Frannywanny

There's truly no place like... home . This Christmas is extra special as both Paul and I are able to catch up with friends and spend a lot of quality time with our families. I can't really imagine being anywhere else during this special time of the year without our loved ones around us. Of course, with all the bonding comes a lot of eating. We've been feasting, munching and partying for days on end! Tis the season for lots of merry-making, after all. Check this festive Christmas Stocking cake that Paul and I got from Shangri-la Hotel, Singapore . It's so pretty that I actually hesitated for a minute before slicing it. Inside, you get a moist vanilla butter cake that goes so well with a mug of hot chocolate. It's light and creamy perfect for those who wants something different from the usual Chocolate-flavored cakes. However, we also got a couple of chocoholics in the house (yes, O and Paul I'm looking at the two of you!) . They both enjoyed the Chocol...

"I'm craving for bola-bola siopao with no salted egg." This was what I suddenly told my friend I in the middle of our Facebook chat. Of course, I's natural reaction was "huh?"  While Singapore has a very strong Chinese influence, sadly dimsum is quite hard to find still in this part of the world. Thus, whenever the craving for a delicious bowl of congee or some steamed dimsums comes about, it normally would take me days before I can finally find a place that will answer to these cravings. Where oh where are all the delicious dimsums in town? This is also the reason why I was literally jumping with joy when I found out that Hong Kong's famous Tim Ho Wan finally opened in Singapore . Now, we finally have real good Hong Kong-style dimsum and it's just a few minutes away from my office! Well, that is if I have the patience to line up and wait everytime. Tim Ho Wan opened it's first branch in Plaza Singapura early this year and yet everyday...

As soon as the contest ended a week ago, I immediately got down to business. The first task was to be organized and to divide all those who chose the Philippines and the Singapore planner. Okay, now that task #1 was done, then comes the fun yet challenging part -- reading through all the 190++ entries and choosing for the best ones. Most entries were really sweet and amazing that I ended up with more than 40 shortlisted ones and I know it will take me a couple more day to narrow that down to TWO . I will stop blabbing now and will go straight to the point... The lucky reader who will be receiving a 2014 Starbucks Coffee Philippines Planner is... Ira Tasha Balucan I was really touched by Ira's answer on how she will be sharing the Joy this Christmas: In light with the recent devastation caused by Typhoon Yolanda, I would try my best to make the victims feel that there is still hope in their lives. More than the relief goods, the food and the clothes, it is still es...

♫  It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...everywhere you goooooo  ♫ Here I am again going around town in search of the yummiest things to give this Christmas! It's not a difficult feat as Manila is literally bursting with so much talented home bakers and chefs thus the challenge actually lies in knowing how to best fill your tummy with all these goodies! As I'd always tell visiting friends, be ready to pack in a few pounds during the holiday season as you'll surely be surrounded by all these mouthwatering creations 24/7. During my quick visit to Manila, a bright yellow box was delivered to my home and the packaging was the first thing that caught our attention. The box was created using corrugated sheets and it was just so cute and innovative. As you must have noticed, my family loves pretty and creative paper creations so even before we got to opening the box, we all ooh'ed and ahhh'ed by just checking the packaging out. Now, the grand unveili...

Just like that ladies and gentlemen, my search for the best tasting American buffalo wings in Singapore has finally came to an end. Yahoooooo!! *throws confetti in the air* Moving to another country made me realize how strong the American and Spanish influences have been to the Philippines. Actually, it was more on the food for me. Once in a while, I'd crave for a delicious llanera of Paella Negra or for some good juicy burgers and wings. Singapore is a truly a food mecca but I got to admit that having all these numerous choices around makes it harder to choose and look for the best. When it comes to wings though, nothing beans enjoying crispy deep-fried chicken and coated with a wide array for flavors. Yesterday, Paul and I traveled across the country to check out the newly opened Bedok Mall . I've never been to this part of town and I was really excited to see what yummy food gems one can find in here. Well, I just have to say that I was amazed that Bedok Mall has a n...

