Frannywanny

A week prior to our trip to Baguio , I offered to prepare our itinerary which, of course, consists of a number of restaurants that we have to try and a few touristy places specially included for all Baguio first-timers and long-time returning visitors in the group. Initially, I just listed down the restaurants in no particular order. The plan was to just choose from the list as we go along but my OC self just couldn't stop there. As the days get nearer, I ended up plotting down the restaurants into our travel itinerary to make sure we have a restaurant planned for every single meal. I thought we had a good mix, from the newly opened Hill Station to old time favorites like Cafe by the Ruins and Forest House, I had every meal covered even for our afternoon merienda! What I didn't include and actually failed to give more attention to was this restaurant that has been famous for their Mongolian Buffet for years! It was only when friends started leaving comments over at my Face...

When we finally got to Baguio a little past 12 noon, the first thing we did was to look for a place to eat. Our three little passengers were starting to verbally express their hunger already so we all kept our eyes on the road in search of any of the restaurants included in our list. Thankfully, we immediately saw Hill Station which is located very close to SM Baguio . I've been reading a number of good reviews about this new restaurant and was quite excited to try it. After securing a good parking spot, we all made our way towards the basement of Casa Vallejo , an old hotel that closed down last 1999 and was revived recently and was made into a small bed and breakfast place. The ambiance was very pretty giving a traditional Filipino feel. At the entrance is the bar area with an old wooden (yet working) piano where I ended up playing a few songs later on. We walked further in towards the main dining area and I love the heavy wooden chairs, the comfy looking couches and th...

I won a blog contest!! To be honest, I rarely join contests or promos but after seeing the announcement over at fellow blogger Patty's website that I could win a special photo shoot for Scottie and the entire family, I took some time out to follow the mechanics and to submit my contest entry while crossing my fingers that I will be chosen. It's Christmas after all and I would like to give my dear Scottie a fun photo shoot! Lo and behold, I got an email from Pet Photographer Denise telling me that I won the contest! YAHOOOOO!!! Lucky lucky me!! :) Thank you Patty and Denise for making me day! Now it's time to pay it forward... After three whole weeks of running the contest with 148 valid entries I am so excited to finally announce the winners who will be receiving a couple of Starbucks items from me! :) Without further ado... I present the Top 4 winners as chosen by Random.org ! Mark Spencer Tan will be receiving the limited edition Coffee on the Go Backpack...

When The Food Club went up to Baguio a couple of weeks ago, we stayed at Hotel Elizabeth which is located very near Mine's View Park. Since we were a big group, we were given four different rooms to fit all of us in. The families of 4 each got an Executive Suite each while Paul and I had the Deluxe Room (Php. 4,256 published rate) which was just perfect for the two of us. In fact, I find the room to be quite specious as we get to have our own balcony and a medium-sized bathroom too. In lieu of an air-conditioning unit, they have a ceiling fan installed in every room too. The TV set have cable and the best part is, you get unlimited Wi-Fi access not only in the lobby but even at the comforts of your room. Each room has a mini bar where we always get our daily complimentary stock of Bottled Water. On top of that, we were welcomed to help ourselves to coffee with a couple of packs available for us to consume for free. Don't you just love the view from my room? :) Pa...

When I got an invite to visit H Cuisine by Chef Hannah Herrera, I suddenly remembered the time when I visited the Corinthian Hills Weekend Market 3 years ago where I first learned about H Cuisine and was able to try a couple of their dishes. Sadly, my memory is pretty terrible that I couldn't really remember exactly what dishes I was able to try but I figured that it must be good as I do not have any bad memories about it. Together with Richard and Irene , Ro and Peter , Jane , Abet and Joan , Paul and I had an intimate dinner at H Cuisine hosted by none other but Chef Hannah herself. We were led up to the second floor where two round tables were prepared just for us. At one side is a buffet spread featuring several dishes that H Cuisine specializes in. To start the evening, Chef Hannah conducted a simple cooking demo showing us how to cook her best-selling Angus Beef Belly and the many variations of it such as the Angus Fried Rice and the Angus Beef Panini. Sadly, al...

My sister just got back from her business trip in Japan and she brought home a luggage full of yummy goodies! From delicious rice crackers to a bag of Takoyaki mix and a lot more! She really went wild shopping for food that it was only when she was unloading her pasalubongs that she realized that all her food purchases were enough to fill up our dining table! Nothing surprising though as this is a common sight whenever a family member comes home from a trip. It is no wonder why my sister and I get along so well. While recounting her week-long stay in the land of Tempura and Sushi, she showed us photos of her having this amazing dinner where she had Tonkatsu and was enjoying the experience so much. I was actually surprised as my sister is not the type who would order Tonkatsu or even Katsudon here in Manila. She's a big fan of Unagi (eel) and Ebi Tempura (shrimp) and not much of the breaded pork cutlets that I, on the other hand, truly love. I guess having the authentic kind he...

