Frannywanny

My family has been a long time loyal patron of Buon Giorno Tagaytay . Every trip to Tagaytay would not be complete without two things: a meal at Josephine's and lunch at Buon Giorno . Yes, that's how loyal my family can get. For as long as we love the food and we find the price reasonable, expect us to be back regularly. After lunch at Buon Giorno my parents love to spend more time around the area as we enjoy the cool breeze and the beautiful sight of the Taal Volcano. Once in a while, my mom would crave for something Italian and to her dismay not a single Italian restaurant here in Manila could satisfy her craving as much as Buon Giorno could. Her request is simple: fresh ingredients, balanced flavor, top quality meat. Our favorite is the Smoked Salmon with Mango Dill Sauce and their Risotto. We were so happy when Buon Giorno opened their first branch in Metro Manila along Shaw Boulevard. Sadly though, the ambiance there just doesn't match with that of their Tagaytay br...

I've mentioned in various occasions that Paul and I belong to a foodie club which consists of a group of bloggers and their respective partners (husbands/wives/boyfriends/girlfriends). It all began when we are all avid plurkers and after consistently talking about food, food and more food, we all agreed to meet up one evening at the now-close Beijing Hand-Pulled Noodles in San Juan. Incidentally, most of us also resides within the same area making it easy to eat out anytime. From that first dinner we moved on to move lunches and dinners together, some members of the club even took up boxing and circuit training together. We even have a junior edition consisting of the kids of the club members! Our friendship has transitioned from online to offline. We would run to each other for help and advice and to celebrate wonderful milestones in each other's lives. Soon, we'll look forward to our first summer getaway together! Given that we're a huge group, always eating out...

If there would be anything in this world that I can't live without I'd obviously say it would be my laptop . For years, I've grown dependent on my home computer where I would spend hours blogging, surfing the net, creating trip itineraries, typing compositions for school and a lot more. In fact, my work is very computer dependent too where I would have to regularly check my mail in Microsoft Outlook and since the digital age has made work more efficient and paper-less, majority of our correspondence are done via email and reports sent using the programs of Microsoft Office. At home, my nightly routine is that I would open my handy-dandy laptop the moment I get home from work to write an entry in this blog . This had, in fact, became part of my packing list on my recent trip to the US. It's what Paul and I used to chat with my family and to update ourselves with what's happening in Manila while we're away. I believe that behind an efficient laptop should be ...

For years I have been very active in Plurk even putting my account on "vacation" when I go out of the country just so my karma won't drastically go down. There, I've gotten to know new friends and have strengthened my friendships with some. During my recent trip to the US, I realized that people there are crazy about Twitter. With their advance technology via mobile people are busy checking their Facebook accounts, checking in on Foursquare and Twitting every chance they get. Almost all of the people that I've met has either a smart phone or an iPhone and they're all on data plan. Amazing huh?! How I wish we can be as technologically-savvy here. I know eventually we'll get there. Well, here's a start.. while I am not abandoning my Plurk account but I am joining the crowd as I enter the world of Twitter. It has been less than 24 hours since I've revived my dormant account and I've connected with fellow bloggers and friends. It's a fun ...

Are you nuts about Allies Greaseless Nuts ?! Well, here's some good news! You can now easily get your can of Allies Nuts every Saturday starting March 26 at the Mercato Centrale ! This is located at the corner of 8th and 34th street beside MC Home Depot and Starbucks Coffee Drive-Thru store . We'll also be selling more delicious food items that you'll surely enjoy! Watch out for that big nutty banner at the Mercato Centrale ! See you there!! *note: we wish to thank Ro , Abet , Jane U and Trixie for helping us spread the word!!!

Alex III has been around for more than two decades.. I'm pretty sure of that as I remember dining in their Quezon City branch as a little girl and I'm sure that has been more than twenty years ago (ok, here I am on the verge of revealing my age) . For years, my staple order would be a plate of Chicken Barbeque with Java Rice, a bowl of Bird's Nest Soup with Quail Egg and my family's favorite -- Ponchi Sushi Roll and Laing. Even when we were still students, my parents would take us to Alex III along Wilson street to celebrate small achievements and milestones in our lives. I remember dining here after every quarterly exams. Papa would always get their Boneless Chicken Barbecue and the three of us would have our own plates of two-piece Chicken Barbecue. Mommy would always request that her Java Rice be changed to Plain Rice. These things have never changed since then. Now, our family is growing with Paul being the newest member of our small yet very tight-knit family....

