Iloilo: Tatoy's & Smallville Commercial Complex

Dinner during our second night was at Tatoy's Manokan and Seafoods Restaurant - one of the reasons we're in Iloilo to begin with. Unfortunately, this was another disappointment. We were not able to order what we really wanted (i.e. crabs and oysters) due to my Mom's sensitive stomach, and nothing we did order was anything to write home about.

This is one of the restaurants that Iloilo is known for so maybe we were expecting too much. Another option we were considering was Breakthrough (which is just nearby), but my sister read a blog where the author was charged more because they were not locals (you can read the details here). We didn't want to take any chances, so we nixed that idea. Too bad though because my Mom's friend swears by that place.

Our meal was followed by a nightcap at the Smallville Commercial Complex where our hotel is located, thus we were able to experience a bit of Iloilo's weekend nightlife.

What I was surprised and most amused by was the Go Mart convenience store. Here in the Philippines, almost all villages have a sari-sari store (think tiny shop selling a variety of goods that's situated in front of the owner's house), where the locals can grab a beer and sit on one of two benches located on either side of the store front. What I saw was the bigger and more upscale version of that scenario.

See that small store at the left? Their clientele is on the right - people buy a beer or soda, maybe a few snacks, sit down and attend to themselves:

Go Mart keeps profit up and costs down by charging the following fees: