Frannywanny

It's no big secret how much I love Japanese food. I just can't live without my sashimi and sushi. In fact, I dined and celebrated my 40th birthday at a Japanese restaurant TWICE this year. I think, it's one of those cuisines that I'll never get tired off. Well, the choices are endless as there are just a lot of ways to enjoy your Japanese food. You can have it done in various ways -- teppanyaki, yakitori, teriyaki, deep-fried, raw, with broth, mixed into your noodles or rice and the list goes on and on.  One of our family's favorite Japanese restaurants in the neighborhood is Tomo Japanese Dining . We love this restaurant so much for it's extensive menu options and they also have a coffee shop called Verse Cafe  that's adjacent to it that serves superb coffee and tea drinks. Here's actually a compilation of dishes that we have enjoyed throughout the multiple visits that we have made to these two establishments. The good thing is, you can order from Tomo

"Change is always good." This is what my Mom would always tell stubborn little me as I used to be really resistant to change when I was much younger. I guess it's the OC-side in me that I just like things done in a routine and in a definite process that a little change in that can really throw me off-track. Little by little, I learned to adapt, to bend, to be more flexible. Not physically but emotionally and mentally. I've learned to embrace the change and see that sometime's even when one thing is not broken, there are still more ways to improve. Such is the case for our well-loved Gloria Maris Seafood Restaurant . This restaurant has been a permanent fixture in the Greenhills Shopping Center and has played a huge role in my life growing up in this area. It's the place where we would go for our Mother-Daughter dim sum date, the place where my in laws would go for their hotpot , the place where my sister held her beautiful wedding reception and engagemen

So I had a lot of firsts last week --  -- had my first sponsored event for my brand, HerStyleAsia  which was for the Panasonic Manila Fashion Festival  -- my first fashion show experience and I got to sit at the front row 3 out of 4 days!  -- my first nights out since I gave birth to my twins -- my first few sips of alcohol since 2016 (and I'm not gonna lie.. it felt so so so good!) To many, probably the last event that you'd ever imagine me being present in would be a fashion event. I guess it's because I've been a food blogger way too long and the lifestyle a new mom (or rather a twin mom at that) doesn't really go hand in hand with staying out late and watching fashion shows. However, I really do feel lucky to be able to have this opportunity and I think the happiest thing about it is I am truly loving my new role at work where I get to be really creative and do big things to take my brands to the next level. HerStyleAsia is very new in the country and th

There's a new kid in town and we were all so excited to give it a try. Meet Alta by Relik . It's located in Santolan Town Plaza -- a new retail development by the Rockwell Group. While the mall itself is still slowly being filled, Alta by Relik  is located at the outer portion fronting the main road and is right across Starbucks Coffee. I can imagine this place being the newest hangout destination of people in the neighborhood.  During the recent holiday, Paul and I met up with our friends Abet, Joan , Jaz and Eric as well as our kids for lunch to catch-up with one another as it has been a while since we last saw each other. It's so sweet that they all agreed to come to our side of town to check out this new restaurant. Luckily, we got there when the restaurant wasn't that filled allowing the kids to have a lot of space to play around. I honestly never considered this aspect before. However, motherhood has made me more careful in choosing where I take my twins

In our many years of eating out, it's quite rare for us to keep visiting a particular restaurant as there's always that constant desire to try something new . After all, there are thousands of new restaurants yearly and the choices are pretty much endless. However, there's one particular restaurant that I've been frequenting on a weekly basis. I guess we got ourselves a winner. :) It was one afternoon in December when my friend M came home for a quick visit and invited me out for a coffee break. Since I had to feed the twins round the clock and I only have a two hour window to be away from them, the challenge is to find a good cafe nearby. It was in the wee hours of the morning when I stumbled upon Flossom Kitchen + Cafe . It was then a newly opened restaurant located right behind Rustan's Supermarket along P. Guevarra, literally a stone's throw away from home. Perfect! Luckily, my friend M was game to try this new cafe out and that marked the start of m

