Frannywanny

Yesterday was the birthday of our National Hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal . Unlike others (namely my sister and husband) who's forte lies in math and science, I'm pretty proud to say that I excelled in history. Probably because I love reading stories and reading a history book is just like peeking into the past and the lives of the people who played a big role in our country's history. I remembered perfecting my Rizal class in college as I totally enjoyed learning about the life of Dr. Jose Rizal and I would even read up in advance to know what happened next. As we commemorate his birthday, we are reminded of the sacrifices that he has made for our country. How he fought for our freedom and equality that we are all enjoying at present. For that I give him the highest respect and I salute him for his courage. Dr. Jose Rizal was also an awesome writer . Actually, he fought not with a sword but with his pen. Through his works he revealed the abuse and pains of the Filipinos and ...

I am so excited for this weekend, wanna know why? :) First of all, my college friend L and her fiance T are finally getting engaged! By this I mean, they will be having their Ting Hun and we were lucky to be invited to be there on their special day. I can't believe my dear friends are finally tying the knot in less than 5 months!! What a happy happy thing to look forward to! :) Secondly, Paul and I are going on a trip... not on a plane...not even on a boat but on a van filled with 14 other bloggers and four lucky people who will be joining us on a fun food trip around town !! I saw the itinerary and I've been so excited for the trip ever since! I've never been to most places on the list thus this will be a new experience for me. Of course, since we're also celebrating our country's Independence day this weekend, the food trip is Pinoy-themed. That's the final clue I'm giving out...it will be a Pinoy Food Trip and right now I'm having visions of Cr...

Here’s the last restaurant that I visited for the Manila’s Signature Dishes of Unilever Foodsolutions . I really wanted to visit all 16 but with the Christmas traffic and the fear of growing a huge tummy, I settled for my lucky 7 . You’ve read about Pizza Hut’s Lechon Pizza , Red Crab Café’s delicious Salt and Pepper Crabs , Barcino’s Paella Valenciana , Chef Robert’s Lengua ala Pobre , Metro Cuisines’ Baked Salmon with Herbs and Bordeaux’ Boeuf Bourguignon, now we went local and tried C2’s wide array of classic pinoy dishes. We joined part of The Club that evening at C2 Classic Cuisine in Katipunan. I really like the interiors where they have a salad bar in one end and long native-looking tables all around the ground floor. I really enjoy dining out with The Club as everyone has lots of stories to tell and we would finish eating till 10 or 11 due to the numerous stories shared. That evening, we were joined by Nikki, Keith , Hannah and Dani – really good friends of The Club...

Bordeaux is the wine capital of France. As mentioned here (insert link), expect to raise your glass many times when visiting the laid back city of Bordeaux. This can also be said about Bordeaux – Premium French Wine Bar at the Burgos Circle in Bonifacio Global City. Upon entering the restaurant, we were ushered towards our table at the ground floor. Our server, Jericho, began placing two wine glasses on our table while at the same time handing us the menu. We told him that we wanted to try their set for the Manila’s Signature Dishes to which he quickly acknowledge. While waiting for our appetizer, I watch the couple on the next table enjoy a plate of Caesar Salad. The lettuce looks so crisp and the dressing was simply mouthwatering. This prompted me to order our own Caesar Salad to share. Jericho returned with a bottle of Casillero del Diablo and before pouring the wine into our glasses, he gave a brief description of the wine. I was beyond impressed. My brother-in-law once ...

I always have a liking for neighborhood restaurants where I, more often than not, discovery a number of yummy finds. Take the case of Metro Cuisines for example. We found this along N.S. Amoranto street (formerly known as Reposo to most QC residents) one Sunday lunch, where it was almost full except for a small table which we immediately got. What we didn’t know then was Metro Cuisines has a buffet promo every Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and the whole day of Sunday. This is the time where residents nearby would go to Metro Cuisines to enjoy their varied buffet spread with the entire family. As part of Manila’s Signature Dishes by Unilever Foodsolutions, we started with our own bowls of steaming Cream of Mushroom soup. The texture was smooth and the flavor was subtle. It was quite refreshing to start our meal with this. This was followed by Mushroom Aioli with French Toast . I liked this dish a lot as I can taste the paprika which was added in. The toast was crunchy ...

