Frannywanny

It's no secret that I love food and friends can testify how I can just go on and on for hours talking about it. So, it is also not a big surprise whenever acquaintances would ask me what my favorite food is or where do I normally go to when I want a surefire delicious meal. The funny thing is, I would sometimes end up a bit stumped on what the right answer should be. I guess it's because I've dined at more a thousand restaurants all over the region and this encompasses a wide range of cuisines too. One time, I really took a few minutes to think about it and the answer simple. I love pasta. There, I said it. If there's one thing that I love to eat in this world, it would definitely be a plate of pasta preferably cooked in an oil-based sauce with mushrooms, cheese, a simple choice of meat and spices. At the end of the day, I realized, nothing beats going back to basic . Pasta, to me, is the kind of dish that I would have whenever I had a long day at work. It's a p...

I know Singapore is a small country with a total land area of a little more than 700km 2  which makes it just a bit bigger than Metro Manila's 600km 2 . Add to the fact that commuting around is so easy and convenient yet I haven't really been around that much. Oh, what have I been doing this past year and a half? Take for example Robertson Quay . It's one of those must-visit places as it's filled with 3rd wave coffee shops and it's said to also be a great place to hang out in or to jog around too. I've been meaning to visit this place but laziness normally strikes the moment the weekend rolls in. I'm glad my good friend Gelats was in town and despite our crazy schedules, we agreed to meet up for a quick coffee chat. She asked me to choose the place and I went for Common Man Coffee Roasters  which has been one of the top coffee places to go to this year. Finding it was quite easy with the help of our GPS, I enjoyed walking across the colorful graffi...

No. I wasn't hallucinating. I swear my Chunky Steak Pie was giving me a weird quizzical look. Don't believe me? Here's the proof: My Chunky Steak Pie got attitude! 

I'm totally loving the 3rd wave coffee trend! Imagine, 5 years back, it was just the Green Siren and a few other big coffee shop chains dominating the coffee-drinking world. Today, we're seeing the rise of more coffee aficionados showing us that there's more to life than a cup of brewed coffee with sugar and cream. I'm glad though that the 3rd wave coffee is totally booming here in Singapore as well as in Manila so wherever I go, I have the privilege of trying out one coffee shop after the other. So, after my back-to-back gym classes last week which felt oh-so- gooood , I treated myself to a light but delicious coffee break at Three Cups Coffee Co . at the 4th level of One Raffles Place. I went on a Saturday and the entire mall, which caters mostly to the CBD office crowd, was so quiet and calm. The shops were empty and even  Three Cups Coffee Co.  was also having a slow slow slow day. A bit too slow though that I can't help but get turned off by the guy mann...

If there's one thing that I was truly thankful for about our trip to Kuala Lumpur , it would definitely be the fact that cousin J thought of renting a car. It just made moving around so much easier and safer too. For as long as I'm with Paul or with a more experienced left-hand driver, I'll make sure to rent a car next time I'm traveling too. So, on our 1st day in KL, we decided to head up to Genting Highlands which is a quick 1-hour drive from the city center. Paul and I have never been to Genting Highlands so we really didn't know what to expect. All we heard was the famous theme park as well as the big Resorts World casinos. The drive up reminded us of our Baguio trips only it has less dangerous curves and the road was filled with directional signages and speed humps. Finally, we reached Genting Highlands and it was a good thing that cousin B reminded us to bring our jacket as it was cold and very windy! 

When we were sort of planning for our weekend trip to Kuala Lumpur , I'm glad that we had cousin J with us as he took care not only of booking our flights, but he went ahead and handled the booking of our hotel and he even rented a car too! He was so organized that I swear, this was the only trip where I happily tagged along without minding that we didn't had any proper itinerary and I know that we will still have a great time. Cousin J is the best travel companion, I tell you. So, when I casually asked him where we're staying in KL, he told me that he booked us all at Novotel Kuala Lumpur . Yay! If you remember, four year ago, this was also where Paul and I stayed for our honeymoon and save for the drilling and mysterious water sound, we loved the hotel's close proximity to the major shopping malls and the beautiful view of the Petronas Towers too. 

