Spicy Thai at The Line, Shangri-la Hotel Singapore

For a few hours last night, it felt like Paul and I rode on a magical jet that transported us to Thailand for dinner and back to Singapore right after. In reality, we just had another visit back to Shangri-la Hotel Singapore to join a couple of online writers and bloggers for their media preview of the upcoming Spicy Thai Festival happening at The Line from May 17 (Friday) to 26 (Sunday), 2013.

If you remember, a month ago, Paul and I were lucky enough to be given the chance to have a fun weekend staycation at the Shangri-la Hotel Singapore. During this time, we were also able to have a hearty Sunday brunch at The Line, the hotel's interactive international buffet restaurant.

This time we're back to experience the new dishes that resident Thai Chef Ratree has in store for all The Line dinner customers from Friday onwards.  

Let me share with you the dishes that we were able to try during our 6 course dinner last night: 

Our dinner began with a very familiar appetizer called Miang Kam. I was so happy to be able to try this again as I enjoyed this tremendously in Thai Bistro in Manila. However, I was spoiled back home as the Miang Kam was already topped with the fillings and all I had to do was to roll it up and to eat it in one go. Here, it's a deconstructed version where the ingredients are laid out in front of you and it's really up to you how you want your Miang Kam to go. Want it more sour? Add more lime! Want it spicy, load up on the chili. It was still delicious nonetheless and a lot of fun mixing and matching the fillings. 

We also had the Khaotang Nga Thong which was one of my favourites for the night. It's another fun DIY starter where you have a good amount of crispy rice crackers and an assortment of Thai chutneys beside it. I particularly liked the one at the left as it's made of pork and had a sweet, creamy taste. The one beside it had salted egg and the dark brown chutney is made of chili paste. All were good and I wish we had more rice crackers to spread these chutneys on. During the buffet though, you'll surely be able to get all the rice crackers that you want just make sure you're getting just what you can consume.

Following the delicious rice crackers, we had a trio of more appetizers -- Yam Som O, Lab Gai and Yam Woon Sen. 

The Yam Som O is very popular in Manila as this is the traditional Thai Pomelo Salad. It tasted just like how it does back home only it had a spicier kick. 

The Lab Gai is minced chicken with ground rice and mint leaf. They have also incorporated chopped red chili into it making it really fiery hot. Wrapped in cucumber, I really like how the cucumber leaves a refreshing and soothing after taste. 

Lastly, the Yam Woon Sen is spicy glass noodles (think -- sotanghon) with poached prawns. I really like this a lot but I couldn't finish it because it was once again too spicy for me. 

At this point, I took a break and checked out the buffet spread. Amazing! they even had a huge Roasted Turkey available that evening. I had to resist from trying this as we still had three more courses to go. However, I couldn't resist the fresh sashimi and sushi plus a couple of soft cheese slices. These were able to soothe my burning tongue. *phew* 

Marufuku Japanese Restaurant in Pasig

Back then I used to think that the only way to go is to surround yourself with lots of friends. The more the merrier, they say. However, as I grew older, I learned (in somewhat the hard way..) that quality still beats quantity anyday. Today, I have learned to let go of the rotten apples in my life and to keep the best ones close ones to my heart.

They say, the greatest friends you'll ever have in your life are those whom you've met in high school. I really think this saying is true. After all these friends chose to love you without any prior judgement on your status in life, the amount of money you have in your bank or who your family is. All they cared about is that you choose them as groupmate for the class project, you get to have lunch together and you're there for each other no matter what. I'm lucky that I found a number of great friends back in high school and even luckier that we're still very much in touch with one another at present.

A few months ago, one of my best friends C went home to Manila with her hubby J for a quick visit. It was perfect timing that Paul and I were still in town allowing us to still see C and J even for a short while. Of course, the entire group (a.k.a. the Four Musketeers) reunited for lunch at Marufuku Japanese Restaurant. What used to be a constant table for 4 in our school cafeteria became a fun table for 6 with our two husbands joining us. Someday, it'll be a table for 8 or even more when we're all married with kids! Yahoo!

Marufuku just opened back then thus I made it a point to check it out before I bid Manila goodbye. I love Japanese food so I was really excited to give this a try. Since they were still on soft opening, the menu was simpler and they had set meals to make it easier for us first timers. Paul got the Set Menu 2 (Php. 495) which consists of a plate of Chicken or Pork Teriyaki, Tonkatsu, Yakitori or Sunagimo, Salad, Miso Soup and a bowl of Japanese Rice. What a great deal, right? He was happy with his set meal most especially with the chicken teriyaki which he said was sweet and tender.

Yummy Eats 2013

You got it folks! It's THAT time of the year again where all foodies troop to one venue to spend one whole day eating, sampling, buying and learning how to COOK! I'd go as far to say that this could be the Philippine's very own National Foodie Day... it's Yummy Eats 2013 after all!

