It's a wonderfully cute spot for sit-down dining or for picking up high-end specialty foods…read more The store is currently decorated for Christmas, welcoming everyone for the holidays. The staff are friendly and well trained. Their menu covers many different cuisines: American, European, and Filipino. We ordered several dishes to try. The presentation of the food is modern and thoughtful. You can tell the team has given a lot of thoughts to every detail. My favorite item on the menu is Peri Peri chicken. Tender and juicy chicken accompanied by a side with veggie and potatoes. The secret sauce is a bit spicy, adding some creaminess and complementing the grilled chicken nicely. After meal, take a walk around the shop and pick up some imported and rarely found gourmet snacks. Maybe imported chocolates or ice cream for dessert? A very strong recommend if you are in Subic.

I was disappointed with food as well as the way it was served. I ordered what's on the menu cabbage…read morechowder instead I got a sort of minestrone without some pasta with a little bit of cabbage. I server brought it to me in a small bowl and a slice of bread on top of the bowl. The server had no tray just his bare hands. It's very salty with some slices of hotdogs. We ordered dinner rolls and it's not warm poorly presented as well with butter 3 slices of butter in a small container. The place is not full but the waiter is not attentive to fill up our glasses.

To say that you don't like meat in Argentina is like saying that you don't like air or water. It's…read morean unfathomable thing in a country that has more cows than humans. So, I gave in. I ate meat every day, lots of it. And when I came home, I missed it. I missed parillas and buying meat from gauchos. But I had something to fall back on and it didn't require a 31-hour flight from Manila. (Yes, it's 31 not 13) I had Earle's Delicatessen. This is a deli that sells specialty goods alongside reasonably priced staples: juices, salsa balsamica, riso carnaroli, riso baldo. It offers a practical alternative to the supermarket. The thuringer bratwurst and the roast beef are the items to buy over here along with their really good Spanish cheese. You can order sandwiches here too; all are made with the freshest ingredients. I can never pass by this deli without buying anything, it always conjures the best memories in my head, most of them in Buenos Aires. (but hey that's just me)

Bretto's has adapted to this pandemic by closing their branch inside of Clark Freeport, and…read morereopening their cafe on Don Juico (take out only). This branch is also their main bakery where they make THE BEST breads: soft, fluffy with a crust that has a satisfying chew to it. They're well stocked when it comes to canned goods, albeit a bit pricey. Fresh fruits and veggies are now available, which you can find in the refrigerated section. There's a deli and a grocery section with exotic spice packets and lots of imported goods from the US and Europe. Make sure you're wearing a mask before you enter. At the door the guard will check your temp and spritz your hands with alcohol. Currently there's no limit to the number of customers that can enter at one time; you will definitely need to remind the other shoppers to keep their distance. What irritates me about this place is that many items are missing price tags. I come here mainly for their baked goods and specialty items. I'm looking forward to trying out food from their cafe.

Thus far, I have tried out this place (right next door to my office) both as an actual deli (way…read moreback in 2013 or so), and recently as a place to get good cheap salad. Last time, I ordered their Bavarian Smokies and Hungarian Sausages fresh off the deli, just so I have a pre-cooked viand to take into the office for lunch. I heated the sausages in the offices via microwave, and found myself completely thrown off and overpowered by sheer saltiness. Their sausages were over-seasoned! That left a bad taste in my mouth, causing me to not return to this place despite the very fair pricing (relative to pricier counterparts like Santïs). I only decided to try it again recently, now that I'm on a doctor-/coach-advised habit of having more greens and salads for my meals. I noticed that Earle's has salads in its menu, and very affordable ones at that. It has the Canadian Green (has maple ham), Mediterrebian Green (has cuts of beef), and Asian Green (has cuts of chicken and oranges). At an average price of about PHP 95 (for the Side portion, which is good for one person), Earle's (which is just next door to my building) currently gives me pretty much the best bang-for-buck as a full-meal salad in my immediate vicinity (just too bad that Lawson's and FamilyMart branches are currently a tad farther away). They prepare the salad fresh upon ordering, and serve it around 8-10 minutes. The Side portion is already sufficient to pair with a viand (I currently pack one from home) for a full meal. The iceberg lettuce is in hearty portions, the meat (I prefer the Canadian Green's ham and the Asian Green's chicken) is also generously served, and there is just enough dressing to spread evenly among the salad to taste. I have yet to try the Entree portion of its salads, but for PHP 30 more, I can imagine it would suffice as a full meal in and of itself. All that said, I would rate Earle's 3 stars as a pure delicateseen, as it really needs to work on the quality and seasoning of its deli meats. However, I would rate it 4 stars for its salads - great value for money! All in all, that would be 3.5 stars, but really, I'd definitely recommend it for the average-joe looking for an affordable yet modestly nutritious working meal.

When I first stepped into an Earle's, I knew then that there is a God and he loved me so, so much…read more Manila has always had Delis, but Earle's just took that business by storm by making their products delicious AND affordable. Back then, buying a kilo of something from a Deli was enough to wipe out half your salary. Either that or you'd go to your grocery and content yourself with the bland, chemical-tasting stuff that passes for salami. You had no middle ground. When Earle's came into the picture, however, meat lovers rejoiced. Their products tasted GREAT. We finally had an outlet that served great tasting Deli stuff at a fraction of the cost. The fact that they're making all these sausages locally probably has something to do with it, but I am not complaining one bit. The Earle's at Columns is the most comfortable branch they have, bar none. The presence of comfortable outdoor seating pushes this branch to the top in my book.

