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.

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.

So let's say you want a memorable gift for someone or maybe an eyecatching centerpiece for an…read moreevent. Have you ever considered candy? And not just any candy. There's actually somewhere in the metro that makes hand pulled, hand rolled rock candy. And it's not going to break your bank either. You can get a small jar for 100php or a bigger jar for 175php. For that much, you get a bunch of small, 3-5cm large candies with individual designs. These were pieces cut from one long roll. It blows my mind that these guys are able to make designs like cars and letters and hearts and even little Captain America faces out of rolls of colored, flavored sugar. No molds, no guides. Just rolling and kneading. Blows. My. Mind. The flavors are great, too. My personal favorite is (no prizes there for guessing) the salted caramel. Not only do you get that pure sugar flavor from the caramel but you actually get little flecks of salt from time to time. I found myself cracking the jar open multiple times in the day. Just a heads up though, if you want to use these as centerpieces then make sure they're kept away from hot lights. They don't keep in heat very well. Keep them on a table in the jar a few days, they'll still be okay but they might end up kind of fused together.

I'm a sucker for sweets with a little something extra, and Twisted Candy gives you that. It's…read morealmost just regular hard candy, sure, but it comes in a lot of different flavors, and comes in these little cute designs that are just made by hand at the store itself. It can be pretty mesmerizing to watch these guys just throw around the soft candy into ropes and bang it out into these itty-bitty buttons of fun. They even do personalized designs, which I think is pretty cool. I buy these for my brother when I'm thinking of getting him a treat, since they look so appealing even in their plastic bags. My brother goes through dialysis almost daily so he has a lot of food to avoid, so he appreciates a little special something when he does actually get something he can eat. I do think they're a little on the pricey side though, since a hundred bucks would only get you a small bag. But I guess it's fair with the work that goes into them, and just the variety of fruit and other sugary flavorings they come in, which makes you want to try everything! Luckily they have the variety packs for you to do just that.

For those with a sweet tooth, various small candy shops have emerged with their plastic stalls…read moreloaded with all sorts of delights that make a mouthful of sweet, sugary goodness possible. While I have grown out of splurging on too much candy, I still delight myself whenever I see a Candy Corner; I remember myself from before, so much in love with their delectable, sweet smelling, uniquely shaped candies that are so much the favorite of the young, hyperactive metabolism that can't wait to get all of that sugar down and exhaust it by running around and playing a lot, burning off so much of it and giving the adults a harder time before the eventual sugar crash and nap time. Ha, those were the days. Some things never change, I suppose; we still have these Candy Corner shops with the friendly women in aprons giving children what they wish to have to soothe their sweet tooth, and occasionally for the adults as well, who never really grow out of it.

There a will always be a part of me that loves to eat candy. After all, anything sweet, as some…read morepeople who have studied brains tells us, fills our head with chemicals that we typically recognize as happiness. Either that or it's just nostalgia. One of the best places to get candy from is any place that sells them by the ounce. These stores typically have a great collection of candy to choose from. Candy Mix is one such store. Candy Mix is another one of those stores born out of a follow someone else's idea approach. It's no longer uncommon to find stores that specialize in selling candy by the ounce. Candy Mix is nothing special in this regard as it sells candy at a reasonable price. Their selection is vast, but also nothing new to my eyes. I mean, there's nothing wrong with what they have, but then again there's nothing great about it either. It's okay to put it simply.

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 was walking along the alley inside UPTOWN mall and saw this store in the middle of the walking…read morearea. The design of their store is so welcoming that you'd think you are in charlie's chocolate factory. They have the same design that would entice your craving for chocolate and at the same time look elegant than most chocolate shops. We got the chocolate chip caramel apple and a few of their chocolate pieces with almonds. Their candy apple is gonna make your tastebuds crazy. You wouldnt believe how the chocolate blends so well with the apple. After one bite, you wouldn't blame Eve for biting the forbidden apple too. Dont think that because their candy apples are so good that their chocolate pieces aren't. These are the david and goliath of chocolates. They maybe small but they sure as heck taste awesome. The chocolate was so rich and creamy while the almonds were perfectly nutty. Definitely going back again soon to try more of their products.

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.

For some people, bibingka is a seasonal food. It's best enjoyed after Simbang Gabi during Christmas…read moreseason. But my love affair with bibingka does not end when the holidays are over. It's of my my favorite Filipino delicacies. Thank goodness for Bibingkinitan, I can enjoy my hot bibingka all year round. Of course, it seems too indulgent to finish one plate of bibingka all by myself. But Bibingkinitan serve freshly baked mini bibingkas, just the right size for one person, though I can finish a whole box (6 mini bibingkas inside) in one sitting if I don't control myself. I recently learned that they also have ube, pastillas, macapuno and even peanut butter bibingkas, but those are just seasonal. It's okay, I'm more than happy with my original bibingka, more butter and no sugar, please. I like bringing home a box of Bibingkinitan for an afternoon snack, but I also like eating it at their stall, with their special calamansi juice.