Our lunch spread at Planet Grapes in Ayala Centre Cebu, Philippines.
There are many reasons why malls are much preferred by the Filipinos and upon a close inspection, I realise that they actually make sense.
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REASONS WHY LOCALS PREFER MEETING AT THE MALLS
These reasons I have gathered are based on personal needs and experiences, as well as from my family and friends. Others may have a totally different reason for picking the mall as the meeting place.
- The Philippines is in the tropics and this means it is a humid 30C all year around. The air-conditioned mall, therefore, offers the needed respite.
- The smog outdoors is a huge problem in big cities in the Philippines, so outside the islands and beaches, as well as nature parks which sadly the cities have a shortage of, any alfresco activity such as shopping and dining which are very much common in Europe, are best done indoors.
- Most of my family and friends will not meet in a place without car parking. The major malls in Cebu offer most of the time free parking.
- There is a wide variety of shops, cafes and restaurant available in the malls. Many like the idea of combining errands, a bit of window shopping and meeting family and friends for lunch or dinner in 1 place. Given the horrible traffic in Cebu, it’s the best solution.
- Safety is another thing people look after. Safety in terms of not being mugged and for their cars as well.
- Malling has become a subculture in the Philippines. It is the only country in the whole world that has a high density of malls. Out of the top 20 largest malls in the world, 14 are in the Philippines. That says enough.
This is one of the nice new cafes in Ayala Centre that has a nice view, the La Vie Parisienne, obviously a French-inspired cafe.
PLANET GRAPES WITH BFF BADIDAY
In Ayala Centre, I met up with BFF Badiday, one of my old best friends from school. Badiday was a term of endearment we used with each other and with our close friends that it just got stuck on us, and every time we see each other and these other friends, we scream ‘Badiday!’. Haha, fun times.
The business woman is always busy.
BFF Badiday now has a successful business in the music industry in Cebu. She and her husband are proud owners of a music school where. They cater to individual or group enrollment but they can also take control the music class or a department of a school. In addition, they offer lights and sound services for events and parties.
Most of my friends and family that I grew up with have their own successful businesses now and sometimes I wonder – What if I have stayed? What business would I be engaged in now?
Anyway, it is always a lovely catch-up time with BFF Badiday. A catch-up that is not complete without food. We ordered too much I think but that is not a surprise. Whenever I meet up with friends, and with family as well in Cebu, I always never given the chance to pay! I end up spending less during my trips to the Philippines. Not that I am complaining =). That’s the Filipino hospitality I guess!
BFF Badiday also told me that she liked Planet Grapes because not many people come in to eat here so it is never busy. It is a new cafe restaurant with a slogan – Street food meets wine. She had the idea that many people get intimidated by the walls of wines that you can see from the outside of the cafe restaurant. I just hope that business turnover is doing well for this place. Most hospitality businesses that do not make at least a cost break-even turnover within 1-2 years tend to go out of business in the third year of operation.
After our lunch, we shopped around a bit. BFF Badiday is going to Hong Kong and Macau with the whole family clan on her husband’s side and needed new warmer clothes as its 10 degrees colder there.
I always go for the window seat with a view =)
Lechon Kawali (Fried/Grilled Pork) Rice with Omelette.
Their version of Chorizo burger with sunny side up egg and a side salad.
This is their Turon Trilogy which is a mix of ube, jackfruit and banana. Really nice and delicious! Highly recommended to try this if you visit this cafe.
Turon Trilogy dessert: Ube, Jackfruit and banana
The cafe restaurant is located in the newest wing of Ayala Centre, just beside the NBA store.
In the evening, I met up with the sister. She had dinner already with Myrhh so she just accompanied me in Hukad, a Filipino-Cebuano restaurant that offers unlimited rice to go with the dishes. Hukad means to ‘serve the rice’ which is a term specific to the Visayas region, which is why this restaurant is offering the unlimited rice concept. This has played very well by the locals because rice is the most important food staple that everyone eats.
In the Philippines, a meal is not a real meal if there is no rice.
As you can see, just for this particular day, I have already eaten a lot, which is why I always gain a few kilos every time I am in the Philippines. *sob* It is not fair at all!
Other than that we enjoyed the Christmas lights in the garden area of the Ayala Terraces. They turn into different colours every few seconds, and every half an hour they play the lights and music show.
We decided to eat outside the restaurant on their small outdoor terrace. It's better ambience with all the Christmas lights.
My dinner: Adobong kangkong (sauteed water spinach), Baby prawns and rice. My sister had a sago at gulaman (tapioca and jelly) dessert drink.
The changing colours of the Christmas lights at the Terraces Ayala Centre.
Destination: Cebu City (Cebu - Visayas Region), Philippines
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Happy Travels! Enjoy Life =)
All pictures were taken by a point and shoot pocket camera or a smartphone.
