LIFE

Eat on. Game on.

Guru, Eric E Surbano, Published on 08/09/2017

» <b>The setting:</b> It's a shame not a lot of people have heard about Hopeland. Within the offering of bars and restaurants at Thong Lor's 72 Courtyard, this one is at the very back on the the ground floor. At first glance, it seems to be your typical bar and restaurant. Lights in neon purple, steel tables, thumping music to get you going -- the usual. But don't judge a book by its cover. Hopeland does pride itself in its array of Korean dishes as well as its Tiki drinks, and we'll talk about that later. The thing that makes Hopeland special is its arcade games. And no, we're not just referring to those two arcade machines near the entrance and the kitchen where you can play games like Street Fighter and Tekken. There are also arcade games built into the tables. Yep, you read that right. While eating your food and nursing your drink, there's no need to get up from your seat; you can play some Pac-Man or Donkey Kong right there at your table. You can even take turns and play as two-players! You can game all you want, of course, but will you be feasting on good food as well? Or is Hopeland simply just another gimicky resto and bar? Read on.