In our kind of work, a writing pad and ballpen are standard equipment, so to speak. Some techies (and depending on the nature of the coverage) would have their tape recorders. Prices are difficult to remember, more so brands and content measurements. So we would always be with our note book (at that time a tiny 2x3) and ballpen. We have seen housewives and some house-husbands with their lists, ballpens, etc. while doing their shopping. But at Robinsons Choice you better not be spotted taking down notes or you get accosted by a serious looking man in uniform, telling you to stop as it is prohibited by management. Accepting the security aspect, we thought it was rather intimidating to send a security staff, like we were committing a crime! Couldn’t the supervisor have approached us courteously to ask what was our objective in jotting down prices? There is always a more gracious way to treat customers.
At half past two in the afternoon the store’s Ready-to-go Food section was still unmanned and not one of those on hand could give the price of the bigger packs of embutido, morcon, lechon, etc. The small packages (estimated at 100 or 120 gms) are tagged at P60 each.
Choice has a good selection of Japanese and Taiwanese sauces and juices as well as biscuits. But they are priced on the high side. The biscuits from Japan (which are very good) cost more than a P100 per pack. The selection from Japan includes Sukiyaki sauce at P124.50, Mirin (there was no price tag) and vinegar for sushi at P137. Tradition brand Taiwanese Jasmine Tea is tagged at P83.25 a carton. They also have vegetable juices in bottles.
They have the house brand and Monterey beef. Ground beef and pork go by the same price of P120 a kilo, while shank is at P125 and sirloin at P225. Magnolia chicken is sold at P82 a kilo, but one might want to get the cheaper brand for less. As it was already early afternoon the seafood must have seen better times. Shrimps (white) were at P364 and pusit Visaya at P105 a kilo.
They have a Santis corner with the traditional offerings–Parma ham and sausages, plus other cold cuts. The bakery carries pan de sal at P2.50 each, onion bagels at P31 for a pack of four. In case you still want to serve turkey, they have Hawaiian turkey hams (small, medium and large). From the vegetable selection we spotted spinach from Dizon Farms at P30 a pack. They have the usual array of fruits, mainly apples (Washington and Japanese).
It could have been a pleasure shopping there. We guess they are simply still having the usual birth pains. We will not discount going there again, when we find ourselves in the vicinity.
Prior to our Choice visit, we discovered Causeway, a seafood Chinese restaurant, a few meters away, where we satiated a grumbling stomach. The dimsum is delicious, specially the crispy sesame prawn rolls, kuchay dumplings and the traditional siomai. Price range is between P45 and P70. We also had a very fresh and savory steamed lapu-lapu done to perfection.
Healthy food enhancer. We know that housewives are forever wanting to produce a new taste, even if serving old traditional dishes like fried fish. Here is a tip: get one of those imported McCormick seasoning mixes, like the Onion and Herb combination. Use this instead of plain salt and pepper, and you’ll have a much more flavorful piniritong isda. This is available at S&R Price Club at The Fort.