Chocolate eh, kesong puti, and pan de sal.
Due to unfortunate zoning and local governance practices, many non-informal (doesn't feel right to call them "formal") small businesses cannot survive in the suburbs, periurbs, or small cities. To any foreigner, it may seem counter-intuitive to look for comfort food in a mall, but near the food courts and in the kiosks, you can sometimes find cheap, non-junky and passionate food.
Recently we took an almost-senior-citizen (who was having a bad day) to Glorietta for some Nana Meng's thick hot chocolate, and also grabbed their kesong puti. Nearby Bizu also sold some pan de sal-- fortunately, less sweet than the present-day varieties, but still too sweet for me.
We took it all to a table, untied the banana leaves and unwrapped the keso. We began what was something of a picnic in the middle of the bustling food court. I skipped the cheese (which was reportedly good) and dipped the bread in my cup of tsokolate. Filled with nostalgia for meriendas past, and eating joyfully with his hands, Senior Citizen found a small piece of comfort under the flourescent Ayala sun.
