Frannywanny

It was a lovely Friday evening where I, together with the entire Yummy team, traveled all the way to the unfamiliar streets of Quezon City to have a special dinner hosted by Chef Myke Tatung Sarthou . Following directions given by tricycle drivers, we finally found his home and was warmly welcomed by Chef Tatung himself. I love the interiors of his home -- it has a mix of old and new furniture pieces that gives the entire place a unique personality yet giving you that comfort feeling that you can unwind and relax while enjoying the special dinner that Chef Tatung will prepare for that evening. Chef Tatung opened his home last June and has been serving different 4-course dinners only every Friday. Reservations are required as his place is good only for 20 guests. His 4-course dinner is at Php 500 per head and is inclusive of your drink of choice. That evening, our dinner began with a basket of homemade bread and butter. I love the milky bread with poppy seed and we even a...

For months, word has been going around that one of Hong Kong's popular milk tea brand is coming to Manila. Wild guesses were thrown here and there as to which particular brand this would be. Finally a happy yellow tarpaulin was put up beside Fully Booked Greenhills and I recognized the cute winking girl from our trip to Guangzhou, China last year. Happy Lemon is coming to town! Finally, the long wait is over and Happy Lemon finally opened to the public a couple of weeks ago. Despite the crazy traffic happening in and around the Greenhills Shopping Center , Paul and I were very determined to finish our Christmas shopping before December begins thus we patiently waited in line to get a parking slot. After almost crossing out our to-do list, we rewarded ourselves with a visit to Happy Lemon . I love the bright yellow interiors and the winking little girl is just so adorable. The store is still having their soft opening at the moment but I noticed that the service was prett...

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!

Lu has this certain comfort feel that each diner gets in every visit. My friend T even considers Lu to be her second home. Aside from the fact that she's friends with the owners of Lu, the servers themselves already know her favorite dishes and would immediately know what to serve for dessert. My first visit was during the WaterPlus launch where we were treated to a healthy four-course dinner that has kept me gushing how delicious everything was even days after. Dinner began with Courgette Flower Crisp with Roasted Bacon and Basil Birch . While the name may sound a bit intimidating and confusing, simply put, it is deep fried Zucchini Blossoms placed on top of crispy bacon and served with a shot glass of miso soup-like sauce. It gives a very Japanese feel to the meal which Paul and I love. Up next was some Caramelized Grilled Pork and Rice Noodle Salad . From the Japanese-inspired starter, we had a Vietnamese feel with the refreshing cold noodles topped with sweet gri...

“Ang puti mo!” (You're so fair!) This is the common reaction that I would hear from relatives and friends of my parents whenever they see me. Growing up, I would always take this comment negatively and would strive my best to get a tan. From the daily swimming lessons to the frequent walks under the sun, I would try in vain to get a darker skin color. Sadly, my skin would just turn pink and in no time, I’d be back to my same light-colored skin. As compared to my mom and sister, I have the simplest facial routine too. Back in college, it would just be regular washing using a facial wash and warm water. No moisturizers, no toners, no creams. I was just 18 then and my skin was luckily very cooperative given the lack of attention that I give to it. That has all changed when I turned 20. I began to notice tiny brown freckles forming around my cheeks and my skin began to become oily especially along the T-zone. It was then when I started to take more notice on how to take good care...

I am such a fan of macaroons! I can still remember Mommy bringing home packs of mini macaroons from Hizon's bakeshop and my sister and I would happily munch on one macaroon after the other. I love the coconut filling and the fact that it is not too sweet. Talk about creating innovative ways to enjoy our childhood favorites, Gigi Gaerlan came up with this amazing product where she has successfully combined the creamy texture of the sweet custard and the delicious components of macaroons, thus Gigi's Custaroons were born. Thanks to fellow blogger Abet who shared samples of Gigi's delicious creations with us, we enjoyed the entire box of Original flavored Custaroons one afternoon. In addition to this, she also has the Custaroon Poppers -- bite sized round custaroons coated with premium chocolate powder. At first glance, Paul and I thought that it was like that delicious Sticky Chocolate Donut that we've tried during our recent visit to Hong Kong. Unfortu...

