any case, the soothing lighting provides great comfort to tipsy eyes.
Sobering stuff: With Philippine Mountain Coffee as one of its specialty offerings, Hacienda has it in strong, medium, and mild variants. We got a mug of the Brewed Coffee (P50), strong, and got a caffeine kick that went straight to the brain. A few sips of the potent brew will surely help you feel human again. You can also order any of their special pan de sal sandwiches such as the Tuna Melt and Cheese (P65) of the Chorizo Bilbao (P95). Have no fear. They're hefty–as opposed to puny–pan de sals.
Added attractions: There are old records stashed in an old stereo in one corner of Hacienda. At the counter, there are cigarettes and other treats such as piyaya, peanuts, and chicharon for sale. A drugstore and a convenience store are also located next to it. It's worth coming back to this place when you're sober as it boasts of an array of Filipino dishes, as well as the Lechon Hacienda (P150 for 200 grams).
2. GOODAH!!!
Caltex Gas Station, Shaw Boulevard, corner Pioneer Street, Mandaluyong with various branches
Tel. nos. 638-0858 (Centralized Hotline)
Open 24 hours daily
Crowd situation: Call Goodah!!! the great equalizer. Yuppies, families, call center agents, as well as taxi and tricycle drivers converge in this wall-less establishment. It tends to get crowded at around midnight up until the sunrise during weekends.
Sobering stuff: Sober up with Goto (P35) and a tall glass of Iced Tea (P26) or Instant Coffee (P20). If you need more food, try the Pares (P69) or the Litsilog (P135).
Added attractions: It's situated right within the gasoline station space with a 24-hour mini-mart right beside it. It's the perfect place to come back to your senses because nobody cares if you look wasted there. Plus, it's easy on the pocket.
