Frannywanny

We have this habit of making the most out of our staycation so instead of dining out while having our staycation at a hotel, we normally try to check out the restaurants inside the hotel. This is staycation tip #1 when travelling with toddlers. We just wanted to do away from any logistical nightmare of having to travel far, waiting in line and ending up with two restless and super hangry kids. The best way is to make a reservation at any of the hotel's food establishments and you can just go down just in time for your meal. Our recent stay at Somerset Millennium Makati  was no different. We had our dinner at Abuela's  the only restaurant establishment available in the hotel but while it may be the only in-house dining option, we had no idea that we were in for a delightful FEAST!  Come to think of it, there's a bar available in the hotel but for families like us, you will most likely focus more on Abuela's . Don't be fooled by the name. I initially thought it was...

As the famous saying goes: "Love knows no distance." Similarly, our love for food allowed us to travel far and wide just to satisfy our craving. My in laws have been planning to try Buen Comer located at Teacher's Village in Quezon City for the longest time. This was after hearing raves after raves from cousins who told us that everything on the menu is really delicious and we just have to try it ourselves. Finally, on our first weekend back in Manila, MIL suggested that we head over there for dinner. Of course, Paul and I were totally up for that and so off we went to Quezon City. Thankfully, it took us less than an hour to get there and we easily located the restaurant which actually can be found in a very small inside street called Mahabagin. For those who are familiar with Quezon City, I'm pretty sure you won't have a hard time heading here. The menu was pretty extensive with a total of 17 items to choose from. As there were 6 of us dining that day, we...

Many times, people would ask me how long have I been blogging and whenever they would hear the answer, their eyes would widen and the next thing they'd say is " wow! that's a pretty long time. " Well, they're right. Personally, I am also amazed myself that Frannywanny.com has been around for 8 years already and still counting! It just feels surreal. It has been a fun ride and I know it will continue to be. I can still remember that day when I first decided to open this blog after months of writing about my foodie stories in Multiply for just my friends to read about. A year or so, I started meeting fellow bloggers whom eventually became my good friends too. Oh, and how can I forget those moments when I get to see my blogging idols in the flesh. Believe it or not, I still get all giddy and starstrucked whenever I get the opportunity to be around the guys and gals whom I've been stalking following online pretty much on a daily basis. Wonder who they are? Jus...

I still remembered the day when I first met Chef Myke Tatung . It was to have a joint birthday celebration for my former boss D and a couple of our other colleagues. Working for a food magazine meant being in the company of food-loving people who have that special talent of searching for these hidden gems regardless of where it may be in the world. We had a delicious 4-course dinner in his cozy home in Quezon City. A few weeks after that, I went back with Paul and we enjoyed yet another delicious meal. Since then, I've been in touch with Chef Tatung as he would contribute to the magazine every now and then and we eventually became friends. A few years following that, Chef Tatung told us that he opened a new restaurant in Taguig which specialized in Filipino cuisine . Of course, our team went full force to support him. We have returned a lot more after that and his restaurant has been one of my favorite go-to place up until Paul and I moved to the Lion City. A few months ago,...

Guess what? Frannywanny.com has been around for 8 years already! I'd say time flies when you're busy blogging. It's always fun to reminisce as I would go through my old posts and read all about the food and travel adventures that I've had with Paul and the friends we're so lucky to meet along the way. After all, eating is a communal activity and it's always a good thing to meet like-minded individuals who share the same passion such in my case, that would be eating and writing. During our visit back home over the holidays, Paul and I met up with a couple of our favorite Filipino food bloggers whom I have to say are one of the best in the country. These guys do take food seriously and they have been my gurus when it comes to keeping myself updated with the yummiest food find in the metro. Meet Jeng , Richie & Rina , Jane & Jeff , Jaz & Eric , Spanky , Joan & Abet , Ray & Lynne . These are the guys and gals behind some of the food blogs...

