How to Reach Makati (If You are Coming from the North)

Ever since I launched this blog site, I have already included the"how to reach Makati" topic in my what-to-blog list. And so here it is, my mini-guide on how you can reach the business district of the Philippines using different kinds of public transportation that is IF and ONLY IF you are coming from the Northern part of Luzon.

But before I start, I just want to reiterate that I will be writing about the how-to-reach-Makati guide if you are coming ONLY from the North and that this guide is based from my own experience since I am originally from Pampanga (before I got married that is). So if you think I missed something or that you want to add a few more helpful tips for all those who are going to Makati for the first time, feel free to share them on the comment section of this entry. And that if you have any question about how to reach Makati if you are coming from the South, I'm afraid that I would not be able to help you on that.

Okay. So back to the main topic, Makati is actually a pretty huge city and for anyone who is planning to come over here, he should make sure that he knows at least the right and complete address of the place that he needs to go to so he can ask around people how to get there. I will be posting several quick guide below since there are many happening places in Makati that people usually go to.  

How To Reach Ayala, Makati City

Option 1

1. Take the bus going to Pasay

2. Tell the conductor to drop you at Ayala

Option 2

1. Take the bus going to Pasay

2. Tell the conductor to drop you at the nearest MRT station (It can be North EDSA, although the bus will drop you at Paramout and you will have to walk for a quite long period just to reach the North EDSA MRT station. It can also be Kamuning/GMA MRT station)
3. Ride the MRT and alight at Ayala Station

Option 3

1. Take the bus going to Cubao and get down at the last stop of the trip.

2. In Cubao, take the bus going to MIA or Mall of Asia and ask the conductor to drop you at Ayala.

How to Reach Guadalupe, Makati City

Option 1

1. Take the bus going to Pasay

2. Tell the conductor to drop you at Paramount (for North EDSA MRT Station) or Kamuning/GMA MRT Station

3. Ride the MRT and alight at Guadalupe Station

Option 2

1. Take the bus going to Cubao or Pasay

2. Alight at Cubao

3. Ride a city bus going to MIA or Mall of Asia

4. Tell the conductor to drop you at Guadalupe

How to Reach Buendia, Makati City

Option 1

1. Take the bus going to Pasay

2. Tell the conductor to drop you at Paramount (for North EDSA MRT Station) or Kamuning/GMA MRT Station

3. Ride the MRT and alight at Buendia Station

Option 2

1. Take the bus going to Cubao or Pasay

2. Alight at Cubao

3. Ride a city bus going to MIA or Mall of Asia

4. Tell the conductor to drop you at Buendia

How to Reach Magallanes, Makati City

Option 1

1. Take the bus going to Pasay

2. Tell the conductor to drop you at Paramount (for North EDSA MRT Station) or Kamuning/GMA MRT Station

3. Ride the MRT and alight at Magallanes Station

Option 2

1. Take the bus going to Cubao or Pasay

2. Alight at Cubao

3. Ride a city bus going to MIA or Mall of Asia

4. Tell the conductor to drop you at Magallanes

How to Reach Bangkal, Makati City
Option 1

1. Take the bus going to Pasay

2. Tell the conductor to drop you at Paramount (for North EDSA MRT Station) or Kamuning/GMA MRT Station

3. Ride the MRT and alight at Ayala Station

4. Below Ayala Station, take the city bus going to MIA or Mall of Asia

5. Tell the conductor to drop you at Evangelista (the most famous street in Bangkal that is along EDSA)

Option 2

1. Take the bus going to Cubao or Pasay

2. Alight at Cubao

3. Ride a city bus going to MIA or Mall of Asia

4. Tell the conductor to drop you at Evangelista

Option 3

1. Take the bus going to Pasay

2. Ask the conductor if they can drop you at Evangelista (I know one provincial bus liner that does not let its passengers alight at Evangelista but the rest actually do stop at Evangelista and allow their passengers to alight there.)

So there! Hopefully I was able to help some of you in my own little way. I am aware that this does not include detailed directions when it comes to navigating the main business hub. However, I have already taken note of that and that I will be writing about that in another post hopefully early next year since I am still not confident enough as of the moment when it comes to exploring the business district.

And just a piece of advice, no matter where you may be going, just make sure that you are vigilant of your belongings to avoid getting taken advantage of by the "not-so-good" creatures around us.


