While the live entertainment scenes in Makati and The Fort are alive and pulsating, the South has yet to take a bite of this growing dining and entertainment pie until RED comes along. And just like that, live bands, stand-up comic acts, and solo acts now have a venue in Alabang, Muntinlupa where they can showcase talents and entertain the people of the South.
RED Kitchen and Bar is located at River Park, Festival Supermall in Alabang, Munitinlupa City’s newest dining cluster. RED stands for Relaxation, Entertainment, and Dining, and is the brainchild of Ruffy Biazon and Mario Suarez, friends since high school, avid music fans, record collectors, and part-time deejays.
The duo has had a long-time dream of putting up an entertainment lounge, a concept that, in recent years, has been combined with dining to come up with entertainment-centered restaurants, especially in the South.
“We’ve noticed there have been restaurants popping up in the Fort and Makati wherein they regularly invite performers, and we thought this was a great idea to combine our love for music and performing with our desire to serve great food,” Mario Suarez says. “Plus, people from the South really drive all the way to Makati or the Fort just to be able to see a show, which means they really are receptive to the concept.”
RED Kitchen and Bar is thus the DJ circuit’s connection to the South. Biazon and Suarez have in fact invited several retro DJs to spin at Red and heat up the night with 80s and 90s music.
RED is also the sight of fun Friday night Rockeokes, giving diners the experience of what it’s like to be onstage.
“Rockeoke is one of our most popular activities at Red. We’ve found that there are a lot of people who find the idea of going up onstage and jamming with our band to be enjoyable,” says Suarez. “
Recently, the highly-acclaimed Comedy Cartel, a group of comedians managed by eCircle Management with Tim Tayag as one of its prominent members, performed at RED. Performers included Ruther Uruquia from Pilipinas Got Talent, Rene Cruz of Bubble Gang, and Sherwin Cunanan, runner-up of the Laugh and Stack Open Mic Showdown.
“What we especially like about Comedy Cartel is that their brand of comedy is very different from the slapstick that is normally offered. It’s quite intellectual so it’s something unique for the audience,” Suarez adds. “There’s now a dedicated group of audiences that follow the group’s shows at RED. Given how the diners are receptive to the group, we feel like repeating these shows in the long run,”
RED is fast gaining a reputation for its blend of different international cuisines. Diners can try classic pulutan such as spicy squid skewers and nacho salad, as well as try innovative dishes such as Brazilian churrasco, a quad of meats carved right on the table.
“The food is inspired by different dishes all over the world. Rather than stick with just one cuisine, we want the diners to try samples from different cuisines. It’s almost as if they’re traveling the world through food,” states Adolf Aran, food consultant at RED.
Festival Supermall is a premier development in Filinvest City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City. It is the only mall with five anchor stores: Shopwise Supercenter, SaveMore, Robinsons Department Store, Ace Hardware and Handyman. It has over 700 shops, a total of 2,300 multilevel parking slots, various food outlets, and indoor amusement rides