If there's one thing that I dread experiencing whenever I'm back in Manila then that would have to be the crazy traffic jam! It must be the never-ending road works or the growing number of cars on the road but the traffic condition continues to worsen year after year. Take our recent trip for example. We were very lucky that our  Philippine Airlines  flight arrived earlier than scheduled giving us more time to quickly see our family and head to San Juan for dinner. We got to NAIA 2 at 6pm and believe it or not, we reached San Juan at 830pm. That's 2 and half hours on the road with Waze giving us various routes to help us get home as quickly as possible. Oh my goodness! Papa, Pan and E were at home waiting for us and after we quickly dropped off our luggages, we headed to the nearest restaurant for our late dinner. I suggested Hai Chix & Steaks  as it has been on my list for the past months. I wasn't sure if it was any good but I guess, we'll never know if

Rise and Shine! Let me start your mid-week by talking about a new all-day breakfast nook that my friend (and kumare) S and I recently discovered during my last visit back in Manila. As I've mentioned before, our schedules every time we're back home is always so packed so I normally would meet up with friends for brunch, tea time or after dinner milk tea sessions. I haven't hanged out with my dear friend S for so long and I was so happy that we finally found a common free schedule to do so. Since we live quite near to each other, it was easy choosing a place to meet. She suggested Eggspresso  along J. Abad Santos and I excitedly said yes as I've been hearing about this place from my friend T. As the name suggests, this restaurant specializes in all things with eggs. I believe that eggs and cheese are the two things that you can never go wrong with. These two can make what could be a simple ho-hum dish into one that's so delicious. The restaurant was very new wh

No matter how short or long our stay in Manila is, what we loved the most are those times that we would spent with our families. I'd say, we're really improving in terms of scheduling our meet-ups as we get to allot more to family and our ever understanding friends would willingly take the brunch or tea time slots. During our recent visit home, we blocked off our Sunday lunch to go out for a nice meal with my in laws. It was also this time when Paul and Achi Jen decided to co-celebrate their belated birthdays similar to how they used to do in the past since their birthdays are two days apart. Achi Jen took care of making the reservations upon my request to try Tomo Japanese Dining  in Araullo Street. It's really a good thing that she made a reservation as the whole place was fully booked that day. We even bumped into our former flatmate C and his family there! My MIL has been there a couple of times so she knows what are the must-orders. Here are some of the dishes that

A little more than two years ago, Paul and I first visited Calderon --  back then, a new Spanish restaurant located just a few blocks away from our home. From the minute we set foot inside up until we finally tried the food and enjoyed it, I knew that Calderon was here to stay. Our first visit was quickly followed by a second, a third and countless more as we would bring friends and family to try our new discovery out. Even after moving to the Lion City, we would make it a point to go back to Calderon once in a while whenever we're in town. Take for example, my Mommy's birthday party where our entire family took up the second floor of the restaurant and we feasted on Calderon's signature dishes including Mommy's favourite paella, of course. Needless to say, Calderon  has immediately became our family's favorite. photo by Mommy! During my recent visit home, my family and I went back to Calderon for a nice Sunday get-together. Even Kongkong was so excited

Despite the extremely short vacation that Paul and I recently had in Manila, we came back to Singapore weighing a bit more but definitely happier, more relaxed and rejuvenated once again. Nothing beats being able to catch up with friends and spending a couple of days with family. Believe it or not, I have to always put together a calendar every time I fly home. This is because my schedule is always packed to the brim with meet ups, errands and shopping. I'm very thankful that no matter what, we have friends who wouldn't mind waking up extra early or staying out a bit later than usual just to be with us. You guys know who you are and for that, we love you with all our hearts. ♥ Take for example my favorite Nuffies M and A, most of the time, we would just communicate via email but every time I'm back in Manila, M would make it a point to meet up with me. We agreed to have brunch at the newly opened coffee shop named CO/OP Manila along A. Mabini street in San Juan. I'