Have a safe trip everyone!


xoxo,
Yeps

Shopping at The Landmark, Makati

One of the most suggested things to do while in Makati is to shop til you drop. This is because there are a lot of shopping malls that every single lady (and even taken or married ones of course) can check out and fulfill their window shopping cravings.

And just last Sunday, I was able to do the shopping part of the "shop til you drop" thing when Riju had to go to his office and I asked him to just leave me behind at The Landmark so I could roam around the place and do some window shopping.

The good thing about The Landmark is that their items for sale are a cornucopia of the pricey and the cheapest goods one can take advantage of so a shopper would not have to worry about not finding something that will perfectly fit her budget.

Going back to my "window shopping" escapade, after circling the whole 2nd floor of this shopping mall, I actually found myself giving in to some of the cute RTWs and reasonably priced thingamajigs that seemed to be shouting my name, or at least that's what I want to think happened yesterday, the moment I walked closer to the rack or shelf they were hanging or sitting prettily.  

The final verdict? I went home with one shopping bag full of my "window shopping" haul. But I am proud to say that I only spent a little over Php1,000 for all the stuffs that I bought. Til we meet again The Landmark!

The Landmark

Ayala Center Makati, Makati City
Tel. #: (632) 810-9990


Store Hours from Monday to Saturday
Supermart                    8:30 am to 9:30 pm
Department Store       10:00 am to 8:30 pm
Food Center                8:30 am to 9:00 pm

Store Hours on Sunday
Supermart                   8:30 am to 8:30 pm
Department Store      10:00 am to 8:00 pm

***Aside from The Landmark in Makati, there is a newly opened branch in Trinoma that people coming from the North may want to check out if the one in Makati is too far from them and gas-consuming (blame it on the traffic).

Riju and Yepuda Go Chinese at Luk Yuen Noodle House

A few months ago, Riju and I have decided to give Luk Yuen Noodle House a try when we were looking for a place to eat for date night. Apparently, Riju believes that you can tell if a place sells mouthwatering food if it is full packed. So off we enter the Chinese restaurant located on the ground floor of  Glorietta 5.

The moment we entered the place, the sound of buzzing people who are merrily munching on their dumplings, noodles and what not greeted our ears. A waitress led our way to an empty spot and gave us their menu. As Riju and I both scanned what this new place has to offer our very discriminating palates, I knew in my mind that we have to order some dumpling. And since we both like to eat spicy food, we ordered some dumplings in hot chili. Aside from that, I let Riju do the rest of the placing of orders and so he asked for pork with vegetables in chili sauce and another dish that has failed to register in my mind as of the moment. (Gah~)

Anyway, while we were waiting for our order, I tried their appetizer whichI think comes for free or comes with whatever you order, and boy was it nice! It's called wanton chips. It's like those corn chips that we usually eat but it has its own unique flavor. I liked it's crunchiness and the not-too-salty and not-too-bland taste. Riju and I finished munching a whole plate of it (it was just a tiny plate so don't overreact ok?) and we still want more. I asked a staff from the restaurant if we can get some more and he said yes but you know what? It NEVER arrived on our table. Well, it's either they forgot about it or they don't want to give us some more.

Going back to our main course, the moment the dishes have finally arrived, we started digging in. I liked the pork with veggies in chili sauce while Riju loved it. I was more excited of my dumplings, as I am a sucker for siomai. However, when our dumplings in hot sauce was finally served on our table, I got quickly disappointed about it because of the way it smelled. I cannot really say if that is how it's supposed to smell or not since it was my first time there but the smell is just fishy and let's just say, I didn't like it. And when I tried popping one in my mouth, my disappointment even grew bigger because it was not "that" hot inside considering that they just served it on our table. What about the taste? It's forgettable. I'd ditch it in a heartbeat if someone offers me the same amount of siomai dumplings from Siomai House any day. And as for the I-forgot-the-name dish, nothing special. 

So will we come back again? Maybe. But during that time, we may just order some congee for take out instead of dining in.

If you are interested to try this place out, it has 5 branches in Manila where you can choose from.

LUK YUEN NOODLE HOUSE NCR BRANCHES

Luk Yuen Noodle House -- Alabang -- (02) 772-4967
Luk Yuen Noodle House -- Glorietta 5 -- (02) 856-5199
Luk Yuen Noodle House -- Greenhills Shopping Center -- (02) 721-2620
Luk Yuen Noodle House -- Makati -- (02) 856-5778
Luk Yuen Noodle House -- SM Megamall -- (02) 633-1610

Starbucks: Just How Many of This Coffee Shop Does Makati Have?

