Formerly stationed at the heart of Poblacion in Makati City, it was hard to miss the neon, pink-lit “NOKAL” sign along Kalayaan. Launched in 2018, the establishment grew into a popular all-around bar and diner, before closing during the height of the pandemic.
Today, the bar’s patrons, called “Lokals of Nokal,” find a new home as partners Marco Viray, Lee Watson, Raul Fores, and Jason Soong recently relaunched NoKal at Makati Cinema Square.
“We’ve always been a safe place to go to. I think the culture that we promote is one that expresses peace, love, and responsibility,” said Marco Viray, NoKal co-founder and managing director. “‘In our house, we are all equal,’ as they say.”
NoKal presents everything its “Lokals” missed about it, along with new offerings. Patrons can now get their classic go-to’s like the NoKal Burger made famous by Kitchen Consultant Chef Raul Fores, or enjoy new offering, including an exciting cocktail variant called Studio 54. The Instagrammable drink, curated by Bar Specialist Lee Watson, is served with a mini disco ball on the glass.
In terms of the music and dancing, NoKal music and entertainment programming head Jason Soong said, “[The music] actually might be the first thing you will notice when you walk in. It just sounds so good without hurting the ears.”
NoKal is located at Basement 1 of Makati Cinema Square. The club is open weekly from Wednesday through Saturday from 8 pm to 5 am. More information is available on NoKal’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, @nokal.mnl.