Everyone I know has tried Family Mart's twirl-all-you-can soft serve. Many have failed on their…read morefirst try (ahem) but I think it's mostly because of greed. I mean you only need to pay for the one (which costs Php 25!!) and sky's the limit... if your twirl does not end up on the floor, that is. Family Mart offers a variety of flavor, but matcha is one of their regulars. Heck, I was really thankful I didn't have to go to a specialty store or abroad to get my matcha ice cream. Ice cream isn't the only thing sold here though. For the unaware, Family Mart is a convenience store like 711. They have the usual convenience store stuff but I find the addition of Japanese goodies very refreshing. They also have their own line of biscuits and cookies, which are worth a try. Family Mart also offers budget meals and ramen. You can even get a plate of maki if they have some available! And all for a small price.

Family Mart! Since it's so near UP, I sometimes eat lunch there. I'd see what they have for the day…read moreand decide on the stop what to buy. They have lots of readily available food such as sandwiches, maki, pasta, rice meals, and yogurt. I usually go for their Chicken Mushroom Pot Pie because I want something warm to help me relax (it's a hard thing to do in UP). After that (once I'm relaxed), sometimes I would buy their sundae cone (P30). They have lots of different flavors and they usually change them every month or so. You get to be the one to swirl the sundae onto your cone, so you get to decide how much you want to eat. All these tasty, quick, and reasonably priced meals are a college students dream come true!

Hi-Top never ceases to amaze me. Whenever I go there, it seems like there's always something to be…read morediscovered and what a yummy discovery it would be. I only knew of Hi-Top back then because it was like a 5minute walk from our school. Sometimes we'd buy snacks there, have things photocopied and such, if we're up for walking that is. But little by little Hi-Top won me over with its affordable items and great finds. I don't know if y'all know this but they have this special section separated from the grocery which is all full of chocolates and for a steal I might add! I like grocery shopping at Hi-Top not only because of the things I find there that are solely their own but also because of the choices they have available and most of the items are a little bit cheaper than normal or what you'd find in other grocery stores. I think grocery shopping is also a good form of family bonding, as weird as it might sound but yeah, it could be like a Sunday ritual you could do together.

Ministop is to Maginhawa what the Statue of Liberty is to New York - a landmark, a sign that says…read more"Yes! You are here! You have arrived!" PROS: With its corner-lot location on one of the fastest-growing places of Quezon City, Mini Stop Maginhawa has become everything for a lot of people living and coming and going in this area. It is the meet-up place for group works, the sari-sari store of those living near the area, the emergency store for those needing last-minute whatever, the no-place-we-could-think-of lunch/dinner place, the impromptu grocery shopping, the anything else you can think of! CONS: It's a 24-hour convenience store, so expect their prices to be more expensive than their grocery store counterparts; The staff can get a little grumpy or out of their heads at a time. It might be the night shifting or no-sleep work days. TL;DR: Fast, easy, and convenient place to pick up whatever you need, as long as they have it in stock.

Mini Stop is my all-time favorite convenience store. This place literally has everything--food,…read moretoiletries, magazines. The best thing that I really like about Mini Stop that (for me) makes it better than other convenience stores out there, like Family Mart and 7/11, is their food. I know Family Mart and 7/11 also sells food, but the ones in Mini Stop just appeal to the Filipino taste buds. My personal favorite is their Uncle John's Fried Chicken. For me, their chicken tastes just like Chicken Joy (from Jollibee). It has a very crunchy Chicken skin that I could not get enough of. The chicken meat is also tender, juicy, and flavorful. I also like their deep-fried pork wanton and sharks fin. I know that their sharks fin is not legit, but I don't really care as long as it tastes good. These meals would be perfect with rice. Mini Stop has everything for people that are always on the go.