Starbucks. Whenever I hear that name, the first thing that enters my mind is fancy coffee. Anyway, I have a reason for calling it fancy because not only Riju calls everything that he thinks is expensive or overpriced fancy but also because a Starbucks coffee, really IS expensive and well, what do you know! Fancy.

As far as my memory serves me right, I had my very first Starbucks not so long ago. I think it was just a couple of years ago or so. Now, don't be so shocked. It's just that I really think spending more than a hundred bucks just to get a sip of coffee is too much for me especially if I will drink it as if it's my own brand of water. A little splurging every now and then is fine but buy Starbucks coffee everyday? I'm gonna have to pass on that.

I did a little bit of research about this coffee company and found out that it was first introduced to the consumers during the early 1970s by three brilliant men in Seattle, Washington. And after the opening of the first Starbucks coffee shop in the whole planet, like what most people say, the rest is history.

Going back to Starbucks Philippines, I just could not believe my eyes when I noticed that almost everywhere in Makati where I set my eye on, there it was! That famous logo where a siren (or mermaid) mischievously smiles is starting at me! I know that I have not explored the whole of Makati yet but so far, I think I must have seen at least 5 of it already!

I think the biggest reason why there is so much of this world's biggest and most famous coffee shop in the business district of the Philippines is because of the fact that there are a lot of young career people who are working in this area and that somehow, Starbucks was able to integrate itself in these people's daily lives. This is most probably because many of these working class actually works during the night and that they need a good dose of caffeine to keep themselves awake and performing well in their job.

Anyway, I think I managed to try 2 of the 28 Starbucks Makati. Not that I'm planning to try all of them because anyway, the location, the staff and the store decor may change but at the end of the day, they all offer the same menu. It just so happened that Riju and I had a date night and we topped it all with some Starbucks drinks and a slice of Oreo cheesecake somewhere behind Glorietta 4. Geez. My apologies but I forgot to take note of the exact location of that branch. And then the other branch, Jem, a friend of mine, and I had a quick coffee after our dinner in Bonchon sometime last month in Ayala Triangle. Again, I forgot which branch was that but I think it was the one in Ayala Office Tower 6750.

Riju and I's order at Starbucks

For those who are wondering about the 28 Starbucks Makati branches, I provided a list below that you can check out.

STARBUCKS MAKATI BRANCHES

Starbucks - Makati City -- 6788 6788 Ayala Avenue
Starbucks - Makati City -- Allegro G/F Allegro, Pasong Tamo Extension
Starbucks - Makati City -- AOT - 6750 - Office Drive 6750 Ayala Avenue
Starbucks - Makati City -- Ayala Tower 1 Ayala Tower One, Mezzanine Level
Starbucks - Makati City -- Cristina G/F Cristina Condominium
Starbucks - Makati City -- Enterprise Center Level 3 Tower 2, Enterprise Building
Starbucks - Makati City -- Glorietta 4 Glorietta 4, Theater Lobby, Ayala Center
Starbucks - Makati City -- Glorietta 4 Level 1 Ground Floor, Glorrietta 3, Ayala Center
Starbucks - Makati City -- Greenbelt 1 Greenbelt Mall
Starbucks - Makati City -- Greenbelt 3 G/F, GreenBelt 3 Mall
Starbucks - Makati City -- 28 Jupiter Street
Starbucks - Makati City -- G/F Alpap I Bldg., Leviste St., Salcedo
Starbucks - Makati City -- Magallanes Paseo de Magallanes, San Gregorio St.
Starbucks - Makati City -- MSE - Ground Floor Entrance Ayala Ave
Starbucks - Makati City -- G/F Pacific Star Building
Starbucks - Makati City -- Pearl Bank 146 Valero Street, Salcedo Village
Starbucks - Makati City -- Plaza 100 Herrera cor Dela Rosa Street
Starbucks - Makati City -- Powerplant Cinema Level R-1 Store #103 L Plaza Drive
Starbucks - Makati City -- Powerplant Mall Doppio 3rd level Power Plant Mall
Starbucks - Makati City -- RCBC Plaza - Tower 2 - Relocation 6819 Ayala Avenue
Starbucks - Makati City -- Rockwell Landing (Relocation) 6 Rockwell Drive
Starbucks - Makati City -- G/F San Antonio Plaza, Mckinley St.
Starbucks - Makati City -- Security Bank Building, Ayala Avenue
Starbucks - Makati City -- Lot 2,3,4 Aguinaldo Highway
Starbucks - Makati City -- The Columns Tower 3, Ayala Avenue
Starbucks - Makati City -- G/F Valero St.
Starbucks - Makati City -- Waltermart 790 Chino Roces Ave. cnr. Antonio Amaiz
Starbucks - Makati City -- Yupangco Bldg - Ground Floor