On our first weekend back in Manila, Paul and I were busy dealing with terrible jet lag. We were up at exactly 6AM and was fast asleep by 9PM. Thus, evening social activities were totally out of the question yet the good side is we get to make the most of our mornings for almost a week and a half. Both wide awake at 6AM on a Sunday morning, we decided to head to Mercato Centrale to check out the weekend market scene. Mommy agreed to join us and off we went to the Bonifacio Global City ready to eat, eat and eat! It was a very warm Sunday morning and after quenching our thirst with Iced Barako Latte and filling our tummy with Angus Beef Tapsilog, Mommy wanted to continue our bonding session somewhere with air conditioning this time. So off we went to Serendra Piazza where we had an early lunch at Mary Grace Cafe . It's funny because I frequently buy from the Mary Grace kiosk in Greenhills but I've never dined in her Cafe. My mom, on the other hand, is a huge fan and she was...

I was just in Japan for four hours for a brief stopover and I've immediately fell in love with the orderliness of their airport system and how delicious their airport food was. Thus, my heart goes out to the thousands of families who lost their homes, loved ones and basically all of their belongings due to the recent earthquake and tsunami last March 11 that destroyed the island particularly in northern Japan -- Sendai . As I was getting tips from one of my cousins before flying off to the US, one thing that he told me was to try the ramen at the Narita Airport which was located right at the waiting terminal of Delta Airlines . It's fun to know that being a food lover runs in the family and I can totally count on my relatives to give me great tips on what's delicious here and abroad. Paul and I took my cousin's advice to heart and we immediately spotted Tatsu which was indeed located where my cousin told us it would be. We fell in line and got a bowl of Tempura ...

I would like to interrupt my US food stories to talk about an exciting event coming this April. Summer will never be there same as we launch this year's hottest season with a fun food fair from April 2-3, 2011 at the NBC Tent ! It will be two whole days where you can try the latest food finds and orient your taste buds to new, unique flavors! Furthermore, Yummy Magazine and Entrepreneur Philippines are proud media partners of this event! Lucky participants will be able to get free back issues of these two magazines. See you all there! :)

We're finally back! With just a few more blog entries left, I will be concluding our amazing US trip which was filled with a lot of delicious finds and fun sights. I love to travel but I honestly dread the long-haul flights. I am a very restless person and to make me sit still for four hours straight is torture already which is why I have to fill my bag with chips and magazines to keep me busy all throughout the flight. Flight attendant: "Maam, this is a 12-hour flight" Frannywanny: What???? (panic mode) This was the first thing the flight attendant told me as I boarded the plane. All the while I thought it would just be a 9-hour flight like before but due to the law of gravity and the force of the wind, this will be a longer flight. Boy, oh boy! I am not ready for a 12-hour flight! I'm glad though Paul filled our hand carry with snacks but I think I'll just try to catch as much sleep as I can to prepare myself for Manila time again. Just like my first flig...

It's no secret that Paul and I love to travel. At the same time, we have been blessed with wonderful opportunities that have enabled us to travel at least once per quarter since we got married. It all began with our two weeks trip to Singapore and Malaysia for our honeymoon followed by a quick visit to the happiest place in Asia a.k.a. Hong Kong Disneyland and just recently, we went out of Asia and explored the west as we traveled to California, USA . As we travel, we make sure that safety is always on our side . We pray, we plan and we pack well in order to ensure that we keep our valuables close and away from the wandering eyes of snatchers. Nothing can destroy a trip more than losing your passport, money and clothes. Not only will it waste you time but it will surely take the fun away from what was supposed to be a memorable traveling experience. As we were preparing for our recent 2-week long vacation, we made sure that we were equipped with the right bags and luggage t...

Our trip was quite short..a bit too short that we barely had enough time to visit other cities outside of LA. Still, we had a blast! Within the span of 14 days, Paul and I fell in love with one particular restaurant that made us go back twice. It was that good that the server even recognized us and thought we were locals. Let me tell you about Lucille's Smokehouse BBQ which, I believe, has one of the best ribs in this part of the world. I guess I've mentioned quite often how much Paul and I love eating ribs . We enjoy chomping down on a full rack of ribs, clearing out the meat till the bone ends up shiny and clean. Yep, we're carnivores that way. While others would go for huge tender perfectly grilled steaks, we'd choose ribs any day. We love sinking our teeth into the tender meat that falls off the bone in an instant. What more, the juicy barbecue sauce that covers it and the delicious sidings that come with it never fails to make our day complete. One evenin...

