Frannywanny

On my last day at work, I decided that I will do away with the tearful goodbyes and heartbreaking hugs by leaving...as subtly as possible. Don't get me wrong, I love Summit Media and most especially the talented people that's part of it but I really do not want and can't stand sad goodbyes. Thus, after a two-hour morning meeting with the bosses, I excitedly invited my team for what could possibly be our last lunch out together...at the moment. We initially couldn't decide where to go so I took matters into my own hands (literally!) and drove the team to Rockwell Center . Once there, we played a little eenie-mini-miney-moe and chose the restaurant that could offer us a good parking space (hehe!) . Finally, we went for Apartment 1B ! Hooray! I've dined at the Salcedo Village branch before and loved it! It has been years since and I thought it would be nice to go back and to visit their One Rockwell branch this time. We got there during lunch time and were prett...

For as long as I can remember, Christmas Eve has always been spent with Mommy's side of the family. We always get together for dinner normally in a Chinese restaurant, then we all head to church to hear the Misa de Gallo mass as a family. Thus, even after getting married, Paul and I immediately agreed that December 24 is dedicated to my side of the family while the 25th is to be celebrated with his. This year though, we took a break from the usual Chinese lauriat dinner and decided to try Buffet 101 . It's cool that lately the family has been game to try various restaurants whenever we celebrate someone's special day. I guess most of us are starting to get tired of the usual Chinese dishes already. It's no secret that we, Filipinos, love to avail of eat-all-you-can promos. Take a look at the rising popularity of Yakimix and Sambokojin where you can grill and eat all you can! Taking inspiration from the posh hotel buffets, Buffet 101 gives you hotel-like ambiance...

Here's one thing that Paul and I will surely miss here in Manila -- the ability to have a quick weekend staycation whenever the need for one comes about. I know we'll be able to find ways to unwind and to enjoy when we move to the Lion City but that would take some time as we have to settle into our new home, get to know the neighborhood and to adjust to our new life in such a busy city. Having a staycation is something that we both always look forward to. I know it may sound silly and shallow for some but being able to check into a hotel and to just relax and not worry about a thing has proven to be a good way to re-energize after a busy, hectic week. Now that our schedules are literally packed with last minute shopping, medical check-ups, despedida dinners and time at home to pack, we truly welcomed the invitation to stay the night at Picasso Boutique Serviced Residences right at the heart of Makati City. Picasso Boutique Serviced Residences has been around for a cou...

Being Filipinos, our local dishes are highly influenced by a number of other cuisines. We have strong Chinese influence as seen in our Humba (stewed pork), Pancit (noodles) and Chopsuey (mixed stir-fried vegetables) to name a few. Americans have influenced us with our love for steak, ribs and burger. However, I think the most prominent and strongest influence came during the Spanish era. A number of well-loved restaurants that has been around for decades showcase a mix of Filipino-Spanish dishes. Even my family who would feast on a 12-course Chinese lauriat dinner during birthdays and weddings would celebrate with paella, cochinillo and gambas on super special occasions. I remember my last weekend as single girl before I tied the knot with Paul, my mom hosted dinner for our immediate family at Casa Armas in Podium. Both mommy and my Kongkong loves paella and for them, the best one left is Casa Armas as most of the restaurants that they used to frequent have closed shop years ago. ...

I hope you're all up for a cheezy love story. A story that I never thought I'd be able to tell. It all began on that fateful evening when I entered the restaurant with no expectations whatsoever. I kept my mind open but somehow deep inside me, I was a bit excited. Not really sure of what or who I was supposed to see but all I knew was I couldn't wait for this evening to come and when it finally did, I was just in a happy and giddy disposition. Carefully but slowly, I walked around Spectrum , Fairmont Makati's new all-day dining restaurant. The posh and sexy decor by the entrance immediately caught my attention. Clean and classy, just the way I love it. As they say, first impressions last . This one will surely do. But I went there with a mission. I was there on a search and so I moved on. Trying to stay focused on the impressive buffet spread. As I went about checking each station out, I was determined to continue on before finally grabbing a plate to start the ...

♪ It's time to party!!! ♪ As soon as January rolled in, my schedule has been jam-packed with dinners and parties that we have to attend left and right. You see, Paul and I are temporarily relocating to the Lion City very soon so friends and family have been so kind enough to throw us despedida parties in our honor. Honestly, words are not enough to convey how touched we both are with the time and effort that everyone are willing to give just to spend some time with us. Indeed, we're thankful to have the best set of friends and two loving families too! Last week, our dear friend Spanky (who also is Paul's fellow Cabalen) and Loni of Raffles & Fairmont Makati invited us to have some drinks at the very posh Raffles Makati and this was followed by a gastronomical buffet dinner at the adjacent Fairmont Makati Hotel . Raffles Hotel originated in Singapore and they're known for their signature drink called the Singapore Sling . Similar to its Singapore count...

