Exploring the Shang’s East Wing

One morning I received word that Shangri-La Plaza’s East Wing is now open. Being a Makati girl since birth, I rarely go to malls that require me to traverse EDSA –– actually I never go outside Makati, except for work. But the opening of a new mall, or at least a new wing in this case, is always a good reason to brave traffic and threats of rain. So I headed to Shang and expected the usual: shiny new floors, the usual retail brands, and maybe some new restaurants. What met me were six floors of mammoth stores of new and familiar brands, a host of concept restaurants, an impressive and elegant main activity area called the East Atrium, and a comfort room that was TDF.

That new wing had me at “massive wooden bench parked outside the comfort room.” It may seem sacrilegious to rave about comfort rooms when an entire wing of new stores has opened, but if you really want to measure luxury, the toilets are the first place you should look. It represents attention to detail and attentiveness to the customer’s needs –– my need, in particular, for a restroom with high ceilings, mirrors twice my height, and invisible paper towel and soap dispensers. It also has great acoustics, apparently, as I walked in on a mother and daughter singing at the lounge area, their voices echoing beautifully inside the room in a way that didn’t disrupt anyone’s business.

And here comes the wildly inappropriate jump from comfort rooms to dining establishments. (They represent two of the most basic human needs, anyway –– and the Shang addresses them both in style.) Concept restaurants with inviting, photogenic (because that’s so important these days, right?) interiors and interesting menus are abundant. It presents itself as a new destination for food lovers as much as it is attractive to serious shoppers. And by serious, I mean “on-a-mission-get-out-of-my-way” types who can’t be bothered with long queues to the cashier, or to be seated at a restaurant.

People who will be going to the Shang’s East Wing, I imagine, are people who either already know what they want to buy and just want to get in and get out, or people who just want to stroll along its wide, well-lit hallways, maybe buy an item or two on impulse and stay the day. I am a variety of the latter, I discovered, as I explored the new wing and went inside every store.

I’ve discovered new favorites: Flight 001, a cute concept store that carries only travel accessories and where the staff says “Thank you for boarding” as you leave; a huge Digital Walker store that has a drool-worthy selection of iPhone cases, as well as music and photography paraphernalia (Instax film available here!);  shoe labels LeBunny Bleu and Sneak Peek; a massive Shu Uemura store for beauty addicts; and Scribe, a store for those who’ve never outgrown their love for stationery and colored pens (like myself). Over at the Main Wing is another favorite, Desigual, a Spanish fashion label that carries clothes and accessories in the most adorable prints (every shift dress, wrap dress and maxi dress got me thinking “throwback”).

The East Wing complements the Main Wing by also being categorized into themed zones. Everyday Basics, which is found at the lower ground level, is all about casual dining and novel restaurant concepts, kitchen essentials, and novelty shops.  Accessible through the main entrances of the Main Wing, Level 1 of the East Wing, Classic Luxury features luxury and high-end fashion and lifestyle brands such as Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Herve Leger, BCBG Max Azria, DKNY, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren, Paul & Shark, , Brooks Brothers, Hugo Boss, Baume & Mercier, Rolex, Panerai, Omega, IWC, and Vertu, among others.

Timeless Indulgences at Mid-Level 2/3 continues the upscale fashion and lifestyle concept, tied in with indulgent global dining destinations with brands like Bric’s, Perry Ellis, Shu Uemura, Kiehl’s, Pandora, Superdry, Rado, T. Florencio, Aeropostale, Banana Republic, British India, CK Jeans, Juicy Couture, Lacoste, Porsche Design, Topman, Art of Scent, Repetto, Santoni, Samsonite Black, Dune, Technomarine, Bang & Olufsen, TWG Tea, and Morelli’s Gelato, among others.

Urban Sophisticate at Level 4 connects to the Kids’ Zone at the Main Wing and features tween brands to complement the Main Wing’s merchandise mix for the younger market. Also in this zone are new must-try dining concepts from well-known chefs including chef Florabel Co for Corazon, chef Marvin Agustin for Balboa, CCA’s chef Davide Lombardi, and chef  Roby Goco for Greenpastures.

Level 5’s Hip & Chic, which connects to the Main Wing’s Youth Zone, carries Shang’s younger and more casual fashion mix featuring edgier fashion and lifestyle concepts for young adults. Included in this zone’s roster of brands are Samuel & Kevin, Flight 001, Digital Walker, Bratpack, Complex, Crumpler, Michael Antonio, Penshoppe, Kashieca, Regatta, Shana, Tyler, Urbanize, Morellato, Toscow, LeBunny Bleu, and F&X. 

Leisure Haven at Level 6 features fashion finds for the active lifestyle — this zone offers trendy wardrobe essentials that are sporty and stylish such as Le Coq Sportif, Arena, Columbia Sports and The North Face. Complementing the line-up are The Spa, Gourdo’s, Regalong Pambahay, Bose, and Pismo Digital and dining destinations such as Zarzuela, Texas Roadhouse Grill, Johnny Rockets, Serenitea, Arya Persian Restaurant and Woo Galbi. 

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For inquiries, contact 633-7851 loc.113 or log on to www.shangrila-plaza.com. Add Shangri-La Plaza on Facebook: shangrilaplazaofficialfanpage.