The owners want to bring guests to a place they haven t been before, a place not found anywhere else in Manila. And that becomes evident the moment you enter Moomba s double doors framed with distressed wood and lined with varnished patalsik twigs. No wonder, since a bundle of the lowly but versatile twig sourced from Bicol costs a mere P35. A worn plank of traviesa doubles as the door handle. Clear sheets of story glass make up part of the high-ceilinged vestibule, while moss green display shelves filled with a variety of accent pieces allow arriving guests to see through the first of Moomba s elevated lounges.
Creativity is written in the details.
Printed drapes in rust and cream, for instance, alternate with natural jute sacks, the kind used to hold coffee beans. In place of curtain rings, Tan chose strings of abaca to hold the curtains together. The same rough material is paired with katsa , which guests in two elevated lounges can readily pull to give them a semblance of privacy, never mind the roving eyes of other guests seated on the second floor. Like a courtyard The place is designed like a courtyard, so you get a view of the lounge areas below from the second level. A pair of catwalks made of checkered metal plates connect the left and right wings.