It’s the last day of the month – March 31, 2014! But before the month ends, we’d like to remind you guys of SM Supermarket‘s “2 for Php 100” Magnum Gold promo in all SM Supermarket, SM Hypermarket, and Savemore Market nationwide!

Magnum Gold 2 for Php 100 Promo in all SM Supermarket, SM Hypermarket, & Savemore Market

It’s been almost two months now since the launch of Magnum’s newest flavor in the Philippines – Magnum Gold.

It was launched last February 9 in different parts of the country. At the same time, they were revealed in select SM Supermarket branches. It was also about the same time whene the “2 for P100” promotion was launched.

As much as some good things come to an end, you still have until today – March 31 – to catch the Magnum Gold fever of 2 for P100 in all SM Supermarket, SM Hypermarket, and Savemore Market.

I recently attended the media launch of the newly opened Todd English Food Hall Manila at the 5th floor of SM Aura and guess what I saw nearby? A Magnum Manila  shop! Continue reading →

Magnum Gold

“It’s coming…”, says the teaser of an ice cream brand with a golden shadow on its side. Came Sunday – 02.09.14, Selecta ice cream announced the coming of the newest Magnum variant in the Philippines – Magnum Gold?!

After the luxurious Belgian chocolate ice cream bar came to the Philippines since two years ago, the premium ice cream on a stick has already made mark in the local market .

Not resting on its laurels, Magnum ice cream kicked off 2014 with its big news for loyal pleasure seekers with the new Magnum Gold. This new level of indulgence mixes a swirl of sea salt caramel with the silky vanilla ice cream. Moreover, it is the first double dipped Magnum bar wherein the ice cream bar is first coated with a layer of Belgian milk chocolate and dipped again in a layer of golden-colored white chocolate!

In a campaign prior to launch, Magnum hinted the public with the hashtag #GrabTheGold while SM Supermarket complemented it with #GRABtheGOLDatSM to highlight its convenient availability in SM Mall’s SM Supermarket areas.

Furthermore, Magnum has tied up with Hollywood acclaimed director Bryan Singer (XMen 2014), Oscar winner Benicio del Torro (The Collector – The Guardians of the Galaxy,  Avengers), and Brazilian supermodel and actress Caroline Correa to create a golden cinematic trailer to launch the newest flavor that is Magnum Gold.

Magnum Gold Philippine Launch

Magnum Gold Price

Here in the Philippines, celebrity Raymond Gutierrez led the pre-launch teaser at SM Aura‘s Director’s Club theater for the media three days prior to the grand reveal.

On the field, motorists around Metro Manila, particularly Makati, have caught a glimpse of a massive golden vault, marked only by the letter ‘M,’ being escorted through traffic. The 7×7 foot-large vault of shining gold was hauled from the RCBC Tower on Ayala Avenue to the Fort Bonifacio Activity Center, guarded by an entourage of BMWs ensuring its safe arrival. At the Fort, the golden vault was held under security until its unveiling last February 9.

Online, Magnum lovers were also teased with ‘unlocking the gold‘ through mysterious activities at www.magnum.com.ph.

Magnum Gold revealed

Magnum Gold Bite

NomNom Club w/ Raymond Gutierrez

NomNom Club & Magnum Gold

And so it came. NomNom Club was among the first to try the new Magnum Gold 3 days prior to the reveal.

The vanilla ice cream we love maintained its silky smooth quality and is now even more enhanced with the sea salt caramel swirls. The double coating made the experience more interesting with its thinker coating and stronger-pitched crackling sound. :) The golden white chocolate was also a welcome twist.

Grab the Gold at SM

The golden day came and mini gold vaults popped up in cinema lobbies and SM Supermarkets of malls around Metro Manila. These malls included: SM Megamall, SM MOA SM Hypermarket, SM North Edsa, SM Southmall, SM Aura, and SM Makati, among others.

At exactly 3pm, the first 100 consumers to line up at the cinema lobbies at the malls got the chance to experience the Magnum Gold standard.

In SM Supermarket groceries, shoppers got instant rewards to claim their free Magnum Gold at the “Unlock the Gold” booths where they also got the chance to win one of five iPhone shuffles that day among the 200 lucky SM Supermarket customers. #GrabtheGoldatSM

2 for P100 at SM Supermarkets

Magnum Gold in SM Supermarket

One Magnum Gold is regularly priced at P55 each but from February 10 to 28, you can get 2 Magnum Gold for only P100 in all SM Supermarket, SM Hypermarket, and Savemore Market.

