We've been going to Hi-Top for our groceries for as long as I can remember. We've actually been…read moremoving from one place to another, yet whenever it's possible, we buy from Hi-Top. They have a very wide and often complete selection of goods. They also have fresh products that are cheaper than in other grocery stores. The downside? Hi-Top is not Hi-Tech. Their cash registers are old-school, so it takes a much longer time for you to pay for the groceries. This causes long lines that make me restless most of the time. Also, if you're gonna use a credit card, you'll need to go to the Customer Service counter just to swipe your card instead of doing it in the Cashier counter itself. So if you really want cheaper prices, you're gonna have to endure the long wait.

One of the best places to shop for groceries if you live in Quezon City. They are much cheaper than…read morebig grocery stores in malls. Parking is a bit difficult since this place is usually full but there's a parking area beside it with a rough road. I love how old fashioned they keep everything -- even the payment process. If you want to use a credit card you actually need to go to the customer service counter because they don't even have the POS for credit cards at every counter. Seems like a hassle, but I love how they've kept it traditional. This is also the best place to buy some items in bulk, we found a gallon of extra virgin olive oil for only P500 here. Just for comparison, a small 200ml bottle of good quality olive oil would normally cost about P250. So imagine my joy when I got a hold of that (I literally cooked everything in olive oil for weeks on end). If you're buying beer for a party, you can get it here by the box for less. When you're done shopping, stop by Henny Penny just outside for a nice sandwich.

Unimart has always been one of my preferred supermarkets in Metro Manila…read more I enjoy shopping here because I find everything I need and want, and in reasonable prices. I would have given a 5 stars but on paying at the cashier they did not accept my Chase Visa card. We were previously at Landmark and Fishers Mall a day or two ago, and they both accepted my Chase visa debit card. It was a good thing I had cash. Then we decided to have merienda at their cafe and on paying our bill my sister gave her senior card, and my wife and I gave our Nevada ID to show our age. Our IDs were not accepted either. We told them that our IDs have been good at every dining establishment we've been to but they still declined. I realize now that it is a company policy and the employees have nothing to do with this decision. It is just sad that they prefer to alienate their old customers who are balikbayans now. It is a total discrimination for us. We as Filipinos were never discriminated on in the United States, and now we were discriminated in our own country. I hope they enforce the same discriminating policy to the Chinese nationals.

Doing some shopping here in Greenhills, San Juan City…read more Clean place to shop. Well lighted, almost new supermarket in the area. Service staff are courteous and helpful. Almost all products are being sold here. Pricey merchandise as compared to public market prices. They cater to upscale customers, tourists and visitors in the area. The only setback for foreign visitors is you can't use your foreign credit cards to make your purchase in Unimart. They only accept Philippines banks issued credit cards. You need to pay CASH! I would like to suggest for Unimart's meat and fish outsourced vendors; Unimart management must provide de-sanitizers and paper towels to customers buying fish and meat. It's so unsanitary!

Before going home, I always pass by Super 8. They offer all the basic brands that you will need in…read moreyour every day needs. They don't have fresh meat or fresh veggies or fruits. Though they don't offer you a wide range of ingredients, this grocery store is enough to supply you with all the basic things that you will need. All the local brands from chips, to noodles, to canned goods, processed foods, to your basic laundry and cleaning needs, you can buy it here. They also have friendly staff that will gladly assist you.

Cherry Foodarama was my moms' supermarket haven. They only had two branches in the city, one in…read moreMandaluyong and in Congressional Avenue. I remembered countless hours spent here while my mom did the grocery. It just had everything one person thought of purchasing. I would go to the toy section as a kid and pick out what I desired. There was also the magazine section where they sold comic books. The Mandaluyong branch also had Jollibee where I can grab something to eat while waiting. I also remember they had a watch area where you can change your watches batteries. The staff and owner are also very accommodating over the years and we've come to know them personally too. They even allow my mom to pay using bank cheques once in a while. Sadly their Mandaluyong branch has now been replaced with S&R and their Congressional Avenue is the only one that stands firm.

Cherry Foodarama is such a far cry from other groceries in the metro, especially at the moment. I…read moreremember coming here after spending lunch time at my lola's place each Sunday. It was often my favorite moment in the day as I got to walk around with my mom and pick out the different items that we would need at home -- from meats to cleaning supplies to chocolates and random other things. I suppose the reason why this place is so appealing to me is because it's very old-fashioned and it reminds me of how simple things used to be.

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.

Belcap has been around FOREVER. Even way before Maginhawa opened up as a food street, Belcap was…read morearound and thriving. Unlike everything else around it though, Belcap is more of a tiny grocery with food that you have to cook rather than actual meals that you can eat. They're known for their frozen food even though they have other things like snacks and detergent for sale too... so you can pretty much say they're a larger sari-sari store? Either way, it's the frozen stuff in the back that you need to go back for. They have all sorts of things: fish burgers, longganisa, chicken nuggets, hotdogs... but the siomai. The siomai is pretty good. While it's around 200php for a kilo, it's still a heckuva lot of siomai and makes for a pretty good meal. There's a LOT for sale at Belcap so if you're looking for a little something to add to your meal or make a meal out of, I recommend giving their freezer a look at. Protip: It's in the building that's right in front of Maginhawa's ZenTea. You have to go inside and head to the back of the first floor. Look to your left.

