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.

When I was a kid there was a time when we would spend time at the mall eating cotton candy…read more Nowadays, cotton candy, I find, is a rare sight. It's nice to see the occasional stall sell them though. Do Eat's name is obviously a pun on the phrase do it. It's a simple cotton candy store that sells good cotton candy. Their cotton candy comes in a variety of different colors and sizes, but these colors don't really have a difference in terms of flavor, at least so far as I can tell. If your curious if there is a difference then I suggest that you try and buy one of their variety packs. They sell cotton candy in small servings in a single pack. In fact, these cotton candies are so small that they're more likely to resemble pillows that cotton. Each pack contains four pieces which you can try to taste if there's a difference. The best thing about it is that it's cheap and affordable despite the humongous size of the cotton candy.

I got a styling gig recently that asked for things that we (yes, we) grew up with during the 90s. I…read morewas so inspired by this and reminisced about my early morning trips to the wet market in my Dad's hometown in Imus. Because Imus is just too far and a bit challenging when it comes to traffic, I decided to head to Zapote Public Market and explore what it can offer. It was a wise decision as I found pretty much all that I was looking for - kamias, santol and green mangoes to remind them of running around the village and picking fruits from trees. I also found native products like wooden mortar and pestle, wooden spin tops, rattan baskets, even planks used for doing the laundry. It was awesome as I also found the small packets of chips that we used to eat when we were kids, plus local candies we all grew up munching on. All these, aside from the usual market finds, surely brought me back to my childhood and will surely bring me back here not just for these things but for more.

I actually don't have much of a sweet tooth myself, and I had no idea if their sweets were suitable…read morefor vegans, but I've always been fascinated by how they make their candy here. If you've seen their candy, they're so intricately designed and so colorful that they actually look like things you can eat. Or toys. I was converted to a fan when someone bought me a pack of green tea rock candies. I'm not sure about the other flavors, as I don't know what kind of red food coloring they use (Trivia: Did you know that some red food coloring are actually made of crushed ants? It's called Carmine). But these green tea candies are amazing and SO ADDICTIVE. And I don't find their sweets overwhelmingly sweet either. It's juuuuuuust right. You're in for a treat if you do happen to drop by while they're making their candies, as they're sure to put on a good (and free!) show.

I miss this place! I wish it's still open!…read more This is our go to gift shop back in the days

A visit to Greenhills will never be complete without going to Regina Gift Shop…read more When I was a kid my parents would remind me that it's a gift shop meaning I went in to buy gifts for other people. I believed that lie until I was about ten. I guess that was to prevent me from buying all the awesome goodies this shop has to offer. Sorry, parents. I'm buying gifts for myself. They have everything! And I really mean everything. They have all my childhood candies next to a stand of plastic balloons. You know, those little tubes which you squeeze until this substance comes out which you blow into with the use of a little stick. There's a shelf with plates, spoons and forks and knives, cups and lunchboxes. And in the center, you'll find notebooks, stickers, pens, art materials, cellphone cases and the occasional sex toy. Speaking of toys, they do have toys for babies and children and adults who collect toys. Not into those things? They have bags, clothes and hats too. I remember being dragged here by my mom whenever I needed a costume for school. "You're only going to wear it once anyway. But it at Regina," she'd say. Don't get me wrong, their clothes don't break after one use. They have cool socks and hats. And sometimes if you're lucky, they have sell Christmas stockings. I can't remember everything they sell at this shop. So it would be great if you have a look for yourself. You won't be disappointed and you'll leave with lots of loot.

Aji Ichiban is the kind of store that really makes me feel in Asia. It's a candy store, but the way…read moreit's organized (like those traditional Chinese stores we see in the movies) and the products they offer make it much more interesting. Everything is displayed on acrylic cases, so you just choose what you want (you can try first) and the amount (usually scoops) and the attendant puts it inside a little plastic bag. My favorite product there is their dried ginger dusted with sugar. I always buy it when I have a sore throat or a cold. It's natural and it really makes me feel better :) They have other types of ginger, but this one is the best for me. I highly recommend it. Pair it with a cup of hot tea or hot chocolate...instant comfort and relief!