Know more about the new Magnum Gold in the Philippines at www.magnum.com.ph, So spread the word and let everyone know, it’s now time to #GrabtheGold, or better yet, #GrabtheGoldatSM !

Meat Section

I was initially surprised to know that SM Hypermarket was opening at the FTI area in Taguig which is predominantly surrounded by huge factories and warehouses.

Continue reading →

SM Supermarket BF Paranaque

No less than top celebrity Kris Aquino led the opening of SM Supermarket BF Parañaque as it opened at the new SM City BF at Dr. A Santos Road cor. President Ave., Sucat Parañaque, south of Metro Manila a week ago. Continue reading →

We were able to witness the soft opening of the new SM Supermarket Aura a few days ago at the lower ground floor of the similarly newly opened SM Aura Premier in Taguig, SM Supermalls‘ 47th mall.

SM Aura Premier

Inevitably, together with my wife, we satisfied our foodie curiosity with the new supermarket and went around to see what they have to offer.

Fresh Every Day!

So I wore my “cart- pusher” hat/role which I earned since I got married a few months back while wifey does the actual grocery shopping. 😛

Interestingly, the new SM Supermarket Aura is pretty big at 9,300 sqm floor space and has several interesting new sections compared to other SM groceries we frequent. We do our weekly grocery shopping at SM Supermakret North Edsa since we live near Munoz.

Fruits & Veggies

Ready-To-Eat Food Stalls

It has the usual sections on bread, health & beauty, fruits and veggies, poultry, seafood, meat, and frozen goods, among others. But they also has new and surprising ones.

Here are the new sections and discoveries we saw which made it to our ‘10 Reasons Why SM Supermakret Aura is a Grocery Haven‘ list :

Wine & Liquor Section

• Premium Wine & Liquor Section & the P 230K Wine Bottle

On the right side of the entrance are situated stand alone stores such as Watsons, and a couple of ready–to-eat food stalls but the Wine & Liquor section at the right most is obviously bigger and has a wider selection than usual.

Moreover, what caught our attention was a very premium cognac brand by the name of Camus Cuvee 5.150 which costs P 230,000 for one bottle beside other similarly premium wine bottles on display. It is the highlight of a masterpiece collection of 5 Camus Cognacs aged 22-37 years minimum by  Cyril Camus celebrating 150 years of family tradition.

Camus Cuvee Cognac 5.150 worth P230,000 !

We later came to know that this is the only SM Supermarket so far to carry this line of expensive wine and that the aforementioned Camus Cuvee is one of the only two bottles in the Philippines!

Buy 1 Take 1 Gardenia Bread at only P57!

• Chateau de France

On the other end of the supermarket is a bigger bread section as well which greets customers from the left side entrance.

Chateau de France will be your bread at first sight. A famous bread line from France, this is Chateau de France second branch in the Philippines with the first one in SM Makati which also just opened a month ago.

You would find French macarons, baguettes, croissants, and quiche, among others from their selection.

Chateau de France in the Bakery Section

Moreover, did you know that these French breads and pastries are imported directly from France ‘as is‘ and shipped utilizing cryotechnology to preserve it’s goodness?

• 

  Fruit Carving Section

  Fruit Carving Station + Soup Section

Near the bread section is a small but distinctive stall serving as a fruit carving station. It is a free service to customers who buy fruits from SM Supermarket. This is best suited for businesses in the catering or food service industry which can easily have the fruits carved here.

A little push of the cart further is a  soup stall serving fresh and hot, well, soup!.

Simple as it is, I was surprised seeing it at first but if you are looking for a quick soup-fix in an air-conditioned grocery, this might be worth a try.

Soup Stall

• Organic Products

Aside from the usual fruits and vegetable varieties you would see in an ordinary supermarket, SM Aura Supermarket has a substantial section devoted to fresh organic fruits and vegetables such as lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, papayas, and chico. Packed and canned items for customers on the go are also available.

Organic Vegetables and Root crops

SM Supermarket Aura

Herbs & Spices

Of special interest is the shelf with mushroom varieties I found in the organic section.

