Q Bar Gensan

Most discoveries often begin with a question. Partyphiles know this for a fact as some of the best discoveries in Partylandia started as innocent questions like:

“Will Rum go well with Coke?” which lead to one of the most popular cocktails, the Rum-Coke. “Will it be a hot idea to actually give people a place to dance in, without having an audience?” which lead to the creation of the dance bar. Or “will it be a good idea to boil, then grill, then chop up pork cheeks and ears and then serve it in a sizzling plate,?”, thus the creation of the pulutan everybody craves for: sisig.

Alright, alright, so maybe those discoveries did not actually start with those questions, but they totally could have. Because in my experience, a curious partyphile always gets ahead in Partylandia. That is, they get to discover new places, new trends,a n new products. And that is exactly how I discovered my new favorite resto bar in General Santos City. Yes, it all started with a question that went something like “Are there new party places in Gen San”

To my delight, an overwhelming response (that’s four out of five of my Gen San friends) directed me to Q Bar. For Davaoenos, the name might be all too familiar. That is because their main branch is at Damosa Gateway. And yes, being a branch, they have virtually the same menu, and more importantly, they also serve “Endless Chicken” (eat-all-you-ca greaseless chicken with eat-all-you-can gravy, eat-all-you-can rice, and drink-all-you-can Iced Tea). Having said that, the menu is probably the only things the Gen San branch and the Damosa branch share.

The truth is, Q Bar Gensan isseveral notches higher in the aprty-scale than the one in Damosa. So how does it look like? What do they serve? What music do they play? And what is the crowd like? Here are the answers to your questions:

Interiors. The interiors of Q Bar Gensan is awe-striking. The interiors are posh, ultra modern, yet still manage to give off a cozy vibe. In fact, it is so cozy that it is pretty easy to settle in your seat and get lost in a conversation with your friends, without minding the rest of the room. If you still think that Gensan is not urbanized enough, one look at Q Bar will make you change opinions as fast as Lady Gaga changes costumes.

Food. As I’ve said. Their menu is pretty similar to that of Q Bar Damosa’s. That is, they serve the traditional pulutan we all so love including Sisig, Chorizo Sisig, Calamares, ad everything else you would expect from a Pulutan menu. However, being a resto bar, they also serve actual meals. In fact, unlike Q Bar in Damosa, they have steaks, and even pasta dishes. I have only tried their onion-filled Sisig that is super savory and filled with “umami”, their perfectly cooked (that means, super crunchy, yet still quite tender inside) Calamres, and their addicting Cheese Sticks which were not too salty, but were super stringy and gooey. Needless to say, their food was great. So I suggest a trip to Q Bar even to non-drinkers.

Drinks. Compared with most bars in Gensan, they have a more traditional drink menu, but their specialty cocktail, the HypnotiQ is the star of their liquor bar. Unfortunately, the powers-that-be at Q Bar would not tell me what was in the cocktail, but it had hints of citrus, just the right amount of sweetness, and a creamy texture that mad the cocktail go down really well. It was a perfect balance of flavours; a gorgeous blend of all the right tastes that you would hope for in a cocktail. Plus, it looks gorgeously posh, in a deep blue hue.

Music. They play the latest and the greatest mix of house music and R&B. The thing is, R&B music in Gensan clubs is still big, thus the DJ geniusly lays R&B ditties over house tracks to give them the ‘best of both worlds’. Does it work? Well, that is pretty relative, and I’m kind of biased since their play list at Q Bar is almost identical to the play list I have on my radio show; and that should tell you that their song selection is updated. Also, considering that there isn’t an actual dance floor (because again it is a RESTO bar), there are droves of people who dance the night away; and that might be the best gauge of a good play list, and a great DJ.

Crowd. I was surprised to see soo many yuppies and posh girls at this place. Honestly, I have not seen this crowd in all the other Gensan bars, clubs, and watering holes. I don’t know where they were all hiding, but they were obviously waiting to come out for Q Bar. The good news is, even if they all look posh and glam, they are pretty friendly. This lends a light and happy atmosphere that is a wonderful contrast to Q Bar’s dark interiors. The fact that Q Bar manages to generate such a great crowd is pretty mind-boggling as they do not charge for an entrance fee. I think, the fact that their interiors are classy and that their food is really great draws in the ‘right’ crowd. Whatever their secret is, I think more bars should follow suit.

For a wonderful mix of gorgeous people, gorgeous interiors, a gorgeous song selection, and some gorgeously gastronomic treats, I give this Gen San gem, five out of five stars. Visit Q Bar Gensan at the Sun City Compound just along the National Highway, right beside East Asia Hotel.

For comments, suggestions, and more confessions from this partyphile log on to http://party.i.ph. Or follow the columnist on twitter.com/zhaun. Catch Confessions of a Partyphile (the radio show) on 105.9 Mix fm or www.mixfm1059.com every Wednesday evenings, six to nine in the evening.