During our recent ninja-like visit to Manila, Paul and I agreed that we will try to spend every meal with our families. So, aside from celebrating Papa's birthday and being E's "accomplices" to Pan's surprise engagement, Paul also wanted to treat both families out for an advance blow-out for his upcoming birthday! Of course, he left the responsibility of choosing the restaurants on my hands. No complains here! I happily took out my growing Evernote list and went through it to choose which restaurant would best suit my family's discerning taste. I chose Lola Cafe + Bar  in Quezon City. I've been hearing quite a lot of raves from fellow bloggers and friends about this homey cafe-bar located within the maze-like Scout area and luckily, Kuya M has such amazing sense of direction that he quickly found the restaurant with ease.  We went there for lunch so the place was quite empty making it so easy for us to secure a long table for our party of 8. How...

Lunch Break! Normally, lunch for me would consist of two slices of wholewheat bread and my choice of veggies or meat that I would tabao  from my favorite soup restaurant beside my office. On other days, I would bring some home-cooked packed lunch or if I want to go healthy, it would be a huge container of salad. Given that I tend to work as I eat, lunch has always been something light and quick for me. It has indeed been sometime when I was able to sit down, enjoy a real good meal and to chitchat a little longer. Well, after a series of stressful workdays, the kind genie (a.k.a. my friend WT) must have heard my plea and he granted me one wish -- to join him for lunch at Melt - The World Cafe in Mandarin Oriental . What makes it event better? The fact that Melt recently launched a 10-day long Filipino Buffet promotion highlighting a wide-array of classic dishes that I miss so much. This got me really excited that I've been looking forward to this lunch since Monday. ...

It all began with one Facebook shout out... ... and just like that, support and help came pouring in. When Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) hit the Visayas region a couple of weeks ago, I did mention that watching the heartbreaking videos somehow made me feel a bit helpless knowing that I'm thousands of miles away from home. There were initially various ways to send our monetary support but I know that doing this once is not enough. Thus when I was tagged by my friend Suzy to support this special Adobo Night  organized by Chef Karla Mendoza of Pizzeria Mozza , I didn't think twice and sent in my RSVP. Of course, I just had to spread the word and after sharing the same message to my good friends here in Singapore, they sent in their RSVPs too! So there we were at 10PM on a Thursday night. Normally, I'd definitely be home by then probably in bed busy blogging till I fall asleep. Well, last Thursday was no ordinary night as more than 30 of us were present at the special...

Growing up in San Juan, I've seen how it has slowly transformed from a quiet municipality into a fun and vibrant city. Back then, the only commercial area was Greenhills Shopping Center which continues to be our go-to place to do our grocery, to eat good food and to do some bargain shopping. There were other restaurants and commercial spaces around the area but you can basically count them with your fingers as they weren't a lot. Cafe Ysabel is one of those that has been around for as long as I remember. However, I haven't really gotten around to dining there as I always thought it looked a bit creepy especially at night. Once, Paul took me to Cafe Ysabel for dessert, as their Strawberry Shortcake is to die for, and I really couldn't get myself to go to the loo thus I just forced him to quickly finish our dessert and to take me home pronto. It must be the vintage-feel as well as the dark lighting that reminds me so much of those horror Filipino movies that my yaya ...

If there's one mantra that my parents live by, it would be this: "The family that eats together, stays together." Given our busy schedules, we all make it a point to at least have dinner together. At home, dinner time would last for more than 2 hours as we would take this opportuntiy to update everyone how our day went and basically what's going on with our lives. I have to say that having these moments allowed us to stay very close as a family. I guess, this is the reason why I miss my family so much now that I'm miles and miles away. I think of them every single day and most especially during dinner time. A few months ago, I availed the Casa Marcos coupon from Deal Grocer . For only Php. 799 (from Php. 1,500++), we got a paella of our choice and a caraffe of sangria too! We all love paella so this dinner was definitely highly anticipated by everyone. When I told my parents that we made dinner reservations at Casa Marcos , Mommy got so excited as she reme...