Here's one great gift idea for the holidays! My friends, Chefs Angelo Comsti and Aileen Anastacio , came up with this quick and easy cookbook called Home-Made for the Holidays that features 60 Christmas treats that you can enjoy in your own home or to be given out as gifts to your loved ones. They have easy recipes on how to make caramel popcorns, gingerbread cookies and step-by-step guide on how to make potluck-perfect dishes like a caviar pie or even a White Chocolate Cheesecake! I'm so proud of both Angelo and Aileen as they finally have their very own book! Both are contributors of Yummy Magazine while Angelo Comsti used to be Yummy's former food editor (and my very popular cooking demo chef) while Chef Aileen is the talented lady behind Goodies and Sweets. Home-Made for the Holidays is available in all National Bookstore outlets for only Php. 895 !! Buy your copy now! :)

It really takes a good restaurant for me to go back to two days in a row.... even a better one to make me interrupt my Baguio series to share my fun dining experience with you. In other words, this is just something that can't wait and I really have to let you guys know for you to try it out yourselves...ASAP! :) I first heard about Milky & Sunny while reading my Twitter feeds. A couple of friends, whose taste in food I trust, have been talking about this pretty breakfast place that just opened in Kapitolyo, Pasig . Afterwards, I heard about it again from one of my colleagues who got really amazing taste when it comes to aesthetic design..she's a licensed interior designer, after all. This prompted me to research about this restaurant and I realized that it's just a stone's throw away from my office! Finally, last night I set a dinner date with two of my former colleagues Kat and Bianx. I actually gave them a couple of choices and while we initially was planni...

The Food Club went on a trip again and this time we went up up north to Baguio ! It was actually a first for our kiddie companions namely Lauren, Kei and Ken and I truly had a great time playing tour guide not only to our three little travelers but to the rest of the group too. Baguio is approximately 240km away from Manila. Thankfully, the road heading to Baguio is now better as we pass through the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Pangasinan and La Union before the slow ascend up the zigzag road of Marcos Highway . While my mom and sister would always complain about the long drive up, I actually enjoy it every time we get the chance to visit Baguio...I guess it's just me and my love for geography. We left Manila around 6AM and after a quick breakfast stop in Pampanga, we arrived at Baguio a little past 12 noon making it just in time for lunch. I will be sharing more stories about our food adventures in my succeeding entries but for now I'll give you a low-down...

Every single time I dine at Mario's Restaurant in Tomas Morato , I can't help but reminisce about my childhood years. The time when I would dine there with my parents and we would order their Grilled Tanigue with Dill Sauce for starters, have our own plates of Caesar Salad and this immediately will be followed by our respective choice of main dishes -- on most occasions I would switch back and forth between the Lamb Chops or the Chicken Parmigiana. Our meals will never be complete without looking at their dessert cart where my sister and I would always choose the gelatin with fruit cocktail inside. Oh how I always feel like a grown-up woman every time we dine at Mario's as I would carefully slice through my lamb chops or fork through my crisp salad. Fast forward a little more than ten years after, I'm back at Mario's this time really as a grown married woman with my husband sitting beside me as we attended a special dinner hosted by Fil and Anton Benitez , the ...

A couple of months ago, I had the privilege to borrow the Ford Fiesta for the weekend. This invite then led to an impromptu out of town food trip to Paul's hometown in Angeles, Pampanga . Paul and I really had fun driving the Ford Fiesta as we would take turns taking this on a test drive around the city. It's small, compact yet very spacious that we were surprisingly able to fit quite a lot of Allies Wonder Peanuts ! Read more about my Ford Fiesta Food Trip over at their Official Facebook Page . Click here to access the application. See where I brought the Ford Fiesta and learn about the FOUR Fab reasons why I love it to bits! Let's go on a ride!!! Zoooooooooooooooom!!!

Who doesn't love potatoes? Well, I know I do! I know my sister Pan and best friend T can't live without potatoes too! This is mainly the reason why I braved the traffic and the strong rain as Paul and I drove all the way to Restaurant 9501 to be part of a special Thanksgiving Dinner hosted by the US Potato Board . I was able to join their first Thanksgiving Dinner at M Cafe two years ago and till this day, I can't help by drool by the thought of those delicious Porcini & Truffle Gnocchi . It was simply delicious. Restaurant 9501 is a private restaurant exclusive only to ABS-CBN employees and their registered guests.  While I don't work for the network, I had the privilege to dine there a few years ago for a South African festival wherein I enjoyed my meal very much. Putting together two amazing experiences both with the US Potato Board and Restaurant 9501 , it's no wonder why I immediately sent my confirmation upon receiving their invite and was act...

