Bazaar all year round!   
03:02am 25/03/2008
 
mood: productive
During Christmas season, bazaars are set up all over the metro to look for good buys. However, Filipinos love for good bargains just cannot be seasonal. It has to be all year round!

We have searched all over the Metro for some good buys and great food.

Dapitan Arcade in the boundary of Quezon City and Manila is a place where you can find anything you can embellish your home. There are a lot stalls to choose from whether you are looking for ceramic plates, jars, vases, tea cups and kettles. If you would like to add an accent in your living room, there’s a choice of Japanese dolls, floral arrangements, buddhas (touching the ground, reclining, meditating), Egyptian busts, parasols, decorative tiles, etc.

Prizes are relatively affordable and you can haggle especially if you will buy bulk orders. You can find Dapitan Arcade near Welcome Rotonda. It’s near the church of St. Therese of Lisieux.

Last February, I moved to a new account that was based in Ortigas. Unlike in Market! Market!, we have a choice of concessionaires that we can try on our lunch breaks. I can’t say that we have the same choices here in Emerald Avenue. I just cannot eat in Mcdonald’s, KFC, Jollibee, and Greenwich everyday. Good thing, there’s Banchetto every Friday!

Banchetto is an Italian word for banquet. This night market celebrated its first year just a few weeks ago. There’s a variety of food served every Saturday morning starting from midnight until 11am. You can choose from the Filipino breakfast favourite like tapsilog, shawarma, fried noodles and pastas. Refreshing drinks like smoothies, fresh fruit juices and samalamig can be enjoyed when you’re tired of softdrinks. Who says that you can only enjoy bibingka and puto bumbong on Simbang Gabi? There’s a stall who sells these yummy treats that reminds you of Christmas even when it’s summer. Of course, there’s street food like barbeques, chicken intestines, grilled corn on a cob, etc.

It was just disappointing that they moved from the street to the small post office compound between Strata 200 and Emerald Mansion. This move means smaller space and limited choice to accommodate traders.

Salcedo Park Weekend Market offers a different experience. It’s where you feel that going to market is a social event. The park opens early morning to residents from the neighbourhood who wants to get fresh fruits, vegetables and seafood. Romaine and iceberg lettuces are stacked side by side with asparagus and zucchinis. You can choose from red, yellow and green bell peppers in the vegetable section. Herbs can add flavour and aroma so you can choose from rosemary, basil, tarragon, mint, oregano. Traders will offer free tastes of glazed hams, cookies and their special blend of robusta and Arabica coffee by their grandfather, Don Antonio.
If you have an adventurous palate, you’ll enjoy sampling French, Vietnamese, Spanish, Italian and Filipino cuisines. You can have quiche, shepherd’s pie, shawarma, paella, gingerbread cookies, etc. The organizers set up events bringing the best of each region in the market. We were lucky to catch the Ilocos traders fair one time. We tried there biscocho and empanada. Organizers of this weekend market have earned success for the past few years since its establishment.

If you live in Quezon City area, you don’t have to go to Makati to experience weekend market. There’s one in the Lung Center compound near the QC Circle. It is like the Salcedo Park Market but with a more affordable price. They have a wet market and dry market section. They have wide variety of fruits in season. Last Sunday, they already have different kinds of melons, mangoes, chicos, star apples, etc. If you have a garden, you’ll enjoy the different kinds of flowers like roses, orchids, gumamelas, lilies, etc. Cute puppies and love birds are sold near the entrance from the parking lot. You can munch on cashew nuts and enjoy kakanin or ice cream because they are all over the place. As long as you don’t eat them everyday, you can give in to the temptation of chicharon and chicken skin. Organic vegetables are in nowadays and you can find them here as well.

The Lung Center Weekend Market is open as early as 2am during Sundays.

These are some of the places that you can find value for your money and enjoy good food. We don’t have to add to the crowd in the mall to shop and dine. Try it with your friends or family on a weekend.		  
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