Hobbes and Landes: Come and play

Hobbes and Landes is not a pet store, but a game and hobby store. However, the pet lover is drawn to the unique collection of pet food, toys and accessories that the store offers. We were told that Bonifacio High Street, where the newest Hobbes and Landes store is located, is to be the first pet-friendly Ayala establishment hereabouts. Great!

I was told by store manager Barry that when the first Hobbes and Landes store opened a few years back, it carried board games for all types of people, but recently the owners saw the growing demand for toys, accessories and bags for toddlers and pets, so they opted to include these in their stores. The mix is perfect.

At BHS, Hobbes and Landes welcomes pet lovers and kids. The games and hobbies are located towards the back of the store. I love the way the selection caters to pet owners. Barry added that their kids’ section also has goods other stores don’t carry. And anyone who knows their board games knows that Hobbes and Landes is where the best games can be found.

GOLF DEPOT: Give it a swing

I swung by Golf Depot just because I wanted to see what makes golfers fanatics of the sport. My first impression was that the store is sparse — concentrating on the merchandise, not the frills, which is probably what golfers want. A golfer friend also told me that when you’re on the green, you need to clear your mind and concentrate on making the right hits. Golf, after all, is a mind game.

Golf Depot carries the standard brands like Nike, Callaway and Titleist. But Randy Rana, brand manager for Ping, told me that the house brand is Ping. "Ping is the No. 1 brand for golf fitting. Most brands are off the rack, but Ping caters to club fitting." Randy explained that avid golfers require special clubs when they play, and this is where Ping comes in — it’s like asking a designer to make you a couture dress for a night out.

WRIST POD: Time for time

I have always had a great fascination with watches. My mom tells me that as a child my favorite store was the watch store. Now that I am (a bit) older, I still love entering watch stores.

Wrist Pod is cool. Everything about the store speaks of high quality. The colorful, funky and modern watches are placed in glass cases that are spread out in the store, giving it that modern and clean look.

Wrist Pod has watches that had me wishing I had lots of cash to buy all the watches I fancied. Lorenz Manalang, marketing manager of Wrist Pod, told me that they are banking on the name of the store to sell their trendy and fashionable timepieces.

"Since Bonifacio High Street is the Rodeo Drive of Manila, Wrist Pod reflects the configuration and key concepts of the products sold," added Manalang.

KRISPY KREME: Haven for doughnut lovers

The smell of freshly cooked doughnuts with freshly brewed coffee welcomed me into Krispy Kreme. I remember the first time we got a taste of Krispy Kreme here at the STAR office — it was pasalubong from a friend who had come from the States — and we were immediately hooked on the Krispy Kreme specialty: the glazed doughnut.

Krispy Kreme at BHS was the first to open in the country on Nov. 30, 2006. The lines that welcomed the melt-in your-mouth doughnuts were record-breaking in Asia.

Jun Obra, general manager of Krispy Kreme BHS, told me that they want their customers to get the "Krispy Kreme experience," which explains their layout. They have a "theater" window that lets people waiting in line see how the doughnuts are made. For me, the experience is the perfect mouth-watering, doughnut-desiring pleasure. And, if you catch the red light on at Krispy Kreme, that means you get a glazed doughnut for free. Yum, yum.