Okay, it's been nine months since I first reviewed Pioneer Street Market, and yes, the place has…read moreshaped up nicely. There are more than a dozen food concessionaires in the compound, and they are amazing. We now have hipster coffee, roast beef, homestyle tapa, paninis, peri-peri chicken, shawarma, tapas, sate babe, burgers, and so much more! Ang saya-saya! I just hope that people flock here as I would hate to see this go. The response from the public has been awesome though.

I work just in front of the Pioneer Street Market so I've ventured here several times, and I have…read moreto say that this is every organic person's haven. Inside Pioneer Street Market in an array of fresh goods. From colourful fruits to leafy vegetables, all-organic baking needs ingredients to healthy juices, PSM has it. They have several stalls inside that sells these plus a bunch of other healthy eats you health buffs will definitely enjoy. Right outside Pioneer Street Market is a mini-garden shop where they sell a few plants. This instantly caught my eye because I've been meaning to try planting and find out if I've got the green thumb or not. I saw a few plants that I had to stop myself from buying. There was the Plant Candle Top, Bonsais and my personal favourite, the Milflores. And the best part is that they're relatively cheap! (Well, I actually don't know how much plants are but for 120pesos per pot of Plant Candle Top, I think it's a steal!) Pioneer Street Market during the weekdays don't have a lot of stalls or they're not as filled up unlike their weekend markets. So if you do plan to visit, I suggest stopping by on a Saturday or Sunday so you're sure you'll find something to purchase.

Healthy Options is a natural food store that sells everything organic and delectable at the same…read moretime. I rarely check in here except when I'm doing either one of two things: a) accompanying my mother when she's hankering for almonds and goji berries, or b) looking for my favorite all-natural chocolate peanut butter. Really, their chocolate peanut butter just blows my mind. It's the best peanut butter I've ever tasted in a store! The texture of the peanut butter is so creamy, the dark chocolate so rich, that I ended up switching to wheat bread just to taste more of it. Skippy and Jif who? Even though I'm no health buff, I have to give props to Healthy Options for debunking the misconception that anything naturally and organically made will be bland and lacking in flavor. As its name suggests, Healthy Options offers super food alternatives to potato chips, microwaved food, fast food, and the like. With far less fat and even fewer calories, everything here can pretty much be consumed guilt-free. Their shelves display a miscellany of products, most if not all of them in line with the clean-eating lifestyle: Greek yogurt, granola bars, pretzels, lactose-free milk, and etcetera. No worries for the rest of your days! It seems everything has been stamped with the approval of the letter 'o'--organic hummus, organic bisque, organic noodles, organic bananas, organic coconut chips, and organic roasted seaweed snacks with teriyaki flavor...you get the idea. So if you're thinking of holding on to that New Year's resolution, ahem ahem, it's never too late to check out Healthy Options.

Healthy Options is something I thought I would never visit in my life. I love healthy food, but I…read morewon't really go out of my way to visit a store that sells organic products. When one of my best friends requested a Cadia Organic White Cheddar Cheese Popcorn for his birthday, I didn't really have a choice but to go to Healthy Options to buy it. When I found out that Healthy Options was actually selling Andalou Chia + Omega Radiant Skin Polish, I almost died. I really try my best to take care of my skin because it is sensitive and it easily gets dry because of the really hot weather here in the Philippines. Andalou Chia + Omega Radiant Skin Polish is what I use for my skin when it is feeling dry and flaky. Just use this product once and you'll immediately notice your skin glow. Andalou is really hard to find in the Philippines so if you want a fair and glowing skin make sure you visit this place and try out their different cosmetic products. If you want to start living healthy, then head on to Healthy Options!

The Guadalupe Public Market is the biggest of its kind in Makati. Here you can find plenty of…read morestalls selling fresh meat, seafood, vegetables, and fruits. But just like any public palengke or wet market, this place is not for the faint of heart. Expect the floors in the meat and fish area to be wet and smelly. And since this is an old establishment, the paint on the walls are already peeling off and the general condition of the place is grimy. However, if you can look way past the appearance of this public market, you'll find that it's actually a good place to buy not only wet items, but dry goods as well. Guadalupe Public Market also has stores selling traditional baskets, plastic items, affordable apparel, household cleaning materials, and even cheap diapers. Another advantage of patronizing this public market is that you can develop loyalty with your favorite sellers and they would be more than willing to give you the choicest cuts and huge discounts on your purchases. The Guadalupe Public Market is very accessible because it's near jeepney terminals and bus stops along EDSA. Plus, it has access to the Guadalupe MRT station.

I remember I was looking for a birthday gift for Pau's mom on our first year when I found out about…read moreVom Fass. Shangri-La's East Wing was very new back then and it was my best friend who told me to check if there was anything I could buy Tita Ethel there. With Pau's intel (Tita was into cooking and trying out new dishes once in a while) and my best friend's prodding, I decided to buy her a special, customized gift from Vom Fass. I was lucky one of the owners of Vom Fass was there, and he accommodated and answered all my questions. You see, Vom Fass is a specialty store that sells different types of oils, wines and spirits. While you have the option of buying any of their pre-packed bottles, you also have the option of buying any of their products in different amounts. I opted for the latter option for Tita Ethel's gift. I got her three small bottles of different oils. The friendly owner advised I get her their Balsamic Vinegar, White Truffle Oil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. They placed it in a fancy wooden box, tied a ribbon with a card on it and voila, my gift is done! I really enjoyed my experience in Vom Fass and I can't wait to purchase my next gift here. I'll probably go for the wine and spirits next time around.

