So this place is easily accessible from Edsa Shangri-La Hotel via the Garden Wing entrance just…read moreacross. The Lower Ground Level is rather a lonely place for restaurants to reside, as evident by the closures; Krispy Kreme, Gelatissimo, Maple, and Jamba juice, which used to be at the entrance. Epicurious gets you curios from its name alone. The simple process of choosing your item and having them cook it for a minimal 5% surcharge it's an attractive concept. ITALIAN SAUSAGES (200-300 PHP) We selected our sausage from the display and had RICE (45 PHP) for starch. Meaty sausage that's satisfying and cook just right. VEGETABLE LASAGNE (250 PHP) Minced eggplant and carrots make up the filling with light tomato sauce that's hidden by the cheese. Topped with a lot cheese that's melted.

I think what we are missing in our local food scene is the the prevalence of delicatessens and…read morewhole food stores that focus on the special ingredients and processes that go into the creation of food that is delicious and satisfying. In the US, where I spent a year eating during most of my time as an exchange student, I have come to love the deli culture wherein you pop into a small family-run store and grab a sandwich to go with some salad, cuts of meat, cheese, olives, some pickles and other artisanal food items. I would also duck into delis for unique and hard to find ingredients that are usually supplied by neighborhood industries or specialty manufacturers. I was very excited when I came across Epicurious in Shangri-La's East Wing. I was exploring the newly-opened wing of the super snazzy mall when I saw the beautiful storefront that had displays of fresh fruit and vegetables. I came in and I was instantly impressed with the design and the concept of the place. They have shelves upon shelves of deli food items such as breads, sausages, steaks and packaged food. In the far corner, they also have a small counter where they display their house specialty cakes and desserts that go well with their coffee. In yet another corner is a fully-functional kitchen where they usually hold cooking demonstrations and tasting events. You will find specialty ingredients, cooking utensils and kitchen supplies for your next lunch or dinner party. Epicurious is my go-to place when I am in Shang. I would skip my veg diet and go for the spicy sausages, which I can have the staff grill for me with salt and a little black pepper. I would also order the salads and the pre-made sandwiches from their deli display cases. My usual meal would be the sausages and salads cooked on the spot and served with warm bread from their boulangerie section. I love the "paluto" concept where you pick from the produce and have their chefs prepare your food for you. I always feel like a kid let loose in an amusement park when I go through their shelves. I find so many interesting things that I want to try. The prices are manageable and I think they are worth the value of the goods that are on display. The staff, which are managed and hired by the Center for Culinary Arts (CCA), are always very polite and helpful.

Earle's Delicatessen is the best "middle ground" I have ever seen in a local restaurant. It serves…read moresome of the best-tasting processed meats that is equal to its more expensive contemporaries, at a price range that will put most supermarket choices to shame. While it is technically a restaurant, Earle's has been built more like a neighborhood deli, where you pop in, buy your meats, and go on your way. This branch in Wynsum is very much like that. As a restaurant, this branch in Ortigas could do better. It's rather small, a bit cluttered, and the token outdoor seating is uncomfortable. However, as a deli, it will ALWAYS win.

Thus far, I have tried out this place (right next door to my office) both as an actual deli (way…read moreback in 2013 or so), and recently as a place to get good cheap salad. Last time, I ordered their Bavarian Smokies and Hungarian Sausages fresh off the deli, just so I have a pre-cooked viand to take into the office for lunch. I heated the sausages in the offices via microwave, and found myself completely thrown off and overpowered by sheer saltiness. Their sausages were over-seasoned! That left a bad taste in my mouth, causing me to not return to this place despite the very fair pricing (relative to pricier counterparts like Santïs). I only decided to try it again recently, now that I'm on a doctor-/coach-advised habit of having more greens and salads for my meals. I noticed that Earle's has salads in its menu, and very affordable ones at that. It has the Canadian Green (has maple ham), Mediterrebian Green (has cuts of beef), and Asian Green (has cuts of chicken and oranges). At an average price of about PHP 95 (for the Side portion, which is good for one person), Earle's (which is just next door to my building) currently gives me pretty much the best bang-for-buck as a full-meal salad in my immediate vicinity (just too bad that Lawson's and FamilyMart branches are currently a tad farther away). They prepare the salad fresh upon ordering, and serve it around 8-10 minutes. The Side portion is already sufficient to pair with a viand (I currently pack one from home) for a full meal. The iceberg lettuce is in hearty portions, the meat (I prefer the Canadian Green's ham and the Asian Green's chicken) is also generously served, and there is just enough dressing to spread evenly among the salad to taste. I have yet to try the Entree portion of its salads, but for PHP 30 more, I can imagine it would suffice as a full meal in and of itself. All that said, I would rate Earle's 3 stars as a pure delicateseen, as it really needs to work on the quality and seasoning of its deli meats. However, I would rate it 4 stars for its salads - great value for money! All in all, that would be 3.5 stars, but really, I'd definitely recommend it for the average-joe looking for an affordable yet modestly nutritious working meal.