It's 2013 and I'm going to make a very bold food forecast. For the past years, we've seen a number of food items that have taken Manila by storm. It have made people crave about it, line up for hours for it and sales of these items zoomed up to the high heavens. Such food trends include the year when practically everyone in town were suddenly so in love with milk teas , this was actually such a hit that a number of coffee shops even tried to create their own versions too. Then there was a time that there was a surge of Mexican food stops opening here and there. Even J.Co donuts on its own got everyone craving for donuts once again. Visit one of their branches and you'll surely understand I'm talking about. Since the 2nd half of 2012, I had a feeling that a new food craze is coming to Manila and for this one, I sure hope and pray it stays for a longer time. Enter the Year of the Ramen . Filipinos are not strangers to Japanese food. Next to Chinese and Fi...

Lately, Paul and I have been busy . Busy meeting up with friends, busy attending despedida parties (more on this SOON) , busy visiting the mall to buy all necessary household items that we need for our new life that we will be starting in a month's time. For a couple who's not really into shopping, believe me, forcing ourselves to complete our shopping list can really be a test of our patience. Anyway, one incentive for going to the mall is the fact that we can eat out! Yay! During one of our recent shopping trip at the Podium Mall , we suddenly have a craving for ICE CREAM . Well, Paul thought about it first while I was initially thinking of just getting a cup of milk tea. We remembered that there's a Sebastian's kiosk at the 4th level of the mall and we quickly headed there to check the flavors out. We love Sebastian's for his unique yet very Pinoy flavors. Paul used to love Sebastian's Yakult flavored ice cream while I'm a fan of his Green Mango a...

Months ago, Paul and I went out on a double date with Joan and Abet , one of the few couples whom we love hanging out with. For those who know them, you'll probably agree with me that they're really a nice couple with a pure heart. No pretenses, no intrigues and definitely someone whom you can depend on. They're such joy to be with too and that's why Paul and I look forward to any chance we get to spend time with them. I remember running a low grade fever that day yet I insisted that we push thru with our double date. It was also perfect that both Abet and I got an invite to re-visit Sentro 1771 in Greenbelt . This restaurant is not new to both Paul and I as we have dined here quite a number of times before . We always have our staple dishes such as the Rated GG , the Fried Kesong Puti and their famous Corned Beef Sinigang to name a few. This time though, the invite came just in time for their 10th year anniversary . It's amazing to see restaurants celebrati...

Whoever created the concept of brunch is, for me, a very wise man. Perhaps, he or (it could also be a she) must be like me. Someone who gives so much important to sleep and while food is equally just as important, a person must not sacrifice one for the other. Readers of this blog probably know by now that there's only one thing that can make me wake up early on a weekend morning...FOOD. However, it really should take a good breakfast spread to make that extra hours worth our while. This is why I truly embrace and love the idea of having brunch . Being able to eat breakfast food at a later time that's closer to lunch. Breakfast + Lunch = Brunch = Brilliant. One Sunday morning, Paul and I took Mom and my sister out to brunch. I've been keeping a list of restaurants in the city that offers really good brunch and as soon as 2013 rolled in, I was determined to give some of these a try. First on my list was probably one that I've been getting amazing raves from -- The C...

*SPONSORED POST* Paul, my family, and even my closest colleagues can attest to how OC I can get when it comes to oral hygiene. For me, having a healthy set of pearly whites is an important asset for everyone. Not just for us, ladies but even for the gents as well. I grew up with my parents reminding us to brush our teeth at least twice a day, to floss regularly and to visit the dentist every six months. While I really dread the bi-annual fluoride application that makes me gag after every procedure, I still do it as this helps protect my teeth from cavities. Once a woman of steel (a.k.a. braces) Indeed, this habit has earned me cavity-free teeth up to this day. My OC-ness towards brushing and choosing the right type of toothbrush and toothpaste was heightened during my high school years when I literally begged my mom to let me have braces. I wasn’t born with straight teeth. After all my milk teeth have fallen off, it seemed like my permanent teeth all had minds of their own and ...

Spontaneity . That's one thing that I've been trying my darnest to practice year after year. For someone who's incredibly OC, I tend to stick to routines and follow schedules to a T. Thus, when I texted a couple of friends to ask them out for lunch one weekday, they were pretty much surprised to receive such an impromptu invite from yours truly. Well, I was equally just as surprised myself that they were all game to meet up in less than two hours. We agreed to check out MadeCa as majority of us haven't tried it yet. I really haven't heard about this restaurant as I rarely get to visit the Podium Mall . Located at the 5th floor, this is a new Mexican - Filipino restaurant. A fusion restaurant. count with me!!! - Count Dracula (Count von Count, Sesame Street) To be honest, I'm not a big fan of fusion cuisines as normally it just doesn't work out that well. I still love restaurants that offer authentic cuisines be it Chinese, Filipino, Japanese or Ital...

