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!

My go to store cause it's close to my AirBnb. If I have the cravings for the hotdogs and meat buns…read moreand cheap but ok coffee and snacks those is where I go. I also load up my Grab app here. The staff are friendly and nice, they all know me already.

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.

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.

Convenience stores of the Japanese persuasion aren't the most common of sights in the Quezon City…read morearea. It really is surprising, considering how large a chunk of land QC covers. There've been countless times where I've been put in a situation where knowing where to buy Japanese ingredients could have been a lifesaver. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get miso from regular groceries? Fuji Mart has been open for decades, purveying an eclectic mix of Japanese goods. Everything from katsu sauces, bottles of sake, instant ramen, and frozen fish are for sale. If you plan of serving homemade sashimi to your dinner guests, I highly recommend buying the raw fish here. It may be frozen (which is a no no for some people), but at least you're sure that it's been properly packaged and made. If you prefer something cooked, here's a quick recipe: get a nice slab of salmon steak, lather it up with Japanese miso, and bake it. Enjoy and you're welcome!

There's always no one here so I can simply get my coffee and rush to the office! They updated their…read morecoffee machines so now it offers Brewed Coffee, French Vanilla, Mochaccino, and Hershey's Hot Chocolate. The taste isn't quite the same, but I still like getting my coffee here from time to time.

Will keep this review very quick, just as quick as my having had to pass by here last night in a…read morerush to get a pre-workout coffee. I believe I've already disclosed about my love for Japanese kombinis, and my mix of elation and points for improvement for their Philippine branches. Thus far, however, I see two defining advantages for Philippine FamilyMart, all of which I got to enjoy last night: 1. The fact that some of their branches have restrooms. For a commuter who consumes high amounts of water and gets stuck in apocalyptic levels of traffic, this alone is a godsend. Last night, when I was walking for almost 750m and holding it in for even longer was proof to this. 2. The fact that most of their branches accept credit cards for payment. Credit card terminals are actually already a standard in ALL of the kombinis I've been to in Japan (not just FamilyMart), precisely because of the convenience they bring to people who might not have enough cash on hand at that precise moment. This particular branch tends to have kinks from time to time (I found the restsroom and the credit card terminal each out of order in two separate occasions), but what store doesn't have those problems? For last night, their softdrink dispenser's ice machine was defective. Since the coffee I bought was still too hot, I was hoping to just get a couple of pieces of ice as I needed to gulp down the whole cup immediately. Seeing this, they directed me to a tiny cooler they kept on top of the freezer, containing a small stockpile of tube ice. This is testament to great customer service that adapts well to a changing situation!