I love delis because they have so much variety when it comes to meats and cheeses: the perfect…read morepairing for a delicious sandwich. They also sell different kinds of breads, condiments, chips and candy. I saw gourmet potato chips from Spain, curries from Thailand, chocolates from Germany, condiments from America and a nice selection of herbal teas. The minimum amount you need to purchase for sliced deli meats and cheeses is 100g. Sausages are sold per piece or per pack. We've tried their sandwiches, but I'd recommend purchasing your own meats, cheeses and condiments and making your own gourmet sandwiches at home (I'd recommend getting your freshly baked breads from Bretto's on Don Juico). Nice, clean organized store with helpful staff. Great place to pick up specialty items for a recipe, charcuterie board or to fill up a picnic basket.

Lots of great chinese pasalubongs.. They are all very…read morehelpful. There are different varieties of candied dried fruits.

I think specialty delis/food stores have their own unique charm and Bee Tin in Bindondo is no…read moreexception. Located at the heart of Binondo on Ongpin Street, Bee Tin has not changed much over the years, making it a must-see stop in Chinatown. The Chinese deli/food mart has everything you need from preserves, imported food, Chinese candies and sweets, cured/smoked meats, dehydrated produce, frozen goods and more. I really like going here because there's so much to see and buy that's not usually in your local grocery. I think I picked up the habit of learning how to appreciate delis such as Bee Tin thanks to my grandma who'd always bring me whenever she needs to replenish her supply of preserves. Speaking of preserves, you really have to taste Bee Tin's selection because there's a lot of them! They are neatly stored in bins and you can buy them according to weight. My favorites are the plums - they are pretty large and the mix of sweet and sour has a nice effect on the palette. Another thing I'm crazy about is Bee Tin's beef jerky. While they also have the packaged kind of beef jerkey (I'm looking at you Cow Label), their own mix of the large and leathery strips of beef is a class of its own. You can also purchase these according to weight, and we tend to buy a lot of it. (Might as well make the drive worth it right?) The taste of the beef jerky plays between sweet and salty and the meat itself isn't too hard to chew on. Before I go to the check out counter, I also make a beeline to the chocolates and candies section. Sometimes they stock these really weird but good gummy candies from China (I once bought P5 packets of peach and cola flavored candies - these were really good!), and they also have imported Japanese chocolate snacks like Pocky. Other stuff you can see at Bee Tin are the packaged noodle soups, dry seaweed, Chinese candies and chocolates, haw flakes and lots more other stuff. Another plus for Bee Tin is that their prices are a lot cheaper than in regular groceries.

So this place is easily accessible from Edsa Shangri-La Hotel via the Garden Wing entrance just…read moreacross. The Lower Ground Level is rather a lonely place for restaurants to reside, as evident by the closures; Krispy Kreme, Gelatissimo, Maple, and Jamba juice, which used to be at the entrance. Epicurious gets you curios from its name alone. The simple process of choosing your item and having them cook it for a minimal 5% surcharge it's an attractive concept. ITALIAN SAUSAGES (200-300 PHP) We selected our sausage from the display and had RICE (45 PHP) for starch. Meaty sausage that's satisfying and cook just right. VEGETABLE LASAGNE (250 PHP) Minced eggplant and carrots make up the filling with light tomato sauce that's hidden by the cheese. Topped with a lot cheese that's melted.

I think what we are missing in our local food scene is the the prevalence of delicatessens and…read morewhole food stores that focus on the special ingredients and processes that go into the creation of food that is delicious and satisfying. In the US, where I spent a year eating during most of my time as an exchange student, I have come to love the deli culture wherein you pop into a small family-run store and grab a sandwich to go with some salad, cuts of meat, cheese, olives, some pickles and other artisanal food items. I would also duck into delis for unique and hard to find ingredients that are usually supplied by neighborhood industries or specialty manufacturers. I was very excited when I came across Epicurious in Shangri-La's East Wing. I was exploring the newly-opened wing of the super snazzy mall when I saw the beautiful storefront that had displays of fresh fruit and vegetables. I came in and I was instantly impressed with the design and the concept of the place. They have shelves upon shelves of deli food items such as breads, sausages, steaks and packaged food. In the far corner, they also have a small counter where they display their house specialty cakes and desserts that go well with their coffee. In yet another corner is a fully-functional kitchen where they usually hold cooking demonstrations and tasting events. You will find specialty ingredients, cooking utensils and kitchen supplies for your next lunch or dinner party. Epicurious is my go-to place when I am in Shang. I would skip my veg diet and go for the spicy sausages, which I can have the staff grill for me with salt and a little black pepper. I would also order the salads and the pre-made sandwiches from their deli display cases. My usual meal would be the sausages and salads cooked on the spot and served with warm bread from their boulangerie section. I love the "paluto" concept where you pick from the produce and have their chefs prepare your food for you. I always feel like a kid let loose in an amusement park when I go through their shelves. I find so many interesting things that I want to try. The prices are manageable and I think they are worth the value of the goods that are on display. The staff, which are managed and hired by the Center for Culinary Arts (CCA), are always very polite and helpful.

Located in SBMA. My…read morefamily had dinner here. We ordered one of their huge platters to share amongst us. A smorgasbord of seafood and more! It had crab, beef, pork, shrimp, mussels. It was more than enough to feed the 6 of us , So we had leftovers for home. My favorite was the pork and beef. Their mango smoothie was also pretty good. I'd recommend this place to large groups.

For the positives: the food is good. If you like seafood then I guess you will enjoy it…read more For the negative: the greatest problem I had would have to be the price. It was too expensive. We ordered the seafood platter, which was a bit of splurge for us. We expected a large serving, but for the price it wasn't. I wish I could say that the food was mind blowingly good for that price. But it wasn't. It was just good. I will say though that maybe we ordered the wrong thing.There were other budget friendly options there.