Different parts of Metro Manila, located in the East, West, and North areas have their own attractions. Now, it's time to take notice of the new developments in the South.
Residents of Alabang, Las Pinas, and nearby areas now have a new destination where they can find excellent shopping, dining, and entertainment attractions. Southern leisure gets a makeover with SM Southmall's recently launched revamped interiors which include new shops offering favorite foreign and local brands as well as the new al fresco dining strip called Food Street at Southmall.
The formal relaunch was graced by executives of SM Supermalls led by SM Prime President Mr. Hans T. Sy, SCMC President Ms. Annie S. Garcia, VP Operations-South Mr. Glenn D. Ang, SCMC VP Operations-Premier malls Mr. Steven T. Tan, VP Leasing Ms. Daisy T. Chua, and SM Engineering Mr. Hans Christian Sy Jr. together with key executives from partner stores, celebrities, and personalities.
This event, held last Sunday night and hosted by Issa Litton, was made more festive and colorful because it coincided with the Christmas celebration launch that featured 20-foot mechanical royal Christmas carnival figures along with a live Santa Claus who posed for pictures with the young and young-at-heart guests.
Guests and shoppers alike were serenaded by beautiful yuletide songs rendered by the UP Singing Ambassadors accompanied by the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra led by Maestro Gerard Salonga. Gian Magdangal also came to sing a few numbers.
Billed as "New Direction", the relaunch marked several reasons why the South is the new direction for quality and upscale leisure and entertainment. SM Southmall's 20-hectare property now has over 300 prime retail choices and all-new attractions to visit.
Shopping aficionados would be glad to know that the mall has High Bay, a high ceiling section for serious shoppers that hosts foreign labels such as 158 Designer's Boulevard, Nine West, Cache Cache, Terranova, Aldo, Charles & Keith, La Senza, and Face Shop among others.
For entertainment, there is the only IMAX Theater in the South which has a 440-seating capacity and boasts of the latest in cinema technology plus the SM Ice Skating Rink, one of only two SM rinks in the Philippines.
Being a foodie, what excited me the most is the Food Street section, a 250-meter long row of restaurants where friends and families can celebrate togetherness along with a variety of cuisines for discriminating palates. The strip has a spacious al fresco dining area, illuminated LED fountain that kids happily played around in, soothing jazz music, weekly live entertainment, parking that's within walking distance, and a convenient drop off and pick up area for shoppers and diners.
I got to visit several of the establishments along Food Street and discovered lots of yummy food and drinks that I will definitely come back for. Our first stop was Cafe Mary Grace where we got to meet the owner herself. She gave us a couple of bread samples that are as delicious as the ones I buy at their other branches.
Our stop at Holly's Coffee didn't get us coffee but we were treated with a choice of Blueberry or Green Apple Shake. I opted for the Blueberry and it was refreshing! This drink was a nice complement to the red velvet cake squares and cheese bread we were also served there.
We also taste-tested Tous Le Jours breads and cookies. I like the colorful ones and would love to try some of their cakes soon. Finally, I got to try the products of this bakery. My husband attended an event in the Ayala Town Center branch last July and have been raving about the breads since. You can read his write up about it here.
By this time, the fireworks have already started so we stepped outside to watch the amazing show up in the air.
Soon, we were off again to visit Racks where we got to eat tasty ribs with meat that fall off the bones. Racks has a very affordable promo on Kansas City Style ribs at P785 per order. I think this would already feed two to three people. Good deal!
As an avid fan of pizza and pasta, I was delighted to find out that we're dropping by Marciano's where we got to eat slices of thin crust pizzas with really yummy toppings. I also ate a couple of forkfuls of their pasta and liked the one with the creamy white sauce and mushrooms. Mr. Miguel dela Rosa, the friendly marketing manager of Marciano's, Sumosam, and Tokyo Grill, introduced us to the owners, Mr. Don and Marilyn Abao, and invited us to try a few sips of their wines that nicely complement their food offerings.
At Maharaja, I got to try appetizers that looked like thin big flakes. The taste was something that I think one should get used to. What I did love was the yogurt drink called lassi which was served to us. It was like drinking Yakult in a big glass. I'll come back to Maharaja to probably drink a pitcher of that drink one of these days. It really is something.
Before heading home, my fellow bloggers and I had one shot each of frozen margarita at Agave. Thankfully, my tummy was already full with all the food tasting we did so I didn't feel the effect of the alcohol at all.
Other establishments you can find along Food Street include Black Canyon Coffee (Read my review of this resto here), Sambokojin, Tokyo Cafe, Mesa Filipino Moderne, Sumosam, Almon Marina, Giligan's Island, Hainanese Delights, Burgoo, Blackbeard's Seafood Island, and Starbucks.
The rest of SM Southmall's retails spaces have also been re-zoned for an enjoyable, accessible, and convenient shopping experience for all maligners. Expect doing more amenities with the upcoming SM Bowling Center, Mall Concierge, Golf Cart Service, LED Carpark Finder, Valet Service, Driver's Lounge, Transport Service Expansion, enhancement of PWD facilities and more shopping choices.
All the new services and features are geared towards the enjoyment of Southern folks as SM Southmall, indeed, defines a new direction for uptown shopping, dining, and leisure experience.
For more information on SM Southmall, please call 8000.447 loc 132.
* View more pictures from the event here.
1 comment:
Looks good!! I haven't been to Southmall in a long time although the place is just about 30 minutes away from home. (On good traffic.) We frequent Festival Mall instead.
I'll be sure to visit the newly revonated SM Southmall this December with the family.
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