Frannywanny

So my tale continues with my second lechon encounter. I can't believe that I was able to try 4 different lechon brands in the span of 3 days! *pat on the back* After our filling lunch at Zubuchon on our first day, I had a very light dinner that evening as my body feeling extra guilty for all that meaty indulgence. I think though I made a wrong move by just ordering a teeny-tiny chimichanga at Mooon Cafe as I woke up really hungry the following morning. It was a good thing the hotel's buffet spread was pretty good so I was able to fill my hunger with a generous amount of danggit, eggs and garlic rice. Truly a hearty breakfast to prep me for the busy schedule ahead. Day 2 was our BIG day, it was when we had our cooking demo and prior to that, ML and I went around Cebu City to do some trade checks as we wanted to make the most of our short 3-day visit. After going around SM Cebu, we asked our Cebu-based colleague R where's a good place to eat. Seeing that we have time...

As soon as we landed at the Mactan Domestic Airport in Cebu, the first question thrown my way was "where to eat?" Of course, being the aspiring tour guide that I was, I went prepared. Armed with a list of recommended restaurants shared by my dear readers, I checked with our driver which one was the most accessible given that we have to head to Summit Circle Hotel right after. He told me that Zubuchon , which is located at the Mango Mall , would be the best option and you can just imagine the excitement that filled the air inside our crowded van as the thought of enjoying Cebuano lechon for our first meal made our hearts do cartwheels and somersaults. I've been reading about Zubuchon as this is the brainchild of renowned food blogger Marketman . People have been raving at how good it was and so it truly was perfect to make it our first meal in beautiful Cebu. I love the clean  red and white interiors which was totally different from the other lechon places both h...

It has always been a winning solution. This is the reason why I've been dying to get away . I was right.  A trip can take all the gloomy days away and bring back some ray of sunshine back into my life. I'm so happy and even if I obviously have gained a few pounds from all that (lechon) eating, I don't care. Frannywanny is finally BACK and I have Cebu to thank for it. *big grin* I've always been so in love with Cebu that despite being there a number of times, every trip still brings a lot of new discoveries and adventure that I always come home happy, rejuvenated and wishing that I can go back soon. Well, I will but not in a few months so the countdown starts now. that's my colleague Dottie!! :) Anyway, for this trip, Summit Circle Hotel was our home for three whole days. It is adjacent to Robinsons Place Fuente and is located right at the heart of Fuente Circle . This is a good hotel option should you want to watch the Sinulog Festival in Cebu ...

The word solace according to the English dictionary means "to give comfort to in grief or misfortune." In other words, solace can also be seen as that ever-famous "light at the end of the tunnel." It gives one that glimmer of hope that there will be better days ahead. I mentioned in a few entries back that I've been experiencing gloomy days lately due to my hectic routine. Feeling more exhausted than revitalized nowadays, all I want to do is to stay in bed all day and to do nothing... absolutely nothing. I know that plan would probably come after the holidays. Therefore, I am currently finding other ways to get that short moments of relaxation and one of those include going out on dinner dates with Paul. Last Monday, we visited a new restaurant that has just opened along Arnaiz street in Makati. It was my Mom who told me about it and we arrived excited to have a good meal and to unwind. I got to admit, it took me a while to remember the name but after chatti...

For the Foodie friend In today's digital age, more and more books are being converted into iPad formats where readers can access their favorite books and novels by downloading this through the App Store. Well, not me. I'm still very old-fashioned when it comes to reading my books and magazines. Take my growing collection of Sophie Kinsella novels and Lonely Planet travel books that I would still buy from the bookstore every so often. I love the feel of the cover, running my fingers over the embossed title and the smell of newly printed paper is simply soooo addicting. *snifffff*. The same goes for magazines. Luckily, I read magazines as part of my career and I enjoy flipping through the papers and admiring the beautiful photography in the process. Look at what I'm reading at the moment -- Eat Out Now! 115 Manila Restaurants We Love! (Php. 250). It's the best book for all foodies out there. I first got my copy a few weeks ago and up until now I'm not yet even h...

