I used to really, really love Japanese food, but when I stopped eating meat and seafood I realised…read morehow difficult it is to get Japanese food that's suitable for vegans here in Manila, as even vegetable ramen has stock made of pork bones, and sashimi and most sushi are all out of the question. So, most of the time I have to make my own Japanese food at home. Fuji Mart is just 3 minutes away from my apartment, and I do stop by here to buy some nori whenever I want to make veggie sushi, and Kikkoman soy sauce for when I want to make vegan yakimeshi. I mean, of course they have nori. But there are other things I like about Fuji Mart, such as they sell good Japanese tofu, instant miso soup, wasabi, Japanese breadcrumbs, kombu seaweed (great for making veggie stock!), Japanese spices, sesame seeds and edamame! I've never come across edamame being sold in supermarkets. I have yet to veganize my other Japanese food favourites, such as tonkatsu, ramen, and gyoza. But once I do take on those challenges, naturally this is where I'll be stopping by for ingredients.

It is so sad to witness the missed opportunity that is Fuji Mart Japanese Grocery. I mean there are…read moreso many Japanese products that can and should be sold here in the country. Whoever owns this grocery already put up the money to rent this slot, so it's odd that there are not enough products sold to justify it's existence. This place has the usual alcoholic beverages from the Land of the Rising Sun, including sake which I really like. They also have an assortment of tofu products, as well as some spices. But outside of this, they don't have too much else to offer consumers. I would, for example, like to see them carry the widest possible array of instant noodles, if only because the local ones and the made-in-China ones aren't all that tasty. Japan also has some of the best chocolates and assorted sweets that can grow on you. Even their ice creams with their odd flavors can be winners. Here's hoping that in the months and years to come, they can expand their product line. I'm sure they will have ready buyers for all things Japanese, not only because there is a small Japanese community in Better Living, but because us Pinoys have also developed a taste for all things Japanese.

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Personally, poking inside foreign food stores is something I loosely consider a "fun past-time",…read moreeven if most of the time I have no idea what the hell I'm looking at. I happened to pass by this tiny Indian grocer in Paseo de Magallanes called Incredible India Food Depot, and it is packed floor to ceiling with food--spices, canned vegetables, curious-looking sugary Indian snacks, several types of dals and legumes, chutneys and preserves, and even Maggi's Indian version of instant noodles called "Multi Grainz" which claims to be healthier (it was a bit bland, if you're wondering, but definitely tastes of Indian spices). They also have ready to eat and frozen samosas, breads, and spring rolls, if you want a quick Indian food fix. I usually frequent Indian grocers for raw ingredients because they're usually more affordable than some large supermarkets, AND you can buy some of these in bulk. Since I'm vegan, some of us need a constant supply of chickpea flour (called besan, which can be purchased here really cheap in a hefty-sized bag), affordable TVP (textured vegetable protein), dals, spices, and the fairy dust of vegan cuisine, kala namak, or black Indian salt that has a distinct, egg-y flavor.

Of all the Korean groceries I've ever set foot in, Assi is by far the most well-stocked one. Usual…read moregrocers can get cramped, are poorly lit, or only offer a slim variety of products. Here at Assi, you'll probably go a bit crazy with the several aisles of food products, walls of frozen goods and their shiny, super clean store. I loooove Korean beverages, especially their fruit drinks, rice drinks and tea drinks. And of course you're looking for kimchi, yes? Well they have a whole fridge dedicated to that! And... further at the back is a whole fridge dedicated to all types of noodles! And then dumplings! And and and and and.... Well you get my drift. Though I really do wish I can understand Korean. It's really a frustration, when you set foot inside a foreign grocer and you're soooo curious about all these gastronomic possibilities, but can't read the list of ingredients! Well, that only means I have to learn Korean, then. Fine.

I am OBSESSED with ramyun. I have a stock of Shin Ramyun Cups at home that I keep for emergencies…read moreor those days when I would feel too lazy or tired to go out of the house and look for food. I just love the spicy broth and the chewy noodles that go with each cup, and it is always nice when I find new Korean groceries that sell it cheaper than others. I was on my way to Century City Mall when I saw the sign for Assi. I didn't know what it was because it looked like a convenience store from the outside, but I was surprised to see that it is a full-fledged mini-supermarket that has everything Korean, from refrigerated preserves to rice, spices and kimchi, biscuits, cookies and sweets. I went in and immediately looked for my ramyun cups, and I wasn't disappointed by the variety of choices. I like exploring new flavors, and I usually just refer to the photos since I don't read Korean and most of the labels don't even have English translations. It's basically just picking what looks good from the photo on the packaging, and keeping your fingers crossed that it doesn't have fingernails in them or whatever (I'm kidding). The real danger is accidentally going for something devilishly spicy. What I love about this grocery store is that it has pretty much everything that you will ever need - not just food, but home items such as cleaning solutions, pots and pans and even pet food. If you're feeling a bit adventurous, you should get the canned maggots swimming in some nasty fluid. I have seen it in many Korean grocery stores and it looks absolutely disgusting, but apparently it's edible and Koreans actually like it.

