2022 Recap 2023 Restart
Cubao eXpo: The Next Evolution Series Drinking Chocnut Coffee @ Green Halo Cafe… (Halo Cafe Menu 1 | 2 | 3 | 4) Halo is famous for its organic and healthy menu, but it is also infamous for its waiting time of 30 minutes for one’s order. It is not that popular among the Cubao … Continue reading Other Secrets of Cubao eXpo
Cubao eXpo: The Next Evolution Series After Bong’s Vintage Pop closed down, Ron Soriano’s Hey Day is now the king of Vintage in Cubao Expo — but more focused on Vintage Fashion. There, you’ll find original vintage clothes, mostly sourced from Ron’s travels outside the Philippines. They just moved recently from the quiet side to the … Continue reading Fashionably Vintage by Ron Soriano
Cubao eXpo: The Next Evolution Series Angeli is known as the Bead Lady and enjoys a cult following for her Yummy Trinkets like cupcakes, cookies and candies made from Polymer Clay. The goodies look very real, and some people collect them, especially the cupcakes. Angeli, together with some friends, recently opened The Beadlady Craft Cafe in … Continue reading The Bead Lady Live @ Cubao eXpo!
Cubao eXpo: The Next Evolution Series Alan’s Grill is known for its Kare Kareng Bulalo and Crispy Pata. From Bakahan and Manukan in Megamall, Alan transfered his restaurant to Cubao eXpo and became the place to be for Filipino food in the area. People hang out in Alan’s Grill for “Barrio Fiesta” kind of food, … Continue reading Alan’s Grill
The Grand Thrift House is the home of vintage items, nostalgia and kitsch in Manila. They have several old copies of Wakasan (the dramatic comic magazine made by Carlo J. Caparas) and other discontinued Filipino comic magazines. It is a very interesting shop — you need to have an eye for what is valuable to cut through the clutter.
Bellini’s is one of the institutions in Cubao eXpo (formerly Marikina Shoe Expo) since it opened in July 1999. It continues to be one of my favorite Italian restaurants in the Metro, together with Cafe Puccini in the Fort. They serve al dente pasta and authentic Italian thin crust pizza with a simple tomato and mozzarella base. Our favorites are the Four Cheese Pizza and the Pasta with mushroom sauce, prosciutto ham and truffle oil.
Heima is one of the indie stores that recently opened in Cubao eXpo. It provides homey, classy, contemporary designs described as “heimish”. The store name is said to be Icelandic for “at home”. It showcases weird and bold color combinations that work, and different shapes and patterns that provide a warm ambiance. Perhaps the most coveted items in Heima are the call-out shelves on the second floor (the My Apartment showroom).
It was sad to hear that Bong’s Vintage Pop closed down last end of July. Bong is migrating to Canada. The Black Soup Project of Avic Ilagan, Ellen Ramos, Ricky Orellana, Robert Quebral and Neil Daza closed down last week. They are transferring Black Soup to UP Teacher’s Village. (Can anyone confirm this?) So, only Pablo is the last remaining Art Shop from the original group that started the Cubao-X culture.
