Hush Puppies in Q Plaza

Why have I not written about this before?

I had just come home from dinner in Arariyo in Q Plaza in Cainta, Rizal. One of my many addictions is shoes, and in Q Plaza, I'm able to indulge in shoes!

Since I'm a size 12, it is very difficult for me to purchase shoes locally. I often have to look for shoes from select stores and brands only - and the brands that carry my size are always priced higher than buying a pair from the department store.

I'm thankful that Payless is available in the Philippines already. Shoes in Payless are, however, not destined to last as the materials are synthetic. I have two pairs of boat shoes from Payless, and they're starting to peel already.

Now, Sebago and Sperry boat shoes - they're made to last. They're made from genuine leather, and I have a 6 year old pair of blue Sebagos that are still in great condition.

My office shoes that have stood the test of time? Rockport. Made from genuine leather also.

Another brand I use that is made, more often than not, from genuine leather, is Hush Puppies.

I've gone on and on about the brands of shoes that carry size 12s, and if you've been observant whenever you're window shopping, all these brands go from anywhere between PhP 4,000.00 to PhP 9,000.00 a pair!

Having big feet can be a strain on the wallet (my Bric's wallet, but that merits a separate post).

I discovered a shop, sort of like an outlet store of the distributor of Sebago and Hush Puppies in the Philippines, that sells old stock of broken-sized models of both brands. And, at least the shoes for men, are priced at PhP 800.00 to PhP 2,500.00. Hush Puppies would retail from PhP 4,500.00 upwards.

I've actually purchased several shoes from that store located at the mezzanine of Q Plaza, right next to Puyat Sports.

I'll update this blog post with pictures of the shoes that I've purchased from them, but to start things off, here are some of the items bought from there today:

This brown shoe is only PhP 800.00. Since the pants I use for the office is navy, I have been looking for a dark brown pair of shoes that I can mix and match with the pants. 

I am constantly looking for a good pair of driving shoes, because I find that other shoe styles don't have the right grip for the car pedals. If I'm not wearing driving shoes, I end up driving barefoot. So far, I have a pair of Superga driving shoes in grey suede that have been abused, because I often use them. I can't seem to find my brown Ralph Lauren driving shoes, some asshole must have stolen them (I actually know who). That's why, when I see a pair of driving shoes that fit, I tend to buy them.

This is a good pair to add to my driving shoes circulation. Its a nice green color, that I think I can pull of with jeans and khakis. And since its only PhP 1,000.00, I bought it too.

I'll try to take pictures of the actual shoes when I'm wearing them, but here's a pair that I bought from that store also:

 image borrowed from lyst.com

I bought these monk shoes also for the office. The color is a combination of blue blending into the brown. They're quite soft, and the tightness is adjustable.

I was able to share this news with my officemates, and a manager of mine chanced upon a similar outlet sale of this particular distributor in Market! Market! and bought this pair for me, for under PhP 1,000.00, too:

image borrowed from tatacliq.com

This is a very comfortable pair of driving shoes. The advantage of Hush Puppies from Superga is the sole has better support, and can be used for long walks. Superga is very flat, and provides minimal support, which makes it difficult for someone with a slipped disc, like me, to use on long walks.

What I also like about this shoe - the color. Its a similar color to a Fino keychain I have, which matches the color of one of my cars.

My mom has also purchased several pairs from that outlet store already.

If ever you're in that area, or if you're ready to sojourn Marcos Highway traffic to be able to get a pair of Hush Puppies for a steal, then here the details that you need:

Q Plaza
F. Felix Avenue (Formerly Imelda Avenue), Barangay San Isidro, Cainta, Rizal

Q Plaza is located across Sta. Lucia East Mall, and parking is free.

The store is on the mezzanine of Q Plaza, you'll have to go up a flight of stairs from the atrium of the building.

Happy shopping!

Maple in San Antonio Plaza Arcade

Lunch today was in Maple on the 2nd level of San Antonio Plaza Arcade in Forbes Park. We ordered the Maple Burger which we had split into two:

We also ordered the Black Truffle Pasta. Who can go wrong with black truffles, seriously? It was divine.

Maple
2/F San Antonio Plaza Arcade
50 McKinley Road, Forbes Park, Makati
tel. no. 02.621.6211

Introducing the A-List Manila Characters

I brought up the idea of the blog with my friends, and they liked it. Of course, to protect their identities, and in true A-List NY fashion, they will be taking the personas of the A-List people.

Manila Derek is a 10th generation oligarch.

Manila Austin works for a company bringing in expensive laptops, phones, tablets, and mp3 players.

Danny is, well, Danny!

I'm sorry guys, I'm really not good at coming up with a storyline for the characters in A-List Manila. But these are the personas of my friends, I will try to improve on the characters pretty soon as the blog and story-telling progresses.

Had merienda with Derek today at Go Gourmet by the Plaza in Rustan's. I often stay here while waiting for Danny to finish at Rustan's and to my surprise, they now offer free wi-fi! Love!

I love this coffee-shop more than the others sprouting in the Metro, and their latest offering just sealed the deal for me. I ordered a Cherry and Berry Pie:

Derek, on the other hand, ordered Caviar Pie:

The Caviar Pie inspired Derek how to prepare it for our Christmas Party. I did tell him that the presence of the onions in the cream cheese is the same recipe for the Caviar Pie being sold in Makati Shangri-la. Guess what?! The dessert was only PhP 50.00, and the Caviar Pie was PhP 170.00. It's so cheap!

After Danny finished, and after a little window-shopping in Rustan's (and a little shopping on the side in Glorietta 5), we met up with Austin and Richie for dinner at Heaven and Eggs, in Glorietta 5.

I started eating ahead of everyone, since I wanted to try their Unlimited Steak offer, for PhP 799.00++. The steak wasn't bad. They made a mean medium rare, and the steak was soft to the slice. Had to put a little pepper and salt in the gravy, and the mashed potatoes, as observed by Austin were from actual potatoes 'coz the skins were still in them.

Here's the steak I ordered with a slice cut off already:

I ended up having 3 servings of steak.

Derek and Austin split a Jeproks Slammer, which was a sampler platter of Filipino breakfast fare. The picture is just half of the platter, as the waiter had split it for Austin and Derek already. This was the bestseller meal for the evening, as everybody ended up tasting snippets of the meal.

Danny, so dismayed with his order, ended up eating a predominantly rice dish of Nasi Goreng. We helped him out by giving him some of our ulam. Obviously, the Nasi Goreng is just a plate of rice good for 2, and not an actual Nasi Goreng which should be a complete meal in itself already.

Another great evening with A-List Manila. Will keep all of you posted for more of our dining and shopping adventures!