Frannywanny

They say, once you have reached the age of 30 you're officially a "tita" or auntie in English. Well, I am legit a tita with the birth of my niece J 9 years ago and this was followed by my nephews J1 and J2 and of course, with the recent arrival of Baby A too. I'm tita x 4 and what does most titas do? They go for tea time, of course! Kidding aside, it seems like I have discovered a new weekend hobby and this is to go for a nice afternoon tea bonding sessions with my girl friends here in the Lion City. Thank god for sweet loyal girl friends like S, T and D. Recently, my friend Didi came to visit and since we both had really jam-packed weekend schedules, I suggested we go for tea time instead to which Di was super game for. We tried Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre 's High Tea Set as it's really accessible to where Di was staying and I also got dinner plans in the same area that evening. I love how spacious the lobby was and they were so nice to gi...

Let me ask you all a question: "What were you doing when you were 25?"  For me, I was working for the Green Siren, organizing events and thinking of creative local store activities for each occasion and promotion. I was 25 when Frannywanny.com was born. That was probably the best thing that ever happened to me that year. Anyway, here in Singapore, two 25 year old guys have traveled around the world and have just opened their first ever restaurant. Thus, First 25 Cafe  was born. Now, what do you say about that?! :) 

"How was your birthday ?" This was the question that I was asked most by friends and colleagues days after the 1st of June. Well, unlike the past years when it was admittedly more festive and loud, my birthday this year was much more private, more intimate yet I had the most important people of my life sending me the sweetest birthday greetings and wishes. What more can I ask for? Luckily, Paul didn't had to go to work on my birthday so he told me that he'd like to take me out for lunch. The best part was, I get to choose where we're eating! Yay! So days leading up to my birthday, I started shortlisting restaurants that I've been wanting to try. Should we go have steak? Perhaps indulge on pots after pots of Chinese steamboat? How about Japanese? Since I'm clearly not over my Tokyo hangover yet so sushi and sashimi was the final choice for my special day. So, off we went to Shin Minori  in UE Square  since I've been hearing so much good things a...

I was feeling a bit bummed out that I wasn't able to fly home for Mommy's birthday last week. It has been 2 straight years of me missing her special day and yes, I was feeling sad and guilty about it. I promise to make it up to her and Pan, most especially, in the coming years. Luckily, I haven't missed any of Papa's birthday and more so now as I really have to be in Manila yearly every end of August for family reasons. This is really one of those moments when reality bites that I am so far away from home and I'm missing out on special occasions like these. To make up for my absence, I decided to do something productive on Mommy's birthday and thanks to the Entertainer App , I spent my afternoon "productively" eating around Tanjong Pagar with my fellow foodies and friends Ting and Ning (...so call me Fing hehe) . I've created a 1 minute video to share with you how my gastronomical afternoon went. If you're curious about the three establ...

When Paul turned a year older a month ago, I decided to do away with the usual fancy dinner date and to just chill and enjoy some good food. After all, 'Mr Hardworking' decided to still go in and work on his birthday so knowing how he just likes to keep things simple and casual, I took him to Hombre Cantina  for an all-authentic Mexican fare to unwind. I've been wanting to check out Hombre Cantina after getting raves from friends saying they have really good Mexican food. Good thing though, it's part of The Entertainer App's line up making it even more enticing for us to try. So there we were an hour and a half before dinner time enjoying the view of the beautiful Singapore River.  Luckily, we also got there in time for Happy Hour which entitled us to get a bottle of beer for only S$8 and one round (basket) of Chicharrones. Don't expect much from the chicharrones though as the serving was really really really small...barely enough for two and when ...

When faced with a busy day at work where you ended up traveling from west to east to central for meetings all in one day, the best way to end is it with a good meal. Agree?  A couple of months ago, Paul and I were invited to sample the newly updated menu of En Grill & Bar in River Valley. We have been to their branch at Bukit Timah where we had a delicious Japanese a la carte buffet dinner with friends but that was more than two years ago. I think a long overdue return just made perfect sense. What we love about En's line-up is how they gave a modern take on the traditional Japanese cuisine. Be ready to entice your tastebuds with melt-in-your-mouth top quality Wagyu beef called the Motobu beef . In fact, En Grill & Bar imports this directly from the source all the way from Yanbaru ranch in Okinawa, Japan. I'm no expert in beef as I even abstained from it for a couple of years ago but I do know that the higher the grade level the yummier the beef is. That said...

It's always fun to eat out. However, what makes it even more fun is when you eat out with like-minded individuals who share the same amount of love for food and eating as you do. Take my friend D for example. We have known each other back in Manila as he used to do weekly baking classes and I was one of those who has been intending to attend but sadly, I never really got the chance to. Still, D would religiously send me his schedules every single Monday. It actually came to a point when no Monday is complete without receiving D's (or at least, his secretary's) sms. Cut to last year, I received an email from D telling me that he's also based here in Singapore and he would like to meet up. Finally, after several emails back and forth, we met for the first time over yummy Japanese dinner and dessert after. It was really nice to meet a fellow Pinoy foodie in a foreign land. To date, D, Paul and I have been frequent foodie buddies as we have tried a couple of restaurant...