When I first stepped into an Earle's, I knew then that there is a God and he loved me so, so much…read more Manila has always had Delis, but Earle's just took that business by storm by making their products delicious AND affordable. Back then, buying a kilo of something from a Deli was enough to wipe out half your salary. Either that or you'd go to your grocery and content yourself with the bland, chemical-tasting stuff that passes for salami. You had no middle ground. When Earle's came into the picture, however, meat lovers rejoiced. Their products tasted GREAT. We finally had an outlet that served great tasting Deli stuff at a fraction of the cost. The fact that they're making all these sausages locally probably has something to do with it, but I am not complaining one bit. The Earle's at Columns is the most comfortable branch they have, bar none. The presence of comfortable outdoor seating pushes this branch to the top in my book.

My recent favorite find! I can't believe I didn't know this place existed in Manila. I can live…read morehere now! It's a European deli + grocery, where you can find meats, cheeses, produce. There's a good selection of ingredients for European cooking - Italian, French, German. Plus, they have a wide array of my favorite European snacks! Brands like Cailler, Kagi, Manner, Hero, Piacelli, etc. Pluses are the cafe upstairs, olive bar, gift baskets, breads, and they can make a very presentable charcuterie plate. Friendly associates too. Negatives are they can't serve coffee to go, and they quoted me the wrong price for the charcuterie plate. I selected meats and cheeses on promo and the price they charged me was way higher than the sum of the individual meats. I took it up to them and they didn't do anything to correct this. I'll just have to keep a sharper eye when they ring me up next time. This will be my go to place for my European ingredients needs and snacks! Yay! After a terrible weekend in this city, Santi's kind of redeemed Manila for me!

My Saturday routine usually starts at Salcedo Market and ends at Säntis Delicatessen. I've read…read moresomething about this gourmet-paradise place in some expatriate's web forum and wanted to check it out. Well, I can say it was love at first sight. If you like to cook different dishes (I mean, not the everyday ones), this is the right place for you to find sophisticated ingredients. They sell gourmet products from all over the world. So there's no matter if you want to impress and prepare some Moroccan food or serve authentic Italian pasta: there you'll certainly find what you need. The products I always buy there are prime meats, chicken breast, fresh salmon, turkey ham and imported cheese. Their US beef tenderloin is the most tender I found in town - and I've tried many supermarkets before. Highly recommend it! Santis also has a wine cellar with a big variety of bottles. Just choose the country and region you appreciate the most and voilà, you'll have all the elements for a great gourmet experience.

It was my mother that first introduced Connie's Kitchen's goodies to me. She brought home the most…read moredelicious spread alongside toasted bread that was just so delicious, it was impossible for me to forget down the line, even years later. I highly recommend their Sun Dried Tomato Pesto, gourmet tuyo, and whatever else you might be lucky enough to get your hands on. I predict many delicious meriendas or breakfasts ahead of you. Connie's Kitchen items also make for perfect home warming or "just because" gifts to someone that you love because they are personal and thoughtful. I know I would appreciate them!

I think I'm on a sandwich phase right now because everywhere I go, I've been ordering sandwiches…read moreand it so satisfyingly delicious every time I get my fix. I found myself in Shangri-La last week and the moment I saw the sign that says sandwiches, I immediately wanted to try it out. I mean yeah, almost all restaurants serve it or some form of it but a restaurant that declares it serves SANDWICHES. PASTA. and something else definitely deserves my attention. I love it when a restaurant menu is cleverly named. Like my sandwich "Animal Farm" which is a turkey and bacon sandwich, Journey to the center of the Earth is a sausage sandwich. It's cute, admit it. The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating, the indoor space is a little cramped but it'd be a good place to stay a while and do some work on your laptop or read a book, the chairs are cozy but hey they make up for it with the large outdoor space. The food looks awesome and I liked my sandwich (Turkey & Bacon) even though the bread was a tad tough and as for the other one, I like my sausages to have that strong meaty tough flavour, like it just came home from war and it's the meanest sausage ever but theirs were the nicest one I've ever tasted, no strong flavour there. Still, there are a lot of other options on the menu I've yet to try and I'm holding out judgement. You can't judge a book by just reading one paragraph now, right? Check it out and see for yourself! Let me know what you love about Pages so I can put it on my list!

