[The Keihancarl Diaries: May 23, 2026]
Hi everyone, Keihancarl here. These past few weeks, the heatās getting unbearable. It wonāt be long before the rain cools everything down⦠well, maybe not.
xxxxxxxxxx
Anyway, this yearās POF event was postponed to September, meaning that there wonāt be this yearās #TheFourWeekendPlan. Nevertheless, I feel like going on a mall-hopping trip today. Having visited some parts of the Gateway Mall 2 in Araneta City (the expansion to the original Gateway Mall) a few months back, I was raring to check out the rest of the mall, as well as the rest of Araneta City/Cubao area, so that will be my focus for this mall-hopping trip. If thereās still time left, I might also check Robinsons Magnolia or SM North EDSA/Trinoma, whichever is more accessible.
Outfit check: I decided on the newly bought Uniqlo boxy shirt and the beige Harry Potter shirt. I left the house at 2:30 PM, and it took me about an hour and a half to reach Cubao (I took the UV Express to Philcoa, and then took the jeep to Araneta City). Yeah, traffic is mostly light, except in North Fairview.
I reached Araneta City before 4:00 PM. As soon as I got off near Ali Mall, I decided to check the Cubao Expo first.
The place is a haven for collectors, as some shops have interesting vintage items, vinyl records, and memorabilia. It is also the creative hub for artists.
There are also cafes, bars, and restaurants in the complex, including the Italian restaurant Belliniās.
I stopped by INT.Bar/EXT.Cafe and ordered the Pulp Fiction, an orange espresso drink. I chose the drink randomly.
Well, I was really into orange espresso drinks these days, especially after I had it a couple of times at Kaptan in Lagro. Anyway, the Pulp Fiction was great, and I really enjoyed it.
Next stop, Ali Mall. Itās been a long time since I last visited the mall, probably before the pandemic. I wasnāt able to check the mall during my recent stops, post-pandemic.
I only checked a few shops, particularly the ones at Ali X. There were old newspapers, posters, household items, typewriters, mostly relics from the past.
There was even a framed clipping of an ad featuring Nida Blanca and Nestor de Villa.
Tomoro Coffee collaborated with the fantasy anime series Frieren: Beyond Journeyās End. Theyāre having a promo at the moment. I would love to try their drinks one of these days.
Next stop, SM Araneta City. I only checked the graphic tees at the second level. At the lower ground floor (supermarket level), there was an ongoing e-sports event at the Cyberzone area.
And I arrived at the Gateway Mall. Of course, I visited the expansion first, a.k.a. Gateway 2. I only checked a couple of shops (MN+LA and Top Ten), as well as Shopwise.
I then had a beef gyudon at Yoshinoya as I was starting to get hungry. I managed to finish the meal within 15 minutes, though I also took a moment to upload some pics to my Instagram account.
Wolfgangās Steakhouse (which had a branch on the upper ground level of the mall) had a premier dine-in cinema experience (Wolfgangās Premiere) on the cinema level (4th floor). Perfect for movie dates. Also, there's World Kitchens (also on the 4th floor), an upscale food hall with a luxurious atmosphere and full table service of a 5-star hotel/restaurant, featuring cuisines from around the world.
On my previous visits to the Gateway Mall expansion, I wasnāt able to check the upper floors due to time constraints. Well, I finally got to see the rooftop garden for the first time. I had a nice view of the Vertis North skyline from there.
The Sagrada Familia Church is also located in the rooftop garden.
Now, on to the original Gateway Mall. I visited a couple of shops, especially Fully Booked.
The mallās interiors remained the same as they had on my first visit 14 years ago. The hanging butterfly decorations still amaze me, as does the oasis (the semi-enclosed garden inside the mall area) that also serves as a fine-dining area.
I passed by the multi-level National Book Store beside it. However, only the ground floor is open. The escalator to the upper floors was cordoned off. That NBS branch was probably downsizing.
And lastly, Farmerās Plaza Mall. That mall really needs a major renovation. Even the doors (except the MRT-3/EDSA access) were antiquated, it feels squeaky and heavy to open.
I only checked the clothing shop closest to the MRT entrance (Milton). But I took a moment to check some parts of the mall before heading to the MRT station. Once I exited the mall, I took the train to North Avenue.
My original plan was to visit Robinsons Magnolia, but I decided to visit the two North Avenue malls, Trinoma and SM North EDSA, instead.
At Trinoma, I checked some of the shops, including Anko and IKEA (the smaller branch called the plan and order shop, which also has smaller items for purchase). After that, I visited the mallās garden area. The mallās original water features are gone, but the new ones are being built.
The garden area on the fourth floor (outside the cinema) now has a children's playground. Great idea, but not when itās hot and sunny out there.
And on to the final stop, SM North EDSA. I only checked a couple of shops at the mall, particularly Muji. I didnāt even bother checking the Fully Booked x Kinokuniya branch at the fifth level (The Block) and the Booksale branch at the main building.
At this point, I was getting hungry again, so I had a bowl of ramen at the food court and a lemon tea drink at Tiger Sugar before finally heading home.
Traffic was incredibly smooth along the way. It took me about 30 minutes to reach SM Fairview, and an additional 15 minutes to get home.
xxxxxxxxxx
The trip felt kind of unusual (and kind of unplanned), but it gave me a chance to explore most of Araneta City (including the Cubao Expo) and the malls in the area, especially Gateway 2. And speaking of Cubao Expo, the area was more lively at night. A perfect reason for me to go back and experience it myself.
Had the POF event not been postponed to a later date (this September), #TheFourWeekendPlan wouldāve gone on as planned, but Iād probably end up going to a different area for the mall-hopping trip, probably Ortigas or BGC. Well, everything happens for a reason, I suppose. Iāll probably focus on the Ortigas area for my next mall-hopping trip, and the BGC area for either October or November.
Well then, this mall-hopping trip certainly provided me with a change of scenery, and it was definitely for the better. Until next time, maybe Iāll finally get to revisit Ortigas next.
All pics are from my Instagram account, @kcox_105.













