Shiraz and all that jazz

What a difference a month makes! Back in July, Perea St. in Legazpi Village was a virtual wasteland after 9 p.m. Other than residents of the various condominium buildings (who would park behind their buildings on the streets parallel to Perea) and some after-office diners patronizing the eateries along this street, it was a safe bet that by around 10:30 p.m., you could walk down this street and imagine yourself in some urban dreamscape of alienation and desolation. (Okay, so I exaggerate.)

But it’s no exaggeration when I say that ever since Shiraz opened its doors, it’ has had to turn away people up to the very early hours of Friday and Saturday morning. Conceptualized as a wine lounge, open for lunch and dinner, it comfortably seats 45 to 50 people and boasts of an eclectic menu and a very select wine and single malt list. With sexy Latin jazz coursing through the sound system, Shiraz has quickly become the place to go to start the night and the place to end at before heading home. It’s the number of people that can be accommodated and it’s also the kind of people who have been making it their favorite haunt.

Whatever it is, it’s become a veritable party every night – with practically everyone getting to know each other or one "other" in the next table. The name of the game has thus become table-hopping. There’s a flow to the physical bodies and to the discourse that has made Shiraz heaven for the hip 20 and 30-somethings. Reminiscent of an establishment that you’d find in the Village in New York, it sets a new standard for what an eatery can look like.

As Tinee de Guzman, acknowledged Chief-raz explains, "We really tried to come up with something different. It’s a wine lounge as opposed to a wine bar. The plush surroundings, the music, the wine list, the food choices, they all add up to create an ambience, an atmosphere that we feel is unique here in Manila. This really became more than just a business venture. All the people involved are friends and for us, this became a project of passion."

Gil Coscolluela, who was in charge of the interior design, recounts, "Joel Gironella, who handled construction, and I insisted that none of the other partners could look at the place until we were ready to show it as a finished work. After we agreed on what it would look like, maintaining this agreement allowed us to work without everyone’s two-cents-worth coming into play. Besides, we just wanted it to be a surprise, because it’s always different when you see it there in front of you."

And what a job they did! If I was struck by a single impression, it was that the place possessed a very tactile element to it. The woven seats, the table tops, the unique use of leather on the walls, the bar top, the throw pillows, they’re all begging to be touched, to be felt in appreciation. It’s the kind of place you literally want to sink into."

Marichelle L. de Roda and Leah Sanchez provide the expertise on wines and desserts and inventory and personnel, respectively. Mike Jacob and Lia Bernardo are on top of the marketing requirements, while Anton Gonzalez utilizes his finance skills. Itong Torres is still another partner, taking care of the IT requirements.

It’s really an amalgam of different personalities finding a common pursuit and purpose – good food, good wine and excellent company in a setting that befits the discriminating client or patron.

And Lia proudly states, "This was not a matter of us putting money that was just lying around. For a number of us, this is our hard-earned savings, placed into a venture we felt we really believed in and could be truly proud of. Some of us have been practically living on the premises since we opened!"

Open for lunch until 1 a.m. on weekdays and extending their closing hours ’til 2:30 a.m. on the weekends, it’s not unusual to see people queued on the sidewalks, patiently waiting for their tables. In fact, Mike jokes that they’re now supporting a secondary economy that mushroomed out of the blue (or is it the black of night?). All of a sudden, there are cigarette vendors, watch-your-car boys, and what-have-yous ready to offer their services till the wee hours.

Having Freddie de Roda as wine consultant for the place meant that only the best is on offer. The wine list, the single malts, the cocktails, the two choices of beer, they’ve all been carefully calibrated to give patrons a sense of the "better life." Riddel glasses are used for the premium wines and single malts. And while they don’t actively encourage you to light up that stogie, they’re not averse to it.

Ultimately though, it’s the bonhomie, the suspicion that you’ve stumbled onto an intimate private party that puts Shiraz in a class of its own. It distinguishes it from other late night haunts like Venezia, seveneightorange or Wasabi. After listening to a band at Dish or Strumm’s, it’s the perfect last stop in Makati.

As to what the residents along Perea St. are thinking? Hey! Shiraz has certainly brought life back to this formerly sleepy street in Makati.