April is National Stress Awareness Month and while I know this is not widely practiced in this part of the world, I am making a conscious effort to do away with all things that will cause stress to myself and to achieve a more zen-like mode at all times. *ohhhmmmm*  Of course, our environment plays a big factor in our daily outlook in life. I always like keeping things tidy and clean as I really can't stand the sight of a messy or dusty room. I am also very sensitive to smell thus I always make sure that I have room and linen sprays on hand. In celebration of National Stress Awareness Month, let me talk about our new home. Having moved in just a few months ago, Paul and I are still taking baby steps in making our room feel more homey week after week. They say, first impressions last and luckily, we both had very good impressions of our new home from the photos sent to us up until the day we finally walked in and saw our new place ourselves. We love how we get sufficient amoun...

"What's new here?" That was the first thing I asked my sister when she picked us up from the airport a few days ago. Pan exactly knew what was the new  that I was referring to and she filled me in on the newly opened restaurants that have been creating buzz around town. As she spoke, I was busy listing down the restaurants as I can't afford to miss out on a great restaurant to try given my very short visit. One of the newest restaurant was just located just a stone's throw away from home. It's called Guevarra's and Chef Rolando Laudico is the man behind it. I really admire Chef Laudico and I'll never forget the night when I dined at Bistro Filipino a few years ago. Unlike Bistro Filipino though, this one has no a la carte menu and it's a complete buffet service restaurant. I wasted no time and immediately invited my friends D and S out for our much-awaited catch up dinner at Guevarra's . It's a good thing that D was able to make ...

Months ago, Paul and I went out on a double date with Joan and Abet , one of the few couples whom we love hanging out with. For those who know them, you'll probably agree with me that they're really a nice couple with a pure heart. No pretenses, no intrigues and definitely someone whom you can depend on. They're such joy to be with too and that's why Paul and I look forward to any chance we get to spend time with them. I remember running a low grade fever that day yet I insisted that we push thru with our double date. It was also perfect that both Abet and I got an invite to re-visit Sentro 1771 in Greenbelt . This restaurant is not new to both Paul and I as we have dined here quite a number of times before . We always have our staple dishes such as the Rated GG , the Fried Kesong Puti and their famous Corned Beef Sinigang to name a few. This time though, the invite came just in time for their 10th year anniversary . It's amazing to see restaurants celebrati...

Spontaneity . That's one thing that I've been trying my darnest to practice year after year. For someone who's incredibly OC, I tend to stick to routines and follow schedules to a T. Thus, when I texted a couple of friends to ask them out for lunch one weekday, they were pretty much surprised to receive such an impromptu invite from yours truly. Well, I was equally just as surprised myself that they were all game to meet up in less than two hours. We agreed to check out MadeCa as majority of us haven't tried it yet. I really haven't heard about this restaurant as I rarely get to visit the Podium Mall . Located at the 5th floor, this is a new Mexican - Filipino restaurant. A fusion restaurant. count with me!!! - Count Dracula (Count von Count, Sesame Street) To be honest, I'm not a big fan of fusion cuisines as normally it just doesn't work out that well. I still love restaurants that offer authentic cuisines be it Chinese, Filipino, Japanese or Ital...

Two years ago, I met Chef Myke Tatung . He’s a happy and friendly man who, in my books, bakes the yummiest breads in town. He used to hold private dinners in his home , first doing this every Friday nights only and later extending to the weekends. His menu changes every week and every time I look forward to his announcement over Facebook . What began as a hush hush secret among food lovers the news about Chef Myke’s place spread like wildfire. People were talking about it. Couples would have their romantic dates there. Families would enjoy a delicious evening at Chef Myke’s place as well. Fast forward to a few months ago, Chef Myke opened his new restaurant at Acacia Estate. Given that Taguig is quickly turning into a highly commercialized area with a number of good restaurants here and there, it was just perfect timing and it indeed made perfect sense that Chef Tatung’s Restaurant was born. Chef Tatung has been serving a wide-range of cuisines however for his restaurant he foc...

