Falling in love for the Third Time : Singapore Tour

Our second day in Singapore began really early. It's a good thing that Paul and I took the time out to drop by the convenience store that was located at the ground floor of our hotel to buy a couple of instant noodles the night before. Since call time was at 8 in the morning, eating breakfast inside the room is the most sensible thing to do to save us more snooze time.

After quickly getting dress, our group met up again at the hotel lobby to wait for the organizers of our tour. At exactly 9AM we rode our assigned bus and our Uniquely Singapore tour was just about to begin!

1st stop: Clarke Quay and the Royal Selangor Museum

Located just a couple of minutes away from our hotel, we quickly got to our first stop. Clarke Quay is located along the Singapore River and is a popular night destination among the locals. During the day, we enjoyed watching the peaceful clean river as colorful ferry boats goes up and down bringing passengers through the entire stretch of the river. Too bad we had very limited time available that Paul and I were not able to go on a romantic ride down the river.

Just around the corner in Clarke Quay is the Royal Selangor Museum. This is the world's larger pewter company and is known in producing the nicest art works made out of ... pewter!

So what is Pewter?

Taking a short tour around the museum, I found out that Pewter is a combination of Tin, Antimony and Copper. We ooh-ed and ahh-ed over the beautiful works of art that the staff has carefully crafted.

Just when you thought, that's all you can do inside the Royal Selangor Museum, well there's actually one more! In order to fully appreciate the beauty of pewter, why not join the School of Hard Knocks.

This is one exciting activity that you can do especially when traveling in a big group. Together, you'll be able to unleash your creativity as you engrave, mold and clean off your new pewter bowl! This is a good way to release some stress too!

Clarke Quay during the day is truly peaceful. I can't wait to go back and witness the night scene in here soon.

Moving from our first stop, we moved on to our second destination...

2nd stop: Singapore Flyer

Upon receiving my itinerary from the organizer, I was literally jumping with joy when I found out that we will actually be riding the Singapore Flyer! This is the world's larger observation wheel, standing at 165m or 42 storeys from the ground. The ride will take you around for 30 minutes where you can see the F1 race track, the Merlion Park, a number of hotels and stunning skyscrapers, the Esplanade, and a lot more!

The entire flyer has 28 fully air-conditioned capsules that has a capacity up to 28 passengers each. This is truly an engineering work of art that has showed the world one of the things that Singapore has to offer.

We had a wonderful time taking photos and enjoying the sights during the entire ride. It was truly one exciting experience that one should enjoy when visiting Singapore.

After our memorable ride up the Singapore Flyer, we felt our stomach rumbling and begged the organizers for lunch. Thankfully, our kind tour guides just had the same thing in mind and without losing any minute, we boarded our bus to take us to our next stop.


3rd stop: Chinatown

In every country, there will always be a Chinatown. This is normally the place where most Chinese immigrants/settlers stayed back then. While most of the Chinese locals have chosen to live further out, Chinatown has remained to be a place where visitors can learn about the Chinese culture, eat delicious Chinese cuisine and shop for affordable Chinese products.

Another reason why you should include Chinatown into your itinerary is simply to have lunch at the infamous Maxwell Food Center. This al fresco hawker center houses a number of best-selling dishes that can really create long lines during the peak hours. Let me tell you about our lunch in my succeeding entries.

After our delicious lunch, we decided to just walk around Chinatown some more before heading to my favorite place in Singapore -- Orchard Road! We entered a Buddhist temple where we witnessed a praying ceremony being down, we payed our respects and left right after.

After following the directions given by some kind locals, we reached the Chinatown Market where I had to stop myself from going on a shopping spree since I know I'll be able to indulge on a grander retail therapy in our next stop.

While looking for the nearest bus stop, we immersed ourselves with Chinatown by observing the different architectural designs of the buildings and homes that seems to have been around for decades and maybe some even close to a century already.

Finally, we found the bus stop and waited for the right bus that will bring us to Orchard Road. Let me tell you about our Orchard Road adventure tomorrow.

While our tour around Singapore was really short and it barely hit the must-sees such as the Sentosa island, the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari, Paul and I still had a wonderful morning as we had a better glimpse of the beauty of Singapore. At least, we still have a lot more spots to visit which gives us more reason to plan our return soon.

Royal Selangor Museum is located at 3A River Valley Road, Clarke Quay, Singapore.
Singapore Flyer is located at 30 Raffles Avenue, Singapore.

*some photos were taken by Paul Ang

A Night of Glitz and Glamour : Nuffnang Asia-Pacific Blog Awards

It was a black-tie event as mentioned in the invite.

