Smile: Inflight Magazine of Cebu Pacific Air

OH-SO-HIP OSAKA

SARAH WOODS HAS THE IT LIST FOR THE MOST HAPPENING CLUBS AND PLACES TO SEE AND BE SEEN AT IN OSAKA, CEBU PACIFIC’S XCITING NEW DESTINATION

Osaka’s pumping nightlife is everything you’d expect from a sassy super-hot city, packed with buzzing bars, restaurants and cafés that have rightly earned it the moniker “City of kuidaore” (eat until you fall down). Second only to Tokyo in vibrancy, Osaka boasts an abundance of cocktail joints, wine bars and martini lounges that offer plenty of falling-down libation, from sake to whisky. Choose from cozy casual beer joints and sultry, classy bars with breathtaking views in Japan’s third-largest city, while numerous ultra-hip neon-lit dancefloors and chichi hangouts throw parties that rage until dawn.

WINDOWS ON THE WORLD

A world-class mixologist blends a menu of imaginative cocktails, attracting a discerning gaijin (foreign) party crowd to this five-star ultra-swish drinking spot affording jaw-dropping views. Osaka’s most civilized Happy Hour runs all night in this 35th floor cocktail bar – or until the last person calls for a cab. Allow for a hefty cover charge and budget for impressive price tags, but it is worth the upscale splurge as the mood is magically mellow. Hilton Hotel, 1-8-8 Umeda Kita-ku, tel: +81 (6) 6347 7111, www.hilton.co.uk

CLUB KARMA

Mingle among Osaka’s trendsetters and style gurus in this classy nightclub, which is popular with the city’s beautiful people and celebrity crowd. A restaurant on weekdays, Club Karma transforms into a venue for weekend all-night techno rave dance parties that are the stuff of legends and which require serious stamina. Don’t even contemplate partying here unless you’re seeking a high-energy buzz in a haven of new wave drum ‘n’ bass. Arrive with a bulging wallet, as there’s a cover charge of JPY2,500 (PHP1,175.28) and a menu of cocktails that can bust a budget in a blink. 1-5-18 Sonezakishinchi, Kita-ku, tel: 81 (6) 6344 6181, www.club-karma.com

CLUB QUATTRO

Every music lover in Osaka knows this energetic live music joint as it hosts big-name bands, top DJs and artists from all over Japan and around the globe. Club Quattro’s laid-back atmosphere extends to the bar, the gig-goers and the bands alike. Pick up a copy of Flyer from the box office, free of charge, to check up-coming acts. Past sell-outs include Opeth, Plastic Tree, Zazen Boys, Stephen Malkmus and Badly Drawn Boy. 1-9-1 Shinsaibashi-Suji, tel: +81(6) 6281 8181, www.club-quattro.com

TIN’S HALL

Few places in downtown Tennoji district are as chilled-out and unpretentious as Tin’s Hall, a fine neighborhood bar that often hosts live DJs and bands. An absence of cover charge makes this a cost-effective party haunt, six days a week – especially on Tuesday nights when potent cocktails are just JPY400 (PHP174.24). Happy Hour runs 6pm until 9pm, from Monday to Saturday, when cheap draft beers, nachos and fried chicken are a popular indulgence with a lively after-work crowd of locals, foreigners and businessmen alike. 10-3 Minamikawahoricho, Tennoji-ku, tel: +81 (6) 773 5955, email: ten@tins-hall.com, www.tins-hall.com

CINQUECENTO

Party animals on a budget adore Cinqs (as its loyal regulars know it) as every drink on the menu is JPY500 (PHP217.80) for as long as you pay in cash. Join local punters and expatriates alike to choose from a menu of 80 flavored martinis – from chocolate and Baileys to apple. It’s a bit of a squeeze but a friendly crowd makes the most of the crush. Gulp down 100 shots and you’ll be added to the “Shots of Shame” wall chart. Open until 5am, seven days a week. 1st Floor, Matsumiya Building, 2-1-10 Higashi Shinsaibashi, Chuo-ku, tel: +81 (6) 6213 6788

SAM AND DAVE UMEDA

Hip sounds and mega-wicked DJs make the fresh-faced crowds go wild at this hedonistic dance joint, one of Osaka’s busiest party haunts. Boom-boom beats pump through a top-notch sound system at an ear-splitting velocity while crazy lighting and costumed bar staff attempt to steal the show. Cool, but not OTT – what’s more, a “no rip off” policy means that beers are just JPY500 (PHP217.80). It’s easy to understand why this place is packed six days a week (closed on Mondays). 1f, 4-15-19 Nishitenma, Kita-ku, tel: +81 (6) 6365 1688, www.samanddave.jp

PLAYPEN

Slip on a pair of dancing shoes for a night of unabashed revelry at the oh-so-fun Playpen, a mass-market clubbing jamboree that attracts the hordes. While young Japanese divas strut their stuff to Euro-pop beats, a gaggle of guys drink whiskey on oversized sofas. Live DJs and “up for it” staff are all primed to party, party, party in Osaka’s sweatiest basement haunt. Cheesy chat-up lines are all part of a wild night out here, and pretty much anything goes. Dotombori/Shinsaibashi, tel: +81 (6) 6214 8789

BAR ISN’T IT?

At this funky Japanese bar chain, food and drinks cost JPY500 (PHP217.80) a piece, except during the weekends when a JPY1,000 (PHP435.73) cover charge kicks in – but this includes a couple of drinks. Popular with a young Japanese clientele – who crowd around the bar at a dozen or so high tables – you can barely notice the shabby-chic decor when it’s packed to the rafters. A live DJ cranks up some serious pop, reggae and rock to the max on weekends when it is standing room only in one of Osaka’s best-value late-night haunts. Shin-Midosuji Street, tel: +81 (6) 6363 4001, www.isnt-it.info

NIPPONGO 101

Useful phrases to help you get around the Osaka bar circuit

Excuse me (to get attention)
Sumi masen
What is your name?
Anata-no namae wa?
Pleased to meet you
Dozo yoroshiku
My name is _______
Watashi no namae wa _______ desu
Do you come here often?
Koko ni yoku kuru?
Something to drink?
Nomimono wa ikaga?
Do you drink beer/liquor/wine?
Biiru/osake/wain o nomu?
Cheers!
Kampai!
Drink up!
Ikki! Ikki!
Where do you want to sit?
Doko ni suwaritai?
That’s cool!
Sore wa sugoi ne!
Cute!
Kawaii!
Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?
Boifrendo/girufrendo ga iru?
I want to dance with you
Kimi to odoritai
Let’s have fun!
Tanoshimou
What time is it?
Nan-ji desu ka?
Let’s go
Ikimasho
Would you like to go for coffee?
Koohii o nomimasen ka?
Let’s see each other again
Mata aimashou