Two weekends ago, Paul and I spent the night in Alabang . As soon as it has been finalized that we will be heading to the South, I sent fellow blogger Jane a message asking her for recommendations on where to eat. Jane, as we all know already, is one of the sweetest person in the planet. She replied with a good long list and in addition to that, she asked me if she can send me a box of yummy ensaymada from Palms Country Club . This is an exclusive country club located in Alabang and they're known for their buttery, to-die-for ensaymada . Of course, I said YES! Thank you Jane! We agreed to meet up after my cooking class at Global Academy and despite being soooo busy preparing for her lovely daughter's debut party, Jane still made it a point to get us that box of ensaymada . Paul and I brought the ensaymada with us all the way to the South and back home. As soon as we reached the house the following day, Paul and I opened the box and shared a giant piece. We purposedly ke...

I can still remember it clearly. As soon as I've submitted my final exam paper for my Comm Ethics class about 8 years ago; I made a solid declaration that I, Frannywanny , will never go back to school again . Just as quickly as I said those words, I made a little exception, not unless school means me taking up a culinary course then that would be a totally different story. I've always loved to cook. I guess this just goes hand in hand with my love to eat. ♥ I've mentioned in previous entries that my summer vacations back then were spent learning the basics of cooking. I was pretty proud of my pasta dishes, Japanese hand-rolled makis and my specialty -- Pearl Balls. Someday I wish to be able to make my own Paella Negra and to bake my own Roast Garlic Chicken too! That's me wishing I can be like Julia Child or at least Martha Stewart in the near future. Anyway, I guess the stars have aligned this November as I've been really busy but happy at the same time. Pau...

My mom's friend once said: "Give out food and more food will come to you...give out money and more money will come back to you." She was so right. Food has been my way of sharing the love with my friends, family and colleagues and I've been blessed with abundant food coming back my way every single day. Who's complaining? My tummy has been very very happy! Yesterday has been another stressful work day for me. As I spent really long hours at work to the point that Paul had to literally pull me out to have a good and filling dinner. I continued working at a milk tea shop while waiting for my sister's call for us to pick her up. Then, I came home to... ...a box of delicious Date and Nut Torte sent by one of the sweetest couples Paul and I have the privilege of knowing and being friends with. Thank you A & I! You guys rock!

I got to admit, if given the chance to choose between rice, pasta or bread, I would definitely go for pasta any day. This is also the reason why I tend to be extra picky with the type of breads that I eat. I love freshly baked pan de sal paired with a spoonful of peanut butter and a cup of hot cocoa. Soft and fluffy ciabatta bread has been my favorite when I'm making myself a sandwich. As for the type of breads that I avoid, these are ones with raisins, dates or the fruity type. I really do not know why but I always end up plucking each tiny fruit out before biting into the bread. One day, I received a box of freshly baked goodies from Bread Story Philippines . It was after visiting their Facebook page that I found out that the brand actually originates from Malaysia . We had some of their specialty breads for lunch. Among the four breads on the plate, I liked the Flossy Signature which had buttery pork floss on top. The Flossy Hottie , on the other hand, was topped with spicy...

After a photo shoot held at an undisclosed location within Bonifacio Highstreet , I headed to Slice to relax and to have a light snack while waiting for my sister as she was still busy at work. I was still doing my Nestle Fitnesse challenge then so it took me a while to choose what I'm getting as I don't want all my efforts to go to waste. Yes, vanity sure has its price. I love the cozy feel of Slice as it surely makes a great place to catch up with your girl friends. My only wish is that they should have free WiFi connection for those who intend to do some work here. They also have a private area at the back portion of the restaurant which would be great for small meetings. Finally, I chose the Aglio Olio (Php. 390) and requested to have this split into two as I'm sure my sister would be hungry by the time I pick her up from work. I'll be honest, I was a taken aback by the 300+ price tag. It's a bit too high for a casual dining place like Slice and to thi...

