Postcards
From
Stardust

On the fine
art of bringing
everyone together.

Issue 02 · November 2026

Editor's Note

The Host
With
The Most

Ah, yes. We know of that one person.

The unofficial social secretary. The keeper of everyone’s preferences. The one who knows who drinks red, who drinks white, who has switched to water, and who insists they’re only having one more before proceeding to have three.

He is, in short, a host.

A position he takes seriously, despite having no official appointment and a guest list that seems to grow of its own accord. You can spot him easily enough. He is the one greeting the latecomers, rescuing the conversation from an awkward silence, and materializing beside you with the timing of a man who has developed an instinct for imminent mischief.

“Are you still alright?” A deceptively simple question. It could be an offer of another drink. It could be a discreet assessment of your condition. The host, after all, is not easily fooled. He knows who is having a good time, who needs feeding, who has been telling the same story since 2019, and who claims to be leaving shortly before ordering another round.

What he does not have, apparently, is a free evening. “I really must stop organizing these things” he says, usually while organizing the next one.

And so, the weeks ahead will find him in a familiar territory assembling the usual suspects for reunions, dinners, festive drinks, and celebrations that begin with a good plan and acquire a second act somewhere along the way.

At Stardust, we have a certain admiration for this type of person. Anyone who can get a group of adults to agree on a date, a place, and a departure time deserves a small monument, or at the very least, a very good drink.

Until then, we raise a glass to the hosts and the self-appointed keepers of a good evening.

The season ahead looks promising.

Words by

Paula Maravilla

Explore the Website

Record of the Month

“A soulful, late-night groove with a touch of sweetness and just enough yearning to linger.”

November at Stardust sounds like Never Did I by Thorgan Wolff and tastes like a Gold Rush.

Listen to the Track

The Stardust Playlist

The Stardust Forecast

In good company with a...

Gold Rush

(bourbon, honey, lemon)

Good music, proper proportions, and a compelling case for staying awhile.

Reserve Your Table

View the Menu

Behind the Welcome:
Nicole on Hosting

Q&A | People of Stardust

01First things first. Which is the greater social fiction: “I’m just going to have one” or “We must do this again soon”?

02What's one unwritten rule of entertaining that you wish everyone knew — but would never actually say out loud?

03What's your philosophy on a good bottle: save it for a special occasion, or let the occasion become special because you opened it?

04What's more unforgivable: a bad guest or a bad host?

05As a host at Stardust, what's more satisfying: watching old friends reunite or seeing complete strangers leave as if they've known each other for years?

06Describe a perfect evening at Stardust in three words.

Answers:

1.We must do this again soon!

2.What you wear to a night out says a lot about what’s going to happen that night.

3.Let the occasion become special because you opened it.

4.A bad host, of course.

5.Seeing complete strangers leave as if they’ve known each other for years because as host, you have just created a long lasting friendship from that one fantastic night that will be reminisced forever throughout their years of friendship. “That one night we went to Nicole’s event at Stardust when we met..”

6.Fantastic. Bombastic. Groovy.

People of Stardust | Q&A

Quick Notes
from the
Host:

Dirty martini or spicy margarita?

The bartender who knows your order or the DJ who knows your taste?

Dinner party or dance floor?

Arrive fashionably late or leave disgracefully late?

One last dance or one last drink?

Answers:

1.🍸 Dirty martini any day with extra olives.

2.DJ any day, without good tunes, the night is completely ruined. Music sets the mood and tone for the night.

3.No debate, dance floor all day everyday.

4.Fashionably late, like I said, the outfit sets the move for the night. And on the other hand, you should know when to leave.

5.One last drink, because the rule of every night is to never stop dancing.

From the Booth:

KOMFY Samgakji,
Seoul, Korea

Towards the end of this past summer, I spent some time in Seoul, Korea. Every time I go there, I feel the rush of an identity crisis — it's my birthplace, but I moved to Manila when I was 9 years old. The one common denominator between the two cities is the love for music and food.

In my quest for a relaxing evening with some good music and good sound, I stumbled into KOMFY, a vinyl-forward listening bar in Samgakji, in the Yongsan District of Seoul. This area has become a hotspot for trendy food and natural Korean wines — in fact, there is an alley dedicated to restaurants that just serve daegu-tang, or spicy codfish soup. Samgakji also generated some buzz when HYBE, the management company behind BTS, located its headquarters there.

Despite the sweltering heat outside (circa 35°C!), the bar was humming with patrons eagerly listening for what was going to be played on the turntables. I was impressed that they were using a McIntosh amp (versus using it only as a display for its blue lighting), and the song selection was quite eclectic, ranging from jazz to vintage K-pop tracks. I couldn't help but think... "I should bring some Pinoy rock, jazz, and soulful house records and play here..."

Words by

Michael Chung

November 20, Friday

All Hail
the King:
Louie Y’s
EUPHORIA
Birthday Bash

For twelve glorious years, in the old InterCon Hotel on Ayala Avenue, Euphoria reigned over Makati nightlife. Wednesdays meant legendary Absolut Girls. And weekends meant a packed dance floor (yes, could we bring back disco, please?). There were slow dances when the lights dimmed so the men could give their favorite girl a spin in her fancy new dress. There were the occasional late nights in the Summer Room and enough stories to last a lifetime.

Euphoria was more than a place to spend an evening. It was a meeting point for a certain Makati crowd, where friendships were cemented, introductions were made, and the best stories began with the words, “You had to be there.”

Looking at the photographs now, it becomes quite clear that the art of hosting involves far more than a beautifully orchestrated party. So, from the Euphoria archives, here’s to Louie Y: a man who understood that the best celebrations were about bringing everyone together.

Euphoria, Louie Y's Birthday Bash poster

Round up your usual suspects, reconnect with the old guard, bring along a familiar face or two, and make your way to Stardust Lounge.

Long live the King.

Reservations: OpenTable

House Nation:

For the Love of House,
For the Love of the Legend

✦✦✦

Mon Maramba’s

Homecoming!

“My love for house began with Giorgio Moroder in the late ’70s, drawn to its deep bass, hypnotic repetition, and electronic sound. From my Subway residency in the late ’80s to Makati in the ’90s, and later experimenting with live musicians, my journey has always been about learning, exploring, and evolving.

For this set at Stardust, I’ll be playing an all-vinyl selection of deep, sexy, and funky house grooves, making the most of its great sound system. Every set is a unique exchange of energy with the crowd. If people leave happier, perhaps humming a tune they heard that night, then I’ve done my job.”

Mon Maramba is coming home to Stardust, taking over the Technics decks in our DJ booth for two special nights — November 14 and November 20.

For the first night, we’re switching things up as Mon plays some of his favorite soulful house tracks, bringing a different energy to the dance floor.

The second one will be an homage to Euphoria and a celebration of the birthday of its founder, Louie Y.