The Philippine Star

EVIA LIFESTYLE CENTER: WORLD-CLASS SHOPPING MADE BEAUTIFUL

- By CHING M. ALANO

As we drive into the polished and charming Evia Lifestyle Center complex on Daang Hari Road, Las Piñas one lazy Saturday, we know something magical is about to unfold. We can feel it in the place’s vibrant vibe. We can sense it as we look around and hop around, losing ourselves in the exciting flurry of activities.

Evia Lifestyle Center — the south’s premier shopping, dining, and entertainm­ent destinatio­n, and tagged by its loyal patrons as the most beautiful mall in the country — soars to new heights with the recent opening of its new North Wing. Shopping is made even more exciting as Evia’s northern expansion beautifull­y matches its current selection of global fashion brands with world-class dining options (Italianni’s, Red Lobster, Modern Shanghai, Texas Roadhouse), newly-opened brand stores (Own Days, Giordano, Toni & Guy, Miniso), and new premium formal branches of some of the country’s fastest-growing homegrown retail brands (All Day Supermarke­t,

Evia Lifestyle Center is the south’s premier shopping, dining, and entertainm­ent destinatio­n, and tagged by its loyal patrons as the most beautiful mall in the country.

AllHome, Bake My Day, Market Liberty, and KinderCity).

On a balmy day, our Evia shopping itinerary kicks off at, yes, the Coffee Project, right smack at the mall entrance, where we get our caffeine fix before anything else — an espresso shot, hot chocolate or macha green tea, anyone? (We’re delighted to discover that Coffee Project is a homegrown concept, one of many pioneering ideas introduced by entreprene­ur and former senator Manny Villar.) Our still lethargic tastebuds are roused by Coffee Project’s hearty meals: Care for beef tapa, garlic longganisa or tender chicken tocino? Apart from the food that’s guaranteed to warm your belly, the cafe can easily perk up your spirits, what with its picture-pretty interiors and enticing coffee quotes painted on the glass walls. That it will soon house a bookstore should stir more interest in Coffee Project. A hot cup of java and a good read make a heartwarmi­ng mix on a cold rainy day.

And there’s a lot more brewing at Coffee Project, which now has 37 branches across the country (and counting) to further spread its passion for not only making the best brews but also for creating uniquely beautiful and proudly Filipino cafes.

Fact is, Coffee Project has been named the 24th Most Instagramm­able Cafe in the world by Big Seven Travel, a travel website. It is the only Philippine entry that made it to the list.

Literally a hop and skip away is yet another homegrown concept — All Day Convenienc­e Store for your go-to fast foods like siopao, sandwiches, salads, and assorted sweet treats. Your friendly neighborho­od store just leveled up and now, it also offers services like bills payment for major utilities and service providers.

A FRESH TAKE ON GROCERY SHOPPING

And then there’s the new North Wing’s All Day Supermarke­t with the ubiquitous red pickup truck at the entrance, loaded with fruits (which can be found in other All Day Supermarke­ts in Vista Malls) and fresh new ideas. The beautifull­y appointed store has brighter, more spacious aisles, and well-curated sections, making grocery shopping more fun and less of a bore or a chore.

Frankly, I don’t mind spending all day here. As my hungry stomach is about to declare lunchtime, I’m particular­ly drawn to the Paluto section, where you can have your food cooked, dampa-style, while you shop. Here’s how: 1. You choose from among the options on the menu; 2. Pick among the freshest ingredient­s from the meat, seafood, and fresh produce sections; 3. Claim your order at the hand-off station, and enjoy your freshly cooked meal! Enjoy your paluto with such piquant sauces as adobo sa

gata (for chicken, pork, fish or squid), buttered garlic sauce (for chicken, crabs, prawns), soy ginger sauce, sweet & sour, tausi sauce, and teriyaki. Or you can follow your nose to Gastrovill­e, a mini food court with big attraction­s like the well-loved Pinoy street foods of our childhood, Singaporea­n roasts, and Korean, Japanese, Greek grilled delights.

All Day Supermarke­t now has 18 stores, opening recently in Malolos, Bulacan and Dasmariñas, Cavite.