Are you a blogger? Do you aspire to be one? Here's one event that you shouldn't miss then! Nuffnang Philippines is conducting their first ever Blogopolis which is a full-day workshop for bloggers by bloggers. The day will begin an opening speech and industry overview from Nuffnang Philippines' Country Manager Mr. Yugatech himself, Abe Olandres . This will be followed by discussions to be led by the country's top media personalities such as Maria Resaa and Manuel L. Quezon III. *starstrucked!* What follows next are sessions led by fellow bloggers such as Divine Lee, Liam Capati and our very own top bloggers too (hooray Tita Noemi , Ivan H. and the cool guys from Googly Gooeys !) . Well, if there's one segment that you shouldn't miss it would be at 11AM where I will be joining Divine Lee as one of her panelists where she will talk about Community Building : How to engage and interact with your Audience . Ohhh boy I hope I do a good job! How to join? ...

I've been going through an extreme emotional roller coaster ride lately. I guess it's because of my hectic schedule and me subconsciously thinking of the crazier weekends ahead that I've been feeling very anxious, impatient and grumpy nowadays. Don't get me wrong. I am very thankful for the Holiday season as we have been getting bulk orders for our peanuts left and right, our weekends are filled to the brim and my work week is another crazy story on its own. Given that, I have been losing a lot of sleep. That alone is a recipe for a very cranky and grouchy Frannywanny . Last Saturday was an action-packed one. I started the day early as I headed to Makati for my hands-on Pasta Class at Global Academy . I love to cook and back then, I dream of being a chef. In fact, my summer breaks before were normally spent taking cooking classes from Le Cordon Bleu and a lot more other schools. Just imagine how excited I was as I am finally attending another cooking class after 15 ...

Every time Paul takes me out on a date, I still feel all giddy and excited about it. Mind you, we have been dating for more than 9 years already! While we're no longer the college kids that we used to be where sharing a cup of Mocha Frappuccino and a plate California Maki would turn me all lovey-dovey , I still blush and get tiny butterflies in my stomach whenever he tells me to prepare for a date. As we were planning our mini staycation at the Manila Marriott Hotel a few weeks back, we both agreed to just enjoy the hotel's facilities and not to go out..not even for dinner. This just means that we will be having ALL our meals inside the hotel. Luckily, our overnight stay also came with a complimentary dinner at Cru Steakhouse . Yay! It was both our first time to actually dine at Cru except for the time wherein we were invited to try Marriott Cafe's Sunday Brunch which includes crossing over to Cru for some juicy steak and seared foie gras. Remember we had guests ...

Warning: Lots of photos ahead! :) The past few weeks have been fun for us corporate folks. We had a back-to-back long weekend giving us 4-days and 3-days workweeks one after the other. I know that the after effect of this led to spending more hours at work to catch up with the pending tasks but still, a break is a break and I truly enjoyed mine to the fullest. While half of Metro Manila were out of town or out of the country, Paul and I drove about 5km away from home to stay the night at the beautiful Manila Marriott Hotel . We have reached our travel quota for the year so we decided to just stay in town and to have that much needed R&R. As I arrived at the lobby of the hotel, I was warmly greeted by the doorman and a couple of security staff. Seeing that I was trying my best to balance Paul's heavy camera bag plus our overnight luggage on one hand and my shoulder bag and laptop bag on the other, he quickly offered to hold on to our bags while I checked in. The reception d...