Ribs, ribs, ribs! All I can think of are ribs! :) Lip-smacking, fork-tender meat that falls of the bone without a struggle. That's my type of ribs. I found one of the best rib places in Angeles, Pampanga and another one in California, USA yet I continue my search here in Manila . A few months ago, I purchased a Deal Grocer coupon with fellow Food Club members Richard, Jane and Abet to try Chubby's Rib Shack which is located right at the heart of Makati and is also the sister-restaurant of Buffalo Wings n Things . With Christmas just around the corner, I normally try to avoid heading to this part of town especially on a Friday night where everyone normally goes out for dinner and drinks after work. However, just the thought of having a plate of ribs for dinner was enough to convince both Paul and I to brave the traffic and head to Makati to try Chubby's Rib Shack out. The deal was pretty sweet, all I had to pay for was P300 and I get to order anything worth P500 on...

One Friday evening, I was having dinner with my family when the doorbell rang and our househelp called me saying that someone was looking for me. I walked to the gate and saw a fire fighter running towards my direction and he seemed like he came from the other street. He stopped to open his bag and carefully pulled out a white paper bag telling me to be careful because the content is really hot. I laughed as I was handed the new KFC Zinger Double Down , true the sandwich seems to be pretty warm so I handled it with extra care. "Tawag nalang po kayo sa Fire Department pag sobrang init po ma'am" (Please call the fire department if it's too hot, Ma'am) was his last line before he left.  As he left, Paul and I quickly went to the dining table to try the sandwich out. At first, it tasted like the regular double down sandwich but wait till the spiciness starts kicking and yes, I was in the verge of calling the fire department as I can feel my taste buds on fire ....

Today is a special day, it's November 11, 2011 and when written in numbers it's 11.11.11 . This is also the day when California brand Jamba Juice will finally open its doors to the public. Admittedly, we're all crazy about double/triple numbers. In fact, for a time, Paul and I even considered getting married on the 10th of October, 2010 (10.10.10). It was only when we realized that all of our choice suppliers were booked already despite preparing more than a year in advance. Thus, we then decided to go with our second choice, the 11th of July otherwise known as 7-11. ;) I feel privileged to be invited to the special VIP party held at the newly constructed Bonifacio High Street Central which is an extension of the current Bonifacio High Street where Aldo, Tempur, Brother's Burger, Nike, ROX and a lot more are located. I arrived with fellow blogger Richard and we were surprised to see a really big crowd quite uncommon in most of the blogger events that we've b...

It's common practice to shower your loved one with a huge bouquet of flowers or at least a dozen long-stemmed roses. Believe me, we've had our share of garden-like bouquets here at home given by Paul and my sister's special someone. What normally happens is that our talented househelp would carefully remove them from the plastic wrapper and transfer each piece of flower into my mom's pretty vase, she'd even water them regularly until they wilt and give a really nasty odor that even my dog Scottie wouldn't even dare go near to. Sadly, I have zero talent when it comes to flower preservation so for the past 8 years, I wasn't able to keep a single bud or even a leaf from all those bouquets that Paul has gifted me with. *sigh* If only I can eat the bouquet then none of it would go waste! ;o) Then we came across Fruits in Bloom -- a company that specializes in fruity arrangements. No thorny roses, no wilting flowers instead they make use of the freshest, j...

I'm backkkkkkkkkkkkk!! How was your long weekend? Mine was FUN!!! This was because I spent the long weekend with The Food Club as we went up north to enjoy the cool and laid back atmosphere of Baguio . In true Food Club fashion, we had a three-day long food trip complete with a late-night pizza party, Ube and Strawberry jam shopping and a lot more! This is basically the reason why every night I thank God for blessing Paul and I with friends who not only share our love for eating and traveling but who are truly amazing in their own way. ♥ While I never seem to get tired of Baguio , I always find myself exhausted after the long drive to and from. Waking up this morning was really a challenge. I could hardly pull my tired body up and more than anything I just want a really good massage. This made me reminisce about the time when I visited Toccare Spa at the Antel Spa Suites in Makati. It was upon an invitation by fellow Food Club member Abet who arranged a relaxing eveni...

After spending the entire afternoon trick or treating with my 3 year old Supergirl niece Julia and 1 year old Peter Pan nephew Jairus, I hurried home to get ready as Paul and I were to double date with.... my parents! It's funny that all throughout our 8 years of dating, I realized that Paul and I never really had the chance to go out with just my parents. Normally, my sister would join us or sometimes we'd even have the entire clan dining out with us. More than anything, I just want Paul to feel more at ease with my parents especially with Papa who, at times, thinks I'm still his 5-year-old daughter and is still in the process of realizing and accepting that I am a 29 year old grown woman who has been married for more than a year. I guess my story is nothing out of the ordinary as I'm sure most daughters, especially those who are really close to their dads, can totally relate with me. *nods slowly* Since this is a rare occasion, I made sure my choice of restaura...