A and I have been best friends since 5th grade and our friendship continues to grow all throughout these years. I still remember the time when we would have swimming classes together and those moments when we would reassure one another that we'll be ok come report card day. Back in grade school, we'd be like two peas in a pod. Forever inseparable that at some point people would say we look, act and think alike. After high school though, A left for Europe and took her university degree there while I fell in love with Marketing and eventually joined the crazy corporate world immediately after my graduation. Still, A and I would manage to catch up every time she would come home to visit. Talk about destiny, A sent me an SMS a month before my BIG day telling me that the love of her life D has proposed to her. I've always like D for A from the moment I saw him and I knew they were perfect for each other. I was just as thrilled as everyone is about the news. Despite receiving t...

Just two months ago, I finally got around to creating Frannywanny.com's Official Facebook Page . Fast forward 60+ days after, I'm blessed to have a total of 325 likers and 205 friends who are now part of this little page of mine. Hooray! Before heading out for that much-awaited vacation with Paul, I ran a mini contest over at my Facebook account called "Where in the world is Frannywanny?" The mechanics is simple, all my Facebook friends have to do is to make a wild guess where we're headed and I promised to raffle off a special yummy gift bought from that country to the lucky guesser! I'm finally BACK and six girls guessed it right! We just got back from the happy, modern city of HONG KONG ! Paul and I spent three glorious days feasting on the best tasting congee, lots of noodles and roast meats and lastly, I was able to give Mickey and Minnie tight hugs over and over again! I'll save my Hong Kong stories for my upcoming entries. Meanwhile, I...

I can't believe it has been a year since my friend Shar opened her very own pasta store in Robinsons Galleria ! It has been a year since she asked me to invite a couple of blogger friends to try out her yummy dishes . A year has past and Goodles continues to make every pasta lover happy with new and delicious creations! Join them as they celebrate their 1st Anniversary on November 24, 2010 by offering three of their well-loved pasta choices for only P100 EACH!!! What a great deal! It's time to have Goodles for lunch, afternoon snack and dinner! Mark your calendars! :) It's a date on November 24! Terms and Conditions: - Promo is available only on November 24, 2010 from 11AM to 9PM (mall hours) - Dine-in and Takeaway is allowed - Flavors on promotion will be sold for P100 during the given time afterwhich they'll go back to their regular price - Bulk orders is allowed (call now!!) - For inquiries you may call Goodles at 0922-8737758

This 2010, we have witnessed the entrance of a number of food carts, restaurants and products that continues to take our taste buds and dining experiences to new heights. Gone are days when frozen yogurts would take the forefront of the trend race. Now, Asian snacks have invaded the dining scene -- here we see delicious milk teas, peppered corns and crunchy chicken pieces called Chicken Chops. Then we have Big Daddy's Chicken . A local brand conceptualized by partners Kimberly and Jerry, who after graduating from college, were inspired to bring the authentic Taiwanese Chicken Chops to our market. Importing the exact machine that will enable them to create the right crunchy chicken and pork chops that have took Taiwan's food scene by storm, they have experimented with various flavors to make each diner's experience truly memorable. I'm lucky to have one of the branches of Big Daddy's Chicken within the neighborhood. I've been noticing that a number of peop...

As soon as we enter the -ber months, we have noticed a slight change in our weather. The daylight gets shorter, the wind gets colder... December is just around the corner. Since we got back from our honeymoon , Paul and I have been craving for ramen noodles. Sadly, our hectic schedules have hindered us to quickly drive to the nearest Japanese restaurant to get our ramen fix. It was just a couple of weeks ago, when we had to bring our poor sick laptop to the shop for repair. The technician told us to come back for two hours and since it was also time for lunch, we went around Eastwood Mall looking for a place that will catch our fancy. We've both tried a number of outlets in the mall and even those along City Walk, then I remembered that I wanted to try Ramen Bar , quickly we looked around and finally found it just at the back of the laptop shop. I've heard about Ramen Bar from fellow bloggers and it has been on my list for a couple of months now. I'm so glad to...

