Home of the firsts

MANILA, Philippines — Shopping and dining is  truly a delicious experience at Uptown Mall, Megaworld’s Lifestyle Malls’ flagship mall, in Taguig City.

Since it opened earlier this year, the mall has attracted leisure aficionados, the shopaholics and epicures with its superb retail and dining attractions. Its elegant layout allows shoppers to easily find the stores geared towards their needs.

Feel the chill vibe of the holiday season through excellent dining and upbeat 'till the morning parties at Uptown Parade in Uptown Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Touted as the “home of the firsts” in the country, Uptown Mall boasts carefully curated set of retail brands, international restaurant concepts and experiential stores you won’t find in other malls in the metro.

Rudy Project’s experiential store

From the outside, you can already tell that Rudy Project’s first Experiential Store is not your ordinary sports shop. The brightly lit entrance leads you to a gallery that showcases the latest in sports gear — biking helmets, sports glasses, and eyewear from Rudy Project’s lifestyle collection — that’s guaranteed to pump up the adrenalin of sporty and outdoorsy folks.

For bikers, there’s a cycling area where one can get on a bike and take a shot at beating the distance record set by Rudy Project’s brand ambassadors every month. Those who are successful can enjoy a 20 percent discount on the latest eyewear and helmet.

There is also a putting green where you can win discount coupons if you score a hole in three attempts.

One can also de-stress and let off any frustrations at an area set up for customers to attempt to break Rudy Project’s IMPACTX2 lens, which the brand claims is unbreakable.

Silk by Lay Bare is a premium waxing boutique that offers more wax and skincare option to discerning clients.

Silk by Lay Bare

Touted as one of the most reputable waxing salons in the country, Lay Bare raises the bar a few notches higher as it launched Silk, a premium waxing boutique that offers more wax and skincare options to discerning clients.

It’s perfect for those who have differing hair removal and skincare concerns that can be addressed through the use of natural ingredients that have moisturizing, cooling and nourishing properties.

At Silk, you can opt for the flavored wax — Watermelon-Strawberry, Cocoa-Coffee and Cucumber-Pandan — that not only effectively removes unwanted hair, but also nourishes the skin.

Silk by Lay Bare also offers skin brightening and skin lightening services.

Punto Blanco, the Spanish brand that manufactures and designs quality socks and underwear since 1948, opens its first store in the Philippines at Uptown Mall.

Punto Blanco

Underwear is as important as outer wear, if not more sometimes. So when shopping for undies, don’t scrimp. Better yet, head to Punto Blanco, the Spanish brand that manufactures and designs quality socks and undewar since 1948, which opened its first store in the Philippines.

Punto Blanco knows what you need to feel good on the inside with its wide selection of socks, underwear, homewear and aquawear made with fabrics adapted to your needs.

Punto Blanco lets you discover the fantasy in underwear for men and women.

Aigle

Aigle, the French outdoor lifestyle brand, takes flight in the Philippines as it opens its flagship store at Uptown Mall in Taguig City.

Known for its rubber boots made by hand — a unique technique prized in France — Aigle also carries outdoor lifestyle apparel and footwear made to help every person face nature and the city in total freedom.

Known for its rubber boots made by hand, Aigle also carries outdoor lifestyle apparel and footwear.

The brand recently launched its Lofoten fall/winter collection, which is inspired by the Lofoten Islands in Norway. It features timeless silhouettes and colors that will remind you of the beautiful islands. And in true Aigle fashion, each piece from the collection is practical and chic.

Hello Kitty Cafe

Some things never grow old. And for ‘80s and ‘90s kids who are still obsessed with the  world’s most famous feline character, a visit to Hello Kitty Cafe is all it takes to relive the magic of their childhood.

The cafe opened its first Philippine branch at Uptown Mall to the delight of Hello Kitty fans young and old. The nice thing about Hello Kitty Cafe is that Sanrio made sure no two cafes — all over the world — are alike. For the Philippines, the cafe is inspired by Western royalty — and it’s so IG-ready. The moment you step in, you’ll be snapping away like crazy! Everything is picture pretty  — from the booths that resemble golden cages, seats embossed with Hello Kitty’s signature bow, to various renditions of the adorable cat in pastel and gold.

The food is another story. The menu boasts European staples that not only look great but taste good as well.

“The dishes are mostly French inspired. Everything we serve here is made from scratch. I also make sure that the dishes would be pleasing to the Pinoy palate,” enthused chef Khamir Doble, head chef, Hello Kitty Cafe Philippines, who took up culinary arts at Enderun College.

Each dish is stamped with Hello Kitty’s face whether it’s a sandwich, a pasta dish, on the egg, even desserts!

Olivia & Co.

At Olivia & Co., it’s hard not to get bitten by the travel bug as the resto reminds you of all the things you love about traveling: model airplanes hanging from the ceiling, cityscapes (murals), souvenir items from world’s biggest cities, knickknacks that show off the resto’s Singapore roots, and food!?“The name of the restaurant is inspired by Olivia, the wife of Thomas Stamford Raffles, who founded colonial Singapore. She loved travel and food. She always searched for food and brought them back to Singapore. Some of these dishes are part of our menu,” explained Jean Munsayac, marketing supervisor, Olivia & Co. Phils.