Decked in our evening dresses and suits, we all gathered at the lobby of The Link Hotel as the organizers from Nuffnang led us to one of the four buses waiting to transport us to the beautiful Pan Pacific Hotel.

Upon arriving at the hotel ballroom lobby, we registered and mingled around while munching on platters of Pringles chips that came in three delicious flavors! Finally, the ballroom doors were opened and we proceeded towards our assigned tables.

Everything was done in such an organized manner! I was really at awe upon knowing that the team who worked so hard to make this event a reality is composed of a group of twenty-something enthusiastic boys and girls! It really goes to show that age is not a measure of success rather its passion and determination that will get everyone going. Kudos to the Nuffnang team!

Our Dinner Menu

Finally, the program began and dinner was served. As we were enjoying our dinner, Amazing Race Asia host Allan Wu opened the first-ever Nuffnang Awards Night where 12 different bloggers from the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia were recognized for their respective niche blogs.

In between the excitement, we were also entertained by illusionists JC Sum & Magic Babe Ning as well as indie band Electrico.

However, as a food and travel blogger, my attention was solely focus on the beautiful work of art in front of me. Allow me to share with you the delicious dinner that we enjoyed that evening:

Marinated Smoked Tuna with Feta and Balsamic Olive Oil salad
Light Cream of Asparagus with Green Peas topped with Chive Mousseline
Rosemary Marinated Chicken Breast with Saffron Cheesy Mash Potato
Praline Hazelnut Gateau with Raspberry Jelly

And the winners are...

Of course, the highlight of the evening was the announcement of the winners of the first-ever Nuffang Blog Awards, without further ado, here's the list of talented bloggers from their respective categories:

Best Blog Shop - Bonito Chico from Singapore

Best Food Blog - i eat. i shoot. i post from Singapore

Best Fashion Blog - Lady Melbourne from Australia

Best Parenting Blog - Childhood 101 from Australia

Best Celebrity Blog - A Jolly Affair from Singapore

Best Geek Blog - Mr. Gadget from Australia

Best Entertainment Blog - Kenny Sia from Malaysia

Best Original Blog Design - Xia Xue from Singapore

Most Influential Blog - Xia Xue from Singapore

Best Hidden Gem - The Doodle Blog from Malaysia

Region's Best Blog - Xia Xue from Singapore

and lastly, the Best Travel Blog goes to

En Route from the Philippines!!!

Congratulations to all the winners! Till next year (I hope!) :)

*photos by Paul Ang

Falling in love for the Third Time : IKEA @ Alexandra

We arrived a little before lunch at Singapore and after getting word that we can't check into our hotel rooms yet, Paul and I have decided to begin our Living lah Singapore adventure right there and then.

First stop was at IKEA along Alexandra road.

Upon hearing that I wanted to go to IKEA, Paul suddenly panicked thinking that I will be lugging a huge home furniture on our flight home. I assured him that I was really after the food after hearing a lot of raves from friends and colleagues.

So following the directions given by friendly locals, we took the escalator up to the second floor and followed the crowd that finally led us to the IKEA Restaurant!

There was a long line and there were hardly any table available, not wanting to give up, I grabbed Paul's hand and led him towards the end of the line as we browsed through the menu while waiting. Of course, being in Singapore means enjoying the efficiency of its workers. In less than two minutes we have reached the serving area where we had to get our own trays and grab our own drinks, salads and/or desserts from the chiller.

For lunch, we decided to share on their best-selling Fish with Chive Sauce (SGD 5.50 / $3.90 / Php. 187) and the much-talked-about Swedish Meatballs (SGD 6.50 / $4.60 / Php. 221).

Finally, we were able to secure a table by the play area where a lot of tiny tots are happily socializing amongst themselves.

The Fish with Chive Sauce came with a generous serving of crunchy french fries. While the fish tasted a bit bland, we remedied this by grabbing a bottle of tomato ketchup from the condiment station. I love dipping the fries on chive sauce though. I find the price reasonable as one order gives you three huge dory fillets, lots of fries and a slice of fresh lemon. While nothing beats Fish and Co's Fish and Chips, IKEA's version was still worth the try especially during Fridays when this is the highlighted dish.

Our second dish was a winner.


True to the raves given by friends, Paul and I enjoyed our 10 pieces of Swedish Meatballs that came with boiled potatoes and a scoop of strawberry jam. Initially, I really didn't get the connection of the jam with the meatballs but after adding a thin spread of strawberry jam onto my meatball then I realized that the sweet fruity taste gave a different twist to this savory dish. I love it!


It's no wonder that people chooses to patiently wait in line in order to enjoy IKEA's delectable dishes. We quickly finished our lunch to be able to roam around the store and drool over the beautiful home accessories and furnishings. Paul actually fell in love with their sample condo unit set-ups particularly the one for a 22sqm. space. It's amazing that you can actually have a beautiful bedroom, a functional kitchen and a comfy looking living room even in a tiny space!

Looks like I will be back at IKEA Singapore SOON!!

IKEA Alexandra is located at 317 Alexandra Road, Singapore.

Falling in love for the Third Time : Singapore 101

I'm finally back, dear readers! Just as I hope that the trip will do me good, it has successfully rejuvenated me as I resume my daily crazy schedule. Thanks so much to Nuffnang and to the Singapore Tourism Board for giving us this much-needed break!

Despite the fact that the trip was pretty short, spending three wonderful days in beautiful Singapore has made me fall in love with it not once, not twice but for the third time.

Singapore, the Lion City, is located right at the middle of the equator so expect warm weather throughout your stay. It's a melting pot of a lot of different cultures and races. You'll see a lot of Chinese, Malays, Indians and Filipinos (yes, I've met and seen a LOT of fellow countrymen during my stay) around and the good thing is that most of them have a pretty good command of English.

It has been 8 long years since my last visit and a lot of things have changed since then. For one thing, it was the first time for me to see the Singapore Flyer which is said to be patterned about the equally famous London Eye. This giant observation wheel allows riders to see the entire Singapore in just 30 minutes. Let me tell you more about it in my succeeding entries.

Getting there

Coming from the Philippines, the flight to Singapore will take you approximately 3 hours and 15 minutes via the country's major airlines. Arriving via Philippine Airline will take you to the main Changi International Airport while Cebu Pacific and Tiger Airways will bring you to the Budget Terminal of Changi.

For someone who has been to Singapore before, I was a bit disappointment upon landing at the Budget Terminal. Gone are the numerous food and retail outlets that we would normally check out before traveling to our hotel. The Budget Terminal is smaller in size with just a handful of retail outlets. On the bright side, it still bears the signature cleanliness and efficiency that has endeared Singapore to millions of visitors worldwide.

Where to stay?

Now comes the big question, where to stay? Singapore has a lot of accommodation options from classy hotels to cozy boutique hotels to backpacker's inns. For this trip, we were lucky to stay at the Link Hotel
which is a new boutique hotel located along Tiong Bahru road across the Tiong Bahru Market and is just a couple of minutes away from Chinatown and People's Park.

The hotel has two wings and we got the Superior room at the Orchid Wing. The room was pretty small that there's hardly any space to walk around. Still, I like the fact that it is clean and we get fresh towels and two bottles of water everyday. There's also free internet connection which was really great!

Getting Around

Of all the Asian countries that I've been to, getting around Singapore is the most stress-free of all. Aside from the detailed maps that you can easily grab in the airport, hotels or in major tourist spots, you can also check the route directory before taking the bus or the subway (MRT).

The bus fare begins at SGD1.00 ($71 cents / Php. 34) and it gradually increases at a certain distance. However, if you have the EZ Card which is a prepaid transportation card, then you can enjoy at least 30% discount from the regular fare. As for the MRT, the starting fare is also at SGD1.00 and this goes up at a certain increment per station. One thing we liked about taking the MRT and purchasing the Single Trip Ticket is that we can actually return the card and get the deposit after.

Since Singapore is relatively a small country, majority of its locals would choose to just walk and they are pretty good at it. Perhaps, on a breezy day, do take a walk around your neighborhood to be able to fully appreciate the beauty of Singapore.

This is just the start of my Singapore adventure.

Up next: Where I had my delicious Swedish lunch.

What a YUMMY-ful world!

I can't believe it's finally OUT! As the first copy of the book was handed to me last week, I carried it around the office like a proud mommy :)

Presenting, the first ever Yummy Book entitled Meals in Minutes. This is the first of three books that we will be launching for this year.

You'll love this first book because it presents 65 super easy recipes! I'm talking about the kind that you can easily make in less than 10, 20 or 30 minutes! It's like a cooking show on print!

You'll also love the beautiful mouthwatering photos that will encourage you to try the recipes yourself.

Here's my favorite recipe of all:

Oriental Fried Rice. Not known to many, fried rice is my weakness. I may be able to skip not eating plain rice for a year but cook it with some oil, as some garlic, onion leeks, meat and egg then that's when I raise the white flag on one hand and a spoon on the other. I totally adore eating fried rice and I'm so happy to have this as our cover recipe.

