I love going to the supermarket. It’s a very therapeutic experience for me. I remember when I was in college I lived in a condominium in front of the university and there was a Fresh (Rustans) Supermarket nearby. Whenever I would be stressed (my problems were so simple then – grades, boys, etc.) I would walk to Fresh and just prowl the isles. Something about how organized the display isles were was so soothing.
And part of the thrill of going to the supermarket is finding new products to try. Here in Jakarta shopping in the Supermarket at first was a very frustrating experience for me because. I am in a new country and obviously my favorite go-to brands are no longer available. So I have try new brands and make mistakes (waste money! eeeep!). It’s really all about trial and error. And it is a victory for me as a housewife when I find good quality brands at reasonable prices.
There are so many imported products in the Philippines are reasonably priced but here those items are crazy expensive so they are considered treats! Just to give you an idea SPAM is only about Php 120, here it is Rp 60,000 (Php 300). Crazy right? Products like breakfast sausages, hotdogs and corned beef are a splurge for us here. One time I was raving about having Purefoods corned beef for breakfast (which we have to ask people to bring over from the Philippines) and my friend in Manila jokingly asked me if we were going broke here. LOL! If he only knew how expensive proper corned beef is here! (if you can even find it) The disparity between prices of imported local products are kinda insane.
Here are some cool supermarket finds:
Tropicana slim (local) also has honey substitute and low-calorie/zero sugar juices, sweet soy sauce, etc. Great for diabetics! So much cheaper than Splenda, etc.
While the Belgian chocolate is a bit expensive at Rp 90,000 ( 9 USD est.) it’s more for an after-meal treat. After all Dark Chocolate is healthier than milk chocolate. But the item below was more for the novelty of it. Also perfect with coffee!

Chocolate Spoons! Sooooo cute! (On promo for Rp 60,000 or 6 USD est. but it is more of a treat as well)
Wow, how fun!! I love trying something new and discovering something good which I need with bargain price is always a pleasant experience! (fist pose) Your blog always helps me with finding goodies in Jakarta. 🙂 Thanks! I LOVE Guylan! Rp. 90.000?! Speechless. The spoon chocolate would be a great gift, too! How cute!! I totally agree with you about the grocery prices. Good grief. Groceries take up so much of our spending if we keep buying what we are familiar with from home! I try not to buy expensive stuff. My family just have to survive without it. One spurge we may occasionally have is on cheese. The prices for cheese you see in Jakarta is about the same in Tokyo! I look forward to your next supermarket finds!!
TDW now you know what you can bring back on your next visit home – those darling Chocolate Spoons! Love them! And for $6, I’ll take em!:) Hugs to you both!
Hahaha! I will be sure to bring you some in November! It’s always so great hearing from you Tita Charo! Besos!