Why the World Needs to Know More About Jetro Rafael and his Restaurant, Van Gogh Is BiPolar

Great fables and soul-stirring mysteries from the mystics professed (more or less) that the “Gods don’t need to show off—they are always ‘hiding’ in the bushes.”

How true that is for the quirky, off-the-beaten path restaurant in Manilla known as Van Gogh is Bipolar. Here, bipolar chef/owner Jetro Rafael has given birth to nothing short of a miracle: A haven where his guests are invited to celebrate their “imperfections” and “embrace their flaws and weaknesses.”

(So … when is the next flight to Manilla?)

Van Gogh is Bipolar has generated consistent buzz for more than five years now. But in the aftermath of last week’s apparent suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, Jetro, an intrepid soul to be sure, and his soul-stirring culinary outpost, deserve another look.

For starters, it’s beyond unique. And one of the best reasons to keep this place on your radar and dabble in repeat Google visits is this: In an era when mental illness continues to carry a huge stigma, Jetro is a glowing example of the good that can come from leaning into one’s “imperfections” rather than pushing them away. As a result, there’s a delicious…