“I can’t believe we’re having crabs for merienda (afternoon snack)!”, my sister exclaimed. She was actually saying this while happily pulling out the juicy crabmeat from the plump crab claw on her hand. Yes, wanting to unwind and relax with Paul and my sister, I invited them to what was supposed to be a late lunch turned into our afternoon snack at Red Crab Café at the Gateway Mall . We were warmly welcomed by the restaurant supervisor and after telling him that we would like to try their Raymund’s Salt and Pepper Crab Set by Chef Jeff Diesmos, he then asked us for our drinks and told us what to expect for this meal. First was a bowl of Caesar Salad . Unlike the usual creamy salad that we have grown accustomed to, this one has a sweet note to it. We think it comes from the dressing. The serving was pretty generous that it was good enough for our party of three. The salad was pretty straight-forward which would be good for those who are not very adventurous when it comes...

Chef Robert is a cozy neighborhood restaurant located along the busy street of Banawe. Despite the noise and action that you get outside, you’d find peace and quiet the moment you step into his restaurant. I love the simple interiors as sturdy wooden tables are lined up with a long couch lining one side of the restaurant. More often than not, you’d have Chef Robert Tan himself greet you as he personally mans his own restaurant. A short chat with him told us that his restaurant has been around for more than a year already. Surveying the crowd, it seems like has a steady stream of loyal customers mostly those living within the area. That evening, Chef Robert created a delicious dinner for us. The serving is quite big that it’s good for two. We began with his Ceasar Salad that makes use of Lady’s Choice Mayonnaise. Paul enjoyed this salad very much as it even has thin slices of boiled egg. The mayonnaise perhaps has made this salad extra creamy and at the same time giving it...

A lot of us have grown up with the popular pizza parlors in Manila and definitely, Pizza Hut stays at the forefront in our trip down memory lane. I love Pizza Hut for their amazing innovations on how they have made every pizza experience truly satisfying. It began with their cheesy thick crust pizza that I would remember staring in awe as the Pizza Hut serving would pull up a slice and there would be a lot of mozzarella strings that would lace around my pizza. This was followed by having more cheese stuffed into the crust and then there was a whole piece of sausage making even the simplest slice of pizza meaty and really yummy. This Christmas, Pizza Hut recently came out with yet another innovation – Lechon Pizza . It’s a thick crust pizza with roast pork and topped with crunchy skin and Pizza Hut’s very own lechon sauce! It’s a real indulgence as you can taste the smokey meat and enjoy munching on the very crunchy crackling skin. As part of Unilever Foodsolutions’ -- Manila’s ...

What I love most about the weekend is that I get to dine out with both families. Saturdays are normally devoted to my side while Sunday lunch is spent with my in-laws. It is the time when we catch up on each other’s lives while not thinking about our weekday activities a.k.a. work. Last Sunday, the choice was up to me. Wanting to try Chef Jaume Vinallonga’s Paella Valenciana Set at Barcino , I invited my in-laws for lunch and I’m glad that they were all very excited to give it a try as well. We arrived at the restaurant a little past 12 and we were assisted by restaurant manager JM who took care of our orders that day. The Paella Valenciana set consists of a llanera of Seafood Paella, a bowl of Ensalada Catalana and the yummy Crema Catalana. Of course, we were also served with a glass of Castillero del Diablo red wine. For starters, Barcino served us with their complimentary bread basket with tomato spread . My mom-in-law commented how fresh and sweet the minced tomatoes w...

It's no secret how much Paul and I love to eat out and to discover new dining places. In time for the holiday, our schedules are starting to get filled up with get-togethers and intimate dinners with our dearest friends and relatives. I'm sure your December will just be as busy too. In the coming days and weeks, I will be sharing with you my experiences as Paul and I try all 16 restaurants listed as part of Unilever Food Solutions' Manila's Signature Dishes 2010 . That would be 16 restaurants around the metro where you can wine and dine this Christmas season. Their signature set meals are available from November 15 to December 31, 2010 and each will be paired with a glass of Casillero del Diablo wine. Bon Appetit!