It's Wednesday and that just means we're halfway through the week! Seriously, seeing how your work week goes is pretty much the same as whether you see a glass of water half-empty or half-full. I'd rather take the more positive side and focus on the fact that weekend is near! While we both love our careers, there are just days when you find the need to chill. Not that you have no work to do but rather, work has become so crazy that you just need that 5...10...minute breather to say  "stop the world, I'm going on a break!"  Paul and I had that kind of moment a few weeks ago and it was just perfect timing that we got an invite to check out Club Meatballs  in China Square Central. Now, how cool is that?! We got there quite early. Too eager to eat and drink already, I guess. Our meal began with a glass of martini each. We went on a Tuesday and they were having a Martini Night promotion where you can enjoy a glass of martini for just S$10! We had the Coff...

Gimme FIVE ! To celebrate five years of (okay, I'm saying it now...so Paul, read this --->) marital bliss, we made reservations for a nice dinner date at Marriott Cafe . Trust me, planning for this day took two-weeks worth of research, several shortlists created and a couple of discussions here and there. We seriously went from "what if we go for steak dinner at _____" to "let's try French or Italian instead" and so on. Since we both wanted so many things and we found it really difficult to make one final choice, we agreed to try the famous Marriott Cafe Dinner Buffet which specializes in seafood, steak and a wide-variety of cuisines too. Of course, hubby immediately agreed as he also got a 1-for-1 deal at Marriott Cafe from his Entertainer App  too! I married a smart guy, huh? We got to Marriott Hotel just right on time for our 8pm reservation and were quickly ushered to our table. First things first, I did a quick scan of the buffet line. Would...

A few weeks ago, our dear friends Ro and Peter were in town. Of course, Paul and I wasted no time in meeting up with them and that means being able to share a good meal with our friends whom we missed so much. Days leading up to our dinner date, I research on possible places where we can take them to. I immediately ruled out Chinese/Singaporean food as they might have quite a lot of that already. Then I thought of the kids. That's when I decided to focus on pizza and pasta = Italian food. That's when I came across Sopra Cucina at the Ground Floor of Pan Pacific Orchard . This restaurant specializes in Sardinian cuisine which comes from a province in Italy called Sardinia. I remembered my first taste of Sardinian cuisine not so long ago where I was able to try fregola  for the very first time. It was an interesting cross of pasta and rice which is normally cooked in rich tomato-based sauce. We were a big group that evening where the kids had their own table and we adul...

Here's the best way to end a busy work day -- Top a wooden board with an assortment of cheeses, fill up your wine glass with your favorite bubbly, bring in a good mix of friends and do this repeatedly whenever you feel like it.  It was only Tuesday but Paul and I were both so excited for this fun food tasting at Bistro 1855 with the folks from Entertainer App . At one side of the restaurant, you'll find the Bottle Shop where you choose from a wide-selection of wines and decide later on if you'd like to enjoy this with your meal in the restaurant or to bring it home. As soon as I entered the restaurant, I suddenly remembered my friend I whom I know would definitely love love love this place.

As soon as May rolled in, this also signaled the start of a whole new batch of birthday celebrations with the NKids. For the past 3 years, we have been eating out to celebrate all of our birthdays and there's that traditional birthday salubong  where we would wish the celebrant Happy Birthday, watch him/her blow out the candles and enjoy a slice (or two) of the birthday cake! Regardless if our birthday falls on a weekday and we all have work the next day, this is one tradition I don't think we ever will miss. This is just one of those things that make the NKids feel like family, don't you agree? So, last week, we celebrated O's 30-something birthday! The celebration began the weekend before his actually birthday where he treated all of us to a yummy dinner at Spruce . I think I was the most excited about this as Spruce has been part of my list since last year. Finally, we're able to try it! Yay! The restaurant is located along the very quiet and exclusive ...

If there's a popular term called "ladies who lunch", I think the Normanton Kids will start a new trend of "Friends who Brunch" . I've mentioned a number of times here how much I love going out for brunch. It's just the perfect meal where you don't really have to wake up so early to eat nor do you have to wait so long for lunch hour to arrive. Well, okay maybe for this particular time, we actually got to the restaurant a bit late but luckily, brunch here in Singapore runs till 3pm! Indeed, I'm living in a country who takes brunch pretty seriously. Once again, we checked out another Entertainer App merchant called The Beast  in the Bugis district. This restaurant specializes in Southern American cuisine so think of rich bbq-tasting dishes, a great use of corn and fried chicken! It's a nice two-storey resto-bar where you can enjoy a mix of Southern-inspired dishes with their signature drinks too. For one thing, they boasts of having the w...