So, if you're the kind who's always on a look out for what's yummy out there then please mark your calendar and remember THE date -- May 18, 2013.

I may be miles away but this event (and the magazine) is very close to my heart. I can still remember my very first Yummy Eats back in 2011 and I can't believe they're now on their 3rd year! Woohoo!

This time, it's the baby of my dear friend ML so please show her the love and be there at the NBC Tent on May 18, 2013 (it's a Saturday!) from 10AM to 6PM. There will be 50 new food finds for you to check out and who knows, you might just find a couple of favourites.

Yummy Eats 2013 will be one fun day filled with a lot of activities that you can watch and enjoy. Here's the schedule line-up for the day:

12:00 NN: McCormick Cooking Demo
12:45 PM: Corelle’s game segment
01:00 PM: Hunt’s cook-off challenge
02:45 PM-03:00 PM: Raffle/ Minute to Win It
03:00 PM-04:45 PM: Magnolia Butter segment

I was able to take a peek at this year's food concessionaires line up and I tell you, I'm so tempted to just hop on the plane and to be there next weekend. I saw a lot of new food brands that sounds so interesting and there are a couple of old favourites that will be giving you first dibs on their upcoming products!

Take my advice, be sure to be at the NBC Tent next Saturday. Invite your friends and family and and make it a whole day eating and cooking affair. To beat the long lines, why not buy your tickets online?

Still not convinced? Watch the video below to see what happened during last year's Yummy Eats:


So, save the date and tell me all about your Yummy Eats 2013 experience, okay?

Thinking of Mommy on Mother's Day

A mother holds her children’s hands for a while, but their hearts forever 

- Unknown

While doing my research for work a couple of days ago, I chanced upon this quote and I liked it. For one, I think it's so true by just looking at how my own mommy cares for us. I've mentioned before that despite being an adult myself, I still do get my Mommy's weekly reminders -- eat well, exercise often, get enough sleep, don't stress yourself out so much, take vitamins, don't eat too many fatty/oily food, cook more veggies...and the list goes on and on. I live thousands of miles away from home and this doesn't stop my mom in sending me her daily sms to check whether I've had dinner, if I'm home and what am I doing up so late. Surprisingly, I do appreciate all these messages and nothing brightens my day than hearing from my family.

Theater lovers -- Me and Mommy

During one of my long walks home, I was able to think. Not about what I have to do at work, not about what I'll be eating for dinner but about my life. Everyday, I am thankful that He has blessed me with so many things. Finally, I found a career that I am so passionate about. I've been pretty lucky in the career-front. After all, not a lot of people can say that they have fulfilled a big childhood dream at the young age of 28. Then I began backtracking. Initially, I would say it's all luck and fate but looking beyond that, I thought of my parents.

Friends whom I grew up with are witness to how both my parents would bring us and pick us up from school. They did this every single day ever since I was in nursery up until I learned how to drive on my own..which was during my university years. They've NEVER been absent in any special activity that we may have. Even Papa would be there during Open Houses, school performances and of course, our graduation ceremonies. My Mom has always been joining our field trips as one of the class mommies and unlike others who would probably detest having their moms around, I honestly enjoyed every moment of it. Basically, what I'm trying to say is -- I wouldn't be ME without my parents. They were not instant millionaires and they've obviously made it clear to me and to Pan that money do not grow on trees. How they were able to send me and my sister to the best schools in the country is due to their hard work and determination. As a result, we got the best education which has equipped us with quality know-how to be able to face the competitive world that we are in now.

Sunday is Mother's Day and I feel a bit sad that I won't be home to celebrate it with Mommy. However, what she doesn't know is I've prepared a little surprise for her. I am praying that she won't read this before Sunday as I'm taking a big risk by revealing it here to all of you. Mommy is not the type who likes cakes as she isn't fond of anything overly sweet, creamy or oily. Just like me, she would scrape ALL the icings away and just eat the chiffon cake inside. So sending her a cake is out of the question.

Maple in San Antonio Plaza, Makati

Lately, I've been craving for pancakes. Yes, visions of fluffy, pillowy soft pancakes with real maple syrup and butter has been flooding my mind for days. It doesn't really help that I can't find even a single box of pancake mix in our nearby supermarket and to make it worst, I saw photos of this not-so-recent brunch get-together that Paul and I had back home while organizing my files tonight. Once again, my mouth watered at the sight of a stack of 6 pancakes with blueberry syrup and a scoop of butter on top. Oh, sheer torture. Wish I can just quickly hop on the plane to have brunch in Manila once again.