Look what I found! While driving along J. Abad Santos on our way to grab some milk tea, Paul and I chanced upon this new specialty shop that took the former location of Ristras . Seeing that they got jars of cookie butter and other interesting looking spread, we decided to check it out first before satisfying our milk tea craving. Welcome to Spice Island Trader . A nice catchy name, I must say.  Inside, you can see a mix of imported and local food finds that will surely make every foodie squeal with happiness. Well, it had that effect on me! Paul literally had to pull me out of the store as I just want to stay there all afternoon and to go through each and every product.  Here are some of my finds:

No matter how many days our visit to Manila may be, we always fly back feeling that it was too short! As they say, time flies when you're having fun and our recent 5 day trip zoomed by so fast that I couldn't believed it when it was time to us to say goodbye to Manila once again. I have to say that among all the other visits that we've had so fast, this was the BEST. Why? Well, it's simple because we were able to see the people whom we wanted to see. Just our closest and dearest friends and family. Take for example my friends B and K, it has been a year since I last saw them and I really made it a point that no matter what happen, our planned lunch should push through. After all, the next time I'll see them, B will be a mommy while K will be a blushing bride. Oh, I'm so excited for them! Since I told them that I was to try a new restaurant this visit, we decided to check out Roots Market Bistro located at the new Greenhills Promenade. Outside, they're

My recent visit home to Manila was short but it was truly one of the best. I'm just so happy that I was able to try a number of new restaurants and those meals were shared with the people who matters the most to me. As they say, quality over quantity . Aside from my closest friends and family, I also took the time out to treat that special one that continues to bring so much joy to our family -- meet our lovable doggie named Scottie ! One morning, Pan and I decided to take Scottie out for a ride and for a quick snack somewhere in the neighborhood. Pan discovered Whole Pet Kitchen  where she and Mommy brought Scottie to have some lasagna a couple of weeks back. It's a small pet specialty cafe that offers hot meals and pastries for the dogs and their owners alike. I believe it's the 1st one in the country and I'm so glad that it's not so far from home as Scottie can get so restless in the car. I love how cozy the whole place was however I wish the floor tiles were

I can't believe that my love affair with Serenitea has almost been 5 years long! I'll never forget how it all began and how it continued to be my go-to place whenever I just need to unwind and calm my nerves with a cup of Hokkaido Milk Tea when I was in Manila. Many milk tea places came and went yet Serenitea stayed strong all throughout. That just goes to show what a strong market leader it continues to be. Yay! Of course, every visit back home is not complete without getting my milk tea fix. Just to show how much we love Serenitea, it was the first place that we went to a few hours after landing in Manila a few months ago. It was also perfect timing that Serenitea just launched a couple of new snacks to go with their winning milk tea flavors! First things first though, I had to get my GIANT Hokkaido Milk Tea with QQ ! Look how big my cup was and I was such a happy camper being reunited with my favorite drink. Yum yum yum! As you know, the concept of Serenitea came

Huat Ah!* In the spirit of the Chinese New Year (yes, the celebration never ends!) , let me continue my story-telling on how my family and I celebrated this special occasion back in Manila. After tossing our Yu Sheng salad to bring in all the good fortunes, happiness and luck, we headed out for a family dinner at Huat Pot , a newly-opened hotpot restaurant in San Juan . Stepping inside Huat Pot , we were led towards our table that the far corner of the restaurant which was quite cramped and definitely could not comfortably sit 5 people. Oh dear! Sadly, the entire restaurant was filled to the brim so we had to make do with a little adjustments here and there. As soon as we were all seated, Paul, Pan and I were tasked by our parents to take care of getting the food. The set-up reminds me of our favorite hotpot restaurant in Taiwan where all the meats and veggies were neatly stored in a huge chiller and there were a lot of drink options and the best part of all -- free ice cream!

