van gogh is bipolar

a nice place to relieve stress. staff are very accomodating and gorgeous. plus the menu is a bit unique, yes its pricy but its worth it

food - 4/5
place - 3/5
staff - 4/5
acrivities - 5/5 xd

will i come back? yes of course

the moment you step in to the wardrobe (remember to take off your footwear first!),you're instantly transported to a different world that's both mysterious and eclectic. it's a total experience, not only the ambiance but especially the food which are all organic. maricar our life server, is so accommodating and generous in educating us about each element of the food we ordered. apparently, all the food are meant to improve mood as well as maximize full potential of your neurotransmitters. we had a classic feast which includes fresh fruits in season, dessert, and the main course although they were kind enough to serve us their wild mushroom soup, too.
it was a very nice experience, and i actually suggest going in intimate groups as you'd really appreciate the vibe. overall, i'd go there again for a shot of their absinthe or two! 😉

it's probably just my taste but i didn't think that the food was worth its price. we got the experience feast for 999/person and i think the theme for that day was tamarind. wasn't a fan of it but i kind of like the theme of the place.

when we got there, we had to place our shoes on a container outside of the door. not sure what you call that but it looked like a ref to me but maybe a bit warm on the inside.

so we were a bit late for our reservation but had notified the place beforehand. when we got there, no one else is eating at the place so we gave a sigh of relief and said something along the lines of, "oh, it's not full. so it was alright even if we were a bit late." the waitress/attendant then replied with, "pero di pa rin maganda ang nalalate. minsan napupuno kami dito bigla." and there was no friendly smile that came along with it so it came across as rude but me and my partner simply looked at each other and smiled a bit, communicating to each other that wow that was a bit unexpected haha.

we then got seated in front of the window to the kitchen. the attendant started with placing bowls in front of us and began explaining that the owner of the place was an advocate of natural and healthy products. and so we were asked to disinfect our hands with vinegar and baking soda. it was surprising but we went along with it haha since it's unique. just gotta note that the vinegar's smell will stay there for long until you wash your hands with soap. we then filled out a form to note any allergies, what kind of food we preferred, etc. then we were given a map of the place with instructions and was suggested to roam the place and have fun while waiting. so we did just that.

the place was small but they sure utilized all that space wellas there was about 20 stops for that map we had. we went back to our table and food was served. as staed above, i was disappointed and it didn't suit my tastes. i didn't get to finish it, sadly, which was a waste of what we paid for.

overall, it was unique for the experience and we were told that they change menu and they even change the layout and design of their restaurant quite frequently (forgot if it's weekly or something). if you're looking for that plus a healthy choice of food and a kick of unique taste, then go ahead and try this place out.

the place is very popular that is why i decided to spend my birthday there.
the whole place is a different experience from coming inside and the look of the place. the reason for the 3* rating is because the pricing is overpirce and the food is below average,

what i like is our server she is very friendly and really there if we need something and have an initiative even when not asked.

van gogh is bipolar
is a place that is good to experience
i can't see myself coming back
also good for people loves to eat clean.

i don't really mind how pricey the food is here because the food here is a gastronomical delight! 😍 you go through this cabinet pathway (lol. that's how i would describe it) and enter a place with a lot of paintings, a lot of cool stuff, and some nice chandeliers. there is a myriad of interesting things here.

we got the set menu for 700 pesos or so at the time. i lovvvee their juice drink here. it's just so naturally good. 😍 plus the buddha something tea here (i forgot the exact name) is really, really good. 🤗 i got lamb for my dinner and it's actually amazing how they made the rice with nuts and fruits. it seems a bit bizarre but it works wonders. :) at the time we were here we didn't know what kind of food we would get since it's a surprise but everything was really good.

i wouldn't exactly label this place as 'hipster' since this place is actually a haven for those who are struggling with mental illnesses. we talked to the owner, and he's a really wonderful person, and he told us that the food he served here was also his diet. he told us that he researched on a kind of diet that would help recover from mental illnesses. pretty great stuff huh? i'm not sure but many the effect of the diet he has has something to do with the hormonal pathways like dopamine and such. again i'm not sure. lol. but it is a nice concept. and he told us he got the ingredients fresh from their own farm.

he also told us that anyone who struggles with mental illnesses like anxiety, major depression and such can actually go to this place and just talk with the staff. i think it's a great advocacy since a lot of people think that mental illness is so simple. they usually fail to comprehend it's a cascade of hormonal or neurotransmitter imbalance in the neurological circuitry. it's like any other disease like hypertension or diabetes that warrants medications. so i'm happy this place practices that. ❤️

all of these plus great food makes this place a really unique one.

