Frannywanny

The beautiful island of Boracay will always have a special place in my heart. It's there where I had my first sunburn and literally looked like a lobster for weeks, it's also there were I learned to love the beach life and continued to yearn for it on a yearly basis , lastly, Boracay was also where Paul and I spent the last leg of our 3-part honeymoon at. Related post: 10 fun things you can do in Boracay So, when our government suddenly woke up one morning and decided that "hey, today sounds like a good day to shut down the island." My heart broke and cried together with everyone, who in one way or another, called Boracay their... home . Such was the case of our dear friends N and O. They were our "neighbors" back when Paul and I were doing our mini food business at Mercato Central. We always look forward to chatting with them on a weekly basis and their sunshiney personality would always make a bad sales day much much brighter. Plus, I just love tre...

Despite my short visit home, I made it a point to visit some of my favorite restaurants. True, I have a growing list of new restaurants to try but there are just some times that I would prefer something that's familiar, something that brings comfort, something safe. So, when I was setting a dinner catch-up with my cousins-in-law, I suggested that we go to Hole in the Wall in Century City Mall. If you recall, I've dined there with my family last December but after months of being away, I just have to satisfy my craving for that yummy Buttermilk Fried Chicken from Bad Bird and that to-die-for freshly baked cookies from Scout's Honor . In addition to that, I heard that there were more stalls that opened after my visit so I am definitely heading straight to those. We were a huge group of 9 so you can just imagine the amount of food that went around as we shared all our orders that evening. Let me share with you my top picks :

After eating our way around Hole in the Wall , we were just about ready to wave the white flag. Before that though, we just have to visit one last store. I have been hearing raves about this yummy dessert store and I made it a point not to miss this. Not even when our tummies are about to burst from so much food, my visit will never be complete without checking out Scout's Honor ! Luckily, Chef Miko Aspiras was there for me to say hi! I saw him back when we went to dine at Fairmont Makati and I'm happy to see that he has finally opened his very own dessert brand. Scout's Honor's menu is divided into three parts -- there's the Classic Scout Cookies , Craft Cookies  and they got flavored Milk  to go with your cookies too! First, Paul and I checked out the Classic Scout Cookies which are ready-made cookie creations which are not the ordinary.

Here's our 3rd stop during our visit at Hole in the Wall -- meet Liberation Shawarma by Chef JP Anglo. This stall takes inspiration from a food truck so you can see how it has a very simple, industrial look. Somehow though, it still blends in perfectly with its neighboring stalls which have a mix of colors here and there.

Bad Bird is the perfect example of East meets West. We went on a relatively quiet and slow lunch day at Hole in the Wall yet this store was so busy taking orders, cooking and serving platters after platters to its eager and hungry customers. Of course, we just had to join in the fun (a.k.a. nakiki-uso ) too! This stall specializes in umami fried chicken which are perfectly deep-fried and coated in their special flavors. What makes this food concept so interesting is how fried chicken, which is very western, pairs so well with a wide-array of Asian-inspired side dishes -- Kimchi coleslaw, corn covered with Japanese Kewpie mayo and bonito flakes, Waffle with Miso Butter and more! It's definitely the place where Uncle Sam and Mr. Miyagi can happily dine in together. Each fried chicken plate comes with 2 substantial cuts of chicken. Do take that phrase seriously as those cuts are HUGE! While others would just hide the tiny meat within a thick breading, this one seriously was al...

Have you ever watched the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"? Remember scenes when Gus, the dad of lead actress, Toula, would refer everything back to its Greek word origin? While we all know that this was included as a comic relief, it also showed how proud Gus is to be Greek. His character reminded me so much of my own dad. No, Papa do not go around spraying everything and everyone with Windex but he also loves sharing stories about China and what it has created in this world. My dad is mighty proud of our origin and do value the importance of understanding our roots. As for me, I show my appreciation through my stomach. :) It's no secret that I love Chinese food. I love the wide-variety of dishes that you can create with one main ingredient. As Papa would say, the best Chinese chef should know how to cook an egg in 100 different ways. I haven't went past 15 so I guess I have a lonnng way to go. :) Kwong's Provisions was the first stall that my family checke...

It's a great great week, dear readers! No particular reason why but I just made the decision to start the week in a positive note. Given that, I thought of sharing with you one of my happiest discoveries during my recent visit back to Manila. Welcome to Hole in the Wall . Located at the top level of Century City Mall in Makati. I never imagined for such a cool mall to open in this spot as it used to be a mainly residential/office area. At some point, we felt like tourists in our own country as we ooh'ed and ahh'ed as we walked our way to the top of the mall. It's so pretty and I love love love it! For this particular visit, my family went there to have lunch. I've been hearing a great deal about Hole in the Wall from my foodie circle and I knew that I just have to check it out while I'm there. The top level has an al-fresco set-up where you can also find CaliBurger, 12 Monkeys and Andale by Agave. My dad, in particular, was amazed as he slowly checke...

I sure hope that you all had a good start to your week! Coming from such an action-packed weekend, I'm glad that I had a relatively calm and steady Monday to match my sleepy state. Had it been one that's crazy and stressful, I would have probably went nuts! Then, I remembered this mouthwatering Japanese Cheesecake that I recently had back in Manila. The thought of it was enough to put a smile on my face. Not the cutesy, Mona Lisa-like smile but the kind that is so infectious that will surely spread around in minutes. Something like this... Isn't this the cutest thing? Opening soon in Manila, Green Cheese will soon allow the public to have a bite (or more) of its fluffy and soft Japanese Cheesecake that literally melts-in-your-mouth. I just love the custard-like texture that's so milky you just want to laze in bed in your PJs while indulging on this delectable creation all day long. We tried it warm and right after placing it in the fridge and I personally prefer ...