Sasmuan Delicacies is the perfect place to go to if you're looking to buy pasalubong for your…read morefriends and loved ones. I consider it as the home of the best-tasting Filipino sweet treats. They sell polvoron (powdered milk candies), yema, pastilyas, pili tarts, and many more. I often go here whenever I want to eat something sweet after lunch. I don't normally order desserts in restaurants because it's too expensive, so I often look for desserts in different food stalls that can satisfy my sweet tooth. Sasmuan Delicacies is best known for their milky and great-tasting polvoron. They use local and pure ingredients to produce their polvoron. They have a variety of flavors to choose from that everyone will surely love. They have Butter, Choco, Cookies and Cream, Ube-Pinipig, and many more. This polvoron just melts in your mouth and won't leave you gasping for air. If you're looking for sugary treats to satiate your craving for sweets, then head over to Sasmuan Delicacies.

I was in grade school when I first saw a Candy Corner open at my school. It was for me, one of the…read morebest places to go to. They sold almost everything a kid with a sweet tooth could possibly want. It was also one of the most expensive stores, considering my meager allowance at least, on campus. I would sometimes save some of my money to buy a lot of the candy that I wanted. Times have changed, but Candy Corner hasn't It's still a small stall that has a lot of the stuff that you would rarely, even if you could, find at your regular grocery. Look at what they have to offer and even if you have only one tooth in your mouth wanting something sweet you'll most likely end up salivating over everything that they have. Price is fair I would say, I mean, this place isn't the sort of thing that would leave a normal person with an empty wallet.

Ever since my trip to Tokyo last month, I love all things Japanese. I fell in love with the city…read morealong with its people, culture, things and food! I still have a Japanese hangover until now, evident in my obsession for all things Matcha Green tea. But Royce has been a love of mine even before I turned into a Japanese fanatic. Royce first stormed the malls of Manila years ago. At the time, most people prefer the smooth and rich texture of chocolate from Europe. I for one am guilty of that. Today, Japan argues with Royce that they can definitely come up with the same quality chocolate. Yay for competition! My favorite would have to be their dark chocolate variant and potato chips covered in dark chocolate. Now allow me to wipe of the drool dripping down my face.

I used to live in Cubao and work in Makati, so I took the MRT every day. That's how I discovered…read morethe Farmers Market. MRT Araneta Center was attached directly to the New Farmers Plaza, which in turn was right beside the Farmers Market. I pass by here every day, and I usually get myself some fruits to tide me over for the day. The Farmers Market is exactly what it says on the tin - this is where producers from all over Luzon dump their produce, and where it's sold dirt cheap. Aside from fruits and vegetables, they also have fish and meat, and just about anything else you wanna see at a wet market. The best part is their dampa, which will cook the fish you bought on the spot.

I love markets, especially the wet ones, because I like being knee-deep in fresh produce, whether…read morethey be meat, or fish, or vegetables, or fruits. What I like about the Farmers Market in Araneta Center is that they have anything and everything you need: the fruits ring the outside of the market -- all fresh from wherever they come from -- and you'll see the more perishable goods inside. There are even fresh flowers outside, for those who did something bad and are hoping for a miracle. My favorite part though is their foodcourt, where they have what I think is the original Dampa - or, at the very least, the first to implement the concept. You buy meat or fish from the market, and they'll cook it for you at a minimum charge while you wait. Convenient, huh?

This is one of my favorite spots in Robinson's Magnolia where I can momentarily delude myself into…read morethinking I'm losing weight just by visiting a health food store. Yet I don't feel as comfortable in this outlet as I do in their Trinoma branch. Maybe it's because the staff tend to hover around while you're browsing products, maybe it's because they don't seem to be that enthusiastic about what they do, or maybe it's because they keep unnecessarily moving their merchandise around the shelves. Perhaps this is a subtle marketing tactic to make returning visitors walk around the store looking for their preferred items, in the hopes that they'll inadvertently see and buy other products they didn't originally plan on purchasing? To be fair, they have a wider product selection and the store interior is more attractive than their Trinoma and Megamall outlets. There's even a bench near the entrance so you can wait for your companions, which is a considerate touch. It's just that the general feel of the place isn't as welcoming to customers as it could and should be.

Since being introduced to Healthy Options in Rustan's Glorietta way back when, my aspiration has…read morealways been to be able to lead a great enough life that I can buy stuff from their store without having to feel like I'd put my bank account in jeopardy. I'm nowhere near that point yet, but I feel the fates are subtly leading me there by having this Healthy Options open at the mall I hold dear and near to my home, Robinsons Magnolia. I've always felt like I was entering a proper grocery going into the Healthy Options because of the large honkin' column and the big fridges of organic vegetables and fruit and other frozen foods that you encounter when you first walk into the store. Like most other establishments in the mall, it's big as heck, and they stock full of things that you'd need to lead a life of healthful luxury. The only things I really buy though are their small snacks and their witch hazel toner, which I will swear by as the only thing that's keeping my skin as lovely as it is. I've been here many times and it just always feels like they move the stuff around all the time, which is confusing and needless. I also think that since they have a corner location at the mall and the place feels a little gloomy, that they could have had open windows to let natural light in, much like the branch in Greenbelt. Sunlight is a healthy option too, guys!

