5 Top Bar Chows at Retro KTV

I wasn’t able to attend Retro KTV’s opening so I was glad to have met Mr. Manuel Barandiaran (The Drinking Coach) by chance when I visited a restaurant owned by his good friend. The Drinking Coach is Manuel’s umbrella name for all his establishments which include other bars and food outlets. Retro KTV, which he solely owns, is one of them. We arranged the date on when I could visit and I was happy that two other blogger friends (Mea Pabiona and Claire Algarme) were able to join me.

with Mr. Manuel Barandiaran and fellow bloggers, Mea and Claire

Retro KTV/bar is located at The Market Place, near NGC (New Government Center, Bacolod City). From afar, it is impossible not to notice the place because of the blast of colors that suggests action and excitement. Manuel welcomed us warmly and then introduced us to Barbie (barbe-cue-han). Barbie is the front part of a vintage 1970 Volkswagen Beetle that Manuel purchased and had restored by Cooper Built and custom made as a barbeque grill for Retro KTV. Because of its uniqueness, Barbie is an attraction by itself.

The colorful psychedelic wall design of the main area and stairway transported us to the 60’s and 70’s era. Each of the KTV rooms has its own pattern and vibrant color scheme which makes space look and feel lively and exciting. There are 7 KTV rooms but we only peeked into a few as some are still going through finishing touches. To get the full retro look Manuel said that he even went to a store that sells old things in Quiapo, Manila where he sourced the disco balls for the KTV rooms!

He is also particular about the food. In fact, Manuel and his group of friends conceptualized the creative menu as well as the names of the food. Guys, you might be surprised and amused when you read the list. These unique and playful names were carefully put together for the fun and delicate senses of the Negrense humor and their taste buds.

We sampled Retro KTV’s bar chows (pulutan) and here are the Top 5 must tries:

1.) Bee Gees (Honey garlic chicken)– marinated chicken – fried, cooked in oil and garlic, glazed with spicy barbeque sauce and sprinkled with sliced red chili.

2.) Jessica Shrimpson (Gambas)– shrimps sautéed in olive oil with garlic and butter. Served with diced fried potatoes and carrots in a cute sizzling plate.

3.) Justin Bieberque (Pork Barbeque)– savory pork cutlets in barbeque skewers.

4.) Crazy Squid- sizzling squid meat sliced, sautéed in garlic and spices, served on a sizzling plate.
5.) Alicia Cheese (mozzarella cheese sticks)– chewy cheese sticks deeply fried until golden brown.

We were also served Retro KTV’s most requested cocktail drinks like Mojito, Tiramisu, and Mudslide, plus a Vodka Oddbins range.

Retro KTV is open on Tuesdays to Sundays 5:30pm to 2:00am. For reservations, you may contact Mr. Manuel Barandiaran at 0917-676-55-31/ 0922-471-5110.

Dara