Frannywanny

When one says Japanese cuisine, admit it. The first thing that comes to mind is -- SUSHI. This could probably be followed by ramen, tempura and the donburis. Nothing wrong with that as all those are correct but what I love about the Japanese cuisine is its grand variety of dishes using a lot of different ways to prepare it. From raw, we get to enjoy boiled, steamed, deep-fried, pan-fried and grilled. The list could go on and on, actually. I was invited to try Sumiya  located also at the new wing of Suntec City. It's located right across my fitness gym so just imagine how difficult it is to concentrate while slaving away on the treadmill and right in front of you is a row of tempting restaurants. Sumiya  means charcoal house  in Japanese and living up to its name, it boasts of being the first in Singapore to use two food preparation technologies namely, the fish-drying machine as well as the inori genshiyaki which is an old-school Japanese way of grilling using charcoa...

If there's something that I find so amazing about the Indian cuisine, these must be its rich aroma, the creative combinations of herbs and spices and interesting stories that goes behind each dish. Needless to say, I've always been a fan of Indian food. Friends know all about my addiction towards papadum, paneer and mutton briyani to name a few. So, when I found out that one of my favourite hotel buffets in Singapore, MELT , is having its annual Flavours of India promotion, I knew that its something that I shouldn't miss out on. For our tasting dinner, we had a preview of some of the dishes that patrons can expect to enjoy during the 15-day period. To make it more special, they will have an exclusive wine-pairing dinner on 28 October 2015 for only S$98 . I've never had wine with Indian food before as I would always get my staple Mango Lassi so this one was really new to me. I got to MELT right on time and having had to walk quite a distance from the bus station, I ...

My good friend S has always been very creative. I remember years back, I would always admire the pretty birthday invites that she would make for her little ones. To me, she's like Manila's Martha Stewart where every nook and cranny of her home remains to be so pretty, cozy and organized all day. She can also whip up a really yummy pasta dish and lately, she also made me a cup of yummy coffee too. So, when she told me that she's opening her own print shop, the first thing that came to mind was.. "Finally!" Serendipity Print Shop  specializes in personalized cards and notes designed to suit your taste. From cutesy cartoon prints to dainty florals, S can give you various options to choose from. After you choose your design, then you specify if you want it as a gift card, a note card, perhaps your business card or even as a notepad. Setting my biases aside, I have to say that the printing quality is very good. Trust me, coming from the publication industry, I pre...

When faced with a busy day at work where you ended up traveling from west to east to central for meetings all in one day, the best way to end is it with a good meal. Agree?  A couple of months ago, Paul and I were invited to sample the newly updated menu of En Grill & Bar in River Valley. We have been to their branch at Bukit Timah where we had a delicious Japanese a la carte buffet dinner with friends but that was more than two years ago. I think a long overdue return just made perfect sense. What we love about En's line-up is how they gave a modern take on the traditional Japanese cuisine. Be ready to entice your tastebuds with melt-in-your-mouth top quality Wagyu beef called the Motobu beef . In fact, En Grill & Bar imports this directly from the source all the way from Yanbaru ranch in Okinawa, Japan. I'm no expert in beef as I even abstained from it for a couple of years ago but I do know that the higher the grade level the yummier the beef is. That said...

Annyeong Haseyo! Konichiwa! 你好 ! This just got to be one of the best culinary showdowns that has ever graced the kitchen stadium ! In corner we got the fiery hot, yet ever colorful Korean cuisine. On the other side, there's the fresh and always attractively-packaged Japanese masterpiece. Last but not the least, the comforting flavors from China which most of us grew up with. This was definitely one thing that I couldn't miss during my recent trip back home and I got my entire family to enjoy it with me. Running up until October 15, 2015, this buffet will entice your taste buds with the gastronomic flavors from the North Asian region. This is indeed the time when Bibimbap, Pajeon, Sushi and Dimsum takes center stage. You all know that Marriott Cafe is one of my favorite hotel buffets in Manila as I just love the wide selection of dishes available and it's presented in such as way that it doesn't overwhelmed you that you'll feel too full to really enjoy yo...

It's no secret how much I love love love ice cream! In fact, it's the best thing to end a meal with and I try to find all sorts of ways and reasons just to have ice cream everyday. So, when my best friend L came to visit, I thought that it just made perfect sense to take her to enjoy some ice cream which, at that time, wasn't available in Manila yet . Of course, L, being my very good and supportive friend was so game to check out Honey Creme  at 313 Somerset which has been having long queues for months. Luckily, we got there at the right non-peak time that there wasn't any queue at all. Honey Creme opened in Singapore last year and it has paved the way for the craze for silky soft Korean ice cream topped with all sorts of toppings. From the classic Dark Chocolate drizzle or a shot of espresso for Affogato to the much sought-after honeycomb and head-turning, attention-catching cotton candy! 

Apologies for the corny title! It's midnight and I just had a nice wine pairing dinner so.. you now all know what alcohol can do to my sense of humor. Anyway, let me tell you about this nice food app that I came across with. It was during one of those dinners that I had with fellow bloggers a few months back that we started talking about the different food mobile apps available. As you know, we adore scoring great dining deals! After all, with our frequency of dining out, being able to save a little more here and there is indeed a big deal. Meet Sugar ! Sugar is an interesting mobile app that allows users to either buy coupons instantly, skim it to reduce the price or to share the deal with their friends to lower it further. The only catch is one user in the entire Sugar universe can purchase the coupon. Thus, what normally happens is that the popular ones easily get snapped up within minutes. Fastest finger reigns supreme here. For instance, my first Sugar purchase was...

I know I'm a few days delayed but allow me to still wish you all...祝你中秋節快樂 (Happy Mid-Autumn Festival)!!! Next to the Chinese New Year, this is one of my much-awaited festivals as I love love love shopping for and eating mooncakes. Back in Manila, I thought there was just one kind -- the traditional baked kind that's filled with white lotus paste, salted egg and melon seeds. It was when I moved to Singapore that I was introduced to a whole new universe of mooncakes! From snowskin wrapped mooncakes filled with coffee, ice cream, truffles, durian and even for some, even bacon. I really have to give it to the mooncake chefs and his creativity. This year was made extra special by 1872 Clipper Tea Co as it allowed me to take a step further and to learn how to make mooncakes. I was really excited upon receiving the invite and it coincidentally fell right on Paul's birthday making it a really happy day. I joined a small group of fellow bloggers at the very cozy flat of The...