If there's one restaurant I frequent at Shangri-La, Pages Deli is it. First of all, I really love…read morethe cozy ambiance of the restaurant and it makes a perfect setting for a date or if you just want to be alone and read a book. Speaking of books, the interiors are similar to a reading room with plush chairs and pretty mood lighting. Keeping up with Pages Deli's book theme, the restaurant's sandwiches are also playfully names around famous book titles such as Of Love and Other Demons (chorizo and swiss melt sandwich), Gulliver's Travels (shrimp sandwich), To Kill a Mockingbird (chicken sandwich) and Canterbury Tales (turkey with cranberry). Apart from the playful take on the sandwiches, Pages Deli also offers soups, salads, brunch items, pizza, various kinds of deli and cheese platters, dessert and coffee. In addition, they also have a selection of wines, cocktails and local and imported beers. One of the sandwiches that I frequently order at Pages Deli is thier Charlotte's Web Sandwich. Served on whole wheat bread, the playful take on the children's classic is composed of deli ham, fresh mango, honey dijon mustard, tomato and lettuce. This sandwich is filling and Pages Deli definitely does not scrimp on the ingredients. The deli ham was sweet and it complemented the fresh mango and honey dijon mustard spread. On the other hand, their pasta is more for those with a heavier appetite, and I really like their Carbonara pasta. The sauce is very creamy and is made on the spot and has bits of bacon, basil, mushrooms and topped with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and toasted garlic bread on the side. As a huge coffee fan, Pages Deli also offers a limited selection of coffee choices, and my favorite being the Ice Cafe Latte. The blend is very good and it's quite refreshing and will either go best with your sandwich or pasta order.

I always tell my friends that it is impossible to be bored in Maginhawa. There is a wide variety of…read moreshops, establishments and dining places to keep you entertained, and when all else fails, you can always shop around for good deals. One of the best places to shop along Maginhawa is The Good Shelf. What I love about this eco-store is their commitment to corporate social responsibility, as they empower small producers that create artisanal products that can rival other commercially prepared food stuffs such as jams, preserves and other packaged produce. The eco-store has a variety of food items such as fresh produce and processed items that they have on display. The place also has a restaurant that serves healthy organic food. Upstairs is a small yoga studio, where residents from the neighborhood usually come for their practice. I usually come back to get more of my Human Nature environment friendly skin products such as hand sanitizers, lotions and refreshing sprays. The Good Shelf also carries my favorite Malagos Dark Chocolate, an excellent single origin dark chocolate from Davao. Small and independent producers can be part of the eco-store as consignees.

Going to the deli is convenient when you want to eat right away and buy an ingredient or two for…read moreyour next meal. I think. Most delis also have food that you can't easily find in the usual grocerires or supermarkets and that's what I love about visiting such places. The Good Shelf offers a variety of cheeses, pickles, and many other bottled (or pickled) products. I went in there intrigued by their cheesecake ice cream, which did not cost me much. It's packed in a plain plastic cup but I wasn't expecting them to transfer it to an actual ice cream cup when I said I was going to eat it inside. It was surprisingly spacious inside, too. They have pasta, smoothies, and mocktails in their menu. I love their blackberry-flavored one. And if you're in the area, I suggest you go inside and have a look.

Fantastic crepes. Two words that describe Cafe Breton best. But of course, a café isn't just their…read moredelicious crepes. As it is popular, the place is pretty busy at all hours of the day so if you're unable to relax in good company and enjoy a discussion while your order is being prepared you might want to find it within you to just chill. Cause the wait is worth it, and we can all find the time (unless you have a meeting you're running off to!) The atmosphere is perfect for unwinding and relaxing over a chat with your friends and family, with cheerful splashes of color, ambiance to match the café mood and a nice view of the pretty surroundings in the neighbourhood. They serve awesome coffee and awesome frappes that naturally go so well with crepes. A good pairing in my opinion, it's what I tend to get, is their Lost Paradise with a nice Café Liegois. And naturally I would suggest going so far as getting a savory crepe and then finishing with a sweet crepe. Tops.

I LOVE CAFE BRETON It is my favorite places to go to for…read morecrepes. They have the BEST crepes, I promise these crepes will not disappoint. Although Cafe Breton does offer savory meals, it's really their crepes and coffee you should try. The crepes here aren't soft and pancake textured, or too thick, or tasteless. The crepes themselves are light, super thin, and flavorful. They also cook it so that the edges kind of crisp up a bit (BEST PART!). They have so many different crepe combinations and you can even DIY them! They have blueberry cream crepe with blueberry compote, vanilla ice cream, and whipped cream (they're very generous with their whipped cream) which is stellar. They have classic combos like nutella and mangoes. BUT what you really really NEED TO do is ignore all those fancy crepes, all you need to order is their simple and classic BUTTER & SUGAR crepe. I know, what am I saying. Really? YES, REALLY. It may sound unexciting but trust me when you taste this you will feel the excitement. This crepe is loaded with butter (THANK YOU) and sugar and it forms are crisp outside cause of the sugar, the inside is so buttery this almost reminded me oddly of an egg tart. Their coffee is local, they don't sell it commercially but trust me when you taste it you wish they did! One of the best coffee in the Metro.