We have 41 days left before Christmas Day . To follow my annual tradition, I would like to share with you various Holiday gift ideas that you might want to give to your friends and loved ones this year. First off is Dragonfly Desserts . A dessert-company owned by my friend Cheryl who, after taking her culinary lessons in New York City, came back to Manila to spread more sweetness to everyone's daily lives. My sister totally loves her Wicked Bites which are mini cupcakes filled with chocolate and chili. The sweet-spicy mix makes every bite truly exciting! This year, she sent me a couple of new additions to her growing list of best-sellers such as the: Almond Cappuccino Bars : My dad, without even opening the box, said that whatever was inside must tastes good as it smells good. He's a coffee-lover and obviously was drawn towards this caffeine-loaded sweet treat. I love the moist, melt-in-your-mouth cappuccino bar that's topped with thin slices of almonds and cho...

Don't know where to eat on your next dinner date? Check out Frannywanny's updated Restaurant List !! I've added a section on Hotel Buffets and Eat-all-you-can food spots that you might also want to try! Enjoy! :) photo credit: http://www.significantelements.org/

To welcome Jane back from her Hong Kong trip and also as a send-off for Richard, Irene , Grace and Lauren who flew to Cebu the next day, we agreed to have dinner at Hermanos Taco Shop along Granada street one busy Friday evening. This was from a recommendation given by my sister's friend who told me that their burrito and tacos are better than Ristras . Since I'm a fan of Ristras, this I have to see for myself. The shop is located within a gasoline station so parking is pretty ample. There are two doors leading to the shop, one leads to the dining area and another to the counter. Quite funny, don't you think? We were one of the last to arrive as traffic was horrible that Friday night. Still the Club warmly welcomed us and advised us to go and order as they were already happily enjoying their Mexican dinner. I was craving for meat, meat and more meat so we got the Carne Asada Chips (Php. 320) and shared on a BBQ Beef Burrito (Php. 285) with extra Sour Cream. T...

It's almost noon yet the entire house is still fast asleep..this is except for myself, my cute little dog Scottie and our busy househelps. Spent a marvelous time with the girls last night. I'm truly blessed to have three amazing girl friends whom I truly get along with and who are real, not pretentious and are super fun to be with. :) No issues over non-issues, no bloated egos, just plain old fun over stories and laughter shared all around. It's just like going back to basic. This is what friendship is all about. It's funny that I woke up to this SMS sent by Mr Ube (of Eng Bee Tin Hopia). "Don't stress yourself with useless people who don't even deserve to be an issue in your life." I then realized I tend to be a worrier and with all the blessings that I've been getting in my life, I guess I should learn to just shrug off those that are really unimportant to me, Paul and our families. I have to focus on the heart of the matter , continue...

I grew up learning how to appreciate tea and loving the different tea variants that has entered the market. This goes way back when my family would spend our Sunday afternoon tea bonding with each other at a hotel lobby. While the parents chit-chat, we kids munched on scones, canapes and mini tea sandwiches as we drank cups and cups of tea. At times, we would have dimsum for lunch and together with all of our steamed favorites, we would fill up our teacups with hot tea, be it chrysanthemum, jasmine or oolong. Just lately, you've witnessed how fond I was over a neighborhood milk tea shop where I would make it a point to buy myself a large cup of Hokkaido Milk Tea on my way home from work. This went on for quite some time and I've influenced a number of friends in the process . My tea addiction can be pretty infectious. Before this neighborhood milk tea though, I came across a cute Japanese-looking store at the basement of SM Megamall . It was my sister who first discov...