Frannywanny

I'm aliveeeeeeeee!!! This is probably the fist time in 10 years that my blog has been this quiet but I got a couple of good excuses reasons why. First of all, Paul and I have been busy the past few months as we have decided to finally relocate back to Manila. Yes, you read that right. We're finally back home and we haven't been happier. Don't get me wrong, our life in Singapore was nothing but a dream come true but every good chapter should have an equally good ending and so we have decided to close that chapter just at the perfect time as we await to start a new one. Secondly, speaking of opening a new chapter. I'm so excited to share with you all that another dream of ours is about to unfold in the next few months, Paul and I will be welcoming our bundles of joy. That wasn't a grammatical error. We prayed so hard for almost a year and God answered our prayers by not only blessing us with one but with two beautiful babies whom we're both so excited to me...

Growing up, pizza has been one of my favorite comfort food. I guess I've told you about this before  and I hope I haven't bored you out. It's about my regular afternoon snack routine with Pan where we would order a box of our favorite local pizza together with a bucket of mojo potatoes and we have been having this for close to 30 years. This has been our signature sisterly bonding activity and just recently, Pan and I did this again when I was back home for a wedding last January. Yes, not even a fully made up face and my long gown can stop me from enjoying our favorite snack. I have a strong feeling this practice is meant to last a lifetime and we'll continue to have our pizza afternoon sessions for decades to come. I can't wait for Pan and I to also share this tradition with our little ones for them to hopefully love pizza that way we both do. Anyway, since I've moved to the Lion City, I got to admit that I've always been on a hunt for the best pizza...

“Change is good” , they always say. While my OC-self tends to squirm at the thought of dealing with any change in my routine more so a change in my comfort zone, I can’t help but agree. With change, come new discoveries and opportunities, after all. I also believe that change helps us grow in life. We deal with new challenges; we conquer bigger obstacles which leads to a more fulfilling reward at the end of it all. We come out a winner after every change. So one big change happened to one of my favourite Italian restaurant here in the Lion City. Dolce Vita Restaurant 's head chef,  Chef Marco Manocchio , who has been with the restaurant since 2015 recently launched a new menu featuring some of his personal specialties. How's that for a good change? I was one of the lucky ones (thank you my lucky stars!) to be invited to try a simple repertoire of Chef Marco’s new dishes. Let me share them with you!

Time surely flies when you're having fun and if you're extremely busy too. Look at that, I just realized that September is over and October has just quickly rolled in. This just means that, in a few weeks, Paul and I will be celebrating our 13th year as a couple! If you put things into perspective, 13 years is pretty much how long a student (at least in the Philippines) takes to finish his elementary and secondary studies. Why is it that 13 years seemed like forever when I was still studying and it has just zoomed so fast when it comes to me being in a relationship with Paul? OMG. Anyways, I have been mentioning on and off here how terrible my backlog is and today I'm going to prove just that. Let me talk about that amazing romantic dinner that Paul and I had... last year . I'm really sorry! I can't believe it took me close to 365 days to tell you all about it. For something this good, I should have went straight to writing about it. Anyway, we were so lucky to ...

Perhaps after I finally get over my Japan hangover and I'd stop daydreaming about sushi and gyoza, I would go back to my all-time favorite comfort food -- pasta and pizza. These two have never failed in putting me in a happier mood especially on a very challenging day. I remember how Mommy would make it a point to cook pasta every Monday as she knows that this is definitely not our favorite day of the week. Also, Pan and I have this tradition of ordering our favorite thin-crust pizza during finals week which we would enjoy as an afternoon snack while reviewing for our exams. So, when my good friend D suggested that we go check out Marco Marco in Circular Road after our indoor cycling class one time, I was so game! Marco Marco actually has several outlets all over Singapore and it's a casual dining restaurant that offers a wide array of pasta dishes and pizza flavors to suit everyone's discriminating taste. Each flavor is named after a city or a travel destination so you...

One fine day, Paul and I decided to head over to one of our favourite hotels here in the Lion City, Shangri-la Singapore , for a classy lunch. This came a few weeks after that relaxing weekend staycation that we had and since we failed to have breakfast at The Waterfall , we then make sure not to miss out on this opportunity to have lunch there instead. If you still remember, we had our 4th Anniversary dinner at The Waterfall where the Chef was sweet to create a special dinner menu just for us. We went there a few weeks before Christmas so they actually have a holiday-themed antipasti buffet set-up for lunch that day. Don't expect a very wide spread but I can assure you that you're in for a treat as everything was definitely of top quality and I was so impressed with the different combinations that the Chef was able to come up with. My top picks were mostly the seafood-based salads such as the Prawn Salad with a generous amount of chilled prawns and couscous, another ...

