EAT, PLAY, WATCH: DAVE & BUSTER'S FORMULA FOR FUN-FILLED ENTERTAINMENT

When I learned that American entertainment chain Dave & Buster's was going to open its first branch in the Philippines at Opus Mall, visions of Tron, The Last of Us and Stranger Things came to my mind.

- VICKY VELOSO-BARRERA

Orange and blue are the happy colors here at Dave & Buster's.

Though I'm not a video game player, this form of entertainment is such an '80s thing, which is my era. They were as much a part of the culture as the Farrah Fawcett hair, shoulder pads, and a whole wave of music that's still popular today.

Occupying 1,500 square meters on the third floor of Opus Mall in Bridgetowne, the arcade slash restaurant slash sports bar attracts you from afar with its happy blue and orange colors. Happy is, indeed, the mood, with loud '80s dance music that makes you want to get up and groove. And you can, if you're in the mood.

Or you can sit back, indulge in hearty servings of pure Americana — burgers, pizza, pasta, salad. They've wisely thrown in adobo-flavored bagnet, sisig and crispy pata for those who'd rather have those Pinoy flavors while watching sports events on massive screens.

The day we were there, the giant screens showed EJ Obi-ena and international pole vaulters competing at an event staged at Ayala Triangle. I never realized that pole vaulting was such a mesmerizing sport especially when hunks like EJ and those from the US, Poland, Turkey show off their athletic prowess and fine form.