Foreign investors eyeing Manila entertainment row

Foreign investors are upbeat about the Philippine entertainment scene and are now focusing their resources in Malate and Ermita, Manila, boosting considerably the restaurant and bar industry in that area.

Two such investors, Harry Strafe and Wolfgang Uebler have just put up a bar called Old Harry’s Pub down at M.H. del Pilar Street, a first-of-its-kind five-star watering hole that caters to foreigners and Filipinos who frequent Manila’s bar scene.

Harry Strafe, a seasoned hotelier, has been in the business for the past 29 years and has managed and operated restaurants and bars all over Asia. Through the years, he has always considered the Philippines as his prime entertainment destination.

"The Philippines, in my opinion, is the best place to put up business of this kind because people here know how to have a good time," says Strafe. "That’s the bar we just put up, Old Harry’s Pub, is one-of-its-kind in the scene that it caters perfectly to the tastes of both foreigners and Filipinos."

Wolfgang Uebler, former executive chef of Hyatt Regency and Hotel Nikko who has stayed in the Philippines for the past two decades, says Filipinos are very adventurous when it comes to food and he believes it’s about time to put up a bar that also serves five-star dishes to tickle the Filipino palate.

"What I want is to give the Filipino taste bud a whole new dining experience. The Pub serves authentic German and Filipino dishes and other foreign fares. We import most of our ingredients from Germany and other European countries. It’s something Filipinos would surely love."

Manila’s entertainment and bar row got a big boost since the creation of the Bay Walk, and because of the obvious potential, foreigners are now looking at pouring their capital within that area. "Manila is rich in a lot of things: Its history, brave men and women. It’s time Manila gets another boost from foreigners who have come to love this beautiful city for years."