A month ago, Paul and I flew to Kuala Lumpur for a quick weekend getaway to celebrate his birthday with his cousins. Luckily, Kuala Lumpur (KL) is a fast 55 minute flight away from Singapore making it such an ideal place to go to when we just need a vacation but barely have any work leave credits to use up. We flew out after work on a Friday and was back on Sunday night. Being a city girl, there are only two things that I love to do in Kuala Lumpur -- to shop and to eat . Of course, there's gawking at the beautiful Petronas Towers in the process too. I'm not really fond of hiking up any mountain, nor coming face to face with monkey or birds so as I was planning for our weekend trip, I've basically scrap all those out from the list. It worked out well for us though as we just wanted to have a relaxing weekend anyway. So, on our last day in KL, cousin B requested if we can have lunch at Nando's . She loves the Chicken Liver very much and after hearing her raves ab...

Here's some Monday musing: Moving to a new country is like having a new life.  It's definitely a big leap of faith as you pack your suitcases and temporarily say good bye to your old life. The kind that you've grown to be so familiar and comfortable with. Then you land in a new, unfamiliar place with perhaps a few acquaintances here and there. They're definitely not the same old gang whom you've been hanging with every single day but then that means giving you the chance to build a better relationship with them and to find new friends too. It's normal that for someone who used to be so socially active, your social life in this new place can drop to zero for the first few weeks or months. Here's my advice, embrace the change with a smile . It will make adjusting so much more easier. Personally, I enjoyed my new peaceful and quiet life where I finally found the time to focus on myself for a change. It has been a year of learning new things, being more inde...

Remember the time when I first discovered this awesome and hip luggage covers from Conservo ? Well, I've received a number of emails and inquiries from readers not only in the Philippines but also here in Singapore asking me how to avail of it. Here's a piece of good news -- readers here in Singapore can now purchase these gorgeous luggage covers and to have it delivered straight to your doorstep (or at least to your mailbox). At the moment, there are only 5 pieces on sale: Small (S$25) : Ecliptic and Spectrum Medium (S$30) : Brilliant Travels, Ecliptic and Spectrum *price is not inclusive of shipping fee

One burrito, two burrito, three burrito... OLE!  I just hate it when colleagues leave. Most especially those who are really close to me. So, when my friend and fellow kababayan in the office J told me that he's leaving, I was in disbelief. You see, I've known J for a little more than a year yet I'll never forget how welcoming he was on my first week in the office. It's so cool too that he shares the same name as Paul's favorite action star so my goal was really to make them meet right away. However, who am I to stand in the way of career growth and success? I wished J all the best and we promised to keep in touch. We didn't let him go without saying a proper goodbye and for us, this means going out for a nice and delicious lunch. For J, we headed to Muchachos  which is my colleagues' go-to Mexican place. I've been hearing about this restaurant but since it's not that accessible from our old office, I never really got around to walking all the ...

I have to hand it to my parents for teaching me and Pan to appreciate eating vegetables at a young age. I remember that back then, there's never a day that would pass that there won't be any kind of vegetable dish in our meal. Of course, as kids, we were still picky then. Choosing the leafy ones such as spinach, lettuce, broccoli over the gooey and slimy ones (eg: eggplant, okra and bittergourd). As we grew up, that's when our taste buds began to appreciate more flavors and today, I can proudly say that I'm just down to not liking peas, carrots and okra which I don't think will ever be well-suited to my taste...ever. So, when I received an invite to visit Joie by Dozo and to try its 7-course meatless dinner, I was pretty much excited for it. After all, I've been trying to eat more greens since I moved to the Lion City and this invite was simply perfect timing. The restaurant is located at the rooftop garden of Orchard Central giving it an all-zen vibe. J...

♫ Oh, do you know the muffin man, The muffin man, the muffin man, Do you know the muffin man, Who lives in Drury Lane? ♫ I think I have just found my favorite lunch cafe here in the Lion City! It all began when I received a message from fellow blogger Jane telling me that her friend and also a fellow blogger Leng is coming to Singapore and will soon be relocating here after she ties the knot with her beloved Plaid Boy next year. Of course, I excitedly said yes as I just love meeting new friends here. So Leng and I exchanged quick hi's and hellos and we began planning for our lunch meet-up. Since I can't go really far from the office, I'm glad that my work area is brimming with so much food options making it easier (or shall I say harder) for us to choose our lunch date venue. Then I spotted Drury Lane  which was just down the road from the Tanjong Pagar Plaza . I figured that it would a quick walk from the MRT too so it would be too much of a hassle for Leng. Coinciden...