Olivia & Co. plays around with flavors from around the world. It had me at laksa, minus the broth. This noodle dish is good for sharing and is packed with so much flavor.

Compared to its branch in Singapore, Olivia & Co. at Uptown Mall has affordable rice meals for office workers and call center agents. Don’t leave the resto without sampling its super moist carrot cake!

Oye! Tapas & Grill

Looking for a place to unwind after a tiring day at work? Head off to iOYE! Tapas and Grill, the best tapas place for a drink-and-eat combo.

From the restaurateurs of XO46 Heritage Bistro, iOYE! Tapas & Grill specializes in traditional and modern Spanish tapas meticulously prepared by head chef Joseba Sola, who has worked side by side with 3-Michelin star chef Ferran Adria; Madrileño chef Juan Montel, who has experience running kitchens in Switzerland and Madrid; and chef Tanya Dizon, who brings in the generosity and warmth that can only come from a Filipino chef.

iOYE! Tapas & Grill also serves grilled delicacies, wine, cocktails and Spanish cerveza.

Bai Nian Tang Bao

Not all xiao long baos are created equal. The Crab Roe Xiao Long Bao at Bai Nian Tang Bao, for instance, is steep in tradition and is something you can’t get from the dimsum places that dot the metro.

History has it that during the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Qiang Long had a tour of the south. He passed by Long Pao Town, Jiangsu, where the locals specially prepared crab roe xiao long bao for him. The emperor fell in love with it and kept on saying, “tastes so good, tastes so good.”

“The Crab Roe Xiao Long Bao used to be available only at Emperor Xian Long’s kitchen as a special treat to VIP guests,” explained Paul Li, who brought Bai Nian Tang Bao in the country with his wife Christine Li and friend Robert Lim.

Now, you can have a taste of the Emperor’s fave dish at Bai Nian Tang Bao, which opened its first outlet in the country.

“We decided to bring Bai Nian Tang Bao here in the Philippines because we couldn’t find one that tastes like the one we had at Bai Nian Tang Bao in Shanghai,” enthused Paul.

What makes their xiao long bao so special is the broth, which requires 20 procedures to prepare and takes eight hours to cook. The crab roe is imported from China.

Tendon Kohaku

Singapore-based Tendon Kohaku is the latest restaurant to open its first international branch at Uptown Mall.

Known for its world-class tendon (short for tempura and donburi), Tendon Kohaku’s strength lies in its ability to transform simple dishes into delicious concoctions. Its best-seller, Shrimp Tendon, is a rice topping loaded with mixed veggies, chicken and sticky rice topped with succulent wild tiger prawn.

True to its name Kohaku, a Japanese word meaning amber that translates to “perfect color,” each dish at Tendon Kohaku is cooked and served with utmost detail and attention that balances the taste and texture of ingredients, bringing out the best in every bowl.

You can have these Philippines' firsts right at your doorstep. Live at the heart of Uptown Bonifacio where elegant rising enclaves such as the 50-storey Uptown Parksuites and the 45-storey Uptown Ritz await. Best suited for the urban elite, these residences cater to the go-getter and the dreamer both. Make the most out of the cosmopolitan lifestyle in a place where having it all is possible.

To know more about these developments, you can drop by the Uptown Showroom at 36th St. cor 11th Ave., Uptown Parade Cluster 2, Uptown Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Have yourself a bear-y, merry Christmas at Uptown Mall

Who doesn’t love a teddy bear? Usually found boxed and wrapped under the Christmas tree, teddies have long been on top of kids and teens’ wish list.

And so when a giant, inflatable Christmas bear was spotted sitting atop the newly-unveiled 30-story Alliance Global Tower in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, 46 nights before Christmas, everyone went crazy!

The 50-foot-tall and 70-foot-wide giant teddy bear — visible even in Makati, Ortigas and C5 — is Megaworld Corporation’s way of ushering the Christmas season.

Just last week, the bear was transferred on the fourth level of Uptown Mall to allow shoppers and mall habitues to have a selfie with him.

Huge bears are also placed at several entry points of the mall, complemented by a 32-foot-tall white Christmas tree, which houses 10 huge white bears in naughty, cosmic positions at athe Atrium.

And if you’re in the mood to shop for gifts for your bear’y special someone, check out the Bearhuggs Toy Shop on the upper ground floor which is open until Dec 28, and the Fossil Christmas popup on the second floor which is open until Dec. 31.

Celebrate Christmas with the whole family and friends at the newly opened Oye! Tapas & Grill, Kraken Takoyaki, Nha Em, Tendon Kohaku, PizzaExpress, Miss Esthe, ILAHUI and Anytime Fitness.

So have yourself a  bear-y, merry Chistmas at Uptown Mall.