“Whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.”
In his 1927 prose poem, “Desiderata,” Max Ehrmann shared the essential things mankind must yearn for. The things that make life worth living. The things the Zamora family took to heart when they recently established a cocktail lounge and music library with the same name.
mid-century Art Deco design that exudes a relaxed and refined ambiance.
Photos by Sonny Espiritu
“To us, it’s more of a credo. Everything in this lounge: our food, our music, our cocktails, is what we desire and what we want to show to the people,” Desiderata Lounge general manager Anton Zamora shared with The Standard.
And if it’s peace amid the noise and haste that you desire, you can definitely find it at the quiet corner on 26th Street in Bonifacio Global City where Desiderata is tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the business district.
Desiderata, which opened early this year, aims to create a new culture and society in the midst of posh bars and lively clubs around BGC. Here people can indulge in sumptuous food, down a glass or two of signature cocktails, and listen to jazz and blues while having conversation with friends sans noise and disorder.
With interiors by Nix Alanon, Desiderata exudes a relaxed yet tasteful ambiance with its overall look that is undeniably inspired by mid-century Art Deco but with a contemporary twist. The warm tones, metal wall fixtures, Edison filament bulbs chandeliers and geometric tables give that Art Deco feel which are balanced by the modernity of dark teal and gold furnishing.
“We wanted to transport guests to a different time, but we wanted a little bit of contemporary also,” said Zamora, further explaining, “If you take a picture of this place in black and white, it looks really old so we kinda compensated with colors so it would look a bit contemporary.”
With all aesthetic elements considered, the lounge gives off a masculine vibe, something that may daunt some ladies. But the custom-made plush couches in delicate color and shape and other stylish decors that adorn the establishment diffuse the boys’ club feel.
“It’s like a cigar bar but a more feminine cigar bar,” noted Zamora.
chow perfect with beer; New York Sour; Desiderata’s signature cocktails are created
by mixologist Tim Walters; and Tuna Tataki.
The Zamora clan has been in the food and beverage business “for about half a century.” They are the people behind Basilio’s Restaurant and other dining establishments.
“We used to own bars before but [now] we want something more subtle; we didn’t want to do the bar thing like it’s just about beers. We want something more refined,” emphasized Zamora.
Inspired by a music bar the family visited in Ebisu, Tokyo, they added a music library on the mezzanine where customers can book a table, eat, drink, stay and play vinyl records. Perfect for groups of friends, the spot has a small bar, shelves that will be filled up with more vinyl, turntables, couches and a long table for dinner service.
This makes the lounge area on the ground floor a place for conversation and the music library ideal for people who want to appreciate music. But the owners also plan to hold poker games at the music area twice a month following a successful turnout on their first run held recently.
“We’re not yet sure how often we’re gonna do it, but we’re gonna try every other week. It’s gonna be a table for 10 on the mezzanine floor.”
But aesthetics and other add-ons can only take establishments like Desiderata so far, especially in such a competitive area. So apart from the feel and experience, it also offers delectable dishes and specially-concocted cocktails served by its crew clad in Joey Samson uniform. Desiderata’s menu features contemporary cuisine, with Spanish chef Borja Duran at the helm of the kitchen.
“We don’t really stick to a single cuisine or the traditional too much. We use as much as possible good ingredients sourced locally and internationally, and it’s more on the techniques that we use that make our food different,” said Zamora.
everything that his co-owners and partners desire.
All the techniques are courtesy of Chef Duran who was given free hand in the kitchen, so much so that whenever they get good ingredients, the executive chef whips up something using them and offers it to the guests.
One of their bestselling bar chows is the Pork Buns adapted from Chef David Chang’s recipe but given a twist. “He usually uses liempo/pork belly, the twist that we made is we use sisig/pork face in making the patties and while he uses hoisin, we mix hoisin with peanut butter and pair them with sriracha as a dip,” said Chef Duran.
This dish is so popular that Desiderata has customers coming just for those fluffy, savory buns. Another popular dish of the lounge is Tuna Tartare, made with tuna loin cured in salt and smoked for about 45 minutes. This delicacy is one of the most requested Desiderata fares that is not yet included on the menu.
Other must-trys include Grilled Caesar Salad (deconstructed Caesar salad with bacon bits and whole anchovy), Tuna Tataki (pan seared tuna served with quinoa and salted egg salad), Braised Wagyu Lengua (slow-cooked Wagyu tongue with homemade beetroot cream and mustard emulsion), Ceviche, and Crepe Inutak (traditional coconut curd served with a scoop of pistachio ice cream and jackfruit).
For the cocktails, Desiderata tapped mixologist Tim Walters who curated and created signature cocktail concoctions for them.
“We also do a lot of research and we try to teach our bartenders the proper way of doing things and what would be good,” said Zamora.
The list of cocktails include New York Sour, Granada, Tarragon Gin & Tonic, Negroni, Michelada, Mid-Winter Margarita, and other palate-pleasing drinks that complement and bring out the flavors of the lounge’s food.
Desiderata Lounge is located at Unit 106 Infinity Tower, 26th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Open Mondays to Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.