Are you ready for Christmas?

We used to start our Christmas shopping (for non-perishable items) every weekend in August. That way, when December came, we would be relaxed and not have to go to the jampacked malls. But habits change and somehow, this year, we are rather late!

So we sort of double-timed and visited two sources. Food being the most practical gift, we hied off to Makati and dropped in on Rustan’s and SM’s respective supermarkets.

The music of the holiday season plays all day long, the decors are attractive, putting every shopper in a holiday – and gift-giving – mood. And the gift items are aplenty!

What can one say? There is so much to choose from, but for some, not much bills in the wallet. But between now and Christmas, perhaps there is enough time to save. Make a survey of prices, list down the names of relatives and friends you need to give presents to and pick up an item or two every time you have some extra money. Note that there are items you should give in advance like holiday-themed decorations and linens (table cloth, napkins, etc.) with Christmas designs.

Here’s what our survey yielded. At Rustan’s in Makati, we often miss Boy who is almost always in the Rockwell store. This time Claire was there to attend to our needs and give much-needed information. Thus is Rustan’s service – perfect!

For less than P500 per: local fruitcake in an abaca box, assorted nibblers and bars in various flavors, Belle France vin de Pays d’Oc on a wooden cheese board, and Purefoods Fiesta ham.

From P550 to P1,500: baked cheese dip with fig preserve, sushi platter for 5 to 6 people, assorted gourmet-to-go sandwiches including smoked salmon wrap and roast beef, Vineyard Picks bottle of Pinot Noir.

For a more up-scale selection to give and to serve: pecorino romano cheese wheel (25 kilos), a most treasured cheese with a bottle of Piccini Toscana Rosso in wooden crate; parmigiano reggiano wheel weighing 40 kilos, every cheese lover’s extreme pleasure with Valliano Chianti Reserva; standing rib roast (from 8 to 9 kgs) with marble potatoes and green peppercorn sauce, with Rustan’s special gravy; salmon gravlax with condiments for 10 to 12 people; chicken gallantina (10 slices) with gravy and a jar of pickled onions and grapes. There are more, including fresh meat, chicken and produce which you can make into your own specialty dish to give away. Wines and chocolates also abound.

At SM in Makati we were amazed at the new look that the mall has metamorphosed into. Brightly-lit halls, wide aisles for easy movement and organized displays of thousands of offerings. Of course, we headed straight to the supermarket where we were greeted by a young lady promoting Nestle’s newest product – a coffee dispenser called Nescafe Dulco Gusto. They label this contraption as a one-portion capsule machine that produces individual “coffee-shop style” beverages. One puts a capsule into the machine, lock and voila! You’ve got a cup in seconds. There are two sizes – the piccolo at P3,999 dispensing two cups and the circolo for about six cups at P6,999. The capsules come in boxes of eight and the variants are chocochino, latte, mocha and capuccino. This should be the ultimate in coffee-making.  

Moving on, we found many suggested gift items: Swift’s Festival ham, block or ball, P466 a kilo, CDO Holiday whole meat ham, P465 a kilo and pear shape, P235. Under the house brand Bonus is the Hawaiian brick ham on a buy 1-take 1 offer at P425.

The holiday baskets range from P350 (containing Del Monte products) to P2,000 (with imported canned goods, sauces and a bottle of wine). You may choose to assemble your individual selection which can include imported meats, ranging from kalbi and katsudon to short ribs, or a box of cold cuts like those produced by Daily Gourmet – steak burgers, Italian sausage patties, which can be packaged with bread, crackers and wine.

If a shopper would use his/her creativity, original, one-of a- kind packs will amaze recipients of the gifts. 

We plan to visit more outlets and will share our findings with our valued readers in future columns.

Have a joyous Sunday!

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