A day after the incident , I went home feeling under the weather. I guess my resistance suddenly went down and I immediately felt my tonsils acting up again. Well, there was this white paper bag that caught my eye and somehow, it made me smile. Like what I said before, surprising me with food is always ALWAYS a good thing. Thank you Col. Sanders!  I peeked inside and found three red boxes that are quite similar to the kind that we'd use for Mom's chocolate cupcakes. Instead of having cupcakes or any sweet treats inside, KFC filled each box with the new BBQ Shredder Sandwich . Yep, that's the name of the new sandwich. If you ask me, I find using the word 'shredder' a bit off. Those in the corporate world would associate the shredder with trash. We shred all unnecessary documents, we shred all unused forms and memos, we shred all things we have to dispose. I personally wouldn't use the word "shredder" when food is involved. Well, that's me so ...

I've heard about Hooters , a popular American resto bar, that opened in Manila a few years back. Of course, I heard this from Paul who has been planning to check out their local branch since then. I really didn't get the fuss over it as I initially thought it was pretty much similar to our favorite Chili's or TGI Friday's. It was after reading reviews about it that I found out the little extra USP (unique selling proposition) that this restaurant has -- it's very sexy and overly voluptuous lady servers making this a go-to place for all men out there. Aha! No wonder... tsk tsk tsk. Unfortunately, Hooters hasn't expanded since it opened at the San Miguel by the Bay area near the SM Mall of Asia and since we rarely frequent that place, my dear husband hasn't been to Hooters Manila till this day. Well, imagine his shock when I came home one evening and told him that I had lunch at Hooters with a couple of girl colleagues as we had a presentation nearby...

I know I haven't blogged for two days, to me it really felt like a year. Not that I'm bored nor was I overly busy at work. In fact, today was my last day at Summit Media and I said goodbye to my cube, my colleagues and to my magazine life without a single tear (okay fine, so I tried my darnest to keep it back when a number of junior publishers bid me goodbye in unison) . Well, I'll still be back at the office to finish my clearance so they'll still see me around. I stopped blogging because of a very traumatic happening. I initially didn't want to talk about it but after fellow blogger Ro texted me and told me that her helper got the exact same call I immediately replied back and told her to be careful. I felt that everyone should know what happened to take caution. Last Wednesday, January 9 (Feast of the Nazarene), someone called our house at 10AM looking for me. Here was how her conversation went: Caller: Hello, nandyan si Fran? Helper: Ay wala po si Ate Fr...

*SPONSORED POST* As much as I hate to admit it, I do appreciate surprises. Well not the kind that would make my hair stand on its ends or those that would make my heart run a million miles per minute. I love sweet surprises. Those that would make me go “awwww” and get all giddy and smiley all throughout the day. Surprises that involves food is also a good thing. A few weeks ago, I was invited to a Myster Dinner . I’m no stranger to this kind of dinner as Paul and I were recently able to join one by Pinoy Eats World and we both had a blast. The invite simply instructed me to head to the Bonifacio Global City where I, together with other food bloggers, will be picked up and whisked away to our undisclosed location. The ride was quite long and guesses were thrown here and there as to where we’re exactly heading. Finally, as the van made a turn towards Quirino Avenue , I suddenly had a strong feeling we’re heading to somewhere familiar. A place that I truly love and have grown f...

What's a great staycation without good food? Actually,  whenever Paul and I are having a staycation we rarely leave the hotel and instead take the opportunity to check out the different food establishments available inside. During our stay at Acacia Hotel , they only had one F&B establishment called Acaci . This is apart from the lobby and the poolside that also serves drinks and some light snacks. Delicious Salmon Gravlax at Acaci Located at the mezzanine level of the hotel, I was impressed by the size of the restaurant. To be honest, I wasn't expecting it to be very big. However, the restaurant has a capacity of about 150 guests at the very least. We had our dinner date at Acaci a few hours after checking in. Note that I just came from a full day cooking class where I've been inhaling butter, eggs and pasta for more than 5 hours and Paul and I even ate the three pasta dishes that I made. We just rested for about an hour and there we were seated at Acaci ...

A few months back, after my full day Pasta Class at Global Academy , Paul and I headed down South for yet another weekend staycation. I don't know why but I always get excited whenever the chance to visit Alabang comes around. I guess, it's because of the numerous restaurants that I've been wanting to try and my list keeps getting longer as I only get to visit Alabang at least once a year. So excited was I that I immediately sent fellow Jane an email to ask for her foodie recommendations. She was so nice that she sent me a very comprehensive one making me all the more excited for that particular weekend. The beauty of staycations is that you get to unwind and relax without killing yourself with a long car/boat/plane ride. Acacia Hotel is a homegrown five star luxury hotel situated right at the heart of busy Alabang . It is indeed strategically located making it so accessible to nearby malls, a weekend market and a number of restaurants and coffee shop. We got to the ...