IT was straight out of an episode of Mission: Impossible. The call came as Karen and I were just about to finish a late dinner in Makati one Friday evening.

?What are you doing tonight?? the voice asked.

?Nothing? I answered.

?You want to hit The Fort??

?It has to be some place new. We?re bored but not THAT bored.?

?Oh, I?m sure you haven?t been here yet!?

?Ok, fine, we accept your invitation.?

We were pleasantly surprised to find a spot nearly in front of the place. Hmmm. Perhaps being a member has its privileges...

We met Lou in front of Members Only and we were nodded in. I half-expected a secret handshake or a password or even a wink from the burly gatekeepers, but I suppose my friend had made all the arrangements for us to get in.

Considering that it was around midnight, it was strange to be in a club that was half empty (or was that half-full?). We picked a spot on the second floor and examined the menu and drink list.

If I were a Looney Tunes character, my eyes would?ve popped out of their sockets ala Roger Rabbit. But since I wasn?t, I acted cool instead and ordered a beer with an air of nonchalance.

?Of course, I drink 190-peso beers all the time!,? was what I tried to convey as my nose bled at the prices.

Karen eagerly ordered an Espresso Martini, relishing the thought of bringing two of her favorite drinks together. When it arrived, she took a sip, smiled and sat back. Curious, I also took a sip, then regretted ordering beer because it was just plain yummy (it was made with vanilla vodka, sweet espresso, and Frangelico cream?we asked).

For food, we ordered something basic (gambas) and something more exotic (Golden Dragon Roll: sushi rolls with BBQ eel with crabstick, spicy mayo and sweet mango). Since they were similarly priced, I went for the new rather than the old. The Dragon Roll?s individual elements came together nicely. The gambas was nothing spectacular.

Throughout our stay, service was consistently attentive. Our servers (read: plural) ensured our drinks were regularly topped up. I dropped a napkin, they picked it up. I rearranged the chopsticks, they straightened them. Karen eventually shushed me to stop.

For the next round, we opted to get a bottle of Scotch, which seemed to be the economical thing to do considering the price of single drinks. We spent the rest of the evening exchanging stories in hushed tones (while I tried to throw off our servers by regularly messing up our table).

I?m still not a Member. But I wouldn?t mind tagging along with one occasionally.

Bar Name: MEMBERS ONLY

Address: The Fort Entertainment Center Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Metro Manila

Hours: Opens at 5 p.m., Closes at 2 a.m. (Go Taguig!)

Favorites: Golden Dragon Roll (P325), Beer (P190)/Soda (P100), Espresso Martini (P340)

Scotch P250 per shot / P3,200 per bottle

Happy Hour from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. / Buy 1 Take 1 on local beer