Frannywanny

Opa! There are a number of restaurants in Manila that I love for their consistent quality in taste and service. Cibo of Chef Margarita Fores is one and the other is definitely Chef Robby Goco's Cyma . In fact, I wouldn't limit this to only these two restaurants but will consider all the chain of restaurants under their hats. Somehow, both chefs never fail to come out with impressive restaurants that has been making us go back to over and over again. I think one factor is how hands-on they've been on their businesses. Take Chef Robby Goco for example, I've seen him countless of times in Cyma , Green  Pastures , Charlie's Burger , even his Mexican restaurant a couple of years back called Ristras and just recently, we met again at Souv! -- his newest business venture. While Cyma is clearly a household name here in the Philippines as it is probably the first restaurant to introduce Greek cuisine to the local market, Souv! is it's hip, younger brother that...

Dearest L and J,  In exactly a week's time, we will finally meet for the first time. That said, I thought of writing you both the first of the many letters that you will be receiving from me. Our journey together started around early March and it has been filled with a lot of excitement with a mix of paranoia as I simply just wanted to do everything right for the two of you. Your Dad is a tougher cookie but I know how paranoid he gets too as he would check on your heartbeats and patiently monitors your kicks every single night.  Often times, I try to imagine what will be the feeling of seeing you both for the first time. Will I cry? Will I laugh? I'm not really sure as I'll partially be drugged with anesthesia too but one thing is for sure -- my heart is  filled with so much gratitude. It's exactly the feeling of finally getting that one thing that you've been wishing, hoping and praying for the longest time.  We have grown to be so close through all these mon...

Next to Chinese and Japanese cuisines, my family also has a growing fondness for Korean food. For instance, we all love adding kimchi to our barbecued meats, the wide array of banchan never fails to excite us and pajeon, bibimbap and galbi jim will always be part of our order line-up. So, when I heard that a new Korean restaurant named Sibyullee recently opened at the relatively new Ayala Malls The 30th in Pasig, I took the opportunity to invite my parents out for lunch one day. It was all our first time to check out the mall and I got to say that I love the very relaxed, neighborhood vibe that it gives. The selection of restaurants and retail shops were quite impressive too not to mention that they even have a Rustans Supermarket available at the Ground Floor and a row of cinema at the top floor to complete the mix.

Today's mood meter reading is screaming : HAPPY! Wanna know why? It's because my twins and I have finally reached our 35th week  mark and believe me, it was quite a challenge to get this far. With that, I believe  I deserve a platter of sushi right after my delivery in two weeks. (Paul, hope you're reading this!) Kidding aside, it has truly been a tough last trimester for me which also explains my frequent absence here on the blog and on social media too. As easy and smooth sailing my first two trimesters were, the 3rd trimester began with two hospital confinements, more medications, random hyperacidity attacks, a bad flu and recently, another hospital scare which could have led to the possibility of the twins arriving earlier than scheduled. Thankfully and I would like to think that we're all past those and I am hoping that I can enjoy the last two weeks of my pregnancy with less stress and with greater anticipation. Truly, this could have been my body's way of r...

shiok [adj.] : Singlish word used to describe a dish that's satisfying, good or delicious. While the Philippines is literally a foodie melting pot with a wide array of restaurants specializing in all sorts of cuisines from all over the world, Paul and I can't help but notice that there seems to be a shortage of Singaporean/Malaysian restaurants around. It's quite mind boggling though given the number of locals who travel to these two countries on a regular basis plus the huge population of Filipinos residing there too. If you ask me, Singaporean/Malaysian cuisine has a very close taste profile as our local Filipino cuisine perhaps with just more heat and the use of a lot more spices. So imagine how happy I was when we recently discovered Shiok Shiok Singapore Food along Nicanor Roxas street in Quezon City. Coincidentally, we dined there on the 9th of August, Singapore's National Day. What a great way to celebrate our second home's special day. Together with ...

There's nothing that excites me more than a challenge... a foodie challenge, that is. When the folks over at Doña Elena asked me if I'm game to prepare a special pasta dish using their products, this got me so excited that I said yes. Luckily, the package came ahead of my twins' grand debut so I still have time to work in the kitchen before I start dealing with milk and dirty diapers. I'm quite familiar with Doña Elena's product line-up as I used to buy their Spanish sardines, pasta noodles and olive oil among many others. I didn't know that they actually have their own pesto sauce and whole tomatoes too. Looking at my Doña Elena's loot, I was inspired to take the tomato-based route and prepare my version of Shrimp Fettuccine Puttanesca .

I'll never forget having one of the best meals in Manila right before relocating to Singapore some four years ago. It was at Mesclun Cafe at Linden Suites where I fell deeply in love with Chef Katrina Kuhn-Alcantara's Ulang Thermidor and Sisig Spaghetti . In fact, I've been a fan of Chef Katrina's cooking from her Cuillere days followed by her amazing sandwiches at Chuck's Deli . Everything that comes out from her kitchen never fails to leave me in such a dreamy, happy state. So, when I got an invite to visit Aruga Cafe by Mesclun at the Rockwell Center, I made sure not to miss it! This time, Chef Katrina and her team leads the full operation of the hotel's in-house F&B establishment and she has prepared a varied menu for breakfast and for lunch and dinner too. Dining here should definitely be part of the to-do list of all hotel guests. It would definitely be a waste to not dine here and enjoy Chef Katrina's mouthwatering dishes. Our lunch be...