A new chapter for SM Sta. Mesa
My SM Sta. Mesa story has two chapters. Chapter One: childhood. I was about to turn 10 when SM Sta. Mesa opened in 1990, and it soon became a family favorite, next to our OG, SM North Edsa, the very first SM mall.
SM Sta. Mesa, then called SM Centerpoint, became the place for many meals, late-night movies, and shopping trips.
But then SM Megamall opened and became our new family mall.
Chapter Two would happen a few decades later, during the year or so I spent living in the Sta. Mesa area. SM Sta. Mesa was where I shopped for essentials that would make the tiny condo I had moved into feel like home. SM Sta. Mesa also became my favorite place for buying groceries. And when I wanted good seats at concerts, I made a beeline for SM Sta. Mesa before the mall opened so I could be the first in line at SM Tickets.
When I moved out of that place, I said goodbye to SM Sta. Mesa and its familiar comforts again.
I thought our story would end there, but Chapter Three has just started. Because have you seen the new SM Sta. Mesa? SM Supermalls has refreshed the beloved mall, making it a vibrant and exciting place for shopping, dining, and having fun with friends and family.
“SM has always been about providing new and relevant experiences for its customers, and for a heritage mall like SM City Sta. Mesa, with its excellent location surrounded by upscale communities and schools, it was an easy task,” said Joaquin San Agustin, SM Supermalls’ executive vice president for Marketing.
It offers a mix of local favorites and global brands. In fact, the first thing I saw when I stepped into the mall that beautiful morning was the Jo Malone counter. Jo Malone? At SM Sta. Mesa? Whoa.
Food crawl
I was excited to see what other stores had opened in SM Sta. Mesa, but first, lunch. There’s a number of Bistro Group restaurants at SM Sta. Mesa now, something I would have really loved back when I was living in the area. Lunch was at Modern Shang where we feasted on delicious Chinese food—crispy fried noodles, sweet and sour pork, steamed hakaw, fried rice, and more.
But lunch turned into a food crawl. Next stop—Italianni’s. They had this great promo that lets diners pick an appetizer, an entree, and a drink for just P385. We tried a lot of the options including Caesar salad, Italian truffle chips, shrimp basil aglio olio, angel hair pomodoro, spaghetti alfredo, parmesan crusted fish fillet, chicken piccata, along with iced tea and dalandan shake. We also sampled other great drinks like the peach mango lemonade, four seasons mango, and iced coffee.
By this point, we were stuffed. It was time to explore the four-level mall. Victoria’s Secret. Bath & Body Works. Sunnies Studios. Flying Tiger. These stores are now in SM Sta. Mesa.
We stopped by Flying Tiger Copenhagen and oohed and aahed over their Easter-themed offerings. There were so many cute things—an abundance of chicks, bunnies, and carrots.
Fur parents have also been pleased to discover that Pet Express is now in SM Sta. Mesa.
Cinemas
We headed to the fourth level to check out SM Sta. Mesa’s newly renovated, state-of-the-art digital cinemas which feature “the latest in digital projection and sound technology, ensuring crystal-clear visuals and immersive audio for every screening.”
We were obsessed with the seats—they were plush, spacious and so, so comfy. “This is the regular cinema? Really?” we asked more than once. The seats were so comfy we didn’t want to get up. But we had to—because we still had to check out the Director’s Club Cinemas.
A luxurious experience awaits moviegoers at SM Sta. Mesa’s Director’s Club Cinemas, which offer personalized service, advanced digital projection, Dolby Atmos Full Audio Atmosphere, plush leather reclining seats (there are buttons you can press to get your seat just the way you like it). Seats are equipped with a tray and a call button so you can order food and drinks without getting up.
Also on Level 4 is SM Sta. Mesa’s Food Hall, featuring a mix of classic and new favorites that you can enjoy with the fresh, new vibe.
We headed to FantasyWorld which had trampolines, huge slides, ball pits, a playground, a toy market. We were there for the bumper cars which are said to be really popular. There we were—SM Supermalls VP for Corporate Marketing Grace Fornier Magno and a bunch of journalists—driving brightly colored little cars trying to (or trying not to) hit one another and laughing while we did it. It was a blast.