Someday I wish to meet Chef Keisuke Takeda and when that moment comes, I'll tell him that I'm such a big fan and I think that he's such a foodie genius. You see, Chef Keisuke has opened a total of 6 different restaurant concepts here in Singapore and I was able to try half of it already. The first was purely accidental. I was really new here and with my birthday coming up, I just made a quick research on where's the newest ramen shop in town. This brought me to Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King Four Seasons  that was the first time that the NKids have ever tried this restaurant and we all loved it! In fact, this particular branch has been on top of our list when it comes to saying where's the best ramen in Singapore. Then, on the first day in our new office, my colleagues and I tried Ramen Keisuke Tori King . I never thought I'll ever like Chicken Ramen as I would imagine it to be served like a Chicken Macaroni Soup. Safe, bland and boring. Well, to say that Chef ...

I really like it when our friend A is in town. This is because it gives the NKids a perfect reason to go out on a weeknight to try a new place for dinner. It was also perfect timing that it was  I 's birthday not so long ago so a post celebration was in order. We had it at one of her favorite restaurants here in the Lion City -- Brewerkz , a microbrewery and a restaurant bar all in one! A quick check on my Entertainer App and I realized that I got 1-for-1 vouchers for all main dishes too! I'm truly loving my Entertainer App as it allows me to try the different restaurants in Singapore for half the price. Since we all wanted meat, we decided to get two orders of the 3 Big Pigs (S$84) platter. It's a HUGE sharing platter that consists of Pork Knuckles , BBQ Kielbasa Sausages and BBQ Pork Ribs . It came with a scoop of creamy mashed potato and an array for sauces that best complements the three meats. Among the three, I enjoyed the ribs the most. It's because it w...

It has been said over and over again how Singapore is Asia's food mecca. With a wide selection of gastronomic options here, eating in the Lion City is always something that one can look forward to. Ask anyone from locals to foreigners on what is their favorite Singaporean dish and most likely you'll get one that is readily available at any hawker centre. You see, the history of hawker centres dates back to the 1970s as part of the government's plan to clean up the street and to provide a better dining establishment for both the vendors and customers alike. I'd say that these hawker centres played a vital role in Singapore's growth to what it is today. To honor these hawker heroes, a couple of my fellow food bloggers, Derrick, Maureen and Ian, created a fun one-day event called the Ultimate Hawker Fest that is happening on the 22nd of November 2014 in  Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre . Participants of this event will be able to taste the...

I always believe in one thing: " No Man is an Island. " This quote is pretty much self-explanatory. It tells us that in life, we need people to be there for us. Being an extrovert, I know for a fact that I won't survive without Paul, my parents and sister, my in-laws, my extended family and my friends as well. You don't need an entire community to be there for you but to have that small and big circles of trust is enough to make life worth living. For one thing, a fun lunch is impossible to have without friends there to share it with. Which is why I'm mighty thankful for my favorite lunch crew namely G, D and K (whom I miss so much) . I love how they're always so game to go out and try a new restaurant or cafe with me. So recently, when our friend C was back in Singapore from China, a nice get-together lunch was in order. Her only request was to look for a place with free Wi-Fi. That was easy! I went through my Entertainer app and found Group Therapy , a...

Months ago, I chanced upon another Facebook post (I swear, I must be the target audience of these fitness ads!) about the first-ever Hello Kitty Fun Run here in Singapore. This was to celebrate Hello Kitty's 40th Birthday and being a big Kitty fan that I am, I quickly filled up the sign up form even with no specific details on when the run will be and where it will be held. Yes, I was THAT big a fan. Days after that, a more detailed website announcement was put up where it led us to do our final confirmation and to really sign up for the race. It was a 5K fun run in Sentosa on the 1st of November . With no marathon experience whatsoever in the past, I just took a deep breath and hit that submit button to confirm my participation and quickly paid the S$65 participation fee too. Fast forward to last Friday, they started handing out the cutest race kits that I've ever seen! Paul was the one who went to claim for me and he said that he was impressed at how organized the di...