Oxford Dictionary just added geek chic ( n.: the dress, appearance, and culture associated with computing and technology enthusiasts, regarded as stylish or fashionable) as an official word last year. Hollywood's hottest lists– then exclusive to men with chiseled abs and bad boy beard– now include "adorkable" guys like Joseph Gordon Levitt, Jay Baruchel, Jesse Eisenberg, and Andrew Garfield. Holidays like Geek Pride Day (May 25) and Embrace Your Geekness Day (July 13) have been set up to celebrate the passions of the subculture. If these are any indication, then the bold-faced T-shirts are right; geek, indeed, is the new chic.
Smart is the new sexy. Right, Emma?
The rise of the geek subculture is a widespread rally happening in different parts of the world. If before, the word geek was thrown carelessly to insult intelligent but socially awkward people, today it's considered a compliment– an adjective used to describe someone passionate or knowledgeable about a certain hobby.
Here in the Philippines, we now see cosplayers (costume play) get roles in mainstream TV and films. Toy Con attendance is growing exponentially each year. During episode finales of fantasy series like Game of Thrones or Walking Dead, we see our newsfeeds swell in anticipation. Movies adapted from comic books are easy blockbusters on their opening days. But among the geek power indications, our favorite has got to be the mushrooming of the food and dining establishments that cater to the different fandoms in this country.
In this article, we round up ten theme restaurants that cater to different kinds of geeks. Tag along your fellow nerds and dine at these restaurants that celebrate different hobbies, passions, and obsessions.
For the Science Fiction Geek
Sci-Fi Cafe
Robison's Galleria
Located at the fourth floor west wing of Robinson’s Galleria, The Sci-fi Café is a toy gallery cum restaurant owned and operated by a group of self-declared geeks. The main draw to the restaurant is co-owner Richard Chua’s expansive collection of toys and props from almost every fantasy movie imaginable.
Sci-fi movies, especially the ones from the 80s and the 90s, are well-represented in display. Staples like Star Wars, Star Trek, Alien vs. Predator, E.T., Terminator, Robocop, M.I.B. and even Cameron’s Avatar are present in the shelves. Marvel and DC fans are also in for a treat; Richard owns the complete set of the revered super humans. The café primarily pays homage to Richard’s fascination in Sci-Fi, but his collection actually transcends genres. Items from Toy Story, Disney, and Pixar are also part of the store's collection.
The toys are not for sale but guests are allowed to play with some items like the helmets, light sabers, interactive R2D2, wands, and swords. If Richard is there, he allows diners to play with bigger items like Wolverine’s claws.
The menu highlights pizzas, burgers, and hotdogs– food we usually crave while watching movies. Get the Two Towers (onion rings), Planet of the Shrimps Pizza, Steve Rogers Burger, and Jabba the Hotdog.
Steve Roger's Burger
For the Boardgame Geek
Burger Company
72B Scout Reyes, corner Mother Ignacia Avenue,
Barangay Paligsahan, Quezon City
Open daily from 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM
Burger Company serves made-from-scratch comfort food in hefty portions. Bestsellers here are the Gorgonzola & Mushroom Burger, Green Chile & Sour Cream Burger, NY Buffalo Chicken Burger, and Buffalo Trax fries.
Last June 21, Burger Company launched its partnership with boardgame supplier Gaming Library. Aficionados can now enjoy thick, savory burgers while playing their favorite interactive boardgames. There's also a weekly Tuesday Night Gaming at Burger Company from 6 PM onwards.
NY Buffalo Chicken Burger
Ludo Boardgame Cafe
Corner Sct. Fuentebella and Sct. Torillo.
Tomas Morato, Quezon City
(63 920) 921-8482
Ludo (Latin for 'I play') is a dedicated boardgame bar & cafe that houses more than 300 tabletop games for kids of all ages. The staff, boardgame lovers themselves, are ready to assist diners and give a tutorial on how to play the rarer titles.
What to get: Cheese Gyoza (120), Tonkatsu (P195), and Chicken Yakiniku (P185).
Photos from Ludo's Facebook Page
Tobey's Games Cafe
65 Mariveles Corner Sultan Street,
Highway Hills, Mandaluyong City
A lifetime membership of P200 at Tobey's Games Cafe gives you unlimited use of the tables for playing boardgames and Magic the Gathering. This cozy space has a couple of titles for boardgame geeks and serves simple comfort food that you can consume while playing.
