When Food and Fashion Meet 1: Shop. Eat. Play

Hello hello, dear readers! 

       I know I've been saying it over and over but I really am and have been so excited about this! And I hope you are, too! If not, I'm sure you will be at the end of this post. ;)

        First of all, let me refresh you on what this little project of ours (with THE Issa Perez) is:

Two enthusiastic ladies exploring the best city in the world, Cebu, on a 

quest to uncover the best places to shop, dine and lounge around.

From hole-in-the-walls, downtown best-kept secrets, 

to fancy date spots and splurge sprees -- we’ll be on it!

         What do you think, eh? Issa Perez has been one of my dearest friends for 6 years now and we've managed to keep in touch and catch up with each other from time to time despite our different lifestyles. She's a dynamic fashion blogger and one thing we both have in common with our blogs is that we cover "Cebu Secrets" in our respective niches -- fashion and food. This detail brought us to the concept of doing a collab for this blog series we named "When Food and Fashion Meet" to offer our readers convenience and something interesting to look forward to on our blogs.   

          So one afternoon, we took to the streets, walking and commuting in jeepneys, to the Cebu Secret destinations. First, to...

Cebu Handicrafts Vendors Association
North Reclamation, across SM North Wing parking lot

How to get here by jeep:
(from downtown) 01K
(from Ayala or Lahug) 04L

         I've noticed this place whenever I pass by North Reclamation going to SM and I also read about it on Issa's blog before. It may just look like a couple of yellow shabby shacks across the North Wing parking lot of SM but it's a haven for tourists looking to buy some local or native accessories as souvenirs and gifts to friends. Issa and I made a mission to buy our own souvenir to remember the first day of our collab -- friendship bracelets!

          All the items sold here are HANDMADE and of export quality yet unbelievably low-priced! You can buy beads here and create your own accessories, too. The things you find here are so much more expensive in the malls and souvenir shops. 

(photo by: Issa Perez)

Mission accomplished!

bracelets @ P10 each!

like grade school best friends :))

          I'll leave it to the fashion blogger to expound more on what you can get here. :))
After that little ocular of the pretty handicrafts, we then headed off to...


The Chillage
G/F Adnama Bldg, Larrazabal Ave., North Reclamation, 6014 Cebu City

Operating Hours: Tues - Sun   10 am - 10 pm

Contact: +63 917 704 3827

Twitter:       @thechillage
Facebook:    The Chillage
instagram:   thechillagestore
tumblr:       thechillage

How to get here by jeep:
(from downtown) 01K
(from Ayala) 03Q to SM, get down at Sun Gold and take a 01K to Cebu Doctor's University 

         I've been so curious about The Chillage since I've seen photos of it on instagram by fellow bloggers and I also visited the stall during Sinulog Blastoff. Issa and I had to WALK around the whole block of Cebu Doctor's University (CDU) before we found the entrance to Adnama bldg where The Chillage is. The entrance was enchanting in itself. 

         A rush of excitement filled me when we got there. I couldn't wait to get inside!

first view as you enter -- the radiant cafe

           Issa and I felt like Alice in Wonderland, finding ourselves in a different world, completely cluttered with quirky things that made our heads spin in amusement and euphoria. We couldn't stop gushing over the things in the shop and the modern details of the interior.

           The concept of The Chillage is, it's a retail store on the front part, a cafe as you go deeper, and a place to "chill" in their own little fun room.  It's a totally wholesome environment, suitable for family, friends, lovers and artists! Their tagline is Shop.Eat.Play. Thus, the title of our first post for our series since it's exactly what we did.  

          The Chillage offers exclusively local products from Manila and Cebu; from accessories, to clothing, to toiletries and what nots. It makes you appreciate local products at a whole new level. 

Lookie what we found!

          They even have free candy. And they taste good! :D

           I have to mention, I'm a fan of pretty restrooms, and so far, this is THE best in town, hands down! Talk about finding a couch right inside the restroom for your girlfriends to hang out and share beauty secrets while doing each other's make up. :D

         I was just as excited to try the food as much as I was excited about the shop. The menu surprised me by how affordable it is! Everything's less than P200! They have pasta, sandwiches, salad, chips&dips and dessert. I guess they're really catering to the students of the neighboring university. 

Theo & Philo chocolates from Manila! Dubbed as the best by Spot.ph 

             We got their Taparoni (their version of beef tapa and macaroni) and Spinach Dip. Both had generous servings and reasonable prices! It was then that I fell hard for the place. It was so impressive to find that they did not use just ground beef. Now that's an HONEST menu; a rare find these days. 

Taparoni  P130

Spinach and Cream Cheese Chips & Dip  P90

I'm in love :)

The Fun Room

- the epitome of chill

           What a day! I fell more in love with Cebu because of The Chillage and since I love it so much, I'll be making a separate post about it. This post is getting so long. Haha. 

            So, that was it. Hope you guys enjoyed it as much as we did! Next post for the series will be out next month, March 2.

             Please visit Issa's blog for her take on that fun-filled day. :D