A day will not end without me personally visiting a MINISTOP Philippines branch – usually the Tambo, Lipa City branch. Needless to say, I’m a huge fan, and have no issue whatsoever featuring them on this blog because I’m a regular customer. I can recommend them passionately because I am, and will always be, a loyal customer.
About MINISTOP Philippines
MINISTOP is a chain of 24 hour convenience stores with locations all over the country. A subsidiary of Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc., it’s a franchise of MINISTOP Co. Ltd which is one of the most trusted chains of convenience stores in Japan.
They have the following branches in Lipa City:
- Amethyst Bldg, Tambo
- Robinsons, JP Laurel Highway
- Catalina Village, Sico
- Lipa Cathedral, TM Kalaw corner CM Recto
- Inside Epson Precision Philippines Factory
A Wide Assortment of Merchandise
MINISTOP has saved me countless of trips to the grocery store. They’re in strategic locations which allows you to just drop by if you need something – almost anything. It’s essentially a mini-grocery that has everything that someone may need.
Going on a road trip? We usually get our snacks and drinks for the drive at MINISTOP. They have a wide selection of chips and other snacks for the drive ahead. You’re about to cook breakfast and find your cupboard bare? Walk to a branch near you and get your favorite canned goods. They even have bread products.
You can also buy your personal effects here. You can even buy important things for the house like cleaning supplies.
Feeling thirsty? They have a row of chillers filled with your favorite drinks.
So yeah, they have everything that you need. They even have things that you didn’t know you needed.
Extensive and Delicious Selection of Ready-to-eat Products
Now, here’s what separates MINISTOP Philippines from the rest of the convenience stores chains in the country. I’ve known this for years now. They have a wide selection of delicious ready-to-eat products for your snacks and even main meals. In fact, they can put up a standalone MINISTOP restaurant serving their ready-to-eat products and I’ll totally support it.
Let’s start with their snacks. Everybody knows the Kariman.
This perfectly golden brown pillow of goodness is the perfect snack while on-the-go. They have several flavors and my personal favorites are ham and cheese and pizza. Always served hot and fresh, don’t be surprised if you find yourself reaching for another one. If you do decide to get another one, get the cookie caramel Kariman to satisfy your sweet tooth.
They also have Empanadas which are relatively new offerings.
I love how every bite is packed with flavor. Even the steam that escapes when you bite into it is packed with flavor.
I liked the ham and cheese empanada better, but the mildly spicy chicken empanada is pretty good as well.
They also have mini corndogs!
They’re a hit among the kids, but that didn’t stop the 36 year old me from enjoying a couple of them!
I love the churros as well.
These churros can rival those offered by restaurants that specialize on churros.
You should also try their fries.
They’re better than fast food fries. They’re like those fries that are normally served at gourmet burger shops.
What if you’re craving for something heavier? MINISTOP Philippines has you covered with their Toppers.
Priced at PHP 29 to PHP 55, you can choose from different rice toppings. The Bicol Express is a personal favorite of mine, but I can also see why the Burger Steak, Curry Meatballs and Beef & Mushroom are best-sellers.
They’re very good and filling! They’re very popular among students, with these meals offering amazing value for money.
They also have ready-to-eat products that can be eaten on their own as snacks or with rice for a heavier meal. There’s the siomai.
It can be ordered steamed, although it’s best enjoyed fried for that crispy exterior that goes perfectly with rice.
There’s also the Hotchicks (spicy chicken nuggets) and the spring rolls.
I love the slight kick of the meaty Hotchicks. The spring rolls are also good and very meaty as well.
Whatever ready-to-eat meal you get, make sure to pair it with their soft-served ice cream.
As you can see, you can choose from several toppings. I love the halo halo toppings!
MINISTOP Fried Chicken: One of the Best in the Philippines
This fried chicken gets its own subheading because it’s awesome like that.
For me, Uncle John’s Fried Chicken by MINISTOP Philippines is one of the best fried chickens in the Philippines. It’s very underrated that it’s almost a crime. For a list of the best fried chickens in the Philippines to be legit, it has to include MINISTOP Fried Chicken.
Each humongous piece is marinated in several distinct spices and is coated with butter and breading before being deep fried until it’s perfectly golden brown. You can also choose a glaze to go with your fried chicken. You can choose from BBQ, Korean Soy and Sweet and Spicy.
I’ve been eating this fried chicken for years now, and its taste is still as amazing as the first time I tasted it back when I was still working in Makati in the late 2000s.
My wife loves it. Our daughter craves for it. You can always see a bucket or two of Uncle John’s Fried Chicken at our home whenever we have a party.
Speaking of parties, I saw a woman picked up 5 buckets of 10 fried chickens this morning. Man, I would have loved to be in that party.
Chillz!
Yup, just that – Chillz! This is my all-time favorite drink.
I get the coffee variety at least once a day. It’s become a routine – I pick up two Chillz for me and my wife before going home from the gym, and it quenches my thirst and provides me a good pick-me-up for the rest of the day.
In addition to coffee, it also comes in several different flavors. They have chocolate, ube, and the recently-launched sweet corn.
See You at MINISTOP!
Area Operations Supervisor Randy Pagcaliwangan (extreme left), Sir Ariel Africa (4th from right) and the staff of MINISTOP Tambo
We’re blessed to have several MINISTOP branches in and around Lipa City. This means that anytime we’re craving for their Chillz or fried chicken, or we just need to buy a couple of chips, the friendly staff of MINISTOP will be happy to serve you.
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