Mandaluyong
Sandwiched between hyper-kinetic Makati and cosmopolitan Pasig is Mandaluyong City, a city that bustles beside Pasig River morning till night. Mandaluyong is a mixture of the industrial and the residential. Here a paper factory hums quietly beside the renting apartments easily accessible for those whose homes are too far from the heart of Metro Manila. Businesses thrive from one end of Boni Avenue up to Maysilo Circle, where the main municipal hall of the city is located. Health buffs run around the circular pathway from late hours at night and wee hours in the morning. A number of malls can be found in the city, notable of which is SM Megamall, where the left wing at the 4th floor houses antique shops and art galleries with different exhibits from local artists. Shangri-La Mall, located beside Shaw Boulevard, caters to the more affluent members of the society. Contemporary European art films are scheduled there and admissions are usually free.
Restaurants in Mandaluyong are usually quaint and unpretentious. RJ's Bulalohan, located near Maysilo Circle, offers dishes that might be in the more richer side of cooking, as most Filipino dishes are, but more soulful. Their specialty, the RJ Bulalo, is a must for any traveler who happens to visit the city. The rich saltiness adds to the tasty broth that is stewed to bring out the beef's flavor. The restaurant's ambience, in itself, does not discriminate. Backpackers can easily enjoy rounds of beers while singing their hearts out in its wide open karaoke section, a good respite that even those who are lost can feel at home.
