A few days ago, I was invited to Hennessy's King of the Road event. I've never been to any before but Hennessy parties are fun, right? Wow, I haven't been out in ages. I started my new job about three weeks ago and, after weeks of lounging in my PJs till noon having no where to go except yoga class, it's been taking some time to adjust to the 9-6 lifestyle. I think successfully making it this far without any major catastrophes warrants a night out. Even if it is on a Wednesday night. Out in the middle of the week? Who am I (kidding)?
Celebrating local talents, King of the Road's concept tied in nicely with my outfit!
Drabs by my current favorite designer Wear Anika #wearlocal
Drabs by my current favorite designer Wear Anika #wearlocal
The menu, written by celebrity Chef JP Anglo of Sarsa and Chef Jordy Navarra of Black Sheep, and cocktails, expertly crafted by mixologist Lee Watson, celebrated uniquely Filipino flavors and ingredients. Who knew Kare-Kare tacos, laing on toast, and dulce de leche paired so nicely with Hennessy infused with birds-eye chili and a dash of vinegar? I had plate after plate until the kitchen closed, threw back glass after glass till the bar ran out of cocktail mix and started serving cognac on the rocks. It's like I forgot I had work in the morning or something...
Art murals by unbelievable street artist @eggfiasco. Check out his stuff!
Underground artists the likes of Crwn, bp valenzuela, and Curtismith. They're all so crazy young and talented. After that night, I've been listening to their stuff non-stop on Soundcloud. Where can I get my hands on their record!
And of course the night wouldn't be complete without a grand reveal. The Hennessy jeepney is back! Decked out in a matte black and tufted leather seats, it's the fanciest jeepney I've ever seen. I actually just started driving myself around and I can tell you first hand, jeepneys dgaf who you are or where you're going. Unapologetic and reckless, the real king of the road.
I'm excited for what's ahead in the food, arts, and music scene in the Philippines. My personal takeaway from this night is that we need to start looking at our own backyards and uplift homegrown talent. To all the undergrounds out there, keep doing what you're doing, cause you're definitely headed the right direction. Huge nod of thanks to Hennessy for such a chill night and for sharing the local flavor.
