Coffee is nice. But since some coffee shops are marketing their respective establishments as “something to experience” apart from excellent beverages served, how about a theatrical experience?
iChill Theater Cafe is one of the first underground theater cafes in the Philippines; one where the underground theater is on the 2nd floor. That is where the Broadway-themed events are staged. If you want to test the waters first on whether you can command a crowd while singing a hit song from the musicals, you can sing them first at the open mic area just beside the counter on the first floor of iChill
One major event that debuted at iChill 6 months ago is the Broadway-themed concert helmed by Elizabeth Buot and the iChill owner himself, Kuya Manzano. It was basically a medley of Broadway hits like “Cabaret”, “This is the Moment”, “Taylor The Latte Boy” and “The Impossible Dream”, to name a few. That basically displayed how concepts can simply go out of the box and just go with what playlist you have. Initially an intimate event, it eventually got performed in similarly intimate settings to enjoy the music and the performances in a limited edition set-up.
Balloons on the second floor gave the venue a festive mood. It is a nice attitude to apply in musicals. Fans often celebrate about them like special events that deserve repeat performances. The posters hanging on the walls also help musical fans other interesting musicals worth exploring like “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”, “Annie”, “Peter Pan” and of course, “Chicago”.
Speaking of “Chicago”, the intimate atmosphere helps performers lose their inhibitions when it comes to performing acts that require some revealing clothes. Whether it’s “Cabaret”, “Chicago” and other edgy musicals, there is nothing to worry about when performing for your test crowd.
But the fact that it served as a hangout place for university students especially during examination season is proof of the coziness of the place to have coffee, some snacks and a neat place to study. WiFi is free which is a big plus since some students would usually hang out in coffee shops and Instagram their food. Of course no one would mind them Instagraming their food as it would reach other markets and might end up being coffee shop regulars too.
What’s in store for you in case you try dropping by iChill? Waffle sandwiches here sell well since delectable options are available for you. The fillings found in those sandwiches vary like one with banana and peanut butter. Who would have thought that even latondan bananas would taste great with waffles? Most Filipinos are fine having it on its own. It’s a nice way to spin a classic after-meal favorite. But in iChill Theater Cafe, it’s a great snack to have while browsing online.
Another nice waffle sandwich would be the tuna sandwich. Tastes great with tomatoes and lettuce plus Caesar dressing, it’s one of the closest things to a gourmet sandwich here. You can eat it with your bare hands or you can use a fork and a knife for less mess. I mentioned 2 great sandwiches to go with the drinks since it’s the drinks that the regulars would go for.
iChill Theater Cafe serves hot and cold drinks. The weather might be chilly at the moment but some students would still come over and order the blended drinks otherwise known as frappes. If you would like to get a kicker while studying for your exams or for typing your thesis, coffee-based drinks are available for you. Milk-based drinks are usually ordered by delivery since milk is one of the most natural sleep-inducing ingredients in drinks today. So it would be better to have it mixed with the drinks sold at iChill. And for students that are lactose-intolerant, the soya-based drinks would be highly recommended. It’s a healthy alternative too since soya is rich in protein.
Smoothies to go with your sandwiches are found here too. They are mostly fruit-based like the mango yoghurt smoothie and the strawberry smoothie. If you’d like to increase the fruity taste and health value in these smoothie, fruit combos are available too. These aforementioned variants can be thickened once blended with a banana.
The fruitiest smoothies though contain both banana and apple, blended with either mango or strawberry. Imagine a smoothie with 3 fruits blended in a drink. Thick and smooth at the same time, it’s the best respite in case there are days that you don’t feel like having coffee or any coffee-based drinks at the moment.
Go book your own event now with them. iChill Theater Cafe is located at Dos Castillas St, Sampaloc, Manila (just behind McDo Lacson Ave nearby UST Hospital). You can get in touch with them by liking their official Facebook page, iChill Theater Cafe, and by following them on Twitter @iChillTheater. In case you need ideas about Broadway-themed events to book there, like our official Facebook page, MusicalsOnline.com, and follow us on Twitter @musicalsnews. Thanks for reading.