I got to chat with Ms. Cherry Lo of Crystal Jade Dining-In at the nearby Bonifacio High Street restaurant a week ago when we tried their dishes. One of which is the “Sauteed Prawn & Scallop with Chicken and Assorted Mushroom Served in Pumpkin“. She mentioned how she gets these very good mushrooms fresh from the generous variety available at the nearby mall Market! Market!.

Mushroom Variety Shelf in SM Supermarket Aura

I guess I could now recommend SM Aura Supermarket mushrooms for her to try one of these days.

• International Shelves

At the center of SM Supermarket Aura are 12 shelves of inviting imported products. Most of the items are from the countries of France, Germany, Japan, US, and Korea.

Asian Imported Goods

Western Goods

Although we focused on buying fresh goods and products for our upcoming house blessing that time, I guess we’ll check out more of the international goods / imported goods in our next visit.

10 Reasons….Part 2 Teaser: Bahay Kubo: Bataw (96/kg) & Patani (392/kg)

NomNom Wifey at the SM Prestige Cashier Counter

This is only the first half of our ‘10 reasons why SM Aura Supermarket is a grocery haven’.

Stay tuned for the second and final installment of our SM Supermarket Aura grocery experience in the next few days!

SM Supermarket Invitation

I was surprised when I got the SM Supermarket Megamall-A grand opening invitation a few days ago.

SM Supermarket in Megamall A first opened last year replacing the huge Powerbooks store, but closed down for reasons I was not aware of…until yesterday, May 26, when it re-opened. I came to know that they temporarily closed for renovation to make it bigger and better. Now with a floor area of 4,900 square meters, it’s now as wide and long as our neighborhood street (lol).

SM Supermarket Megamall A Opened May 26

Although public access was slated at 4pm, some suppliers, partners, media, and guests were able to take a first look at the store as early as 11am preceded by a 10am mass.

The program started with the traditional ribbon cutting and coin-toss by SM and SM Supermarket executives.

Upon entry, all the guests immediately spread around like new homeowners eagerly surveying a household. I did the same checking out the different products and brands on shelf.

Isabel Daza with SM Executives

SM executives, and celebrity guests including Gloria Diaz’s daughter – Isabel Daza – went straight to the Fresh Seafood section.

Cashiers & Crews Getting Ready

Believe it or not, there was a few years not too long ago, when I took care of our household monthly grocery and SM Megamall and SM North Edsa were my two favorite grocery spots for its wide variety  of products and options available. Here are some shots of our well-loved products and brands I found in my quick tour:

Cheeses and Fresh Fruits

SM Value Packs with FREE SM Bonus item and Procter & Gamble’s Pampers

Oishi Snacks and Tang Powdered Juice

Magnolia Ice Cream in SM Supermarket (they gave away Pinipig Crunch sweet corn flavor)

Fresh Meats

Cold Cuts and the new Century Tuna Hotdog

Bounty Fresh (right) and canned goods such as Hunt’s (left)

Unilab medicines conveniently located inside the grocery

And there’s also Watsons (left photo) !

Home of Your Favorite Brands

Here are photos of some SM executives, guests, partners, and suppliers in the celebration :

Ms. Annie Garcia (2nd from right) – SM Supermalls President; Ms. Mitch So (in red dress)

(Left photo) Chef Tristan  who did a cooking demo. (Right photo) From left: Ms. Ana May Jamet; Ms. Christy Schneck, SM Advantage-Marketing Convergence, Inc.;  Mr. Hendrik Sy; Ms. Isabel Daza.

Center: Ms. Millie Dizon (VP for Marketing-SM Retail); Left: Ms. Leah Lee – AVP Fresh Merchandising – SM Supermarket; Ms. Louie Roque, VP Marketing – SM Supermarket.

SM Officers and Partners with Mr. Herbert T. Sy, president of SM Food Group (third from right).

So Why another SM Supermarket in Addition to the one in Megamall B?

I had the same question which the brand manager readily answered: “Ortigas is a good market and we saw the opportunity to serve more people in the area.”

