The chocolate in many desserts that you have been enjoying for years in all probability comes from Belgium, the home of ‘real chocolate’ as introduced recently by the executives of Puratos. No less than the company’s CEO came to tell Manilans that what they produce and distribute is the chocoate that counts, Belcolade chocolate that is, up to now, made from 100% cocoa butter. It comes either in drop or block forms, as Selection (bitter dark or sweet white) or Assortment collections, the latter made from special origins, as in countries where they are grown of 100% organic bio-chocolates with a unique aroma. Would you believe they have Cyrano (as in Bergerac) flavors? That ’nose’ identifies the most specific and unique cocoas which Puratos distributes to industrial users. Chocolate fanciers can sample exquisite Belgian chocolates from the selections in 5-star hotels, patisseries and outlets of Lady Godiva and Leonidas in malls around Metro Manila. Have a chockie and know that it comes from the finest cocoa from all over the world.
We drove to Subic one day. It was a good ride, we made good time. Smooth roads, no traffic jam. The idea was to look into the Duty Free shops. Prior to moving around, we checked in at the Subic International Hotel’s Delta wing, a pleasant surprise with its gracious staff and personable Executive Assistant Manager Lito Filamor plus spacious, pleasantly decorated rooms. The Terrasse Café is right by the check-in counter, convenient for those who want a drink or snack after the trip. It was merienda time when we decided to rest our feet after shopping. We found a Filipino merienda buffet (P99). They have sugar-free cheese/carrot cakes, apple/prune crumbles at P55 per. They offer meals that range from pasta to pinakbet, from P160.
Prior to going to the shops, we opted to have lunch at the Golden Dragon restaurant, a few steps away. We were pleased to find that they still carried hototay soup on their menu. The shops were a bit of disappointment. Lots of candies, but not much food other than those readily available in Manila. That day the computer system at Pure Gold bogged down. They were doing check-out manually, taking so long to serve customers. At Royal Subic, one of the new items we noted was Green’s line of cakes mixes, including the 97% far free. The plain variant goes for P190 and the latter is tagged at P360. On the way back, we stopped for a quick meal at Jollibee’s on the highway. Their new Crispy Bangus Daing is good value for money. And they have vinegar, too. Efficient service as well.
In Sta. Rosa, Laguna, residents have a new playground–the sprawling SM City. It’s big, it’s refreshing, it’s ideal for meeting friends, gathering families, dining and needless to say, shopping. An attraction specially for children is the miniature glass-encased Butterfly Farm where the attractive creatures freely fly amid the lush foliage. Live butterflies can be purchased but their life span is only seven days.
What did we note in the Supermarket? House brand Bonus costs a little less than other brands, such as pork belly at P130, ground pork at P136 and ground beef at P142. Beef tenderloin sells at P722, while kenchi is P236. There’s the much appreciated Magnolia Chicken station where the shopper can have freshly cut pieces of her choice. We got the seasoned meat–chicken burger at P136 a kilo, tapa at P140, barbecue and wings. This mall gives people living away from the metropolis the feel of city life.