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Food, Groceries, Groceries, Shopping
Lost in the (Makati!) Supermarket
Whoops! So we’re running a little late with our posts, having gotten a bit disoriented recently (maybe it was the extra day in February that threw me off? Excuses, excuses…). Like I said, though, there are times when one just feels the need to slow down and get a handle on life. Strangely enough, whenever this happens, I find that wandering the aisles of a supermarket, looking at everything and nothing in particular, helps me get my bearings again.
I really can’t say what causes the therapeutic effect: maybe it’s the sense of control and security one gets from having multiple rolls of toilet paper in stock; maybe it’s because buying organic soy milk and healthy (if cardboard-y tasting) cereal makes me feel like a responsible adult; maybe it’s just retail therapy in action. Whatever it is, one of my favorite supermarkets to get lost in is the ironically named Makati Supermarket in Alabang (remember that old song by the Clash? It had silly lyrics like “I’m all lost in the supermarket / I can no longer shop happily / I came in here for that special offer / A guaranteed personality.” Well, in my case, when I get lost in the supermarket, I find that it does reinforce my personality, hehehe).
Shopping in Makati Supermarket is always a bit of an adventure. Back in the days when their airconditioner was always set to “freeze,” most patrons had to don thick fluffy parkas and warm sweaters just to do their groceries. Though it’s not as cold nowadays, the sense of adventure still remains, primarily because you can never tell what you’ll find on their shelves (yes, that’s a nice way of saying their stock keeping is very erratic; one day you’ll find something and the next day it’ll be gone: it can be annoying, but for browsers it’s kinda fun). This is the only other place (aside from 7-11) where I can get Mineshine, my favorite bottled milk tea drink; they also (more or less regularly) carry Wheat Nuts, Starbucks Frappuccinos, Lactasoy in teeny-tiny containers, Vegemite (not that I like this stuff, it’s just unusual), Alberto VO5 Kiwi Lime Squeeze Shampoo, and the super-duper heavy duty Secret Platinum soft solid deodorant. They’ve got a mean sausage selection, too (think yummy Vigan longganisa and veal chipolatas).
It’s not just food and your typical toiletries that you can find here: they also sell home accessories (we found adorable melamine dishes and cheery water bottles), hardware and gardening supplies, and all sorts of fun stationery items that take you back (way back) to your grade school days (like those plastic erasers that smell good; arki students in particular will love this place, with their small triangular scales, giant stamp pads, furniture templates, and erasing shields). Then there’s the Makati Supermarket Coffeeshop, where you can grab their eternally popular Spaghetti with Meat Sauce (P65 for a regular serving, P80 for medium), and the convenient Mercury Drugstore branch, which sometimes manages to have certain drugs in stock when the other branches don’t have any.
And so, as I finish waxing poetic about being lost in the supermarket, here’s a little tip I discovered thanks to my sister’s refusal to wait in line: during weekdays (when more people come from the mall than the parking lot outside) avoid the long lines (and the dubious-smelling meat section) at the cashiers by the service town entrance and pay in front instead. You’ll easily save yourself fifteen minutes, and you can always go back to the mall through the stairs that come out near Castle and Ding Velayo (hang a right if you’re exiting by Mercury or a left if you’re coming out through the main entrance).
Makati Supermarket in Alabang
Theater Drive, Alabang Town Center, Alabang, Muntinlupa
850-7657 to 87
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Mineshine!!! Favorite ko rin ‘yan. I like Makati Supermarket, pero magulo yung arrangement and di maganda yung lighting. Or maybe this is just the Southmall Supermarket girl in me talking. :p
they have that brand of milk tea (mineshine)? naghahanap ako nyan coz i wanna try it kasi dami nagsabi masarap daw.. naku mapapapunta tuloy ako sa makati supermart nyan, sana this weekend :P love doing the grocery rin kasi.. hehehe enjoy kaya!
hi chick!
if you REALLY want to be sure, go straight to any branch of 7-11 na lang. they’re much more reliable at keeping mineshine in stock. yung sa makati supermarket, hit and miss yan. :D
haha, dat, yes i read that in your blog. :) mineshine addicts, hehe.