When my dear friend and fellow blogger Ria told me she's coming over, I was really excited to take her to try some of my favorite restaurants. Over our chats, the idea of her conducting a yoga class led to us organizing this exciting activity happening on Monday. Come December 9 (Monday), we would like to invite all Singapore-based readers to join us in a Benefit Vinyasa Yoga Class from 730PM to 9PM. It will be 90 minutes of slow flow poses that will surely relax you after a crazy day at work.  What makes it so meaningful and exciting is that all proceeds will be given to the Malongs for Mothers, an organization that Ria strongly supports. They provide malongs to all mothers affected by Typhoon Yolanda in the Visayas region.  I really look forward to meeting all of you however there are very limited slots available so.....please sign up NOW and help me spread the word too! http://bit.ly/yogawithlove

Taking a break from our usual rice toppings / packed lunch / healthy salads and sandwiches options, our team decided to head a little further out for lunch one Friday. Our choice that day -- The Rotisserie along Telok Ayer street. We have been passing by this restaurant for some time now and noticed that it's always packed during lunch hour. Given that people here are such foodies, having a long queue or a jam-packed restaurant is definitely a clear sign that the food must be good. The system here is a bit different from a normal restaurant. You have to queue for the cashier first, place your order, pay for it then head over to the counter to get your food. It was quite a challenge for me as I really like choosing my food slowly as I see it before finally making my decision. Well I guess I just have to be a little bit more flexible at times right?

As much as I love lazy weekends, I also get the thrill whenever I get to do something new and be productive too. Can't really make up my mind, couldn't I? Guess, there are just days wherein I'd rather laze around the house and some days I enjoy going out, meeting new people and learning something new. Balance is always good. Well, last Saturday, I was back at the Canon Pixma Workshop to learn a new set of paper crafts! Together with a couple of bloggers and Canon fans, we created our very own 2014 calendar, a cute Bookworm Bookmark and for some, a 3D animal figurine. I was only able to do the first two and I'm pretty happy with how they turned out. Hooray! I was also able to play around with the new Canon Mini Legria (S$429) which is the newest camcorder in the market. It's just about the size of a mobile phone or a car camera but as they say, do not judge a camera by it's tiny size. This little one comes with Ultra Wide Angle Lens, Wi-Fi capabiliti...

It all began with one Facebook shout out... ... and just like that, support and help came pouring in. When Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) hit the Visayas region a couple of weeks ago, I did mention that watching the heartbreaking videos somehow made me feel a bit helpless knowing that I'm thousands of miles away from home. There were initially various ways to send our monetary support but I know that doing this once is not enough. Thus when I was tagged by my friend Suzy to support this special Adobo Night  organized by Chef Karla Mendoza of Pizzeria Mozza , I didn't think twice and sent in my RSVP. Of course, I just had to spread the word and after sharing the same message to my good friends here in Singapore, they sent in their RSVPs too! So there we were at 10PM on a Thursday night. Normally, I'd definitely be home by then probably in bed busy blogging till I fall asleep. Well, last Thursday was no ordinary night as more than 30 of us were present at the special...

People often ask Paul and I how we're doing in the Lion City . The truth is... we're having a BALL! While others might find Singapore a bit too boring given the size of the place thus the lack of quick weekend getaway options or "happening" places around, I always say that Singapore perfectly suits our personality and lifestyle. Readers probably can see by now that Paul and I are pretty much the laid back kind of couple. We're really happy just spending our weekend at home, hanging out by the pool, meeting up with friends, going to the mall or watching a movie. Of course, there's got to be a lot of eating happening in between. Anyway, so when I heard that there's this nice gourmet market called PasarBella that recently opened a few months back, I've quickly included that in my list of places to visit. After so many failed attempts, we finally were able to visit PasarBella right during Pan's weekend stay. Hooray! Getting there can be quite a ch...

Christmas is just around the corner . While I got to admit that this is really one of my favorite seasons as I look forward to going home to spend the holidays with my family, I can't deny the fact that there's a bit of sadness in my heart as I continue to think of the victim of Typhoon Yolanda who continues to remain homeless up until this day. I just hope that their conditions will improve in the coming days and as a nation, we will be able to help them rebuild the city that they've lost and their lives that has been greatly disrupted. When it comes to Christmas, we also talk about sharing the joy and celebrating traditions. In order to bring a little cheer to everyone, here I am continuing another tradition as I present this year's Starbucks Planner giveaway!!! This year is extra special because I'm not reviewing not one but TWO cool planners which are available in the two markets very close to my heart -- Manila and Singapore . My two homes. Let me sta...