Photos from Tobey's Facebook Page
For the Gaming Geek
Imperium eSports bar and Video Game Lounge
Metrowalk Commercial Complex, Meralco Ave., Brgy. Ugong, Pasig
Telephone: (63 2) 571-9534, (63 906) 248-7476
Imperium is the Philippines' first e-Sports Bar and Video Game Lounge. They have different consoles in-store: XBox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U and PCs and carry different online games like Heroes of Newerth, League of Legends,
Starcraft 2, Special Forces: Online, World of Tanks, Dragon Nest, and Warframe.
PC rental is 60 pesos per hour. Rates for the consoles are as follows:
Xbox 360 and PS3 – 100 pesos per hour (maximum of 2 players per console)
Xbox One and PS4 – 120 pesos per hour (maximum of 2 players per console)
Imperium charges a door fee that may be used for the rental of PCs or consoles or for your food and/or beverage order. Food are simple, the kind you can mindlessly eat while bombing bases.
Photos from Facebook page
For the Comic Geek
Heroes Hobby Lounge
B6-971 B6 Bonifacio High Street
9th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
(+63 2) 511-7327
In 2012, geek and toy-collector Ren Cayetano opened Heroes restaurant and toy store in Bonifacio High Street. The space houses statues of Marvel and DC characters in different stance and sizes. The collectibles a bit pricey, especially for starting hobbyists, but at least they're free to look at. While at it, order some of their bestsellers: Hero Chops, Dare-Devil Wings, Dare-Devil Shrimp, and Sweet & Spicy Tapa to complete your Heroes experience.
Photos by Maxicollector
For the Movie Geek
Movie Stars Cafe
Seaside Blvd., SM Mall of Asia
(+63 2) 550-1234, (+63 905) 277-9999, (+63 908) 200-9999
Pretty much like planet Hollywood in the United States, Movie Stars Cafe houses props, posters, and memorabilia from different movies. The main draw here are the mini-shows and dance numbers of their staff, dressed as some popular movie characters. They have a Dino Buffet that lets you sample a slew of international dishes for P699 per head.
Photos from Movie Stars Cafe Facebook Page
For the Sports Geek
NBA Cafe
5th Level, SM Aura Premier, McKinley Parkway corner 26th St.,
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
(63 2) 556-16-83
Contrary to the movie stereotypes, geeks aren't always lanky, weak, and bespectacled. A geek, who Collins dictionary describes as anyone with intense knowledge and passion about a topic, may be a big and burly aficionado who can recite to you the blow by blow play of the latest NBA game.
The NBA Cafe caters to this crowd and provides basketball enthusiasts quick to eat grub while watching an NBA game. What to get: Teriyaki braised pulled pork belly sliders, Baby Back Pork Ribs, and Chipotle Pork Tacos.
Photos from NBA Cafe's Facebook page
For the Book Geek
Cool Beans Library Café
Maginhawa St., Quezon City
(63 917) 706-4711
Monday to Saturday 10:00am – 11:00pm
Cool Beans Library Café is the kind of place where you can spend hours upon hours lost in a good book. The atmosphere here is conducive to reading: soft lighting, music playing quietly in the background, comfortable couches and chairs, good coffee, and good food. Their coffee is locally-sourced, coming from places such as Sagada, Kalinga, and Benguet (P80-hot, P85-cold). As for the food, some of the crowd favorites are the Pan-grilled Chicken Alfredo (P160) smothered in a creamy sauce and studded with bacon bits, Oriental Pork Belly with Bokchoy (P160) that closely resembles the taste of humba, Pan-grilled Pork Belly (P160), and an interesting dish called Fried Chicken Afritada (P160) which is basically fried chicken drenched in Afritada sauce.
For the Theater Geek
iChill Theater Cafe
1125 Dos Castillas St., Sampaloc, Manila
iChill Theater Cafe is the first venue in the Philippines that welcomes off-off-Broadway productions, stand-up comedy, indie film screenings, and just about everything that promotes art culture in Manila.
If you're planning to stage an event, a concert, or a small stage play, you may rent the 2nd floor for just P500 per hour (with equipment: DVD, projector, theater lights, stage, seats, aircon, karaoke, TV). Their P1,000 per hour rate already includes food and drinks.
Photo from iChill's Facebook Page
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Do you know of any other geeky hangouts in the metro? Let us know in the comments section below.