Complete your day with Bake My Day that just opened its chic store at Evia’s new North Wing. Sweeten up your day with freshly baked breads and pastries like Bake My Day’s sweet potato cake and okonomiyak­i bread. Surely, these creative bakers are constantly coming up with delicious new ideas to cater to even the

Shopping is made even more exciting as Evia’s northern expansion beautifull­y matches its current selection of global fashion brands with world-class dining options.

most discrimina­ting tastebuds.

FYI, Bake My Day currently has nine branches, offering more than 50 delicious variants of baked goodies the whole family can enjoy.

ALL YOU NEED IS ALLHOME

Now, if you’re dreaming of building or furnishing your own home, where should you go? Where else but AllHome, the country’s only full-line home center. It’s actually a one-stop-shop builder’s haven, where you can find everything, from cement, nails, hinges, locks, and tiles to hardware, housewares, furniture, lighting fixtures, appliances, and gadgets — name it, they have it!

With a wider assortment of products, including exclusive lines from internatio­nal brands, AllHome is your reliable one-stop partner in completing your dream home.

Homemakers looking to designing their own home can get ideas from AllHome’s signature vignettes that are bound to inspire creativity in any frustrated interior designer. AllHome Inspiratio­ns offer more stylish design hacks for the different spaces in your home. AllHome can customize it for you, too.

And all moms’ BFF (best friend forever) is My Mother’s Cupboard, where you can find everything and anything you need in the kitchen, both local and imported items, gingerly arranged as if you were in a real house.

We feel so much at home already as we walk through the ginormous store, filled with all sorts of products like microwave ovens, cell phones, laptops, mattresses, beds, and coffee makers that enable you to be your own barista.

GIVE ME (MARKET) LIBERTY OR GIVE ME TIMELESS FASHION

But of course, clothes are also all the rage at Evia. In fact, timely and timeless fashion gets a free rein at Market Liberty, unveiling a second bigger store in the new North Wing. Starting out as an experiment­al venture to help local entreprene­urs expand their businesses, Market Liberty is now home to countless unique finds and well-loved brands. Online sellers have come together to showcase their high-end, top-quality products, from clothes, bags, shoes, and jewelry, to cosmetics, health and body care products, to sustainabl­y sourced food items like The Vegan Grocer. Market Liberty never stops scouting around for on-trend, personaliz­ed, handcrafte­d, oneof-a-kind stuff to sell. And you won’t find a lot of these carefully selected items in the department stores.

WELCOME TO KINDERCITY

Certainly, Evia Lifestyle Center also caters to the whims of its precious little customers by creating the ultimate indoor playground called KinderCity. This city, that’s all of 2,000 sq.m., may have been especially designed for kids, but there’s no stopping the adults from joining in on the fun and adventures, too. There are rides, slides, trampoline­s, toys galore, obstacle courses, and pools of fun. The little ladies get some primping and royal pampering, too, at the Ever After salon. And for the little ones with big appetites, there’s the KinderCity Cafe that offers humongous servings of fried chicken and spaghetti with fries, chocolate milkshake and waffles.

SEE YOU AT THE CINEMA

Evia offers not just the best shopping experience but the best cinema experience, too. We can’t stop raving about the IMAX with Laser that’s the first in Southeast Asia. There’s also the MXD Motion EFX theater.

IMAX boasts a 4K laser projection, meaning it’s got more vivid colors, deeper contrast, higher resolution, sharper (as in stunning) images, heart-pounding audio, and one of the world’s largest screens. With its immersive 12-channel sound technology that has a greater dynamic range, you can practicall­y feel the sounds that you hear. Awesome!

There are just too many things mallgoers have grown to love about Evia like going to the cinema, of course, which is a weekend habit for residents of the villages nearby. Or dining at the Commune Hall, a most colorful fun hangout for families and friends, with 12 stalls to satisfy everyone’s comfort food cravings. Some good old favorites are the bowls at The Good Tapa, Nonna’s pizzas and pastas, and the gigantic ribs at The Rib Shack. And to chill out after a long hard day, the Commune Bar is the place to be.

As Evia gets bigger, it has not forgotten what people love most about the mall and continues to upgrade and improve these facilities. There are now more cinemas and there’s the new IMAX, among other attraction­s, to better serve Evia habitues.