Whenever people ask me what my favorite cuisines are, I would instantly answer "Chinese and Japanese" in a heartbeat. However, when I finally had the time to stop and think, I realized that I'd also like to add "Italian" in the line-up too. I guess, one reason why I love the three cuisines is because, to me, these are my comfort food. I guess, it must be the ESFJ personality in me that puts my emotions above everything else. Let me know focus on the Italian cuisine. While I haven't been to Italy to enjoy the authentic Italian fare, the ones that I've had so far are good enough to make me fall in love with it over and over again. I seek comfort in a plate of pesto pasta or even in a bowl of risotto or gnocchi. I love anything with tartufo (truffle) and I can definitely have Tiramisu (especially the one that my friend Gary makes) any given day. These are just a few of my Italian favorites and trust me, I can go on and on about it. Therefore, getti...

During the recent Christmas break, my family and I headed up to our favorite weekend getaway, Tagaytay . Since we left the house close to lunch, we decided to stop over at Nuvali for lunch. I was tasked to take care of our dining itinerary so I had to do a thorough research given that we're quite a big group of 8. Luckily, I chanced upon Mama Lou's Italian Kitchen 's Facebook page and then remembered that I've been wanting to try it out after seeing how my fellow bloggers have been raving about their delicious risotto. I was so happy that they actually have a branch at Solenad 2 and their sister-restaurant Nonna's is located at Solenad 3. Two choices just in case one is really packed! Seeing that we got Kongkong with us, the very efficient server quickly ushered us to a long table with a couch on one side. We let the seniors ( heehee ) sit inside to make it more comfy for them. Of course, Papa refused to be counted as a senior citizen and insisted to sit on on...

Christmas Day is just a few days away! This week marks the start of a series of holiday feasting and drinking and I'm pretty sure a lot of you have been attending Christmas parties left and right too. With our social calendars filled to the brim, where are you heading to for that most special holiday dinner date with your special someone? Paul and I usually make it a point to take time out to spend that moment alone and to enjoy a good meal to celebrate the holiday. This year has been so hectic though that we're actually flying home in a couple of days and that annual Christmas dinner date hasn't been planned yet. Eep! Luckily, we had the chance to check out Caffe B a couple of weeks ago were we were given a sneak peek of their Christmas Menus.

Some days can get very stressful and when the pressure is on... I eat. Yup, I eat to my heart's desire! That's what I told my friend D recently when we were talking about our stress-coping mechanisms. D normally forgets about her hunger when she's stress while I told her that I'm such a stress-eater. One thing though, I don't just munch on anything within reach or within sight. I have my comfort food staples that never fail to make my tummy and heart happy. These include a delicious plate of well-done pasta and pizza among many others. I'd say, I'm very Italian by heart. I love my risotto and I always enjoy ending my meal with a scoop of gelato. Perhaps, my next travel destination should be Italy, don't you think? *cough* hello Paul! *cough* While that dream trip might come in the next few years, I'm lucky to discover Bottura , which I must say is one of the few good and authentic Italian restaurants here in Singapore. Located at the newest win...

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...

For friends and readers who are still wondering if they should visit Manila, Philippines. Allow me to give you just one reason why you should : our FOOD. This is even putting aside the wide-array of local dishes that your palates will go crazy over... imagine the lechon (roasted pig), pancit palabok (glass noodles in orange achuete sauce with seafood), the kakanins in all shapes and flavors (rice cakes) and more! Never have I thought that I can get all patriotic until I'd get into a conversation with my foreign colleagues about our local Filipino food. Oh boy, I can definitely go on and on for hours! Lately, more and more restaurants and food concepts have been opening its doors all over the country. Take the newly opened SM Mega Fashion Hall for example. My list of restaurants to try in Manila could barely keep up with one restaurant opening after the other. It would probably take me a couple more visits to be able to try them all. I'm so blessed though that frie...

It's no secret that I love food and friends can testify how I can just go on and on for hours talking about it. So, it is also not a big surprise whenever acquaintances would ask me what my favorite food is or where do I normally go to when I want a surefire delicious meal. The funny thing is, I would sometimes end up a bit stumped on what the right answer should be. I guess it's because I've dined at more a thousand restaurants all over the region and this encompasses a wide range of cuisines too. One time, I really took a few minutes to think about it and the answer simple. I love pasta. There, I said it. If there's one thing that I love to eat in this world, it would definitely be a plate of pasta preferably cooked in an oil-based sauce with mushrooms, cheese, a simple choice of meat and spices. At the end of the day, I realized, nothing beats going back to basic . Pasta, to me, is the kind of dish that I would have whenever I had a long day at work. It's a p...

I'm pretty sure everyone knows that feeling that one would get when you discover something and it turns out way better than you expected it to be. As a foodie, these are those moments when you try a new restaurant and it turns out to be really good. I personally get that natural high when I get to take friends out for a good meal and even more when we can really say that it was worth every penny too. After all, I am a believer that good food doesn't have to be over-the-top expensive too. So, when my long time friends J and C came to the Lion City to celebrate their 1st wedding anniversary, I researched hard to ensure that we're taking them to a place that is perfectly suited for such a wonderful occasion. I've been hearing about Savuer from fellow food-loving friends telling me that this is a restaurant worth trying. A quick browse at their online menu and I felt that this could be the one. Luckily J and C easily found the restaurant despite the fact that it wa...