First of, Connecticut Market is no Salcedo Market. It would be wise not to go in with that…read moreexpectation because you'll just be disappointed. But that doesn't mean it's not worth a visit. I live near San Juan so for me the Connecticut Market is extra convenient for me. It's not like I always have time to go to Makati for the markets there. Connecticut still has the fresh produce that you want, especially if you're the type who cooks on the weekends. There are a variety of fruits and vegetables at reasonable prices. There are also selections of fresh seafood from squid to clams to fish, and that's the selling point for me. It just doesn't have the local products that Salcedo has but for those who only seek for produce, Connecticut Market is a great community addition.

Here's the thing about Sevilla & Sons that impresses me: they actually sell Saffron…read more I have been looking for Saffron for a pretty long while now and I have failed time and time again to find that elusive spice. But when I dropped by Sevilla & Sons, which I visited for the sausage, I saw the cases of herbs and spices and was just so excited by it. Anyplace that sells more exotic herbs and spices will always tickle my excitement. Sevilla & Sons have herbs & spices from rosemary, thyme, to lemon leaves, and to the glorious saffron. They sell it in tiny boxes for P50, which is not bad at all. It's in small bulks, which is good because you can't expect yourself to use like a butt load of saffron in one go. But of course aside from the herbs, they have sausages. And they have a lot of it. I'm not an expert here, but these are pretty good sausages. You can tell they know their meat and that their meat has the fullest flavors you can have. Honestly, it's such a treat to have this place around the neighborhood.

Santis Delicatessen in Timog branch…read more Last month, I had the honor to setup a hors d'oeuvres table for my sister-in-law's intimate 50th wedding anniversary. Went to Santis to get some of the charcuterie goodies and it was a heaven for me!. They have all the coldcuts, processed meat and cheeses that I need and has great variety of selection too! Sausages, milk, yogurt and many more! Expect fairly high prices since mostly are imported goods though. They also have great selection of wines which was located at the back inside a room. I already have crackers, jams, honey, dried fruits already but in case you need them, they have it too! I was so surprised to see that they also sell equipments that you need for fondue, raclette etc. Had a great time shopping here. They have more than a dozen branches so you can find one nearest you. Highly recommended. Great staff as well Will definitely come back

I love Santi's. Like the proverbial kid getting lost in a candy store, visiting Santi's is always…read moresomething I look forward to because of the sheer amount of interesting stuff you get to see that's missing from other stores. Have you ever tried looking for buttermilk or crème fraîche locally? Or even something as simple as chives? Santi's has them. If you're not into cooking, Santi's still has a lot to offer. For your next wine and cheese party, buy some of their truffle noir cheese. It's a bit pricey, but one taste is all it takes and it's sure to be the hot topic of the evening. Want a bit more variety with the cheese? Ask for help from the wonderful staff and have them assist you in making a cheese platter to go. This usually takes quite a while especially if it's near the holiday season, so be prepared to wait for a bit. It'll be worth it, I promise!

The Farmers Market in Quezon City is one of the oldest, largest, and most revered markets in both…read moreMetro Manila and the Philippines. I went just to sightsee and thought it was pretty wonderful, a giant, colorful open air market absolutely teeming with life. The place was huge, with what felt like hundreds of vendors selling fish, meat, and produce in tightly arranged stalls. There were lots of people and the occasional cat, and we tourists were in the minority--I think almost everyone else was there to buy or sell food. The produce looked fresh, and there was a robust seafood section. We'd visited the Navotas fish port that morning, and I gather that a lot of the fish caught there make there way to the Farmers Market. We stopped by the food court and picked up mango and green mango shakes at the Fruitas stand. I'm sure we missed out on other excellent eats, but those shakes were delicious. I'll bet you could spend quite some time exploring this Farmers Market. I enjoyed my visit and would recommend the place to anyone living in or passing through Metro Manila.

Seriously old world. Even though much more organized and clean than what I remember. Old world open…read moreair market. Open air in that there are no walls so even from the middle you can see the outdoor city streets. There is a ceiling covering the entire market so no food or person will be exposed to the sun and/or elements. The place is huge like at least one city block. Every vendor is its own business, so every stall you go to you will have to make a payment. Also able to haggle if you have any skill for it. I do not but natives...it's in their blood. No card transactions either straight cash, and actually have smaller bills so to make giving change easier. When I said old world, I meant old world! Place is also sectioned off...vegetables in one area, fruit vendors in another, beef, poultry, eggs, fish and shellfish are all grouped by their product. A little overwhelming for me but if you shop here regularly then I suppose you can figure out which vendor works for you, then you can establish a relationship. No shopping carts or even baskets. So bring your own bags. We only brought 1 bag and after buying more shellfish than what we came for, my aunt and I went to the house wares area and bought a small plastic bucket to put our bags of seafood in. We put all our produce in the bag I brought. The nature of the market will give first worlders fits. Nothing is refrigerated and is just sitting out in open air. Even seafood and meats like beef and pork. Just sitting or hanging in open air, and that air is not cool or temperate. Lol. I got a little queasy a few times but it is just how certain countries have been doing it for centuries. Sure there are modern grocery stores here that will rival any grocery store in the US or Europe, but I wanted to see one of these again before my trip ended. It just is in more in touch with regular people, people who are living their daily lives. That is what I wanted to be a part of. Whilst putting down food for my family, I was also able to help another put food on theirs. An exchange I can smile and feel good about. 5 Old World Stars!