SM Supermarket Team ( + Ms. Leia Lee – not in photo)

Being a regular customer in Megamall B, I would estimate the place to be almost of the same size. Almost all that can be found from Megamall B can also be found here. I observed however that SM Supermarket Megamall A has a prominent positioning for fresh products which are located at the central isle including fruits, salads, and vegetables.

SM Supermarket Megamall A presents a new gourmet concept offering a wide selection of fresh gourmet products and deli such as cheese, sausages. mushrooms, greens, and wine. This is in addition to the usual fruits, vegetables , and steaks we regularly find in groceries and supermarkets. So I guess its a ‘fresh‘ haven for the health buffs, deli lovers, and chefs / cooks who are always on a sprawl for hard- to-find recipe ingredients.

On a side note, if you’re looking for prestigious security brands that are used to protect leading corporations, governments, retailers, and leisure & education facilities, click here.

Some interesting sections of SM Megamall A grocery include:

SM Supermarket International Products

Giant Shopping Cart with Unilever’s Clear Shampoo (I think this was in preparation for Piolo Pascual’s arrival 4pm that day)

Giant Fish Catch (Tanigue Steak P440/kg)

A New Cleaner Look for SM Supermarket Food Stalls

Maki and Sushi Section (Mariano Cua on left, owner of Cold Storage Seafood)

Appliance Section in SM Supermarket (Hypermarket, is that you?) 🙂

There’s also a Lotto outlet beside the Package Counter. 🙂 I also chanced upon for the first time on a mist supply system set up for the vegetables.

Mist for Vegetables (Do you see the blurry lights? It’s not smoke, it’s mist being sprayed from atop)

Proximity For All: Three Entrances

As mentioned above, the new supermarket space was extended further. It now spans up to the old spot of Toy Kingdom in front of Gonuts Donuts.  This is also its main entrance which serves the customers coming from the Ortigas-Pasig business district side. Having worked along ADB Avenue in the early 2000s, I know that this is a great convenience. One does not have to cross Julia Vargas Rd and walk all the way to SM Supermarket at the other end of Megamall B.

Main Entrance (Old Toy Kingdom Entrance fronting Gonuts Donuts)

The second entrance is from the old Powerbooks store beside Yoshinoya. This serves in-mall customer access into the supermarket.

Mall Entrance (Yoshinoya-Powerbooks)

The third entrance would be from outside of the mall – Edsa. This is another convenience, this time for those coming from the MRT train system.

From MRT Side Entrance

Looking around further, I just hoped there would be more CR (comfort rooms/toilet) in their future developments as I only found one unisex comfort room (at the opposite end, far from the Powerbooks-Yoshinoya entrance). Alternative  CRs would be the one on the second floor right above Yoshinoya or at the lower ground floor inside the bowling station,

SM Mini Cupcakes 🙂

In my personal view, the Megamall A corner has a good business vantage point for SM Supermarket specially for the after-office working class who’s on their way home from the Ortigas business center going to the MRT. Moreover, a transport terminal connecting various Metro Manila cities is located right behind Building A as well.

Congratulations SM Supermarket on your SM Megamall-A branch opening!

Earlier this month, SM Fairview has formally launched the second Annex 2 section of the mall. Although it had a soft launch and opened since early last year with some shops, it’s now brimming with new establishments from food spots to designer clothes and boutiques.

And of course, NomNom was happy to see a wide array of food shops with varying choices including Panciteria Lido, Army Navy, Big Better Burgers, Krispy Kreme and grilled servings from Taipan Grill .

My Thai Restaurant

Experience a flavorful Thai home cooking at My Thai located at the Ground Floor of the SM City Fairview New Annex. There’s even St. Clare international culinary school to complete the foodie complex.

Here are some more photos I got from the recent formal opening of SM Fairview Annex 2:

Krispy Kreme @ SM Fairview

Views From the 2F of SM Fairview Annex 2

Taipan Grill

Mexicali and Teriyako Boy

SM Fairview Mall

Click for more SM Fairview Photos Here.

SM City Fairview’s Palm Drive features al fresco dining as well (top photo).

And of course, the major SM food suppliers: SM Supermarket, SM Foodcourt, and SM Hypermart located at Annex 1 and the main mall.

SM Supermarket, SM Hypermart, Sm Foodcourt

So if you’re around the area, give SM Fairview Annex 2 mall extension a visit and enjoy choosing from the long list of dining options.