Before anything, let me greet you and your family, 恭喜發財!!! I can't believe that January is over and we have officially entered the L♥ve Month. I've been away for more than a week and I apologize for not being able to update my blog during the said period. But..but I got a really good reason. I was back in Manila to spend time with my families and friends as we celebrated a couple of birthdays, a fun wedding and the much awaited entrance of the Year of the Wooden Horse. Forecasts say that this will be a good year for both Paul and I so... we're keeping our fingers (and toes) crossed as we do hope luck, happiness and a certain stork are on their way to our doorstep SOON! I do hope 2014 will be a prosperous and lucky year for all of you too! I'm back and I got a lot of stories to share. Let's begin, shall we? One reason why I went home was to celebrate the birthday of my dearest Mommy . Of course, how can I ever miss out on not celebrating the special day of that

Growing up in San Juan, I've seen how it has slowly transformed from a quiet municipality into a fun and vibrant city. Back then, the only commercial area was Greenhills Shopping Center which continues to be our go-to place to do our grocery, to eat good food and to do some bargain shopping. There were other restaurants and commercial spaces around the area but you can basically count them with your fingers as they weren't a lot. Cafe Ysabel is one of those that has been around for as long as I remember. However, I haven't really gotten around to dining there as I always thought it looked a bit creepy especially at night. Once, Paul took me to Cafe Ysabel for dessert, as their Strawberry Shortcake is to die for, and I really couldn't get myself to go to the loo thus I just forced him to quickly finish our dessert and to take me home pronto. It must be the vintage-feel as well as the dark lighting that reminds me so much of those horror Filipino movies that my yaya

From one foodie mecca to another. Putting cleanliness, ease in mode of transportation and security aside, Manila and Singapore still share a couple of similarities most especially in being the best place to be for food lover's like you and me. Back home, our neighborhood alone is quickly becoming a go-to place when you're in the mood to try new homegrown (a.k.a. local) food concepts. One thing we have to remember is that it was in San Juan where the country's milk tea pioneer, Serenitea , first opened shop. San Juan is also known to be the modern-day Chinatown. Here, you'll see a number of Chinese delis, Chinese specialty shops, three Filipino-Chinese schools, a Buddhist temple and a lot more. In the past year alone, more restaurants opened and one of those was Mu Noodle Bar . I must have been out of the radar but I felt like Mu Noodle Bar opened so quietly that it was only through hearsay that I found out about this modern Chinese restaurant. What prompted me to t

"What's new here?" That was the first thing I asked my sister when she picked us up from the airport a few days ago. Pan exactly knew what was the new  that I was referring to and she filled me in on the newly opened restaurants that have been creating buzz around town. As she spoke, I was busy listing down the restaurants as I can't afford to miss out on a great restaurant to try given my very short visit. One of the newest restaurant was just located just a stone's throw away from home. It's called Guevarra's and Chef Rolando Laudico is the man behind it. I really admire Chef Laudico and I'll never forget the night when I dined at Bistro Filipino a few years ago. Unlike Bistro Filipino though, this one has no a la carte menu and it's a complete buffet service restaurant. I wasted no time and immediately invited my friends D and S out for our much-awaited catch up dinner at Guevarra's . It's a good thing that D was able to make

They say, first love never dies . This rings true for my love for milk tea. More than 4 years ago, I first learned about Serenitea during one of our monthly publishers meetings. Our big boss told us that she tried a milk tea place in San Juan and it was pretty good. Being bonafide foodies, we wasted no time and in less than a week we were all able to try Serenitea . Back then, milk tea wasn't still part of one's food vocabulary. Sure, it has been around for decades...even centuries but it's normally found in Chinese tea houses or in Chowking as it's called Nai-Cha for instance. Who would have thought that one day, milk tea would rule Manila and Serenitea was the one leading the pack. In time for the new year, Serenitea has launched 6 new drinks that I'm sure you'll all love as much as your old time Serenitea faves -- be it Hokkaido or Okinawa. A couple of food bloggers and I were lucky to be given a sneak peek on these yummy drinks a couple of weeks ago.