Oh, Aji Ichiban, another store from my childhood. My mother used to buy me sweets from there, and…read moremy favorites were the chocolate filled marshmallows that are, sadly, not there any more. Anyway, Aji Ichiban is a snack food store that has lots of food from all across Asia and America. Have you ever heard of a store that has both Japanese-style Seaweed and Skittles? Yeah, this would be it. The have food that ranges from Beef Jerky to Dried Plums to Gummies to Chocolates. The selection may sound random, but it's really fun to see what they have in store! However, it may sometimes be a little pricey depending on the food item. It'll be up to you to decide if it's worth it or not.

My family has a big sweet tooth! I pretty much believe it stems from when we were kids. My aunt…read morewho's a flight attendant for Cathay Pacific, would always give each of us a massive bag of candies whenever she'd come back to the Philippines. I also have another aunt who lives in the States and works for Nestle. OMG, during the holidays, she brings home the best kinds of chocolates and candies. We didn't only have heaps of candy during Halloween, hehe. Don't worry, we brush or teeth regularly! Needless to say, we became candy addicts. Candy Corner would be our favorite candy store. I love how you don't necessarily need to buy the candies in packets but you can buy them in kilograms and put as many candy in the plastic bag as your heart desires - a literal candy buffet! Our cinema must-haves would be gummy bears (one time I ate 2 whole bags in one sitting, haha!), jelly beans, gummy worms, apple-o's and the super yummy candy strips sprinkled with sugar. We love the balance of the sweetness and sour. These candies would be the perfect movie snack if you're a sweets lover.

Candy Corner is my sweet little happy place. Offering tons of gummy candies, jelly beans,…read morechocolates - basically anything your sweet tooth desires. Before watching a movie at the Power Plant Cinemas, I always make pit stop to this place and buy myself some sweet treats. I usually go for the pick-and-mix, which is essentially picking all my

We bought 1 pack of Choc*nut XL bar at Crystal Mart supermarke. While we were eating one bar of…read morechoc*nut my husband noticed something sharpy crystalized human nail shaped inside the choc*nut bar. We afraid to eat those left choc*nut bars.

Just awhile ago, my eldest son was about to eat Chocnut as his dessert after lunch. To his…read moresurprise, a big worm was inside the bar. Expiry date of the product is still July 2022 which I bought last Mar 19 from Robinson's Supermarket, Metroeast. No wonder, my two sons who are fond of Chocnut have been experiencing diarrhea the past 2 days. We have some photos & videos to prove this. Video could not be uploaded here though

When we were waiting on the 4th floor of NAIA Terminal 3, I saw this store and stopped by to see if…read morethey had Yemas. Yemas are Filipino confections made of butter, condensed milk and egg yolks. They're so good! Unfortunately, I was not able to find Yema pyramids in Mindoro where my parents live. For some reason, they're really hard to find. I asked the sales clerk if they had Yema and she presented two different kinds--the small Yema caramels which are hard, and the Yema pyramids which are soft. Hallelujah! I was so happy! I bought a tub of the Yema pyramids and the hubby and I immediately opened up the tub and had one each. They just melted in our mouths. So so good. You can only have one at a time though since they're quite sweet. This store is tucked in between Kusina Filipino Cuisine and Jollibee's. They also sell all kinds of Pili Nut candies, dried mangos, polvoron, and etc. if you have room in your luggage, this is a good place to get "pasalubong" (gifts) for your loved ones back home. I'm definitely stopping here again next time we're in NAIA!

This store awakened the baker in me…read more In baking, there is little room for improvisation. Usually, you have to be by the book, follow the measurements to a T and substituting ingredients most of the time changes the outcome of the cake. Well, at least for a novice baker like me. So what I like about Wonderbake is they have just about everything that a home baker and dessert enthusiast would need. Baking tools, ingredients, frostings, decorations, they have it. Some of my baking friends they are a tad more expensive than other baking stores, but it's cheaper than supermarket prices and I love that it's so accessible to me. I have no problem getting those baking ingredients because I can always make a stop at their store in SM Southmall. In fact, no SM trip is complete without me passing by Wonderbake. I'm practically in their top 20 suki. Their staff are so accommodating too.