Teppen is my favorite Korean Japanese store. My friend shared his discovery to us one time when we…read morejust wanted to go to a different convenience store other than the nearest ministop near our office. Here we discovered the least expensive Melona being sold so far. It's so cheap that my friend was able to buy a lot and sell to people in the office for a marginal profit. How enterprising! The cubed French Vanilla ice cream being served as dessert in Chung Mi Rae, the Korean resto in Timog, is also being sold here for I think only 11 or 13pesos! Another discovery was this sesame-flavored instant noodles that is sooo, so good! It's 50pesos for the one in the cup container, and slightly cheaper for the one in plastic. There's a spicy version too. I don't know the name because it is in Korean, but it comes in yellow packaging and has an egg yolk in the photo. Teppen is well-stocked compared to other Korean Japanese stores and I am glad I found it. In fact, it's time for another trip!

I've gone to a lot of Japanese-Korean groceries all over Manila, but Teppen started my love affair…read morefor foreign groceries. Teppen has somewhat become a small community 'hangout' for the Koreans that frequent the church on the same building, as well as other Japanese-Korean expats nearby. Inside the store you can often find foreigners sipping on coffee and playing chess. My mom's office used to be at Marvin Plaza, and when I was younger she would take me to Teppen so I could get Korean ice cream and bottled peach ice tea. When I switched to a vegan lifestyle and my mom changed workplaces, Teppen was still a place I frequent for a few lazy-meal essentials. If you love dumplings, Teppen has quite a selection of various types of dumplings. For vegan dumplings, get the mushroom and leek varieties (Wang was the brand, if I recall correctly). They're so easy to prepare (Just steam! Frying them makes them less flavorful) and are so good dipped in a little Kikkoman. Their prices vary from cheap to very reasonable, compared to a lot of Japanese/Korean grocers that are on the pricier side. Other kitchen essentials I get here are kimchi, nori sheets and dried shiitake mushrooms. Though if there's one thing I can really recommend you get to fix that salty food craving, try the roasted salted seaweed snacks! They come in really handy small rectangular packs with a few sheets of seaweed inside. It's perfect for an afternoon office snack...or really, any-time-of-the-day snack. Some taste more roasted than the others. Some are saltier, while some are a bit spicy. It's really a matter of trying them all to find out the best taste that suits you, I think. Though I'm not very particular, I'll happily eat any kind. I just love them so much it's ridiculous.

Kultura Filipino is really your one-stop shop for Authentic & Quality Pearls, Barong, Filipiniana,…read moreand Local Souvenir items. It's located in the SM Makati mall on the second floor. Chances are you will find what you need. From a range of T-shirts, caps, magnets, keychains, coffee, cookies, candy, chocolates, chocolate dipped mangoes, handmade items, etc. I could've spent hours in this place.

Bought a pair of 12.5 mm South Sea Pearls earrings and was charged $720 US dollars for an imperfect…read morepearl earring. They took advantage of the fact that I am in US purchasing the item. Even their website shows 15mm priced less for a round white pearl.

I'd like to think that I'm not cursed, but it's too eerie a coincidence to be ignored when most of…read morethe Jamaican Pattie shops that I frequent close down or are forced to move out because their spaces are being knocked down to give way to new buildings, or because they just simply die out. It couldn't be the latter since Jamaican patties sell like hotcakes -I mean, they are brilliant and tasty. They are pretty affordable too, if you ask me, making it a runaway favorite among those who are looking for a quick and satisfying snack. I personally love the cheesy beef, though I can't count how many times I have scalded my tongue with the hot lava of beef and cheese filling because I would get too excited to bite into a pattie. For some weird reason, though, if that branch is a convenient spot for me to get this highly appetizing meryenda treat, it would close down within a few months. This has been true for the branch in Taft (near Vito Cruz LRT Station, which I'm sure didn't close because of losses; that place was always frequented by Benildeans waiting for the late trains), the one in the now defunct Park Square (which was knocked down to give way to a new condominium) and the kiosk in the bridgeway between the Recto and D. Jose LRT Stations. Kinda creepy, yeah?

I can never remember when my first taste of the Jamaican beef pattie was. It's almost as if I've…read morebeen eating it since time immemorial, which wouldn't be too far off since I can pretty much have it every week. Some days when I'm out in the afternoon and thinking, "Hmm, what should I eat?" it kinda comes off as a joke since the deciding process is short and immediately comes up with the answer: "Jamaican beef pattie, duh." If you've ever seen a funky-freshly-dressed young gentleman walking briskly and eating into a paper bag around the mall, that's probably me and that's probably a Jamaican beef pattie. Walking around and eating out of a paper bag doesn't appeal to most people, so the Megamall branch did away with this indignity by offering you chairs and tables so it can be clear to everyone else in the basement area what it is that you're eating. After a day of walking around and looking funky-fresh, it's a relief to just sit down and bite into a piping hot pastry of soft, salty beefness. They also sell fruit shakes, which is fine, but you may be better off getting it somewhere else in the food court. Buy the shake first before you get a seat with the Jamaican beef pattie. It deserves your full attention. I don't think people understand the value of the Jamaican pattie as a foodstuff. It is life-changing. It changed my life. It can change yours.

