Watching a concert at MOA Arena? Here are our favorite pre-show hangouts
Attending a concert or a show is sometimes an all-day affair. It starts the moment you wake up: You choose a cute outfit, do your hair, and apply your best concert-ready makeup. For many fans, it’s not just about the show itself, but the entire experience. It’s completely normal to head to the venue hours in advance just to feel the vibe. You visit fan zones, hunt for freebies, and take tons of photos by the lamp posts, banners, or photo walls. It’s part of the tradition and joy that make concert days so memorable.
But every early bird eventually discovers that once the preconcert activities are done, there’s still plenty of time to kill before the main event begins.
Here are some of our favorite hangout spots around the SM Mall of Asia Arena. Most of them made the list for important reasons. They have power outlets available for their patrons because it’s a tragedy to miss a fancam moment. They don’t feel too crowded or noisy. And finally, we picked the ones whose food offerings we like.
We all know that everyone likes to troop to the Ikea Swedish Restaurant and Café because food prices are reasonable and the variety is decent. It’s also very close to the Arena, hence very easy to go to. But every once in a while, we check if the Children’s Cinema is empty so we can quietly go inside and sit for a few minutes to enjoy “Toy Story.”
But this is not the only gem in the MOA Square building. If you explore the exterior ground floor, there are rows of restaurants to choose from.
Topping our list is Single Origin. The all-day breakfast restaurant offers the fluffiest and softest French toast! We’re not exaggerating. The serving sizes are generous, and the toasts are so cloud-like that you’d want to press your cheeks into them (but don’t). Their truffle fries are addicting, too, if you want something savory to match your coffee. The spaces between tables offer just the right amount of breathing room, so you can enjoy your meal without feeling like you’re part of the next table’s conversation.
A few restaurants from there and you’d end up in Krapow! Our mouths are watering just thinking about their Thai dishes that are good for sharing. The one-dish meals are filling as well, but we highly recommend the Thai iced tea!
One World Deli only has one table with an outlet. But you can always ask the waitresses if you can charge your gadget at their workstations. If you’re in the mood for steak cuts that you picked yourself, this is the spot for you. They will charge 30 percent for cooking fees, on top of the usual taxes.
If you’re full and you just want to sit with a cup of coffee and charge your phones, the third-floor cafés at the main mall are where you should head to.
Muji Coffee has USB ports besides the outlets found in the bar-style seating area. The most basic drink that you can order is the Americano at P80. Lines could get long, but their curry rice is filling despite it having more sauce and rice than meat. While they do not offer free Wi-Fi, SM’s public Wi-Fi is strong in their area.
Sunnies Coffee does not offer any pastries or food, but they provide outlets in every seat and access to their own Wi-Fi. Americano starts at P135. We do love that there’s a lot of activities to do here, including photo walls for your social media posts. Right in front of Sunnies is BTS Spaces, where you can always drop by to check and buy merch.
If you want something other than coffee, then The Café Mediterranean on the second floor of the Entertainment Mall is always quiet. You can go big with their biryanis and gyro, but you can also just nibble on pita breads, hummus, and lassi.
If you do not want to go to the main mall, then head to the S Maison instead. My South Hall by The Bistro Group offers unbeatable choices because you can cross-order from different restaurants including Sarap, El Pollo Loco, Xi Nen Hotpot, Modern Shanghai, and Fish & Co.
We admit that you will have to walk and use a lot of the connecting bridges past MOA Square and SMX Convention Center to get there, but if you’re a big group craving different dishes at the same time, this is the place for you. Try to secure a table next to a wall if you need to charge; otherwise, it’s good anywhere. They have an ongoing all-day promo that starts at P385, for a combo of an appetizer, a main, and a drink. If you are going to share with friends, do not skip Sarap’s Ok na Okoy and Bonggang Bibingka, Modern Shang’s Pan-Fried Shanghai Pork Buns, and Steamed Buns with Preserved Egg Yolk Paste. As for drinks, you can’t go wrong with Wckd’s milk teas, but Fish & Co’s signature drink will go with your meals just as well.
Finally, a spot that we’re surprised not a lot of people go to is the Funhan Mart at the Maax parking just right across the Arena. It’s hidden behind the elevators for the parking floors. There are no charging outlets here, but cooking your own ramen without worrying about washing the dishes is still a novelty experience. For a quick meal and TikTok content, this is a good spot to visit.
If you’re Catholic, The Archdiocesan Shrine of Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life is just right across MOA Square. It won’t hurt to drop by and give thanks to the Almighty for blessing you with your desired ticket.