Five individuals with very different personalities living under one roof. Sounds like a perfect plot for a TV sitcom right? That's life with the Normanton Kids . Each one has his/her own quirks, mood swings and ideals yet we still manage to get along quite well. I guess, at the end of the day, we all know that have each other for support, love and acceptance. For Paul and I, we see the NKids as our family here in Singapore. We can really say that they've been there through our ups and downs and they've made living in a foreign land still feel like home. So, just like any family, we went out on Easter Sunday to hear mass and to have a good meal. Paul and I have been abstaining from meat for most parts of Lent while my friend I was on a strict healthy (read: fruits and veggies) diet the entire week. Finally, we're saying yes to meat when Easter Sunday came! Hooray! Browsing through the Entertainer App , we chanced upon RV Burger which was just within walking dis...

Who doesn't love discounts, right?  I'm really so happy I stumbled upon The Entertainer App late last year. I swear, this has totally changed my food tripping ways. Now, we've become bolder and more adventurous in trying various restaurants, cafes and even bars all over Singapore. The beauty of The Entertainer App is its ability to offer 3 1-for-1 deals. From 1-for-1 main dishes, 1-for-1 burgers to even 1-for-1 hotel nights! Imagine being able to enjoy these things and to pay just half of the cost.  I realized that I've been blogging quite a lot about the different establishments while using The Entertainer App. To make it easier for you all to search, I decided to put them all in one tab , which you can access above *point up* . Better yet, just click on that cute big smiley below:

When our friend A came to Singapore for his regular business trip, we all cheered! Aside from the fact that we all love A (and his other half D) very much, his visit also gives the Normanton Kids the reason to eat out especially on a weeknight. You see, weeknights for us normally means heading to the gym after work, having home-cooked dinners or putting in more hours at work (yeah, we're all workaholics like that!) . Whenever A visits us, we make sure that we get to go out for a nice meal together. During his recent visit, we decided to check out Bistroquet Pizza & Grill  at Alexandra Retail Centre. This is because we got a 1-for-1 deal with the Entertainer App and the restaurant is located very close to home too. To be honest, I've seen Bistroquet since we moved to Singapore but never thought of giving it a try because the restaurant always seems empty whenever we pass by. That evening though, there were two big groups of students for dinner. While waiting for the o...

Do you remember this totally adorable 7-second line? Indeed, the world went crazy over little Agnes of Despicable Me and her cute ways that this winning one-liner totally stayed on longer than the movie itself. Case in point, I suddenly had this line in mind the moment Paul and I walk into Fluffy Dessert  in Tanjong Pagar Road. Fluffy Dessert specializes in Taiwanese ice desserts and it was just perfect timing for Paul and I to chance upon this little store as we were walking around the area in search for a place to have dessert one evening. I always give great importance to first impressions and I immediately liked what I saw.

Before flying home for the holidays, Paul and I met up with cousin J for our own Christmas brunch. Since we all have The Entertainer App , and you all must probably know by now how much I love it, we quickly went for The Marmalade Pantry for it's 1-for-1 deals. I tell you, having the Entertainer App has changed my life! With close to a thousand dining establishments, it has made every weekend much more fun as we would gamely try a new restaurant around town. I've lost count of the number of establishments that I've tried but seeing that I've saved about S$400 within 4 months was strong enough to tell me how often I've been using the app. Let me talk more about the app some other time and let us turn the limelight back to our Sunday brunch at The Marmalade Pantry . Located at ION Orchard, this cafe/restaurant seems to always have a permanent queue at its entrance. Luckily, we didn't have to wait long as we got to the restaurant a few minutes before the real br...

Mommy would always tell us that "breakfast is the most  important meal of the day." Well, what she forgot to mention is that it can also be the most exciting one too. You see, I normally wake up feeling hungry that the first question that enters my mind is "what should I eat this morning?" So, it is always so exciting for me to plan what should I have for my first meal of the day. For the past year, breakfast for me would either be of two things: a) a bowl of instant oatmeal in chocolate or banana honey flavor b) a bowl of fruity yogurt with my favorite whole grain cereals on top Gone are the days wherein I would have rice for breakfast. Perhaps, the only times I'd have my ever-reliable silog is when I'm in Manila. Living here in the Lion City, I've become more conscious of what I eat and that includes getting into the habit of starting my day right. While I love my two breakfast options dearly, I have to admit that it can get tiring to have this...

Here's some Monday musing: Moving to a new country is like having a new life.  It's definitely a big leap of faith as you pack your suitcases and temporarily say good bye to your old life. The kind that you've grown to be so familiar and comfortable with. Then you land in a new, unfamiliar place with perhaps a few acquaintances here and there. They're definitely not the same old gang whom you've been hanging with every single day but then that means giving you the chance to build a better relationship with them and to find new friends too. It's normal that for someone who used to be so socially active, your social life in this new place can drop to zero for the first few weeks or months. Here's my advice, embrace the change with a smile . It will make adjusting so much more easier. Personally, I enjoyed my new peaceful and quiet life where I finally found the time to focus on myself for a change. It has been a year of learning new things, being more inde...