Next stop was Oldmoon Studio where we had fun posing for photos while wearing tiaras. Oldmoon Studio, with its photo booths and costumes and props, reminded me of the purikura places in Japan and Korea. My copy of our photos is now in my journal. Just a few steps away was a Karaoke Hub and a soon-to-open I Did It Myself DIY Bakery. I loved this area of SM Sta. Mesa so much—so many opportunities for fun.
Great deals
Back on Level 3, outside Surplus, our attention was caught by a display of foldable padded chairs and memory foam pillows. Inside, there were so many great deals—on dash cams, active wear, wireless karaoke mic-and-speaker sets, rechargeable vintage radios, neck and back massagers, handheld vacuums, even vlogging kits.
It was time to eat again, this time at Wangfu, where we met Luigi Pimentel, who now helps run the restaurants and food brands his parents and other partners started. Wangfu, which serves Chinese-Singaporean food, is one of the food brands under their company Binondo Food Group, which also includes RBX Rice in a Box, Kyu Kyu Ramen 99, and Luna J Filipino Gastropub.
Luigi’s parents started their first brand Rice in a Box 25 years ago, he said. His dad, Lester Pimentel Ong, is not only an entrepreneur but also a director. His current action series “Incognito” has been very successful. On the day of our visit, Lester was in Japan shooting the next episodes, so it was Luigi who met us.
Wangfu’s bestsellers are the Wangfu Hainanese chicken, the salted egg fried chicken, and hakaw. Everything was delicious, and I am now addicted to the salted egg fried chicken—it’s so good and it’s hard to stop eating it.
Luigi said it’s also their family favorite, along with the French bean stir fry and the seafood green soup.
The sea bass in mango salad and sweet chili sauce was also a hit at our table, along with the crunchy sweet and sour pork, cereal prawns, and Wangfu fried rice.
Dessert
For dessert we had ice cream from Udders Ice Cream, a Singaporean brand brought in by the people behind Wangfu. The most popular flavors are Milo Dinosaur, Salted Caramel, Strawberry Fields, Hazel’s Nuts, Pistachio Power, and the Guimaras Mango, a Philippine exclusive that’s also Luigi’s favorite.
We had the Milo Dinosaur and it was perfect. Udders serves ice cream in bowls, cones, or on top of crispy waffles. They also serve coffee and, yes, affogato.
Our next stop was TGI Fridays to watch some flair bartending and enjoy a couple of cocktails—classic mojito and tequila sunrise.
We headed to SM Store, located on Levels 2 and 3, and spotted great finds including Manic Panic hair dye, Animal Crossing Lego sets, and the cutest plush bags.
Uniqlo on Levels 1 and 2 was another necessary stop.
It really isn’t the SM Sta. Mesa of my childhood anymore. The nostalgia, the comfort of familiarity is there, but it’s so fresh and has so much more to offer now.
My reaction to SM Sta. Mesa isn’t unique—so many of the mallgoers who have also made a lot of memories there have been excited by its evolution.
San Agustin said, “We’re thrilled that current customers appreciate the changes and recognize how different it is, especially with the new offerings. It’s also so nice to see more new customers coming for the brands we now have and for the new cinema experience and food hall that are destinations in themselves.”
Just last week, pickleball courts opened on the roof deck of SM Sta. Mesa. The four pickleball courts, open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., can be rented for P450 an hour. (Make your reservations through smtickets.com.) Bring your own paddles and whiffle balls or buy them from the mall’s sports tenants.
What shouldn’t people miss the next time they go to SM Sta. Mesa? San Agustin said, “Everything new! From the newly opened pickleball courts, upgraded cinema experience, fresh meet-up places like restaurants, to global brands—there’s something for everyone.”
SM Sta. Mesa, located at R. Magsaysay cor. Araneta Ave., Brgy. Doña Imelda, Quezon City, is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays to Thursdays, and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
