Frannywanny

Let me talk about Singapore's national dish once again -- the Hainanese Chicken Rice . This is really such a popular dish that no hawker centre or food court is complete without it. However, when it comes to searching for the best, Paul and I ventured out even to places that's not quite accessible by the MRT in order to have a taste of what some people would call THE BEST.  Let's see about that. First stop was at Boon Tong Kee in River Valley. Our first visit was exactly a few days after we got here a year ago. I can still remember it clearly though, Paul and I went to Sunday Mass and we agreed to have dinner at Boon Tong Kee which was located just around the corner. Can you just imagine how hard it was for me to concentrate during the priest's sermon when my mind was filled with visions of that tender white chicken meat, shiny and fragrant rice and more? Oh what a challenge and such a delicious temptation. 

O's birthday is coming up and he decided to celebrate it with the Normanton kids (NKids) a little bit earlier. So one Sunday, we traveled to the west *background music: Go West by Pet Shop Boys*   to have lunch at the new Westgate Mall . It was our second time here and I really like this mall a lot. While the zoning was a wee bit confusing, I just love the good mix of restaurants that you can find here. There's Tim Ho Wan , Ippudo SG, Paradise Dynasty, Miam Miam, my favorite Poulet , Tsukada Nojo and Skinny Pizza to name a few. One thing about the Nkids is that we are all up for trying out a new restaurant every time we go out together. So on this special day of O's, we tried Chicken Hot Pot which is a franchise from Shanghai, China. As the name suggests, this restaurant specializes in hot pot which is also known as shabu-shabu or steamboat. However, what makes it different is that the pot comes with a whole lot of meat and less soup initially. After you get your first...

I'd say, living in Manila, we were spoilt with a wide array of choices when it comes to Hong Kong / Cantonese - influenced dishes. Dimsum, for one, is abundant and almost all Chinese restaurants offers this. In fact, we can get siopao and siomai even from our neighborhood convenience store! With all these choices, then comes the inevitable questions -- where's the best dimsum in Manila ? Once again, I'll start by saying that taste is subjective so for Frannywanny, it just got to be Shang Palace at the Makati Shangri-la Hotel .  I love it so much that every visit I make always should include having lunch at Shang Palace just to enjoy their dimsum! We've been here so many times and yet there's no sign of us getting tired of it soon..maybe not ever in this lifetime! Luckily, our family loves it too making it such a breeze to round up the gang for some dimsum feast. It makes it so much better whenever we're given the function room allowing us more priv...

I ♥ ♥ ♥ SUSHI! Together with pesto pasta , a bag of corn chips and a box of Putong Ube , sushi one of my all-time favorites and definitely my ultimate comfort food of choice too. This is also why I just love dining at rotating sushi restaurants as I really enjoy choosing and feasting on dozens and dozens of fresh hand-rolled sushi and sashimi. Here in the Lion City, my go-to place for good but very affordable sushi is Ichiban Sushi  and its sister restaurant, Ichiban Boshi . I'm not really sure what the difference between the two are as I'd see one or the other in most of the major shopping malls all over the country. Both has that sushi conveyor belt, the same set of bento boxes and donburis and pretty much the same menu. I have this notion though that Ichiban Boshi  is slightly a notch higher than Ichiban Sushi  but I may be wrong. Does anyone know what's the difference between the two? Anyway, whenever visiting VIPs (a.k.a. our dear family) in town, we would alwa...

The temperature outside has been rising at such lightning speed! Almost everyday, we would complain of how hot it is outside and to cool down, all the more I start craving for ice cream, shakes and I've been entertaining thoughts of going for a nice relaxing swim at the pool or in the beach ( I miss you Boracay! ) It's THAT time of the year wherein I'd happily swap my staple Caramel Macchiato with a tall cup of Frappuccino any given time of the day. That's exactly what Paul and I did over the weekend when we had our regular coffee date. Instead of going for our usual orders (CM for me, Caramel Hot Chocolate for him), we tried Starbucks Coffee's newest drinks -- the Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino and the Banana Mango Frappuccino . Don't they just look so yummy and refreshing?

Over the past few weeks, my social media walls have been filled with photos of beautiful Korea where most of my friends and even some of my relatives went to for a nice vacation. These made me remember how much fun Paul and I had went we went to Seoul for a 5 day long trip two years ago. Almost everyday, we would have our favorite kimbap, Korean fried chicken and of course, beef bulgogi. Korean food is one cuisine that I don't think I'll ever get tired of having. I love it just as much as I love Chinese and Japanese food too. Since there's a small chance that we will go back to Seoul this year, we decided to just treat ourselves to a Korean dinner at the newly opened Chef's Noodle at Harbourfront Centre one evening. I've heard of Chef's Noodle back in Manila as they have a branch along Annapolis Street in Greenhills and they have expanded since then even tapping a couple of celebrities as endorsers. It's actually rare to have a restaurant open first in Ma...

