Random Cravings: Foodie Discovery - Vom Fass

My friend Geli and I met up last week for lunch and tea. We wandered around Shangri-la Mall's new East Wing a bit and ended up making a foodie discovery. It's a new store called Vom Fass, which looked like a wine store from the outside but had so much more on the inside.

Vom Fass actually sells wines and spirits, but it also offers vinegars and oils. The unique thing about the store is that you can choose your own poison in a very personalized way. The place is filled with casks of hard liquor; earthen jars full of vinegars and oils; and flavored liqueurs in big, clear, bottles.

Been curious about those salad vinaigrettes on the Food Network? They have different vinegar varieties -- cherry, beer, strawberry, even calamansi. There's a large selection of tasty oils as well, from the usual olive oil to garlic herb oil and organic chili oil for pastas and other dishes.

Then there's the fun stuff. They have all sorts of alcohol in there. They have Amaretto (to make those citrusy Amaretto Sours), Limoncino from Italy, Blood Orange with Vodka, etc. They even have Absinth, which is illegal in a lot of countries because it's so strong.

The wonderful staff actually follows you around, explains each product, and hands you little spoons for a taste of everything. Then, when you've decided on something, you can pick a bottle -- they have a variety to choose from, in all shapes and sizes -- and they'll fill it up for you.

Vom Fass products would make great gifts! It's a shame I didn't find the store during Christmas time. Need a hostess gift for a gathering you're invited to? I'm sure she would appreciate a set of herb oils or a beautiful bottle of champagne. Need a guy gift? Hard alcohol like vodka or gin (for friends) and rum or cognac straight from the cask (for dads and uncles) would be pretty good. Need a girl gift? Those flavored liqueurs like Vanilla Dream or Tiramisu would be great to make cocktails with, or to put in beverages. They have non-alcoholic juice that would be nice as well.

Geli got to try their best-selling Balsamic Vinegar with their decadent White Truffle Oil, and she loved both. Since I'm still a newbie at cooking, I wasn't going to get anything. I was only planning on coming back to the store when I had actual recipes in mind that I would need salad dressings or gourmet flavorings for. However, I spotted the flavored liqueurs on the way out that I totally didn't see when we first came in, and I was hooked.

I tasted a sample of their Gingerbread Cream Liqueur and just had to get a bottle. I love anything gingerbread, and since the husband and I are always looking for stuff to add to our coffee these days, I couldn't resist. It's a seasonal flavor too, which made it even more of a must-buy for me. It was right next to a shelf filled with cute bottles as well, and I picked out an adorable, star-shaped one.

Unique products + pretty personalized packaging = so made of win! I'm already planning on filling up our kitchen with their vinegars and oils in mini containers. They have stackable bottles that are so pretty! It will surely inspire me to learn how to cook even more. 

One of my future project plans also include a bar cart, and now those plans include a few bottles of their flavored liqueurs. The sales assistant had me try their Rum Truffle Cream Liqueur -- which tastes like Bailey's with a twist but without the expensive price tag -- and I'm planning to start with that, along with something fruity.

I put a bit of the Gingerbread Cream Liqueur in my coffee the other night! The alcohol warmed me right up (we've been having a spate of cold weather here in the tropics), and the gingerbread flavor had this comforting taste to it. It was wonderful! I can't wait to go back to the store and try everything else. [Note: I totally forgot to take pictures at the store. I was busy looking at everything. I'll try on my next visit!]

Vom Fass is located at the lower ground level of Shangri-la Mall's East Wing.