My first taste of Wee Nam Kee was during our honeymoon trip to Singapore where Paul and I met up with our Singapore-based friends for a post-wedding celebration . The restaurant wasn't hard to locate as we carefully followed the directions given to us -- take the train to Novena and cross the street to find Wee Nam Kee . I wrote about our wonderful experience here and to this day, I still daydream about the yummy cereal prawns and Hainanese Chicken that we had that evening. A few months after we got back from Singapore , we heard some juicy rumors that Wee Nam Kee is coming to Manila!  This was confirmed by a dear colleague who's very own brother is the man behind Manila's very own Wee Nam Kee . In other words, we now have a Hainanese Chicken savior. Hooray! Finally, good and authentic chicken rice is coming to our shores! Sadly, hectic schedule and a bad case of amoebiasis restrained me from trying Wee Nam Kee right on its opening month. I died with envy upon he...

November is finally here and for the past weeks, Mommy has been bugging us to organize a Thanksgiving Dinner for the family. Note that we've never celebrated Thanksgiving before and the only times I've had turkey was at Dad's Eat All You Can Buffet, the US Potato Board's Annual Thanksgiving Dinners and at Disneyland Anaheim where Paul and I shared a turkey leg. After all, it really would take a good chef to be able to impress me with turkey as I normally find it bland and dry. Thus, I really do not know why Mommy suddenly wants to celebrate Thanksgiving but I have a strong feeling a major craving for turkey has something to do with it. *wink* When Paul and I got an invite to celebrate Thanksgiving last August, we excitedly headed to Damaso Residencia which was the private residence of our dinner host, Chef Bambi Sy Gobio . Chef Bambi is also the talented lady behind the restaurant Restaurante Pia Y Damaso in Greenbelt 5. No thanks to color coding, we were the l...

Don't you just love long weekends? Yesterday, I woke up thinking that it was already Sunday. While I know I still have a full day to relax, I somehow felt glum over the thought that I'm heading back to reality work the next day. Good thing I realized that it was just Saturday and there's still one more day left to enjoy! Weeeee!! ♥ I'm really cherishing all opportunities to just stay longer in bed and to hang out at home with no agenda lined up. The holiday season is here and I brace myself for the busy months ahead! Last Sunday, I woke up to hear my parents and sister debating. The topic? Whether to eat out or not. It was already 11AM and no one has still made a decision. Pan has been looking forward to eating out while Papa was feeling extra lazy and wasn't up to leaving the house that day. Mommy and Paul were just game to go with whatever we finally decide in doing. Getting out of my sleepy state, I suggested that we just order in. Spotted: Frannywanny ment...

As much as I love spontaneity and change, I also do value traditions. There are just some things in life that are best left untouched . These are the ones that you can always count on to happen at the exact same time of the year, every single year. These include mine and Paul's week-long birthday celebrations, our wedding anniversary dinner date, our summer and 3rd quarter ("autumn") travel getaways and collecting the Starbucks Planner . Readers of this blog must have noticed what a big Starbucks Coffee fan I am . This began way before I actually became a Starbucks partner myself. From the time Starbucks Coffee first opened its doors in 6750 fifteen (15) years ago, I've began collecting mugs, tumblers and have been a frequent visitor most especially during my university years. Friends who couldn't find me around the campus know exactly where to go. Thus, being able to be part of the Starbucks Coffee Philippines team a few years ago was just like a dream come tr...

I ♥ French Macarons.  The first time I tried this was when Bizu opened a branch in Greenhills and my parents brought us there for brunch. After enjoying our plates of Eggs Benedict and Croque Madame, we ordered a bag of colorful macarons which to me, back then, looked like colored cream-filled eggnog cookies. I took my first bite and that moment, my friends, was the start of my love affair with French Macarons. Since then, I've been going around town trying all brands of French Macarons . From Bizu and Bar Dolci to Chef Karine -- always enjoying the excitement that the first bite brings as you always wonder if the flavor is something your taste buds will fancy. Then I met Alchemy . One day, I got a text message from a high school friend asking me if I want to try her sister's homemade macarons. Of course I immediately said YES. I ordered a box of 10 (Php. 355) with a mix of these flavors : Salted Caramel, Coffee Caramel Ganache, Green Tea, Banana Walnut and Dark Choco...