Van Gogh is Bipolar

Looking for a place to just relax, enjoy your company, and be as laid back as you can possibly get, then Van Gogh Is Bipolar is definitely the resto for you.  It’s as if you’re at home, a very interestingly decorated home that is.  And did I mention such an interesting mix of fresh natural ingredients included in each and every delicious meal?  And the rice! I’ll elaborate a bit more later.

During my March vacation in The Philippines this year, this was one of our very first restaurants that Roch and I tried out.  It was a really special treat as we were able to go on a double date with Roch’s best friend Hai and Hai’s boyfriend Sean.

Van Gogh Is Bipolar, what a name for a dining place, but you kind of get why once you step in and dive into the experience. The atmosphere in this place is just amazing, and every little detail seems to have been miticulously organized.  There’s structure in all of the strange chaos you see here.. I just love it.   And this place will always be a place that I remember.  There’s really a lot of good vibes coming from this place..

TEA, THE VAN GOGH WAY

THE MAGIC WINDOW

Oh, the magic window of Van Gogh Is Bipolar is your one stop for everything.  Again, the theme of this place is really just amazing.  NO SERVERS!  But since every accommodation is already given, it honestly never even crossed my mind with regards to service.  In many aspects, the service here is great!  It’s honestly as if you’re at home, and all the utensils, the glasses, the teapots, cups, they are all available just to the left of the window.

DRINKS UP!

This is one amazing drink.  At Van Gogh, this is called the Courtney Love’s POTION of the day.  The description they have on the menu is:

A very healthy non-alcoholic COLD concoction.  Made from the most fresh and organic fruit extracts with real fruit bits and pulp.  No sugar added.  Only wild Palawan honey is used.

I can’t stress enough, how attention to detail is taken to heart, even when it comes to these drinks.  Fresh cucumbers, some mint, mangoes, and a strawberry tops this delicious drink.

ROBIN WILLIAM’S TUNA (P285)

This is what Hai got for her order.  Interestingly enough, many of the toppings are similar, and in my opinion, I just couldn’t get enough of that black rice.   It says on the menu that “tuna is a good source of omega 3-fat-oil that unbelievably brings a gloomy – depressed mood to a smile.” And what about that rice?  Well, on the menu again, if we take a look here’s what they have to say about that:  “Van Gogh Rice is loaded with vitamins B1 and B3, and folic acid.  IT CAN MAKE YOU HAPPY.”

I know that Hai enjoyed her meal, and that tuna there on the side looks to be so moist and delicious.  Definitely not your everyday variety canned tuna, not even close.  That’s probably the most delicious tuna that has ever come across my table.  Almost worthy of a magazine cover if you ask me.

GODFATHER 2 (P295)

And here is my baby’s order.  Vangogh Rice topped with Norwegian Salmon Bits.  Just as in the other dishes, the ingredients are basicaly the same, you get some corn, banana chips, and some other garnishes too.  It’s really that rice and the choice meat that differ.  The portions really were so huge, I think we all agreed that with the prices the way they were, this is what we call “sulit”, worth our money.

PRESIDENT CLINTON’S MEAL (P555)

And here’s my order.  President Clinton’s Meal with grilled Premium Australian Lamb. The lamb was very moist and succulent, probably one of the best cooked lamb I’ve tasted.  Marinaded to perfection, and grilled to perfection, garnished with some grapes, baby potatoes, and all on a bed of wonderfully aromatic black rice.  The bits of nuts, mangoes, and banana chips really made this dish interesting, and yet it all worked.  It’s one of those things that if you overload a dish with too much ingredients, you better know what you’re doing.  And I have to commend the chef and the owner of Van Gogh for creating such a wonderfully conceptualized menu.

The names may be silly, but there’s something to be said about just how much care they take to give you naturally fed meat, no preservatives or chemicals added, and they have also taken the time to know what certain ingredients will do to alter your mood.  On top of that, all of this information is on the menu itself.  Sort of like getting an education on nutrition at the same time trying to figure out what your order will be.

GODFATHER 1 (P355)

This is actually VanGogh rice topped with Aussie Lamb Bits. This was a bit different in terms of toppings.  It had the usual delicious Vangogh rice, and the meat was this very succulent and moist lamb cut into bits.  Had some banana chips, nuts, strawberry as a garnish, and some cucumbers, and oh look at that… some flower petals.  It’s amazing just how many ingredients are going into this dish, and yet when I think about the concept, the dish really just works.  A lot of flower petals are edible, I’m just not sure what kind of flower petals they used with this.