How I wish I can enjoy my lunch while enjoying this view every day...  Well, there's no harm in dreaming right? At least this "dream" became a reality one fine day when I joined a couple of food bloggers for a nice Italian lunch at Dolce Vita in Mandarin Oriental Singapore . This was to give a warm welcome to Chef Omar Bernardi , the restaurant's new Chef de Cuisine. Chef Omar Bernardi began his culinary career in some of the top Italian restaurants back in his hometown in Milan, Italy. Restaurants such as two-Michelin-starred San Domenico Ristorante and one-Michelin -starred La Terezza dell'Eden among others became Chef Omar's training ground as he continued to hone his kitchen skills and created a number of gastronomical delights in the process. He later moved here to Singapore in 2011 and has recently joined  Mandarin Oriental Singapore . What's a chef welcome without good food right? For lunch that day, we had a feast! Chef Omar has special...

When it comes to work-related / business lunches, I really like going Italian. Perhaps it's due to the quiet ambiance in the restaurant that makes it so conducive to being able to discuss important details yet it doesn't feel so dull and stiff either. Not to mention, it gives me the reason to enjoy a good plate of pasta while discussing work too. Recently, the team visited  Pasta Brava which is located just a few blocks away from our new office. I'm really loving our new neighborhood for the never-ending choices of good food available. It was K who suggested this place and I trust her taste when it comes to knowing where are the delicious, slightly " atas-level " but definitely the must-visit restaurants in Singapore(!). Having said that, Pasta Brava perfectly fits the description that I just mentioned earlier. Located in a two-storey shophouse along quiet Craig Road, the restaurant is dimly-lit and you'll see pretty paintings and decors on the walls. ...

There's something truly fascinating about restaurants with a long and colorful history. You know, the kind that you just love listening to and would love to share with others as well. Last week, I had the privilege to visit Alkaff Mansion Ristorante , one of the oldest fine-dining restaurants here in Singapore and boy, was I so excited! First, let me tell you about my short hike up to the restaurant. The initial plan was to take a cab since I know that it's located in a pretty much secluded place which is not easily accessible by any mode of public transportation. However, I had an hour to spare so I thought of just taking the bus and alighting at the nearest possible bus stop. As soon as I got there, no cabs were in sight! So I began to walk.. well I don't mind walking and the weather was cool and breezy anyway. What I forgot to take into consideration is that the restaurant is located on top of a hill so yes, my cool and breezy quick walk turned into a hike up to the ...

Pizza is one of those dishes that never fails to bring friends or family to bond. Sure, the mere fact that we would come together for a meal is a good opportunity to connect already but being able to enjoy something delicious from the same box or pan is something else. Growing up, Pan and I would have pizza for our afternoon merienda especially while studying for our final exams. Through the years, pizza has been our comfort food and something we would crave for every now and then. So, when my dear friend I came to Singapore for a short visit and she decided to round up the gang (which means inviting other Singapore-based school mates of ours) for dinner, the unanimous choice was Skinny Pizza . I have to be honest though, after trying about 4 pizza delivery companies here in the Lion City, nothing still beats the ones that I truly love back home . Somehow, the ones here are not as flavorful, the toppings are plenty but still ho-hum and the dough is normally thick and very chewy. ...

There's something about discovering a new eating place that never fails to excite me. Must be the fact that it's something new... or the uncertainty of what surprises could greet you. What makes it more fun is that we're surrounded with friends who shares the same intense love for food and who are just as excited as we are whenever a new promising restaurant has opened in the neighborhood. Well, Concetto by Saveur isn't exactly located in OUR neighborhood but for food, we definitely will go the distance.  Located at the ground floor of The Cathay building, Paul and cousin J decided to have dinner here a few nights ago. Silly me, I assumed that the restaurant must be big enough to sit everyone so there was no need to make a reservation. Well, look what greeted me at the front door. An automated reservation machine wherein I had to key in how big our party was together with my mobile number. It then sent an SMS to my phone giving me my reservation number. Th...

One thing that got me excited about checking out the local food scene here in Singapore is the fact that I'll also be able to dine at restaurants owned by Celebrity Chefs ! For years, I've been following Mario Batali, Wolfgang Puck and Jamie Oliver on TV. Who would have thought that the day would come wherein I now have the chance to be able to dine at their restaurants anytime I want! This is definitely a foodie's dream come true. ♥ So, on our first month in the Lion City, Paul and I were reunited with my college friend T and the love of her life S at ( where else?! ) Pizzeria Mozza ! Pizzeria Mozza is located right adjacent to its sister-restaurant Osteria Mozza which is also owned by the same trio (Mario Batali, Nancy Silverston and Joe Bastianich). However, both offers different menus and it somehow gives a different vibe too. Pizzeria Mozza boasts of a long list of pizza combinations, a couple of paninis and starters. It has a more casual vibe and here you'll...