malling in manila
during our recent vaca in manila, we were able to peek into some of the newer malls (well, new to us). on the day we arrived, we had lunch at trinoma, a supposedly rather upscale mall in quezon city just across sm north edsa’s the block. the shops and restos are probably a bit more upscale, but the mall itself didn’t look classy particularly with its tile flooring. hubby and i both thought we still prefer the feel of glorietta… until we saw glorietta again. man, has that mall aged. granted, it has just been bombed recently, but it has lost its glamour, its sparkle, its vibe. i’ve been very fond of glorietta in its early years, and i was saddened to see it’s a has-been in so many ways.
tiendesitas has been there for so many years already, but this month was my and hubby’s first time to be there. i love it there. from the quaint furniture and antique stalls, to the variety of pinoy food and delicacies on offer. a perfect hang out place for balikbayans. we also checked out the fun ranch, and indoor place for kids just beside tiendesitas, but we didn’t stay long as jan wasn’t with us anyway.
we also got to see the mall of asia for the first time, the mall famed to be the largest in the country. i love, love, love the location of this mall, especially that of the restos that affords you a spectacular view of manila bay. here’s a videoclip:
and lastly, on our last evening in manila, we were able to check out serendra’s retail promenade. now that’s what i call posh. really classy storefronts, subtle ambiance, no loud digital signages and advertisements. really tastefully made. we had dinner al fresco at duo– great steaks, impeccable service! i think serendra could easily be a favorite hang-out among the balikbayans and expat communities.
manila. malls. you can’t have one without the other.
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One Response to “malling in manila”
November 2nd, 2010 at
Thoughtful and interesting, thank you. I was brought up in manilla but moved to england at such a young age I barely remember anything apart from the delicious food. I finally found some authentic Filipino recipes if you want to have a look, I thought I’d share it with you!