If there’s one thing Metro Manila has an abundance of, it’s malls. And I’m not just talking about your regular, run-of-the-mill arcades, but really impressive shopping centers with plenty of retail choices, restaurants and entertainment to offer. Seriously, we love malls so much we spend practically our entire weekend here–I mean, we even go to mass at the mall! It is THE PLACE for family and friends to meet and spend quality time with each other. It is so much a part of our Pinoy culture, that even when we travel we look for the best malls to shop in.

I am all about shopping malls myself. I can’t go for a week without going to one (yes, I might be a little addicted). Like most of you, it is my happy place because I love to shop, eat and get entertained. One such mall I’ve recently come to love is Century City Mall in Makati. If you haven’t visited this mall, it’s high time you did because apart from being able to shop at your favorite stores, they also have a gorgeous cinema, amazing dining choices and unique and fun entertainment for family and friends. I did some of my Christmas shopping here last year, and I was so happy with my experience. I got to shop in peace–no stressful crowds, no security issues and no crazy parking problems. I mean, there were people, but it really didn’t feel like it was crowded. It felt festive and homey and not stressful at all!

So I wanted to share with you my fun shopping day, just so you can see what I am talking about. I spent the day here with my family and time flew! We had a blast doing our Christmas shopping (and buying a few things for ourselves) and eating. I really wanted to try out the Cinema here but Tristan was with us, so that will have to wait another time (my friends tell me it is really nice though). Scroll down to read about our happy day at Century City Mall.

For lunch we got to try CaliBurger–it was so good! Their burger patties are out of control, and ack, I need to know what their secret sauce is. I’ve been craving for their burgers since I last tried it, which means I need to get my butt back there again soon. For all you meat/beef and burger lovers, you know where to go! Believe me, it is worth the trip.

Then I got to visit a super chic baby store called Chibi Momo (it means mischievous peach in Japanese). It is owned by Jackie Cohen-Antonio, who personally sources cool baby brands from the USA, Europe and of course, the Philippines. This store is a gold mine of lovely things: you can find the cutest stuffed animals, hard-to-find baby books, gorgeous designer clothes, precious keepsakes and wooden toys here. I personally love their selection of books, because I read to Tristan every night.

Some of their brands include baby fragrances from Jacadi, organic toys from Apple Park, swaddling blankets from Aden + Anais, wooden toys from Maple Landmark, stuffed animals from Jellycat, backpacks from Beatrix NY and organic baby apparel from Pure Baby. These make the best gifts, if you’re not shopping for your own baby.

And on to one of our favorite clothing stores: Uniqlo! Carlos and I love how affordable it is here are how everything is so well-made. Needless to say, we left the store with a few bags (okay, they were big shopping bags) for me, Carlos and Tristan. We also got gifts for my family!

Since Carlos loves Oakley, we went in an did a little shopping. He ended up buying a pair of sunglasses, which he gets to wear for biking (an early Christmas present from me).

After shopping we went to Hole In The Wall for merienda. I love the concept of this restaurant! It offers so many choices, it is like an upscale food court. I’ve tried most of the restaurants in here and so far all of them are good. Love this place!

If you’re looking for a new concept mall that’s right in Makati, be sure to check out Century City Mall! Tip: They opened the first interactive play exhibit in the Philippines called Future Park. This is a must-see!