This was the part of Tiendesitas that I was most excited about. Sadly, it didn't live up to my…read moreexpectations. It's just that my idea of a food village was a thriving market place with stalls overflowing with native delicacies. The place was not busy when we got there. Some crews were setting up for a concert. But even with that kind of free event, the place just wasn't buzzing, and that was a Friday. Maybe it has something to do with the time we went there (pre-dinner) and that some of the stalls were closed. The stalls that were open were pretty impressive. Most of them sold locally grown products and native delicacies that you wouldn't see in supermarkets. I liked the store that sold durian ice cream and organic fruit juices. I wanted to try the restaurants there, but we just ate before going to Tiendesitas, so we bought some Pinoy snacks instead (cornick, banana chips, chicharon, etc.). I wasn't really satisfied with my trip here. But that only means one thing: I should go back and stay longer next time. I hope there will be more stores and people then.

I've only recently been to Tiendesitas and it's just because we picked up my brother from NAIA late…read moreat night. We were looking for a place to grab dinner and he was seriously craving Filipino food after a month in Singapore eating chicken rice. PROS: We find the interiors really cute with all those colorful paper lanterns and vintas on the ceiling; The place is a wide open space with a lot of seats and industrial fans and mist machines. So it's not much of a big deal that there's no air conditioning. Or maybe it's because we went there during night time and it's less hot; The food establishments are a monolith of Pinoy food and grilled choices to accompany your beer; There was a band playing that night, and they would let the audiences volunteer if they want to perform. CONS: I know it's the Pinoy trademark that we offer good customer service, but don't you just hate it when vendors and staff get all over your face to hawk and peddle their restaurant to you? It just makes it all the more confusing and irritating for us to choose a place to eat. Like, excuse me, stop pressing your menu on my face. TL;DR: Tiendesitas Food Village is an over-all fun place with so many choices for food and drinks, plus live entertainment.

This supermarket takes after the Marketplace that's found in Singapore. Everything is easy to find…read moreand the store has a lot of prepared foods that you can use for meals or dinner parties. The sushi here is pretty fresh and decent - although the rice is a little sticky. They also have a lot of good imported cheese and a french bakery for some really good breads. The groceries here are a little on the expensive side, so you do pay for the shopping experience here. What I like is that there are a lot of foreign products so it's a good one-stop shop. No more visits to Santis. They also have lots of organic and healthier options. And premium brands like Waitrose too. The staff is always pretty friendly and they always help you to weigh your veggies before you have the chance to ask!

"Mom, they finally have a supermarket!" I informed my mom this morning…read more This convinced her to go to BGC with me. She went to the supermarket while I did my own thing. After going around and checking the bookstores, my mom texts me to tell me to meet her at Marketplace. She was still there going around and inspecting every little thing they had in that supermarket. They have the usual things you find in a Rustan's supermarket. They had their cheese, cold cuts, sushi bar, sandwiches, salads and pastas. But what made it different was that it's been years and they finally decided to put a good supermarket in BGC. It's about time! And I can finally say that High Street finally has everything. It's a small supermarket but it's packed with great goods and they have a special aisle for Korean food. Really interesting and I left the grocery with a lot of Korean noodles.

Healthy Options is a store that promises you nothing but Healthy Options. It's a store full of food…read morefor people who are concerned about their nutrition. There was a time when I didn't give a crap about stores like this cause I didn't care about my nutrition, but times have changed. I've come to appreciate the kind of food that stores like these sell. Most of the items on their shelves will be a bit expensive. These aren't produced locally after all and I think all of us can appreciate how expensive it can be to ship stuff here from the states. All the taxes and duties really does take a toll on the shopper. You're bound to find something great here, the only real problem though is that you have to have deep pockets to make the most out of the options that this place has to offer. If you don't have the money like I do I sometimes get the feeling hat health isn't an option.

Whenever a vegetarian/vegan restaurant opens up and they actually cook veggies with the justice…read morethat they deserve, I truly just want to rejoice. See, I don't think a lot of people (myself included) know how to season vegetables well, or at least not right away, not with a lot of practice and research. This creates a misleading mindset for everyone else that veggies are bland and are "rabbit food", "cardboard", and even more depressing, a mere side dish to your meat. What I love about Edgy Veggy is how well-seasoned their food is. Even the rice included in their rice meals aren't simple, but flavored with spices and herbs and it really elevates your vegetable munching experience. I've tried a lot of veggie burgers, but so far, Edgy Veggy's mushroom burger patties are the most flavorful ones I've had in a long while. The texture's excellent, not mushy or too enveloped in breading unlike some veg burger patties, and the shiitake mushroom flavor is quite distinct, which I love. The Mushroom Panino is also quite good. However, I'm not a big fan of their Mushroom Longganisa much, as the rough/sandy texture doesn't sit too well with me, and the rice is quite too punch-y and overwhelming for my taste. If you're with friends, I really recommend you get the soy chai milk tea pot! Great to share and the chai flavor is so calming. In a perfect world, one where I actually have a lot of money, I would eat here every day. But, back to reality--this place is a bit overpriced. But, compared to a lot of similar, "healthy" restaurants in areas like say, BGC, this place offers better value for money.

There are still people out there that think Vegetarian Food is boring, tasteless, and stale…read more Thankfully, restaurants like Edgy Veggy are slowly but surely changing that perception. And thankfully we have Edgy Veggy in Kapitolyo just in case we feel too guilty for eating sinfully Silantro, Madmarks, and Locavore too many times, and you just want something healthy for a change. Edgy Veggy offers a lot of tasty options for all types of vegetarians out there, from casual "I just wanna eat veggies today" types to Vegan options. Personally, I will swear by the Fried Dumplings, The Fried Risotto Balls, the Marinara, and the Mushroom Callos on Rice. Yes, I've been here quite a few times, and yes, I love meat as much as the next person. It's really a testament to how well the people behind Edgy Veggy know their stuff. Now if you excuse me, I want to try their Longganiza and Rice meal...