When I first moved to Teachers Village years ago, I'd always pass by Luisa 2 Building and wonder…read morewhat Belcap is. Was it a canteen? A supplies store? We found out then that they sell some food and groceries. OK. No biggie. Then we found out something more. PROS: My aunt used to get us these frozen chicken nuggets from the same supplier for McDonalds (or so they claim). We loved it more than the typical ones you buy at the grocery. But she lost contact with said supplier and we lost our nuggets. Good news, and the main reason we love Belcap, is that they sell these same nuggets! Hooray!; We mostly buy drinks here when we wait for our laundry to finish. CONS: It's quite dimly lit and not as exposed as the other stores. But hey, they've been around for a while and whatever their doing seems to work. TL;DR: Thank you, Belcap, for your nuggets and other processed meats for our lazy cooking consumption.

3 weeks ago I asked my messenger to buy 2 rims of Marlboro red. I do not understand why their…read moreMarlboro red, the cigarettes itself the logo is color red and blue. It has a bad taste and the leave are not full. Where you get your Marlboro red from and your price is more expensive than Wine Cellar in Estancia Mall. I tried to called their numbers 0915 289 0123 / 3411 2888 and it is not working.

I remember going to Quincy Supermarket after school, just to buy snacks I can devour at hone!…read moreQuincy Supermarket is a convenience store and a small supermarket, where almost everything can be found. I can say that for a large convenience store/small supermarket, Quincy is a great catch. They may be incomplete, but you can find a lot of conventional snacks and daily needs in here that could be enough to satisfy your cravings and enough to substitute your needs when a larger supermarket is inaccesible to you due to time/location restraint.

For a smaller-scale supermarket, this Rustans Fresh is pretty well-stocked. It can go head to head…read morewith any major supermarket! I guess it's because they know they're the go-to spot of all the villages, condos, and dorms around Katipunan. Sure you have Save More grocery somewhere there, but I think it's really just between this Rustans Fresh and Shoppersville, and sometimes Shoppersville can be a bit too far so this wins by default. Not to take away anything from there though! It's an institution in itself. But Rustans, aside from being right there in the middle of the Katipunan strip, offers more specialty stuff. Their imported goods section, deli section, and ready-made takeout food section are all very reliable. They even have a decent wine & liquor aisle. There's also a good selection of house goods, produce, and fresh meats and seafood. Again, this is supposed to be a small supermarket, but with all that available, it's no wonder this is a favorite for people in and around the area! It's not just for light, last-minute, minor shopping - you can really do your full week's household grocery in here! Easy to pass by too on your way home from school or work, and there's enough parking right in front and in the basement.

Rustan's Supermarket along Katipunan Avenue is the closest branch of the grocery chain to where I…read morereside. It's significantly smaller compared to the other branches in say, Makati, but it still has the things that I look for in a Rustan's. This saves me a lot of time since I don't have to go all the way to Shangri-la Plaza Mall or Rockwell in Makati to get the items that I need. Gateway Mall in Cubao has a Rustan's but it's less convenient for a full-on grocery session since it is inside the mall, and you'll have to haul those bags wherever you go. Rustan's Katipunan still has the trademark deli area that makes pretty much the same kinds of sandwiches, pastas, and salads that you'll find in other branches, as well as a rotisserie corner. I can't count on them for my smoked salmon, caviar, and Australian rib eye steak cuts. The foreign beer selection isn't bad as well, as you'll find the usual Chimay or Rogue brews on shelf.

Not in a hurry going home after office hours. I can still go to grocery store even late at night…read moresince its operation is until 11:00 pm. Thanks a lot Shopwise Commonwealth!

It's honestly surprising how there's so many groceries on Commonwealth Avenue. You'd think with…read moretheir number they would saturate the market. Curiously enough, each establishment is still standing. I guess they all have a target market in mind. Shopwise is the newest kid on the block and boldly opened smack dab in the middle of it all. I quickly converted to the church of Shopwise when I found out that they close at 11PM every day. During late nights working (or just bumming around) at home, I'm able to buy last minute junk food at grocery store prices and not at inflated convenience store ones. I take advantage of this late closing time even with my regular groceries. If you go during peak times, you'll go crazy with how long the queue is. At the wee hours of the night, there's only a handful of people so the queues are short and sweet.

At the risk of sounding whiny, I'd like to share my lamentation about the state of convenience…read morestores in the country. Japan really ruins a lot of things for you, and after being exposed to their convenience stores some 12 years ago, I have come to call our version - inconvenience stores, because they contained practically nothing. Fast forward to ten years later, and I could not be happier about the changes in the convenience stores category. The entry of Family Mart and Circle K have helped shake up the competition, and we are seeing greatly improved store operations with better offerings for us consumers. Circle K is one or the newest entrants in the category. A US brand, the chain is being operated by the same group as Zuellig. The inside is roomy and very premium. The food offerings like the hotdog and sausages are imported yet reasonably priced. The ice cream is a favorite! I like the stand-up tables that let customers have a quick meal - encourages fast turn around of consumers and yet allowing them a convenient place to have a meal. This is a good convenience store concept.

Convenience stores, like coffee shops, are sprouting like crazy in Bonifacio Global City. I think…read morethis is a sign that the market here is booming as more and more people decide to work and live in the area. Among the first ones to get a whiff of the booming trend was Circle K, an international brand of convenience stores that was one of the pioneer establishments of its kind in BGC. It is situated in front of a park and near the busy Bonifacio High Street, so it's often filled with customers buying water, energy drinks, and snacks. Compared to the big convenience stores that we are familiar with, Circle K's layout is a bit different. I noticed that it's focus is more on giving customers more choices and options for freshly prepared meals and quick bites than selling items off the shelves. The layout of the store is proof to this. The portion dedicated to meals prepared on the spot is a lot bigger than the area alllowed for display racks of junk foods and ready-to-eat items. If you are looking for office supplies, cleaning materials or even personal hygiene products, this is not the place to go. But if you want affordable and delicious siomai, good cup of coffee or pocket-friendly combo rice meals, then this is the right convenience store for you.