SWEET COUPLE, WEIRD HATS!

I really love going out with Roch, if there’s one person that I don’t mind taking so many pictures with, it’s this lady.  Here we take a picture at one of the corners in the Van Gogh Is Bipolar House. Again, notice the attention to detail, the wine bottles in the backround, the candles, the interesting books on the bookshelves, and even the nice furniture.  I’m telling you, this place is great for dates, and I’m just thankful for sharing this moment with Roch.

LADIES! STRIKE A POSE!

And look at the hat rack on the left of the picture above, another very unique thing about Van Gogh is Bipolar, if you haven’t noticed yet, is that you get to wear some of the silliest hats you will ever see in your life.  And some, well, pretty cute.  Just look at the two ladies above.   Two very blessed men, Sean and myself, for having such great women in our lives.  It doesn’t hurt that they look so cute in these hats, and of course it matches their outfits, which I think is what’s truly important if you ask them. Haha.

Now, one of the rules at Van Gogh is that you must take your shoes off at the door.  However, this was way back in March when I came to The Philippines for a vacation, and just about 3 weeks before my arrival, Roch had fractured her ankle, so she always had to wear boots in order to minimize any movements on her ankle.  So, you see, Roch is actually the only person that has ever gotten to wear shoes inside the Van Gogh house.  She’s famous!

An Angel and.. The Luckiest Man on Earth

This is one of my most favorite pictures of Roch and I. Silly hats and all, but what you don’t see is just how happy I am. Aside from probably one of the best places to go out on one of your first few dates, Van Gogh let us be a bit silly, gave us space to talk and get to know each other a bit more. It’s at this moment, that once again, I fall deeply madly in love with Roch. How could I not. Just writing this makes me just want to give her a huge hug. Damn, so cheesy!

My Stiff GQ Pose

Every nook and cranny at the Van Gogh house is really unique.  Not only is this particular corner ladened with business cards, notes, and all, but it just shows another aspect of what makes this place unique and special — the freedom.  You really feel at home, as I assume the owner of the place intended it to be.  I’m actually leaning on the entrance door.

Red Curse-Healing Wall

First off, it was my first time to meet any of Roch’s friends, let alone one of her best friends, Hai. Also her boyfriend, Sean. Both were really great, I couldn’t have asked for a more nicer couple to introduce me into Roch’s world than them.

It was just my second day with Roch during my March vacation, suffice it to say, I was a bit nervous as to how they would like me. But anyway, aside from great joy because I had been spending the whole day with Roch that day, and my other emotion of some nervousness, the place really made me feel at ease, calm, and actually pretty happy.

It’s funny, but when you read the House Rules, it actually says to “celebrate your sh*t life by writing on the curse-healing wall”. But all we really did is write our names on the wall.  I may have broken a house rule, but one that isn’t a written rule, because as the ladies went out to look around, I wrote twice on the wall: once with my name, and another addressed to Roch.  To this day, Roch does not know what I wrote on that wall.  If you can find it, maybe you can tell her…

ENTRANCE INTO THE CALM

This is the entrance into Van Gogh Is Bipolar.  As you can see, it really is just a house that was turned into a calm and inviting resto.  Van Gogh will leave you with a great memorable experience.  It’s so different from the normal places to go out and is definitely not your usual date night kind of place.  But this is one place that I would love to go to every now and again to experience that great calmness.   Van Gogh, because of its great portions of food, is a place, even though it seems so exclusive, has probably the best bang for your buck that Roch and I have gone to in the Metro Manila area.

I honestly could not give more praise to the owner and the cooks of this place.  Not only are the ingredients fresh, natural, no chemicals or preservatives, but they really put so much effort in all the conceptual details in each of their dishes.  I honestly don’t know what the owner did before opening this place, but he must have studied food nutrition or have been helped by someone who knew the value of wonderful natural ingredients and how they truly alter your mood.  We are, after all, what we eat.

So, experience a Bipolar treat, and come on out to Van Gogh, tell me what you think, and if you don’t agree with just how good the place is, and you get totally pissed off, don’t worry, have some calming tea from Van Gogh, and even your anger will subside!

I’m sure I’ve left out so many details in this post, and trust me, there’s a lot more to discover at Van Gogh.  You can check out the rest of the Van Gogh Pictures here OR go try it out for yourself!

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Van Gogh is Bipolar

154 H Maginhawa St. Sikatuna Village, Quezon City, Philippines