Weekend shopping and lunch for #MarketFriday

For #MarketFriday this weekend, we went out for shopping (more like window shopping) and lunch out. #MarketFriday is hosted by @dswigle. You can check out her latest post Market Friday: Chincoteague Pony Auction: Don't Forget to Pay the Lady! to know more about the rules and guidelines.

I have been wanting to visit a Japanese shop located at Nevada Square. There are different shops and cafes and offices here. I have yet to try the cafes there. There used to be a popular bar here that had to close business because it was found out that illegal substances were being sold there.

Saisho Konbini is located on the second floor to the left of the square. I tried Googling what Saisho Konbini means and I'm guessing it means small convenience store or small shop.

The paper lanterns and fake cherry blossoms outside the shop are things that we can relate to Japan.

I was expecting more of Japanese items being sold here but I was a bit dismayed that it is a combination of Asian products. I guess it is safe to say that it should be called Asian convenience store. I had assumed that it is exclusively Japanese because of the name. My bad.

What was I expecting and what did I want to buy? I was thinking then of maybe finding a sake (Japanese wine) that is within my budget. Unfortunately, the beverages sold there are on the expensive side for me.

I was tempted to buy the Oreo Mystery and the Choco Mint. I love choco and mint flavor. There were other desserts there too that are new to me.

They also have frozen products there like ice cream, fish, crab sticks and other items for hot pot. There were also dried mushrooms and other spices and herbs.

There were also different condiments from different Asian countries.

What I like about the shop is that everything is labeled and organized. The items have price tags too.

It maybe a small shop but I left that shop confused and overwhelmed by the different varieties for one product. For example, noodles of different flavors, varieties and from different countries. There is familiarity but at the same time confusion.

However, now that I know what items are sold there, at least I have an idea where to go and what to buy.

We ended up buying Taiwanese Nougat, Chicharon (fried pork rinds), laver (nori/kim) and ice cream.

The nougat that we have here is hard and tough that it is hard to chew but the Taiwanese Nougat is more like a marshmallow but more chewy. The chicharon is spicy and crispy. I like eating laver as additional to our meal. The ice cream is smooth, sweet, cold, refreshing and delicious.

We then headed for lunch at Marosan's Restaurant.

This place has been renovated and it is now wider and spacious. The ambiance is great as well because of the glass windows letting in natural light.

I was surprised that not only is it a restaurant but also they have a mini supermarket. I was delighted to find the wine and pastry that I had been craving for for months! I know it was sold in the city but the laziness got the best of me. The pastry is hard to find but the wine is easier.

I like bugnay wine. I bought the one with 14% alcohol content. Not as sweet and sour the way I wanted though. I'll remember not to buy this kind of bugnay wine again.

The boxes on the left of the photo are the kind of pastry that I like most. It is called hopia. It is filled with different flavors like ube (purple yam), mung beans, pork or pandan. They are round shaped like and likened to moon cakes. I bought the ube flavor and mung bean flavor. These are the two of my favorites. There are honey and peanut butter spread sold on display as well.

There were other delicacies and pastries from other places too. There are different coffee products sold as well. They also have dried noodles that are made from veggies like carrots, squash and moringa. They also have sweets like cakes and chocolates.

I wanted to buy a lot but I am satisfied with the wine and hopia.

I ordered beef camto rice and my partner Marosan's Rice. We added pancit (stir fried noodles with vegetables and meat) as well. Camto is flank sheath of a cow. However, the beef camto rice that I have grown to love from this restaurant have changed. I tried it again that time hoping it would be as close to the first time I have eaten there but sadly it was not. It is still good though but it's not as unique. It tasted like from what is served in other restaurants. Anyway, overall, it was still a satisfying meal. We couldn't finish the pancit and had to take home the rest.

Lime, chili pepper and soy sauce is a common dip here. It's like a meal is not complete without the chili pepper especially. We like our food hot and spicy.

At the back wall, they have a mural there but it is obstructed by products, the seat above, the family of Shrek and other stuff. Maybe to maximize space, they decided to push anything on that wall. Too bad the mural is not that well exposed. It does look interesting.

That ends my #MarketFriday for this week. Happy weekend!