Wednesday, April 23, 2008 Crossing the velvet rope By Jigz Arquiza
IT'S Saturday night and I’m at the hippest place in town.
There’s a long line of people waiting to get in but it’s no problem. I’m on the list, and the velvet rope barring the gate opens to let me through. I make my way to the VIP room where I hang out ‘til the wee hours of the morning.
Club Vudu, or simply ‘Vudu’ to its habitués, at the Crossroads Arcade, opened its doors to Cebu’s clubbers in January of 2001, and has since defined the club scene in Cebu. Going against the belief that in Cebu, “you’re only as good as the next bar,” Vudu has undergone several changes in the seven years it’s been in existence, and its popularity has not diminished in the least.
Vudu has become an institution of Cebu’s club and party scene, so much so that even picky Manila club kids have heard of it. Nikki Jurado and Manolet Dario of legendary Manila-based partyphiles Natural Born Klubbers have deejayed and partied several times at Vudu. If that’s not a seal of approval from the pioneers of the Philippine rave subculture, then I don’t know what is.
From hip-hop to dance to the more sophisticated house and trance music, Vudu plays it; sometimes, the deejay even plays some rock music for a little variety. There’s actually two areas: the Main Room, where events are usually held, and the more intimate upstairs VIP room, giving guests a choice where to chill and listen to great music. But it’s not only the music that’s great at Vudu.
Surprisingly for a club, food at Vudu is pretty good, not merely passable. Credit it to owner Jaja Chiongbian, whose exacting standards make sure that your comfort bar chow is as delicious as you would expect it to be. Make sure you try Vudu’s sizzling sisig, which is as good as you’d get outside of Angeles City, Pampanga. Other personal recommendations are the oysters, literally drowned in a delicate cheese sauce, and the Korean chicken, tasting faintly of sesame oil. Of course, the usual drinks are available, such as beer and a variety of cocktails and hard liquor.
For someone who wants to see and be seen, a night at Vudu would be a good bet. Celebrities, whether local, Manila-based, usually end up at the club sometime after midnight. For those who just want to have a good time and have a few drinks with friends, hanging out at Vudu would be a good idea.
Just what is it that makes Vudu the perfect place to party in? Maybe it’s the music, maybe it’s the food and drinks, maybe it’s the people. Or maybe it’s the magic, the Vudu magic that takes you to the place where all roads lead to.