Of course, we just couldn’t end our day without getting a glimpse of Evia’s majestic indoor sky piazza that’s so surreal. Just looking at this heavenly spectacle is enough to soothe our frayed spirits.

Indeed, it’s more fun and beautiful at Evia!

Convenient­ly located along Daang Hari, half an hour’s drive from Makati via SLEXMCX, Evia Lifestyle Center is the crown jewel of the Vista Alabang masterplan­ned developmen­t.

 ??  ?? Southern gem: From its elegant facade and interiors to the thoughtful curation of stores, every experience at Evia Lifestyle Center is truly a taste of the best the world has to offer.
Southern gem: From its elegant facade and interiors to the thoughtful curation of stores, every experience at Evia Lifestyle Center is truly a taste of the best the world has to offer.
 ??  ?? All day and all night, too: All Day Supermarke­t, with its ubiquitous red pickup truck, introduces a fresh new way of grocery shopping.
All day and all night, too: All Day Supermarke­t, with its ubiquitous red pickup truck, introduces a fresh new way of grocery shopping.
 ??  ?? The Piazza brings al-fresco dining to new heights—with a sky ceiling that shifts from blue skies to the golden hues of sunset, this is a sight to truly behold. Photos by BENING BATUIGAS
The Piazza brings al-fresco dining to new heights—with a sky ceiling that shifts from blue skies to the golden hues of sunset, this is a sight to truly behold. Photos by BENING BATUIGAS
 ??  ?? Evia’s Atrium features a majestic glass dome that lets mall-goers enjoy the outdoors while in the comforts of an air-conditione­d space.
Evia’s Atrium features a majestic glass dome that lets mall-goers enjoy the outdoors while in the comforts of an air-conditione­d space.
 ??  ?? AllHome features signature vignettes to inspire creativity in homemakers who are furnishing their dream home. Recently featured was a central vignette by top Filipino fashion designer Rajo Laurel.
AllHome features signature vignettes to inspire creativity in homemakers who are furnishing their dream home. Recently featured was a central vignette by top Filipino fashion designer Rajo Laurel.
 ??  ?? Your daily bread and more: Bake My Day opened at Evia’s new North Wing with more freshly baked goodness.
Your daily bread and more: Bake My Day opened at Evia’s new North Wing with more freshly baked goodness.
 ??  ?? AllHome Appliances carries a complete range of home appliances including washing machines, air conditione­rs and refrigerat­ors.
AllHome Appliances carries a complete range of home appliances including washing machines, air conditione­rs and refrigerat­ors.
 ??  ?? Tiles of all shapes and finishes for the bathroom, kitchen, living and outdoor spaces can be found here.
Tiles of all shapes and finishes for the bathroom, kitchen, living and outdoor spaces can be found here.
 ??  ?? Hall of fun: The Commune Hall is a fun hangout with 12 stalls for a quick munch.
Hall of fun: The Commune Hall is a fun hangout with 12 stalls for a quick munch.
 ??  ?? What’s brewing at Coffee Project?: Satisfy your caffeine cravings at Coffee Project that also offers hearty meals.
What’s brewing at Coffee Project?: Satisfy your caffeine cravings at Coffee Project that also offers hearty meals.
 ??  ??
 ??  ?? Timely and timeless fashion: Market Liberty unveils a second bigger store at Evia’s new North Wing for on-trend online finds and well-loved brands.
Timely and timeless fashion: Market Liberty unveils a second bigger store at Evia’s new North Wing for on-trend online finds and well-loved brands.
 ??  ?? Not strictly for kids: KinderCity is the ultimate indoor playground designed for kids but loved by adults, too.
Not strictly for kids: KinderCity is the ultimate indoor playground designed for kids but loved by adults, too.
 ??  ?? Cinema experience to the max: Evia’s Vista Cinemas bring the IMAX with Laser, the first in Southeast Asia.
Cinema experience to the max: Evia’s Vista Cinemas bring the IMAX with Laser, the first in Southeast Asia.
 ??  ??
 ??  ?? Proudly Pinoy: Coffee Project, a homegrown concept, has been named the 24th Most Instagramm­able Cafe in the world by Big Seven Travel, a travel website.
Proudly Pinoy: Coffee Project, a homegrown concept, has been named the 24th Most Instagramm­able Cafe in the world by Big Seven Travel, a travel website.

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