This is part of a small chain of litlle restaurants that specialize in Pancit Malabon. There are…read moresix others with the same name and the oldest one is based in -- where else --Malabon. This Better Living branch is located at Dona Soledad Extension and when I went there last week, they were all complaining that the ongoing roadworks were killing their business. But I asked how they were doing before the road was closed for repairs. The lady behind the counter told me that business was pretty good up to that point. For now, they had to stay open for their clients who ordered and expected their hot pancit malabon delivered to their doorstep. They have a steady clientele so that the business continued to operate despite the absence of walk-in clients. The same cannot be said of the store beside them that specialized in pares and was previously open 24 hours a day. To be honest, I never liked pancit malabon, but it is clear that a lot of people do. Dolora's has been operating since 1990, so that's a good quarter century of providing the noodles with seafood-based sauce to countless Filipinos. I prefer pancit palabok myself, but most everyone I know like both palabok and malabon. Since they've been around for 25 years, I suppose bringing a bilao of their pancit would be most welcome when going to friends' homes to visit.

This branch of Robinsons' Supermarket is adjacent to Robinson's Magnolia's foodcourt. The food in…read morethe foodcourt is relatively cheap to moderately priced. But, here's a tip. If you actually want to spend less on food, there are SO MUCH options at the food kiosks outside of Robinson's Supermarket. Even for vegetarians and vegans! I was really intrigued by this beautiful fresh lumpia being sold at one of the kiosks. And, it's not at all your usual Chinese-style fresh lumpia with the shredded carrots and garlicky sauce, but rather imagine a fresh and fruity veggie salad nicely wrapped in a fresh lumpia wrapper. It was actually a very pretty sight that you wouldn't expect that it was from a humble food kiosk. It looked AND tasted expensive--it had grapes, mangoes, nuts... YUM. And it was what like... Php 60? They also have a lot of other vegetable and fruit options here. There's a salad bar (Robinson's Supermarkets have the best ones among supermarkets, in my opinion), a Mongolian rice box station with a great selection of veggies (they have mushrooms!), fresh fruit juices, the usual turon, kamote, kakanin snacks, and cheap Pinoy ulam (they had munggo when I was there). You can just buy food here and eat it at the food court as well. Easy peasy!

This is almost my go-to grocery now since I live so close to it. It's a small one compared to the…read moreones I've gotten used to (Shopwise and SM Cubao), but it does the job okay. They still have a great amount of room, which is what Magnolia is know for pretty much, and have a nice selection of grocery items, especially upscale classy stuff like confectionery and bath products. I love that they have an aisle just full of local products and right next to that is a rack of imported goods--it's funny and it also makes you want to buy stuff! I also like that even at the less populated corner of the grocery near check-out, it doesn't feel sad or dismal, even though the counters can fill up. They have a lot of other stalls of interest right at the grocery too, like their pharmacy, liquor stands, a Pick & Mix, a flower booth, and the more important salad and fruit bar!

On one trip to Vigan, I had such a difficult time finding anything vegan to eat in Vigan (LOL), and…read moreI was desperate to try Ilocos empanada. I learned there that if you have the most basic empanada (just egg and veggies) made without the egg, it can be vegan. I've been having my fare of veganized Batac-style empanada whenever I see an empanada store here in Manila. Fariñas Ilocos Empanada is among the more popular and accessible empanada joints. So yes, for a vegan empanada, get the basic one without the egg. You are bound to get strange looks at first, accompanied by "Walang egg? Sure po ba kayo?" but they will eventually comply with your requests once you reassure them that it's possible to have it without the egg. It's oily (you've been warned!), savoury, great with Ilocos vinegar. It hits the spot even without having any animal products (empanadas are known to be stuffed with all sorts of longganisa, cheese, and whatnot). This totally fits into the junk food category but if your eating habits offer a leeway, this is perfect for a quick, tasty merienda paired with some soda.

Farinas Ilocos Empanada is easily one of the more recognizable food you'll ever encounter. It's…read morehuge. It's oily. It's orange! There really is no mistaking it when you see someone walking past you eating that messy, wonderful empanada. First, you'll recognize the brown paper bag soaked in oil. Then, you'll notice a little piece of the crunchy orange shell as the owner struggles to take a big bite. You might even see some vegetable pieces dribbling down his/her chin. Finally, the smell of the deep-fried dish hits you. Then you won't be able to resist getting your own. And you better make sure you do! Farinas Ilocos Empanada is a wonderful combination of vegetables, garlicky Vigan longganisa and runny egg wrapped in a half moon thin, crisp shell and deep-fried to perfection. If you want the full experience, get the Ultimate version of P99. Don't forget to try it with sukang Iloko. Each empanda is big enough to stave off your hunger until the next meal. Farinas also has bagnet (which does not skimp on the fatty parts and is guaranteed to give you a dizzy spell) and a wonderful version of pinakbet (fresh vegetables with bagnet pieces).