Located in the old International School of Manila campus and one of six properties being developed by top-end real estate company Century Properties (they are behind Essensa East Forbes and Paris Hilton-designed Azure) in a 3.4-hectare site they’ve dubbed “Century City,” this mall will delight those seeking a quiet place to shop, hang out in and maybe surf the Internet. Yes, they have free Wi-Fi.
With its shiny marble floors, towering glass walls and spic-and-span interiors, Century City Mall (Salamanca St cor Kalayaan Ave, Bgy Poblacion, Makati; +63 2 7056200 loc 112; Mon-Thu 11am-9pm, Fri & Sat 10am-10pm, Sun 10am-9pm) is a stark contrast to the burgeoning scene on the other side of Kalayaan Avenue — but it will definitely help cement Barangay Poblacion’s reputation as the new place to be. Our only request? That the owners display each shop’s unit numbers prominently to make it easy for customers to locate them. And this is something other malls should start doing, too.
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Expect over 100 tenants across five floors when the mall starts operating full scale (it is currently on soft launch, with 68 stores open, as of last count). In the meantime, here’s what you should check out:
Villa del Conte (G/F Century City Mall). Enjoy luscious treats like praline balls, praline sticks, truffles, domes, bars, and ovicinis from this premium artisanal chocolate makers from Padova, Italy, near the main entrance.
Caliburger (4/F Century City Mall; +63 2 4038554). With young and goodlooking staff in Hawaiian shirts and a perpetually sunny smile, it’s hard not to enjoy eating at this fastfood joint: colorful seating, an outdoor area, Instagram-worthy vista from the fourth floor, and most importantly, the food. You’ll hear people say that it reminds them of California’s In-N-Out Burger, but does it matter? We say, just enjoy how different it is from the very savory patties we have gotten used to. Warning: Pricey.
Toby’s Estate (3/F Century City Mall). The last time we were here, a very passionate customer spent 10 minutes blocking the queue and asking the barista about “third wave cafés” and “single origin beans.” The grab-and-go branch of this Australian import inspires such passion in its customers! But it’s a bit of a letdown — only because there isn’t enough space to sit down and have a conversation while enjoying their liquid gold. Seating problems aside, this is the best caffeine fix we’ve had in Metro Manila in a long while, raising the bar for all other cafés in the city. FYI, their second branch, in Salcedo Village, has opened.
Chibi Momo (3/F Century City Mall; +63 2 8470384). You won’t find another store as adorable as Chibi Momo. No wonder: the president and chief curator of this store for little ones is none other than Jackie Cohen Antonio, a very stylish society pages staple. Chibi Momo (Japanese for mischievous peach) carries brands the chicest of mothers and mothers-to-be fly out for: Beatrix NY, Apple Park, Jelly Cat, among others. It carries a few local designers too, like Rosanna Ocampo.
Blue Carreon (3/F Century City Mall; +63 2 5567812). Blue Carreon is a HK-based lifestyle journalist who, having been exposed to all the beautiful things in life, decided to branch out into design. The result is Blue Carreon Home, a lovely depository of fabulous things for the home. It’s hard to come into his shop without (1) feeling like crap for your current home, (2) getting inspired to rework your digs, and mostly importantly (3) buying something to make number two happen.
Cinemas (3/F Century City Mall). Catching a movie here feels like watching at home — if you have an entertainment room that boasts 100 percent digital projection cameras and a 7.1 Dolby Atomos Surround Sound system. The Premiere Cinema has 58 fully-automated leather seats and, for PHP500 a pop, you get one large, refillable-one-time Taters popcorn and a non-refillable 16oz drink. Two other cinemas seat 160, while another one seats 120; regular ticket price is PHP220. They’re still working on their website for online booking.
Al Fresco dining (4/F Century City Mall). There’s a green wall, a fully interactive multimedia water spectacle, and a space designed to promote natural ventilation, vegetation, filter the air, and reduce temperature. Woah. Perfect for summer. As for the dining part, for now your only option is Caliburger (see above).