Whoa! They have Starbucks Frap in the bottle? How much? :)
I was there last Tuesday to grab a sandwich at Earl’s. I’ll have to do some grocery shopping soon!
cha,
yes they do! mga P95 yata isa. they usually stock them above the freezers and displays in front of the meat section, along with other imported items. again, panapanahon, hehe.
other places to get fraps in bottles: shopwise (meron din dito sometimes) and first empire (it’s a convenience store in bf next to charbroiled and the entrance of sinagtala). happy frap hunting! :D
Hi there! hehehe, i like the variety in makati supermarket kasi they carry brands i cant get in my favorite supermarket, southmall.
pero i looove south supermarket. ang ganda ng meat selection. and dun na lang ako nakahanap ng packed uni. good sushi night yun! =)
thanks! how much mineshine sa makati supermart?
sa makati supermart pala ako nakabili nung Nescafe Ice Java syrup.. dun lang ako nakakita nun. Sarap panghalo sa coffee or topping sa ice cream! (para syang Hersheys syrup) ;)
for bottled starbucks frap, meron din sa S&R.. usually madami sila stocks dun!
nicki,
yes yes yes i agree! south supermarket has the best meat selection… pati fresh fruits and veggies. :) everywhere else parang hindi ako convinced na fresh. :p
u8mypinkcookies,
mineshine in makati supermarket is P32 yata; in 7-11 it’s P36. :D
alam ko yang ice java syrup! sarap sya and it really packs a punch.
thanks for the frap tip! ;)
oh cheaper pala in makati supermart; yah P36 nga sa 7-11, I bought one kanina. im gonna try if its good tomorrow. i magustuhan ko, hoard ako from MS! :)
sis, may hamburger steak pa ba sa restau part? we used to enjoy that when Makati Supermarket was still in makati… eh? tagal na no?
doc gita,
meron pa! P165 for the hamburger steak. :D memories!
Try out Luk yuen in Makati Sup, its great!
Makati sup has almost everything that you need. Just make sure to check on the expiry dates
we went here this afternoon, too bad walang MineShine :(
lynne,
yes, good advice… sometimes they do have old stock.
mineshine addicts,
*gasp!* out of stock and 7-11!!! aaagh!
what, out of stock rin in 7-11? that’s bad news :(
what i like rin in Makati Supermart, there’s a stall outside selling Dolor’s Kakanin! Try their Sapin-sapin (assorted kakanin), so yummy!!
several times na kami bumilik to buy stuff, sinisilip ko sa fridge and drinks area, wala pa rin MineShine. saang rack ba sya naka-display if may stocks sila? para alam ko saan hahanapin everytime we go there? ;)
meron na uli sa 7-11 (at least sa northgate!) yehey!!! kaso madalas din mag out of stock… dahil pinapakyaw ko! hahahaha!!! :D
ay hindi ko pala sinagot ang tanong haha… they usually stock the mineshine in the juice aisle near the cash registers at the theater drive entrance. :)
i like shopping here because it’s cheaper than South or Shopwise but it is kind of old looking. i wish they’d renovate it or something. i hope too that they come up with something like South’s green card or Shopwise’s Wise Card so shoppers can earn points here as well.
It’d be nice if your site can also feature the different stalls of food sa entrance ng Makati Supermarket… hmmmm I still remember the mouthwatering smell of squidballs.
check out this site. hope this helps for people looking for new places to shop and look for food.
http://waltermartmakati.blogspot.com/
obei,
yes!!! grocery food stalls… squidball, fishball, hotdog, and chicharon galore! :D in makati supermarket though mas pili yung stalls… sosy baga, hahaha! i bought a bulla frozen yogurt bar there a few weeks ago. sige, we’ll keep that in mind… pati sa south, shopwise, and sm maraming pwedeng i-explore. :)
entrepgirl,
you said it! old smelling pa minsan, hehe. and the carts are ancient. :p i guess that’s part of the “charm” hahaha.
i was able to try the Makati Supermart spaghetti na, pero in a coffee shop near beside Cash & Carry Pasong Tamo Extn! :) ang sarap nga!!
i miss mag-grocery dito sa Makati Supermart. gusto namin dito kasi cheaper pa than other groceries :)