we're all weird anyway.

i've been thinking of going to this restaurant a bunch of times and i finally called, made a reservation and it's a good thing i did that because i never had such an amazing dining experience.

this restaurant is all about the experience you have while enjoying your meal. they ask you to take your shoes off and so you walk in, feeling like you're at someone's kitchen or apartment. and then, depending on what seats are available, and how you feel, you get to sit wherever you want (i suggest that you make a reservation and arrive a little early than your reservation to get a good seat.)

what makes this place really unique is that they let you be who you really want to be. you can have dinner with a tiara, or hat, or mask, or whatever floats your boat. they're also trying this new thing where they wash your hands before you eat with natural ingredients so that you'll feel like royalty. the experience of stepping out of your comfort zone yet still being so much of yourself is what makes this place worth visiting. it is a little pricey but it's absolutely worth it.

the food is weird but that's what you'll love about it. it's weird in all the good ways you want it to be. i suggest getting the chicken because it's soooo tasty but remember that they do change their menu from time to time. as for the tea, i suggest you go crazy and do whatever you want with your tea as long as you drink it after :)). trust me when i say that the mood they want you to feel after dinner is the mood you will feel through out the night :)

i've never had such a great time over dinner and i'd love to come back again :)

went here last december 23, 2017 with my boyfriend for our christmas dinner. the place is very chill with a mystical vibe. the experience is very unique and interesting! it's a good dining place for lovers who wants a quiet and peaceful environment. the food is a bit expensive though since we paid 3800+php for the lovers set with mostly just salad, a 1/4 roasted chicken, and 2 small cut of salmon but still very filling. i would recommend to my family and friends but we kinda felt it's for a one time experience only. but overall, we love it!

you guys should visit and check this place!

very unusual. such a different kind and something new experience. and, the place is really cool!

dining in van gogh is bipolar is a gastronomical healing journey that should be experienced at least once. the menu changes a lot since it's heavily reliant on what's available. notable dishes though were the salmon which was well-cooked and the chicken with a really delicious marinade! both were juicy and went perfect with black rice. nothing out of the ordinary but it was cooked well. i chose the alcoholic dessert where you take a single shot inspired by absinthe with a chaser of rich, dark chocate. it was an explosion of flavor. the wide selection of mood healing tea is also worth noting! i got to try four different types. the lifeservers were really great too! i came out feeling refreshed.

we had to come back several times because you don't really know when they will open. the alternative restaurant beside it serves mediocre food.

anyway, when we were finally able to eat it was really wonderful. we tried the tea infusion & they were considerate that we had a baby in tow. they brought out some of the herbal tea for us instead of making me stand and choose my pot. we had a lovely meal and even got to take home a souvenir mother & child sketch.

by some stroke of luck, my friend and i managed to get a table here with no reservation. best dining experience i've had. the menu changes depending on what's fresh and in season. you never know what you're going to get, just a vague idea. but when your food comes, it's amazing. food, beverages, service, ambiance, everything is lit.

not just a café, not just a restaurant — but a mood-healing sanctuary. that perfectly sums up van gogh is bipolar which is located in the ever popular foodie destination, maginhawa.

i've been wanting to visit this place for years and finally had the chance to do so last weekend. van gogh is bipolar is owned by artist jetro rafael, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and uses culinary adventure as a form of healing.

we arrived at the place at exactly 12nn for our reservation. you'd need to take off your shoes before entering the place, and upon entrance, we were greeted by all sorts of weird, quirky and whimsical objects. even the feel of the place was like falling onto the rabbit hole.

we were greeted by lawrence, who was our attendant for the day. he was very cheerful and friendly and felt like he could be my baby brother. you'd instantly warm up to him. haha! he gave us a black guide book and a checklist for our food preferences (where you have a choice for the heat level of your food, if you're a vegetarian, pescetarian or carnivore, and you can list down any food allergies), as well as their ala carte menu. we opted for the experience set meal for p999/head. it comes with soup, appetizer, drinks, mains and dessert. not bad, eh?

now back to the black guide book, this is where all the magic starts. ✨ inside the black guide book are different self-healing rituals you can do. first, choose your own teapot and make your own mood-healing tea based on your current mood. they have a mood meter for your reference on what tea leaves to choose from. the process of making my own tea is a relaxation in itself, bakit pag sa bahay at nag-steep ako ng lipton tea bag hindi ganito? lol, jk. 😂

i'm not going to list down all the mood-healing activities so as not to spoil those who haven't been to vgib yet. but i'd like to highlight the activities that i enjoyed — the dark room, where you can write down your deepest, darkest thoughts and secrets. the garden, where you can sit down, breathe, think and relax. oh, and it has a swing! ♥️

now let's go to the food! their menu is always shifting and mostly depends on the mood of the owner.