In the many years that I've been food blogging, I've had the privilege to try hundreds of restaurants which also means being able to enjoy thousands of different dishes ranging from starters down to desserts. From formal, fine-dining restaurants to the quick service fast food types, I would find a hidden gem every now and then. That's what makes eating so enjoyable and yes, fulfilling. During one of our Saturdates , Paul and I stumbled upon an ice cream kiosk at the basement of Takashimaya Department Store . It was after having almost a dozen sticks of deep-fried shrimp patties and grilled chicken that we found ourselves craving for something sweet. Choosing which one to try was easy, I just went for the dessert kiosk with the longest line. As everyone would really patiently line up for good food here in Singapore, I am then assured that whatever I'm lining up for will be worth the wait and leg exercise. That evening, a long line was forming in front of Azabu Sabo...

Times like this, I really wish I was just having a bad dream..a really really bad dream. This is because, in dreams, you eventually wake up and realized that nothing has changed. Sadly, when Super Typhoon Haiyan (a.k.a. Yolanda) hit my dear country, the Philippines , last Friday it surely wasn't a dream nor was it even a terrible nightmare. It's an awful reality leaving thousands (and I'm talking around 10,000+) dead and a lot more missing. Families were torn apart, children separated from their parents, parents looking for their children, pets, homes, even public structures and farm lands were not spared. I honestly didn't know much about the gravity of this disaster up until I watched our local news the following day. As scenes unfold before my eyes, I felt my heart crushing into tiny pieces. Tears started to flow as I watch the survivors crying in anguish as they continue to search for their loved ones. It has been 5 days since Haiyan left the country yet the pain...

After our delicious family dinner at Green Pastures a couple of weeks ago, my parents and sister decided to take their balikbayan daughter (yours truly) and son-in-law (Paul) on a quick tour around the new wing of Shangri-la Mall. The last time we were here was during our visit last March where it was newly opened and there were just about 10 stores present then. At present, the mall is alive with shoppers and diners alike. We started from the top-most floor and lately worked our way down. As we reached the Ground Floor, we chanced upon a store that's filled with identical looking jars. Peering inside, we saw labels that says "Oils", "Vinegars", "Liqueurs & Spirits" and more. With our curiosity reaching its peak, we all went in to really see what the store is all about. Welcome to Vom Fass , says the friendly staff. First we were given samples of their homemade Blueberry Wine (Php. 400) which was very light and fruity. Papa and Paul had two ...

Konnichiwa! When the Ebi Burger was launched in all McDonald's stores all over Singapore last week, I made a mental note to check this out over the weekend. I love shrimp and fish burgers as this is what I normally order over their beefy burgers thus I was really excited that McDonald's is adding more non-beef burger options to their menu. Yay! We agreed to share the Ebi Feast Meal (S$7.75) which consists of an Ebi Burger, a Tropical McFrizzy, large French Fries and Tropical McFrizzy drink. I just wanted the Ebi Burger and happily gave the rest to Paul who enjoyed this meal with his all-time favorite -- the Quarter Pounder Burger. Now, I'm excited to open this box and to reveal, what hopefully is, a treasure inside. Ready?

During one of our SaturDates, Paul and I decided to check out the food court in Takashimaya Department Store in Orchard Road. While we have this impression that this is a very high end department store, I'm quite fascinated by the fact that it houses a lot of Japanese brands and we all know that there are just a lot of delicious Japanese food finds out there. While checking out all the different snacks, drinks and whatnot, we chanced upon this brightly colored stall selling yakitori-style food items. Meet Snax! by CP Foods .  We're no stranger to CP Foods and I even blogged about this cool $1 promo that they had a while back .While it was our first time to see their Takashimaya stall, I do recall seeing the one in JEM a few months ago and I really liked the fried shrimp popper that I was given as a sample by their friendly staff. I was planning to buy it but since we were rushing then, I just told myself to save it for our next visit.  Checking out the glass c...