I'm back from my short  Lenten hiatus and it surely was a good 3-day well spent organizing, getting artsy and creative as well as enjoying my life offline. How about you? I'm pretty sure a number of you are on your way back from an amazing vacation! Tell me about it below, okay? Anyway, do you remember the old nursery rhyme that goes like this: Hot cross buns!  Hot cross buns!  One a penny, Two a penny,  Hot cross buns! In some countries, it's a tradition to have a Hot Cross Bun during Good Friday . Well, it was my first time to see a real Hot Cross Bun  up close and the moment I saw it, I got every single flavor there is in Cedele Bakery Cafe . We then had this at home for breakfast last Good Friday and it was fun doing a little taste-testing on which flavor is the best.

In the observance of lent, Frannywanny.com will be taking a break from all social media sites. p.s. For those who are travelling around the Philippines, to Singapore or beyond (!) : do refer to my tabs found here , here and here . Going offline in 5....4.....3....2..... *poof*

For most of you in Manila, I'm pretty sure that you're really excited for the day to end as it will officially mark the start of your four-day weekend! Awww you lucky lucky people! I have an extra work day to go and I'm off for that much-awaited 3 day break that I've been looking forward to since February! Who agrees with me that while traveling is really fun, packing your bags and luggage can sometimes be a chore. Despite my OCD tendencies, I really do not like packing before a trip as it means making sure that I bring the right clothes in the right quantity and to make it all fit things inside my luggage without packing in too much weight too. Paul is an pro in packing light so it really has been his frustration that his wife (a.k.a. me) always has the tendency to bring the entire closet if not the house with her. I really couldn't help it! The worst thing is to get to your destination and you realize you left something at home. I'm learning though...let...

Lately it has been extremely hot outside. Too hot that I have been avoiding all reasons to go out for lunch and instead would happily eat my homemade sandwich in the comforts of my air-conditioned office. Oh what I'd give to have a tall glass of Halo-Halo right now. This year, someone predicted that the Filipino cuisine will be the next big thing . I'm really excited for this to happen as I honestly feel there's so much for the world to taste and to appreciate about our local dishes. Set aside the famous adobo, we got our laing, pinakbet, the really comforting sinigang, our wake-me-upper silogs and of course, all our pork dishes from crispy pata down to sisig. The Filipino cuisine will surely take the gastronomic world by storm, don't you think? Having said that, I really miss Filipino food at the moment. Despite the many restaurants available, if you ask my Mom about her favorite Filipino restaurants, she will probably name 2-3 in a snap. One of these is Mesa Filip...

There's something about discovering a new eating place that never fails to excite me. Must be the fact that it's something new... or the uncertainty of what surprises could greet you. What makes it more fun is that we're surrounded with friends who shares the same intense love for food and who are just as excited as we are whenever a new promising restaurant has opened in the neighborhood. Well, Concetto by Saveur isn't exactly located in OUR neighborhood but for food, we definitely will go the distance.  Located at the ground floor of The Cathay building, Paul and cousin J decided to have dinner here a few nights ago. Silly me, I assumed that the restaurant must be big enough to sit everyone so there was no need to make a reservation. Well, look what greeted me at the front door. An automated reservation machine wherein I had to key in how big our party was together with my mobile number. It then sent an SMS to my phone giving me my reservation number. Th...

I promise ...  NO SPOILERS ! Last Saturday, Paul and I were so happy as we got an exclusive preview of certain scenes from the upcoming blockbuster movie, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 . We are both fans of the movie so no amount of strong rains and inviting thoughts of staying longer in bed were enough to make us miss this opportunity. What made it extra special was that we watched it at GV Max in Vivo City . The theater was almost double the size of the normal Golden Village movie theater and it's equipped with Dolby Atmos sound quality. So you can really feel like you're part of the movie and there's Spiderman swinging his way around NYC in front of you. We saw the preview in 3D so you can just imagine how it has heightened the adrenaline rush and excitement all throughout the screening. Though what we saw was just a short preview, it has brought me to the edge of my seat the moment "some characters" came out on screen. Trust me, watch it on 3D to get the ...

I scream for ICE CREAM ! Well you would too especially when they start giving away Free Ice Cream Cones for the entire day ! Ben & Jerry's is one of my favorite ice cream brands. I love the fun flavors available and the names that goes with it. For instance, have you ever tried Maple Treehugger, Clusterfluff or the Scotchy Scotch Scotch? These names will definitely get you to laugh as you wonder what makes up these creations. We love having pints of Ben & Jerry's ice cream at home with the Strawberry Cheesecake as our top favorite. During the weekends, Paul and I would also drop by the Ben & Jerry's store in Vivo City for our ice cream fix.