✨ soup — virginia woolf tears
it's a veggie-based hearty and slow-cooked broth using just natural ingredients. perfect to soothe and comfort your weary-stressed soul. yas! they had me at "comfort your weary-stressed soul". charot! but kidding aside, what i loved about this soup — aside from its unique name — is that it's uncomplicated (unlike your relationship status, charot again!) 😂 it's very flavorful with just cabbages and cashews as its main ingredients.

✨ appetizer — axl rose's organic egg shot
this one was personally prepared by lawrence for us. it's made of organic egg submerged in hot water for 5 minutes, then the egg white is separated from the yolk. the yolk is then put on a shot glass, sprinkled with organic sea salt with wild honey mustard, and jägermeister. organic egg is a known stress buster especially when eaten raw, and jägermeister is a type of herbal liqueur which includes 56 herbs, fruits, roots and spices.

before downing the egg shot, lawrence told us to never take a shot without saying "cheers!" in a different language. the boyfie and i toasted to "kampai!" and downed it! damn, bruh! this one is for the adventurous soul! i'm an adventurous foodie anyway so it was no biggie for me, but i gotta admit i was a bit weirded out. in a good way, of course. 😂

✨ drink: courtney love's potion
— my courtney love's potion of the day was fresh coconut water with a slice of dalandan, topped with mint and edible flower. it was served in a tall glass and the drink was just too pretty!

✨ mains: personalized happy or calm dish
— consists of lamb chop with cordillera black mountain rice, and different sorts of veggies and fruits, all in one huge plate. this dish was super filling, i loved how perfectly cooked the black rice was! it wasn't grainy and goes down smoothly. and the lamb chop was 💣 — the meat was tender and very flavorful. plus, i liked that they included fruits and veggies in the dish, it was a nice combination of salty and sweet.

✨ dessert: mel gibson's darkest sin
— for dessert, lawrence gave us a choice between wholesome and sinful. we initially chose sinful for the bf and wholesome for me so that we can try both. but he suggested that for first timers, sinful dessert is recommended. who am i to argue? sinful it is!

this sinful dessert is a shot which is mainly absinthe liqueur with wild honey and homemade melted dark chocolate with walnut as chaser. lawrence prepared this drink in front of us, he poured the absinthe on a glass bowl and lit it on fire to dilute the alcohol volume and sprinkled cayenne pepper which created a "firework-like" effect, it was too entertaining! 😂💯 (fun fact: absinthe is vincent van gogh's favorite drink and he was high on this when he painted his most noted masterpiece, the starry night.)

again, in true vgib fashion, we toasted to "cheers!" in a different language, this time in german — "prost!" i felt the burn of the alcohol from my throat all the way down to my stomach. the melted dark chocolate was indeed the perfect chaser, it washed down the bitter taste of absinthe.

van gogh is bipolar is truly a gem. the experience was one for the books! the saying "good food is good mood" holds true in this mood-healing sanctuary. no wonder first timers are intrigued and regular patrons keep on coming back.

this is a place not meant to be rushed, you need to linger and savor the experience. i instantly felt lighter afterwards. ♥️ i will be back! and for those who still haven't been here, i suggest you reserve a table, pronto! ✨

if you want to try a more different and playful ambiance, try van gogh is bipolar. loved its unique theme! vgib has lots of story to tell about the restaurant's theme and food.

i went unprepared. this place takes you to a whole new dimension. it looks like a secret place where you have to leave your shoes inside a fridge and enters in a cabinet. it feels like i'm in narnia or alice in wonderland. the place is so magical!

upon entering you will be greeted by servers who looks like a fictional characters. they will give you a small book that you have to follow once you're inside so you'll enjoy your stay at the restaurant.

food. foods taste and look like a fairies' meal. it's good. price range is around php 700 up to php 2,000. quite pricy but if you are going to stay here for a couple of hours then it's all worth it.

we had a free dinner for two at vincent van gogh is bipolar last april after winning in a raffle hosted by we want workshops. so, this is a long overdue blog post, bear with me please (hehehe). we want workshops took care of everything, we just needed to set the schedule and show up. "bipolar, apparently, is a description of a person who has a manic depressive illness -- someone who feels very happy at one moment and then suddenly becomes depressed."