Pardon for the shameless plug but I just have to share my newest discovery. Here's a question: Who loves the Ovomaltine Crunchy Cream spread? Raise your hands!!! Well, for all Ovomaltine fans out there, here's something that will surely keep you muchin' day after day. Are you ready? Look what we stumbled upon -- the Ovomaltine Crunchy Biscuit  (Php. 290) and since we love our friends and family back home, Just Craving is including this as part of our product line too! Hoooooray!  A pack gives you 6 yummy cookies filled with creamy Ovomaltine filling. It goes really well with a glass of cold milk (for more calcium) or if you really want to indulge, try it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Trust me, you'll love it! The first batch of Ovomaltine Crunchy Biscuit will arrive in Manila by first week of December. For more info, like Just Craving on Facebook. Well, what are you waiting for? ORDER NOW at http://bit.ly/JustCraving

I had a good day yesterday.  Wanna know why?  It's because I finally was able to talk to my sister who was away most of the time these past months working on a really hectic project. She has been almost incommunicado since she began with the project and boy were we all counting down the days till it finally ends. Anyway, it's over and I can get to talk to my sister anytime I want again! Hooray! I really missed her, you know. *sniffle* Speaking of my sister Pan, did you know that whenever we travel together, we have this little tradition of dining at a Japanese restaurant with rotating sushi? It began when we were kids in Hong Kong and it somehow carried on when we went to Bangkok together and when she was here in Singapore a few months ago. Thus, a trip is not complete without having this little tradition. I actually attempted to dine at a rotating sushi restaurant on my own when I went to Beijing and the experience was just not as fun. Sakae Sushi is one of the r...

During our staycation at Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria , Paul and I decided to have dinner at Seven Corners . It has been a while since we've had a buffet dinner and what would make our visit home more enjoyable than to allow ourselves to indulge, right? Having had the privilege to try a number of hotel buffets in the Metro, Paul and I have grown to love a number of hotel buffets for one or two of its specialties. For instance, we love one hotel buffet for their to-die-for Caprese Salad , another one would be for their abundant seafood choices , another one would be for their impressive Japanese selections ...and the list goes on and on. While I wasn't my usual self that evening that I just tried a few dishes and quickly waved the white flag, I happily watched my husband enjoy the buffet selections of Seven Corners . I got to admit, Seven Corners have quite limited choices but we all know that quantity doesn't always equate to quality right? We began our dinner wi...

There's really something about staycations that excites me. To others, it may just be an overnight stay. However, for us, a staycation is the perfect excuse to "eject" ourselves out from our daily routine and to just relax, relax and relax some more. During our recent visit home, Paul and I stayed the night at Crowne Plaza Manila . As I've probably mentioned a hundred times already (apologies for that), I was down with viral high fever that would go down in the morning and would shoot up again come night time almost all throughout the week that I was home. Our stay was no exception. I was okay in the morning but just as soon as I stepped inside our beautiful Premiere Suite , my temperature shot up to 39 degrees alarming Paul who told me to just stay in bed and rest till I feel better. It was a good thing that our room was really comfortable that I just snuggled under the sheets to keep myself from having chills and to lower my temperature too. Anyway, let me giv...

When you mention Singapore to a traveling foodie, I can probably bet a million dollars that the word hawker  will surely come up. Not quite convinced? Okay then, think about your favourite Singaporean dish. Ready? Well, whatever it is, I can confidently say that you can get all  of them from a hawker center. You see, hawkers and hawker centers play a very important part in Singapore's heritage. I can still remember my first hawker meal was back in the late 90s, I was about 8 years old then and my parents brought me to Newton Circus for dinner. Back then, there weren't a lot of hawker centers, I can still remember visiting the ones in Newton as well as People's Park in Chinatown. Sanitation was still a big problem then as we would watch in horror whenever the "uncle" would just "wipe" our table with a piece of chopsticks, pushing all morsels of food down to the floor. The tables would be sticky, sometimes oily, the floor extremely dirty. I have a number...