For a time, Embassy was the ultimate superclub, the first of its kind in the country. Launched in 2005 as a three-part establishment that included Embassy Club, Embassy Cuisine and Embassy Cafeteria, the place became the nightlife destination in BGC.

Guests remember Embassy with joy and fond memories. It was the convergence point of Manila’s beautiful people.

But more than this, Embassy’s crowd became a true community of friends who started their careers in various fields almost at the same time, bringing together a generation of party people who could relate to each other not only in leisure but also in business.

Ten years after the club opened, and four years after its last day of operations, an Embassy 10th-year reunion party was held at Prive Luxury Club—the former Members Only, Embassy’s sister club.

When the doors opened at 10 p.m., Vanessa, former head of reception at Embassy (and now of Valkyrie), was on hand to welcome the guests. Even the once feared “door bitch” Aslie was spotted enjoying the party.

It was a celebration that somehow recalled the long and blurry nights. Old photos were flashed on a video screen. As the reminiscing went on, DJ Mars Miranda played R&B and hip hop hits from Embassy’s signature Snap, Crackle, Pop night.

DJ Ace Ramos followed with tunes that echoed through the Embassy halls in its heyday.

At around 1 a.m., the lights dimmed as a closing video played, followed by another, showing Tim Yap, one of Embassy’s founders, toasting to relive the spirit of the legendary club. Everyone raised a glass not only to Tim’s speech but also to their cherished memories of the club.

Two more DJs, Martin Pulgar and Marc Naval, extended the fun with their respective takes on the music played at Embassy.

And so the party went on like it had never ended. Indeed, the spirit of Embassy lives on—first at Republiq and Opus, and now in Prive, Valkyrie and the Palace Pool Club. That means nightlife in the metro remains vibrant, with Erik Cua leading the team operating those clubs.

The Queen’s birthday

One birthday bash Manille’s chic set always looks forward to is the annual United Kingdom’s Queen’s birthday celebration.

This year’s event was hosted by British Ambassador Asif Ahmad and his wife Zubeda, who flew in from London to join the occasion. The couple arrived in style, dahlings, in a Rolls-Royce Ghost Wheelbase at the British School Manila, the second time the British Embassy hosted it in the venue.

A sleek red Jaguar F-Type greeted guests; there were also decorative displays by sponsors Arup, G4S, Etihad, GlaxoSmithKline, HSBC, Hyder, JCB, Pru Life, Shell, Standard Chartered and Surface Technology International.

A string quartet from the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra enhanced the elegant ambiance.

A digital exhibit of the best of Britain, including England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, was showcased.

Highlight of the night was ’80s music that shook the dance floor.

Earlier, a well-chosen dinner menu from the four nations of the United Kingdom was served: English trifle, Welsh scones with clotted cream and jam, steak and the famous Guinness Pie from Northern Ireland, and Haggis from Scotland.

The basic fish and chips with malt vinegar was still my absolute favorite.

Alcohol and wines overflowed: Fullers, San Miguel, Marks & Spencer wines, Johnnie Walker Black Label and Dalmore 12-year-old whisky.

The pièce de résistance was Dalmore, a premium Scotch whisky that costs as much as an SUV at P2.5 million!

Onstage for the traditional toast were Ambassador Ahmad, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Jesus Yabes, Deputy Head of Mission

Trevor Lewis and the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto.

Among the guests were presidential sister Ballsy Aquino-Cruz; business tycoon Andrew Tan; HSBC president and CEO Wick Veloso; GlaxoSmithKline general manager Francis Del Val; Standard Chartered CEO Anirvan Ghosh Dastidar and wife; the Inquirer Group’s Marixi Prieto; Etihad general manager Juan Torres, ADB country director Richard Bolt; former Finance Minister Roberto de Ocampo, OBE.

The program was capped by an investiture ceremony for two Filipino staff members of the consular section at the British Embassy Manila who were recently honored by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for their exemplary service to the British community and to the victims of Supertyphoon “Yolanda.” Vice Consul Victoria Buenaventura and Pro-Consul Joanna Teh were conferred as Members of the Order of the British Empire.