Well, call me crazy but I shall be telling you more about that practicular brunch experience at this relatively new restaurant called Maple in San Antonio Plaza near Forbes Park. Operated by the same group who's running Pancake House, Maple actually has a similar concept but it brings a more premium feel. While I will always go to Pancake House for their Tacos, Chicken Asparagus Sandwich and their Bacon Waffles; Maple's line up deviates from the local, homemade feel and is leaning towards a more gourmet and international approach.

We were joined by some members of the Food Club for this brunch session and these were the dishes that we were able to try that day:

Okay, let me begin with the pancakes. Maple's Blueberry and Cream Cheese Pancake Tower (Php. 450) was truly a sight to behold. It's really too beautiful to eat but hey, these pancakes were calling out to me that day so I just let my fork dove straight into them right away. No turning back and definitely no regrets here. I enjoyed the perfect consistency of the pancakes which was no surprise as the owners of Maple sure know their pancakes by heart.

Actually, we had pancakes for dessert so allow me to backtrack a bit.

We began with a bowl of Chili (Php. 250) each. I love chili as it's the kind of tomato-based soup that's just right for me. Not too tangy, not spicy (despite the name) and it's filled with beans, beef, veggies and topped with sour cream. Nothing can go wrong in a bowl of chili except that I wasn't too impressed with Maple's Chili. The bread tasted artificial and they just added way too many toasted bread in the bowl that I could hardly appreciate the full flavor of the soup.

We tried the Spaetzle Jambalaya (Php. 390) which was pretty good. Our companions Richard and Irene have tried Maple prior to this particular visit and they were raving about this. It's an interesting pasta dish made with Jambalaya sauce, shrimps and mussels and cooked in a piping hot skillet.

On Tweets and Pins: Frannywanny.com on Social Media

Admit it, what are the first 3 things that you do when you wake up in the morning? Let me make a guess -- stretch, reach for your phone/tab and check Facebook. Correct? I'm pretty sure there are more than a hundred of you nodding in agreement right now. Don't be shy... I do that too.

Welcome to the social media world. Where every special milestone in your life is being celebrated by hundreds or thousands of people that's connected to you Whatever platform it may be, everyone in your network gets to witness you falling in love, getting into a relationship, being engaged and getting married. Later on, these people will also be the "first" to have a glimpse of your babies too. Social media has proven how it can reconnect lives. I personally was able to touch base with friends whom I haven't spoken to in more than a decade. That I believe is the beauty of social media. 

Here at Frannywanny.com, I want to offer you a wider experience beyond reading about my food and travel adventures through this blog. I want to also give you quick, real time updates via Twitter, pretty snapshots of what I'm munching on at that exact moment via Instagram (@frannywanny) and my personal dream board via Pinterest. 

Just this morning, I was so thrilled to find out that I've finally crossed the 1K mark in Twitter! Thank you so much to all those who are following me! *hugs hugs hugs* 

I hope you can also follow me on Pinterest, my new project where I will be sharing with you photos of the places that I've been and dream to visit soon, some dishes that I hope to produce from my kitchen and more images that somehow embodies my daily thoughts and dreams. 

Let's connect, shall we? :) 

Slurp Up : The Soup Spoon

Here's another first! Last Saturday, Paul and I were able to watch our first movie here in the Lion City. Given that the tickets are not that cheap in this side of the world, we agreed to choose our movie wisely and to go for the big blockbuster ones to make it more worth our while (and money). Iron Man opened a week and a half ago and it was only last Saturday that we were all able to find a common time to watch it. For those who haven't watched it, I urge you to do so. I personally enjoyed the movie and the fact that I didn't fall asleep is a big indicator that the movie got my attention all throughout the 2-hour viewing period. The boys actually had mixed feelings about it but well, that's my own opinion. :) 

We got to Vivo City (currently my favorite mall in Singapore) an hour before movie time. Thus, we have to find a place that serves quick and good food. It was a toss between Carl's Jr and Soup Spoon. Since Paul and I wanted something healthy, we went for the latter instead. We've both been to Soup Spoon during our first few days here in the Lion City and the experience was pretty much forgettable. Our soups were both so bland and we still ended up so hungry afterwards. As such, this is really us giving Soup Spoon a 2nd chance and we both hope this time it'll work its charm on us. 

The store was packed and we had less than an hour to go! We had to strategize well. Paul went to wait for a table to clear up while I made a bee line towards the counter. It's self-service system here where you place your order at the counter, wait for it and carry your tray to your table. We had a heavy pasta lunch (thanks to the ever talented Irene!) so we just got a bowl of soup each. 

I went for the Simon and Garfunkel Chicken and Mushroom Ragout (S$7.80) which was a creamy soup filled with tender chicken fillet, herbs and (get this) SIX kinds of mushrooms! As I was enjoying this soup, my best friend T came to mind as she loves mushrooms just as much as I do. I didn't have to add any salt or pepper into my soup as it was really good and flavorful. Each bowl of soup is served with warm crusty bread and I had this with some salted butter. Yum!