We only had three whole days in Cebu and with all the meetings, trade checks and a grand cooking demo lined up, the only thing that kept all of us in high spirits was the thought of being able to eat good food for all three days. Of course, I made sure that my team won't go home disappointed so I did my research and had my list all ready. Given our short visit, I wanted to give them a little bit of Cebu's best -- gastronomical-wise. We were able to try two of the best lechon brands in the city, had an amazing night cap while enjoying the best warm brownie cup in La Marea and of course, our celebration dinner just had to be in one of the best local Cebuano restaurants as recommended by fellow bloggers and the Lonely Planet .  This is none other than Golden Cowrie Native Restaurant . Golden Cowrie has been around since 1982 (we're of the same age!) . They're known to offer really good local dishes which we luckily were able to try that evening. The ambiance exu...

For someone who loves to eat like me, I find enjoyment in trying different cuisines from all over the world. However, there are just days that I want to keep it simple and would go for my comfort dishes. These are the dishes that I grew up with, the kind that would give me that warm, fuzzy feeling inside..the kind that reminds me of HOME. I've mentioned before that growing up, our family dishes predominantly evolve around the Chinese cuisine but if you ask me what are my favorite comfort dishes, I would tell you it's a plate of garlicky, oily pork and chicken adobo that our talented cook would prepare and I would always have this with a cup of rice..or even more. I love how well the meat soaks up the flavor brought by the spices included in this dish. If there's one dish that would quickly remind me of home, it would definitely be this. Given that we have 7,107 islands in the Philippines , expect that we have just as much variety in terms of food and flavor too. I'l...

Hello April! Time seems to be zooming by so fast this 2012! I can still remember how Paul and I welcomed the New Year with lots of sweet round fruits and a bowl of noodles with my in laws. Now we're a few months away from my birthday which means we're nearing the middle of the year! Hold on 2012, don't go by so fast as I'm definitely having a blast! Back when Paul and I were still university students, we look forward to the summer break as this means we can hang out more often than usual during the school year. Summer break means impromptu road trips, afternoon movie marathons complete with a bag of popcorn and soda, and quick trips to the mall. On days when we just want to laze around the house and eat, we would excitedly wait for the mid-afternoon where we would go around our neighborhood in search of some yummy street foods ! To be honest, I grew up never having a taste of street food. With my Dad who gives so much importance to hygiene, my sister and I were ...

Around September last year, Paul and I learned about the arrival of the first ever food truck called Guactruck from fellow food blogger Anton . According to his blog entry, food lovers will be able to see and try Guactruck's specialties at Mercato Centrale. Since then, Guactruck has been around, mostly within the Bonifacio Global City (BGC) area. We've been so excited to check this out due to our failed attempt at spotting a single food truck while vacationing in the US last year. I'm not giving up and I'm so glad that I don't have to book a plane ticket to see one up close. While strolling around BGC last week, my sister pointed out the brightly-lit food truck that was parked right in front of the Fort Legend building and Tully's Coffee. I totally forgot about Guactruck being in BGC and I was so happy that we finally spotted it! After having coffee, I dragged my family to check the food truck out. It was quite dark already however the bright LED lig...

A few months ago, Paul and I had one of our impromptu lunch dates again and this time we had it at the Shangri-la Mall . Going around the mall while thinking of where to eat, we were faced with a big dilemma as there were quite a lot of options to choose from. The best way was to do it through the process of elimination. Since we both don't eat beef then all steak and burger places were immediately removed from the list. Paul wasn't in the mood to splurge so there goes the high-priced restaurants as well. However, I was feeling hungry (a.k.a. I want rice) so we skipped all sandwich bars and cafes in the mall. Finally, as we got to the 5th level and I spotted an old favorite -- Recipes by Cafe Metro . I first tried this more than 5 years ago and it has been my go-to place for comfort food done the Filipino way. Believe me, you'll never go wrong with their Gising Gising, Crispy Tilapia and their famous General's Chicken. We got there earlier than the lunch crowd thus ...