What To Do In Makati

I have been living in Makati for almost 7 months now and yet, I know I still have not explored the whole city as of the moment. I can give you several reasons why I was not able to do just that but I have decided that instead of that, I will share with you what I know you and others can do while you are around the area.

Since Makati is the business district of the country, what one can expect to find here are the gigantic buildings that house different kinds of business establishments such as banks, BPOs, call centers, fast food chains and the list goes on. 

If you are a person who likes to do some shopping wherever you may be, this city will definitely offer you several shopping malls, from the "maka-masa" or average type of mall such as SM Makati to the higher end ones that have Louis Vitton, Hermes, etc, like Glorietta and Greenbelt that you can raid the whole day and grab great finds and on-sale items.

And if you are someone who likes to try out new places to eat, well, Makati will definitely not disappoint you. This is because it has almost all kinds of restaurants and fast foods that you could think of. And it does not matter if you are on a tight budget or not because the food options in this place are so varied that they will have something that is pleasing to your palate and approved by your wallet too at the same time.

Moving on, if you want to try something new and something unique about Makati, what you can do is you can try riding an electric jeepney or e-jeepney and just tour yourself all over the Wall Street of the Philippines and if you get hungery, just get down at the famous Rada street and eat at a Jollijeep stall. Just be ready to wait for your turn to order since a lot of Makati workers buy their food from these food stalls.

And for those who want to get their rides get pimped, the Evangelista street in Bangkal, Makati, is known for providing automobile services such as car repair, upgrading and window tinting to all interested automobile owners. As you pass by this street, you will see a lot of auto repair and upgrading shops that provide services to almost all kinds of automobiles one could think of.

Lastly, for those who would like to see some wonderful art creations, what they can do is they can check out the Ayala Museum and Yuchengco Museum for some art appreciation experiences.

I believe there is so much more to explore in this vibrant and colorful city that is waiting to be unraveled by adventurers. Later, I will try to make a post of the other things what one can do while staying in or visiting Makati. And at that time, I will try to list down things that people do not usually do or try (but are worth checking out!) while they are in this city.

Anyhow, it's already 4 in the morning! Gotta catch me some snooze now.

Laters!


xoxo,

Yeps

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. in Greenbelt 3

Several weeks ago, Riju, my hubby, and I have decided to eat out since we have not been eating on time for the past few weeks and that we do not even get to eat at least three times a day because we both are so busy with work.

I just recently got a work-at-home job and since then, it just eats most of my precious hours away every single day which means I can barely cook a decent meal for the last few months. Anyway, going back to our "date" night / eating out plans, it almost did not push thru since we woke up really late that day and I thought that we are just gonna order some pizza and eat at home. But thank God! Riju asked me to hustle and that we are still gonna make it. After all, Greenbelt is just a few minutes away from our place so we should be fine.

I have been drooling about Bubba Gump Shrimp Company's food ever since I saw my friend post a picture of his food in FB. I told Riju right away that we should go there soon! I love seafood especially shrimps so what can I say? I'm just so excited!

So after we have both finally dressed up and ready for our date night, here is how we reached Bubba Gump with the Makati MRT as our starting point. Well, we do not have a car so we commute all the time. Going back, so we walked down from the MRT station and passed by SM Makati and Glorietta 4, G4 in short, after reaching the corner of G4, take a left turn and walk straight until you reach the Greenbelt (GB) area. Once you have reached GB, take a left turn and you will find GB 3. If you are not sure which GB are you on, just ask around and people will help you right there and then. Once you have reached GB 3, do not enter the ground floor. Instead, take the escalator on the left side of GB 3 and walk straight. After about 30 steps more or less, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. will already greet you on your left side so take a deep breath, and prepare for a shrimpylicious meal you will never forget!