Much has been said about Singapore's Hainanese Chicken Rice . Debates have sparked here and there as to which restaurant or hawker stall reigns supreme. Each one has his or her own opinion and that's perfectly fine. We all know that taste is subjective . So what tastes better for me may not be the same case for you. However, one thing is certain -- Hainanese Chicken Rice (together with the Kaya Toast ) has surely put Singapore right at the center of the foodie map and for years..maybe even decades now, it has sealed its spot right there and I don't think this will change soon. No visit to the Lion City is complete without having a taste of this delectable dish that consists of boiled chicken cooked in a rich and really flavorful stock. It comes with a cup of rice that is also cooked using the same stock and is drizzled with oil and is served with a trio of dipping sauce -- ginger oil, sticky soy sauce and chili. Friends would always ask me where's the best Hainanes...

"Hi I'm Fran and I'm a staycation-holic." A few weeks ago, Paul and I checked in at  Days Hotel Singapore in Novena  which is located pretty much the opposite of town from where we live. I have to admit that getting around the area was a bit of a challenge on our first night but come our second, third and fourth (!) night, we were so used to the bus routes that passes in front of the building and even enjoyed checking out the restaurants nearby.  Days Hotel in Zhongshan Park opened sometime in 2012 and it's one of the nicest budget hotels that I've been to here in the Lion City. We got the room for only S$120 a night via Agoda on a spur-of-the-moment-let's-go-have-a-staycation kind of thing. Given the name, it's located right beside a nice park that links the hotel and the Zhongshan Mall beside it. It obviously got a perfect score in terms of convenience as the mall houses a really big Fairprice Finest, a couple of restaurants and fast f...

I came across an old quote recently: "The only thing CONSTANT in life is CHANGE."   -François La Rochefoucauld In today's fast-paced, ever-changing world, we have been witnesses to things coming and going in such lightning speed. Restaurants opening and later bidding us good bye. Take these past 6 months for example, I've had my heart broken multiple times upon hearing news after news of restaurants closing both here in Singapore and in Manila . Competition is indeed very tough in this business but together with that comes inflation of goods, shocking increase in rent and sudden death of food trends. So, when a certain restaurant reaches a milestone, a big celebration is should definitely in order! I was recently invited to try the Anniversary Set Menu of Red House Seafood who's celebrating it's 38th anniversary this year. This restaurant first opened at the Upper East Coast Road back in 1976 but has moved out of their original site years after. It l...

I have to admit, I was never a bread person. Given the chance I would choose to eat pasta and noodles all day followed by rice. However, as you get older, your preference changes. While I still love my pasta and noodle dishes, I've also learned to appreciate having a sandwich as a meal. What more when I was introduced to all the delicious combinations and bread options there is. I love croissants most especially the wholemeal kind, bagels are also something I'm really fond of and the more unique the bread is, the most inclined I am in trying it. However, nothing beats our local Pan de Sal filled with a wide-variety of spreads one can think of. So, one lazy Sunday, Paul and I decided to check out Tiong Bahru Bakery with my dear Mommy who came to visit us for the weekend. Mommy, as you all know, is a very healthy and simple eater. She doesn't like anything creamy, deep-fried or overly sweet. So, when I told her about Tiong Bahru Bakery , I sold the idea by saying that we...

Look who made it to  The New Paper TODAY! Big thanks to fellow blogger Wee Teck who chose to feature me or more like my favorite dish here in the Lion City! It was indeed hard to choose just one but I went with the yummiest  Fried Chicken Briyani at Kamal Restaurant which has been my no-fail go-to place most especially with visiting friends and family. To all readers and friends in Singapore, grab a copy today for only 70¢! Thank you Wee Teck and The New Paper for making my day today! You guys rock! \m/

Every time Paul and I are in Manila, we make sure to spend our time bonding with our families and catching up with our good friends. We're so blessed to have friends who would really take time out of their busy schedules to share a good meal with us. Take for example one of our favorite couple friends - Ro and Peter . We've known each other back in the day when Ro and I were pretty much newbies in the blogging world. Fast forward 4-5 years after and our friendship has grown from being mere blogging friends who would bump into each other casually in events to close life friends who would spend time catching up and talking about everything and anything under the sun.  So when Ro and Peter invited us to join them for lunch at ' Cue Modern Barbecue , we excitedly said YES! Incidentally, 'Cue recently launched a new line of dishes which is part of their Porch Menu . Our tasting lunch consists of 4 rounds with a pair of finger foods and their specially created cockt...