Little has been said about Knott's Berry Farm . This is probably the reason why I also went with basically no clear idea on what to expect and instead just decided to just keep an open mind and heart about it. Thanks to my dear friend K for providing us the tickets, we headed out to Buena Park one Sunday morning ready to enjoy a full day at our first theme park! From the moment I entered, I knew I'll definitely have a great time, sure I may not be the type who would go for the thrilling rides but as we walked around the park and discover every nook and cranny, I enjoyed the sights, sounds and flavor that we've experienced at Knott's Berry Farm ! Here are FIVE amazing reasons why you'll definitely love Knott's Berry Farm:

As Paul and I enjoyed our trip around California a.k.a. Burger Land, of course, we didn't pass up the chance to try one of their famous fast food burger chains -- In-N-Out Burger . I couldn't believe my eyes as I would see a line of cars outside the restaurant and a line of people inside at any given time of the day. We would pass by the nearest In-N-Out Burger in the morning and there's already a line of cars waiting at the drive-thru counter and when we head back home at night, the line just gets longer and longer. I asked my cousin-in-law J about it and he told me that that's actually a daily scenario at In-N-Out ! Wow! Business is really good for them! Their menu is simple, you get to choose among three types of burgers: Hamburger, Cheeseburger and the famous Double-Double burger . Add some fries or maybe a milkshake basically that's how simple their menu line up is. Yet, people just wants their burgers fresh, fast and delicious. No frills, no add-ons and...

During the first leg of my US trip, my colleague L and I stayed at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Irvine. Irvine, is actually like the central business district of California where tall skyscrapers line up the streets and it's relatively more quiet here at any given part of the day simply because everyone is busy at work. On our first work day, L and I decided to start early by walking around the neighborhood in search for a good place to have breakfast. Thanks to the friendly hotel staff, he directed us towards Specialty's Cafe & Bakery which he says serves pretty good coffee.

While planning for our trip to the US, Paul and I did not expect that we are about to embark on a journey to Burger Land! Everywhere you go, you'll surely encounter a burger stand or a restaurant serving the meatiest, biggest burger ever seen! From the famous In-n-Out, which I will talk about more in detail in my next entries, to the gourmet ones such as Umami Burger where my dear friend Karla brought us for dinner one chilly evening, we had a great time having a taste of all-pure beef with the freshest veggies and soft burger buns. Back in Manila, I'm not really a big burger fan as I prefer the non-meat choices such as Burger King's BK Big Fish or McDonald's Fillet o Fish sandwich however, since I am in Burger Land I have to try these burgers and see why the locals love them so much. As mentioned above, it was a very chilly evening where the temparature was at 8 degrees celcius. We buttoned up, pulled down our hats and shivered our way towards Umami Burger alon...

I love seafood! Nothing makes a meal greater than enjoying fresh seafood cooked in various ways -- from steamed to fried, from baked to grilled whichever way you take you'll surely enjoy your seafood plate. When my cousin invited us to try the much-talked-about The Boiling Crab for lunch last week, I was very excited that I was up at 7AM eagerly waiting for our 12NN lunch date. Thanks to our handy GPS, we got to The Boiling Crab at Rowland Heights just in time. I love the laid-back wharf-like ambiance where vandalism is allowed. Yep! You read it right, check out the walls and you'd see scribbles from customers whether it bears their names or a short message stating their presence in the restaurant. Head to the table and you'd be led to a bear table-top with a wax paper cover. No utensils here as they mean real business about getting your hands dirty to enjoy their freshest catch. All you get is a plastic bib to shield your clothes from the possible mess that you...

Whenever we travel, I look forward to waking up early in order to have a good breakfast. Wanting to just relax and to live the local life, we decided to skip flying to Las Vegas for another exciting yet exhausting day and to just stay in the city to shop, eat and walk around. Our lazy day began with brunch at Denny's Restaurant , a diner that has a lot of branches around the US and even in some neighboring countries as well. It's good that they have a number of value meals starting at $2. We began with a plate of Buttermilk Pancakes ($2) as I was determined to enjoy a plate of all-American pancakes in this trip. However, I was a bit disappointed that Denny's pancakes were not as fluffy as I was expecting it to be. We shared a piece of pancake eat and covered it with creamy butter and syrup. I still love our pancakes back home. We also had Country Fried Steak and Eggs ($9.99) which is a huge platter filled with meat, meat and more meat! Here's what we got: two s...