I’ve always loved the hustle and bustle of the downtown area which has got to be one of my favorite places to go to for cheap thrills and great adventures. Adventure aside, the scourging heat and the inevitable thrill of the chase always reminds me of my first home. Feeling nostalgic, I decided to return to my favorite land of tianges and ukays with my ever dearest downtown virgin, Justinne!

In the 7 years that I’ve known her, she has always been the “Kikay” one between us two. Example number 1:

Sorry! I couldn’t help myself 😀

So deciding where to bring her was easy as pie. Hmm.. I could use some pie right now.

 

Landmarks: (across)USJR, (road on the left side of) Freedom Park

Store Hours: 8:00 am – 7:00 pm (Monday- Saturday); 8:00 am – 4:00 pm (Sundays)

Disclaimer: We weren’t sure if we were allowed to take photos inside the establishment so we had to use our ninja moves to sneak in a few ones. We hope you like them anyways!

Aizilym Enterprises which was several braches all over the Philippines including Dumaguette, Ormoc & Bacolod is basically where every kikay/ fashionista/ probable enterpreneur goes to empty their wallets and adorn their bodies with trendy necklaces, rings, bracelets, belts, bags- gosh, what didn’t they have?!

If you’re a trend setter and you don’t want to splurge on items that’ll eventually go out of style after two months then this is the place to go. On the other hand, if you’re like me and you don’t want to jive on trends at their peak – you can wait until they’ve died down a bit and get them cheaper… like these spiked leather bands:

 It requires a planned trip to actually get there (17B/ 04C) unless you go to the University of San Jose Recolletos then it’s literally just 5 minutes away. But I’ve made my seasonal appearances there and with planned trips, comes tricks of the trade in making your shopping experience worth your while.

So here are my  top 5 pointers to keep in mind when shopping at Aizilym Enterprises:

·         Don’t break your back, pack light. Bring a small bag that you can keep close to your body to avoid snatchers. Expect that you will be stuck there for an hour max so the lighter your load means more time to walk around and skim through the aisles without having to worry about your shoulder falling off. Ask Justinne. 😉

·         Come comfy. When going downtown, I always dress like I’m off to Sinulog. I don’t wear anything I’m afraid to lose and I’m always in something loose or something I’m not afraid to get dirty in. I’ve read a lot of review on how Aizilym is hot and stuffy but in its defense, it is downtown- you know this, Cebuanos! Also, you might want to consider leaving your cars at home. Colon is for commuting.

·         Come stuffed. It can get pretty hot and oftentimes violent (imagine a less glamorous Black Saturday sale) especially on Saturdays so, I suggest that you go with a full stomach because you will get exhausted. And don’t forget your bottle of water, as well. Survival 101.

·          Set your budget. Justinne and I couldn’t figure out why, but the clerks had the tendency of taking away our baskets and replacing them with empty ones. They probably changed mine 4 times in a span of 1 ½ hours and every time they would, I would end up filling it up again even when I said I was done shopping. Since the items are so cheap, it’s important to make a mental note/ tracker of what you got and how much you’ve spent especially if you’re planning to maintain a budget.

·         Check and double check.  Shopping there will not necessarily give you that 5 star experience so it wouldn’t be a miracle if you ended up with defective items. Remember, these accessories are cheap for a reason so, some gold chains might give you allergies or some of the gems might not be stuck on right or in Justinne’s case, you might end up with earrings like this:

So here’s what we got:

No. of items: 17

Total price: P 518.51

Justinne’s stash

No. of items: 15

Total price: P477.78

Our “all shopped out” faces

Location: Archbishop Reyes Ave. (between Isuzu and Hotel Elizabeth), Cebu City, Cebu 6000, Philippines

Operating Hours: 10:30 am- 3:00 pm; 6:00 pm- 10:00pm (open until 11:00 PM on Fridays & Saturdays)

For reservations and inquiry: (032) 236 0607

Shopping really sucked the life out of Justinne and I. We started shopping at 10:00 am and ended at around 12:00++ so you can imagine how famished we were! For the food segment of our adventure, Justinne took me to Rodeo Grill beside Elizabeth Hotel (it’s after the hotel if you’re coming from Asilo). Surprisingly, it was her first time there and my second but I didn’t mind having to go back. In fact, she couldn’t have been more perfect with her timing since it was just the thing I was craving for.

A lot of you don’t know this but I actually grew up in Dallas, Texas and although it wasn’t quite like the Wild, Wild West; I’ve always had a specific liking for anything remotely close to fringe or Texas. The entrance which was a dirt road may not really appeal to many people but I didn’t seem to mind. In fact, I think it added character. The whole ranch-y/ saloon vibe (not to mention it being surrounded by trees) definitely made me a bit nostalgic and made me even more excited to dine there. I wonder if a lot of you feel like this as well but, one factor that I think is crucial when eating out is the experience along with the food. Plus points for making me miss my childhood! lol

One thing that I really loved about this place is the interior. The chandelier, tables, chairs and even the details they put on the wall were really impressive. It wasn’t over the top and exhausting which often irritates me especially if the place isn’t that big. Having said that, if you come in big groups, you might want to call ahead.

As for the food, Justinne ordered a Sizzling Pork Steak called the Sgt. Peppers Sizzler while got a Deputy Shorty Sizzler or in short, a Sizzling Steak. Note: if you don’t eat this with Coke, you will regret it! Lol.

As usual, I’m going to leave the food blogging to Justinne since I’m not quite sure if saying that, “my steak was buttery and I liked it!” is good enough for you. But it was! And I’m definitely going back for the buttery goodness that vaguely reminds me of the way my Papa likes to cooks.

On another note, something I’m sure of is their mashed potatoes! I’m a sucker for mashed potatoes. Goodness, I would honestly give up rice for this. And Rodeo Grill by far has one of the best mashed potatoes I have had here in Cebu. Unfortunately, I found their servings a tad bit too small so I ended up getting a second order. I finished that serving, too. But I still wish it was bigger. Hee.

Here’s their menu:

Issa’s attempt at food blogging:

Ambience – Good

Steak – Good

Mashed potatoes – Gooooood!

Small servings of mashed potatoes – </3

5 star! 5 star indeed. lol

Click here for Justinne’s version of When Food & Fashion Meet I

We hope you like this 2nd entry of When Food & Fashion Meet! Let us know what you think!

Til the next series of “When Food and Fashion Meet”,

Issa Perez

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