The moment you enter Bubba Gump, you will be quickly transported to a southern style US restaurant that boasts of a lot of decors that are old fashioned themed. Too bad I was not able to take a picture of the place to give you a feel of it. Anyway, since we were famished and excited to order our food, we right away placed our orders and see if it is any good.

I think Bubba Gump is cute!

If this plate is on, you can enjoy your meal without anyone bothering you. However, no food attendant will also come your way since this would mean that they are not needed.

Now, if you want to call someone for an extra order or an extra lime, just turn the Run Forrest Run plate over and once this red message appears, in no time will a food attendant be on his way to your table.

Our Appetizer: CAJUN SHRIMP. Sauteed in a hot and spicy Cajun butter sauce. Served with garlic bread for dipping. Oh so tasty!

Riju's order: SHRIMP SHACK PASTA. Fusilli, penne and rigatoni. Pasta tossed with a lemon garlic sauce topped with grilled shrimp and a sprinkle of feta cheese. It is very nice too!

My order: I'M STUFFED!" SHRIMP. Large shrimp stuffed with crab, baked in garlic butter and topped with Monterey Jack cheese served with Jasmine rice. I just could not get enough! Best shrimp dish I ever had!
 

Over all experience, we were very satisfied with the food. All the dishes that we tried are perfectly seasoned and cooked. It was one of the best dining experiences we have had so far. The staffs are also very fast. The only thing about this restaurant is that it is pretty pricey. It must be because it is one of those US restaurants that made it here but with an added twist. No, it is not really about the Forrest Gump inspired theme of the restaurant but the fact that there is only one Bubba Gump restaurant in the country. Anyway, this is a place that we will definitely visit again some other time. I'm still not over with how the "I'm Stuffed! Shrimp" blew me away!

Til next time!

xoxo,

Yeps

For further details about the restaurant featured on this blog post, please check out below:

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
Unit 219, Level 2, Greenbelt 3
Makati City, 1200 Philippines
Tel:  (632) 757 5154

Fax: (632) 757 5104



PS. Oh! Just in case you want to know, they DO deliver!

Get Lost in Makati's Contents

I figured out that before I start blogging away the things that I want to include here on this blog, I want to make sure that people who will be spending their time reading away here will know what to expect. I am going to blog about different kinds of things with the assurance that they are all related to Makati. The list would include the following:

1. Directions on how to reach a Makati establishment
2. Places to eat (restaurants, fast foods and what not) in Makati
3. Places to check out (museums, shopping malls, etc.) in Makati
4. Any news that is related about Makati
5. Events in Makati
6. Basically, everything and anything that can be related to Makati

Apart from what was mentioned above, I might insert from time to time topics that may be distantly connected to Makati such as directions or events or restaurants near Makati area just to give people more information about the things that they would like to know.

Hopefully, this is going to be the start of a great journey ahead for GettingLostInMakati and the future readers and followers!

Welcome to Get Lost in Makati!

Finally! Getting Lost in Makati is up and is ready to run a very long road ahead of him.

I have been dreaming of putting up this blog site ever since I moved in to this very famous and probably the most talked about city in the entire country.

I only have one reason why I want this blog to be read by my future readers, to help them.

You see, I was (and will most likely remain) a probinsyana or a promdi as others would say it (from the province) my entire life until I got married and had to move out from my humble abode in the province and started a new life together with my husband here in Makati.

And just like any other promdi who meets the big city for the first time (technically, I think I've been to Makati before I got married about more or less 5 times already for some job interviews), I am clueless when it comes to most of the places around the city and I know that I had to familiarize myself about the how to get there's, the which route to take's and all that jazz if I want to make the most out of my Makati life.

Moving on, I have noticed that a lot of people are still looking for assistance when it comes to directions, places to eat (both affordable and pricey), places to hangout or checkout and things to do in this bustling and ever growing city. And I know the feeling of helplessness when you just do not know where to go. That is why I would like to help these people out as much as I could by giving some tips and even advices when it comes to getting lost in Makati and enjoy it at the same time as I continue to explore the beauty and the not-so-pretty things about Makati as I try to juggle around my other career hats at the same time.

See you around!

xoxo,
Yeps


PS. The photo above was taken by yours truly a few months ago. It is the night view from our apartment's rooftop. No, we do not live in a high-end condominium. We are just average people living in an average housing in Makati. =P