Good vibes come easy at UP Village—“or at least as far as the roads are concerned.

This is because all streets are named after positive Filipino qualities, from Matahimik (which either means peaceful, quiet, or a combination of both) to Malambing (affectionate).

But of the many circuitous, long-winded streets in the area, none can match the importance of Maginhawa, which could mean "refreshing" or "prosperous". The street's whole stretch—“which can become V. Luna Road depending on how far you go—“can bring you to an area just a block away from Philcoa to the corner of East Avenue in Quezon City.

Strangely enough, depending on your location, the street becomes either parallel or perpendicular to UP's C. P. Garcia Avenue, everyone's favorite short cut to/and from Katipunan Avenue and/or C-5.

But Maginhawa's charms aren't just for motorists looking for the quickest and least-congested routes across Metro Manila. It happens to be one of the most happening streets in UP Village, featuring lesser known but interesting establishments that only UP Village residents know about.

Dining out

As early as six in the morning, Bread and Breakfast—“one of the newest establishments along Maginhawa—“is ready to welcome patrons. Although it just opened the weekend before the May 10 elections, the shop offers a fairly extensive array of baked goods and pastries, including empanadas and ensaymadas. Besides its variants of pan de sal (regular with or withour sugar and wheat with or without sugar) the shop also sells bottled tea and juices.

If you're more of a brunch person, you check out Cafe Quezon, which offers sandwiches, pastries, and rice and egg breakfast combo meals. Its most popular dishes are Longanisang Lukban and Pancit Habhab, which it sells either by single order or by bilao. It also serves regular brewed coffee, hot chocolate, and a variety of other drinks. If your tab reaches P150, you can get free Wi-Fi all day.

Those hankering for lunch and supper places while caught in the village need not worry. They can drop by Blacksoup Cafe + Artspace and savor pasta dishes and special salmon and lamb specialties. A must-try for vegetarians is the big, juicy Tofu Burger (P90). Besides hosting art exhibits, the cafe also sells a number of original, hard to find DVDs of local and foreign films. Since it's run by a five-member film collective, the restaurant is also the venue for its workshops.

Van Gogh is Bipolar, which is located on the same lot as Blacksoup Cafe + Artspace, offers mood-soothing food such as Larry Flynt's Cabbage Experience (P415). The resto is owned by artist Jetro Rafael and the resto is actually his home, which he has turned into a munch spot-cum-art gallery.

For more inexpensive but continental dishes, very few can beat Tomato Kick, an alfresco restaurant cum bar that serves tasty lunch and dinner items. Customers' favorites are Chicken in Red Wine Sauce and Chicken Alfredo, which both come with rice and vegetables.

If your taste buds are hankering for something sort of foreign, you can check out Friuli. Styled as an Italian eatery, it serves an assortment of pizzas and pastas. If you're trying to quit eating red meat, go for Antonio's Pizza (P170), a 10-inch pie which is good for two.

Want Mediterranean food? The curiously-named Alfahkr's is a good bet. You can treat yourself to Lamb Chops (P155) or Beef Kebab (P110), which are both served with grilled tomatoes. The resto also boasts of nicely-executed graffiti art on its walls.

To provide a fitting end to these great meals, I Heart Froyo offers great yoghurt desserts. Imported from either Australia or Italy, the yoghurt is served in various sizes—“the largest costs P70—“and can be topped off with fruit (mango, kiwi) and sweets such as Oreos, Reese's, Chocnut, and choco mallows. Located on Magiting Street—“ less than a block off Maginhawa leading to C. P. Garcia Avenue—“I Heart Froyo is worth the mini detour.