Another reason why you'll love the book is because it's very affordable! Imagine, one book is only for P100! Such a very reasonable price in exchange of 65 exciting and easy-to-do recipes! What a steal!

Watch out for the next two books coming out soon : So-easy Sweets and Weekend Cooking.

Oh, while I'm on the topic of cooking, why not drop by one of my events happening up until December. This is the 2nd leg of the Yummy Cooking Demo and it's sponsored by Doña Maria Rice! Do check out the schedule below and I really hope to see ya'll soon! :)

Stop the World, I want to get OFF!

How I wish I can live like a kid...

I think it's time to take a BREAK.

This break will do me good :) Repeat after me.

Till next week dear readers.

Love,
Frannywanny

Ako ang Simula ng Pagbabago

Finally the secret is out!

Last month, my sister and I were invited by fellow bloggers Jane and her daughter Christa to join the shoot of the Ako ang Simula MTV.

Initially, I thought we were just allowed to cover the shoot and eventually to blog about it, little did I know that we will actually be part of the video.

This video is ABS-CBN's campaign for the upcoming elections. My sister and I truly believe in the power of one's vote and how we can make things happen.

At long last, the video has been launched and it's out in the public!

See my 7 seconds of fame happen! :) (see frames 00:50 and 00:46)



Take a peek at some photos taken during the shoot:

train shoot
Direk checking the scenes
with Pat Evangelista

the word Thank You

Rarely do we get to hear this statement anymore...It's funny because this was actually one of the first things that we were taught in nursery along with the words Please and Sorry.

Thankfully, Toblerone Philippines launched the National Thank You Day where we take a little time out of our busy schedule to say THANK YOU to all those who has played a part in making our lives wonderful.

Today, I'd like to say thank you to....

...my family for being so supportive and caring.

...the love of my life, Paul, for coming at the right time and at the right place and for loving me unconditionally.

...my bestest friends in the world who I know I can count on at all times *hugs*.

...Scottie, the newest member of our family, thank you for brightening up my day

...everyone reading this, for sharing my passion and for making my dreams come true.

How about you? Who do you want to thank today?

Btw, don't forget to send in your entries for the Toblerone Photo Contest!

Enjoying Chi's Brick-Oven Pizza

It was the first leg of my cooking demo and this time, we went down south. Together with my ever-supportive mom, sister and fiance, we made sure to reach Parañaque by lunch as we have been hearing a lot of wonderful raves about the different restaurants located particularly along Aguirre Avenue inside BF Homes.

Our chosen food stop was at Chi's Brick Oven Kitchen. I've been wanting to try this restaurant and boy was I excited! Entering the cozy looking restaurant, I scanned a couple of clippings that were displayed on the wall. I took note of the recommended dishes and sat down to order. I liked the sunny interiors of the restaurant and the smokey smell coming from the huge brick oven located up front.

First choice was the Wood-fired Buffalo Wings (Php. 190) for starters. It's actually the first time that I've tried a non-greasy buffalo wings and the healthy feel actually gave a good start to our meal. I love the bleu cheese dressing that came with the wings. It would have been better though if the wings were bigger in size.

Our next choice was the Puchon (Php. 345). This is actually lechon (roasted pig) baked in pugon (brick oven). My mom, who's really a very healthy eater surprisingly gave us her thumbs up sign. It's actually the first time I've seen Mommy approve of lechon! I guess it's because the fat is very thin and the lean meat was very tender. This is perfect for those who would still like a taste of lechon minus the cholesterol. It also seems like Paul and my sister enjoyed this dish too.

Finally, the star of our lunch -- the Pizza Mediterrano (Php. 360). This 12 inch pizza is topped with pesto, feta cheese, shrimps and grapes! I love the fact that its crust is very thin and the flavor was just perfect. I am a huge fan of feta cheese that this was my only request when Mommy and Steph were choosing which pizza to order. The grapes gave a good touch to the pizza as it reminded me of my favorite Greek salad.

No wonder Chi's Brick Oven Kitchen has been garnering raves all over town. We enjoyed every single thing that we ordered and were actually planning on what to order on our next visit. I love the smokey taste that we get from each dish baked in the brick oven. Despite the long travel, this pizza place is definitely worth a try!

Chi's Brick Oven Kitchen is located at 209 Aguirre Ave., B.F. Homes, Paranaque City, Philippines. Call them at 8207210, 09178971117, 09179260555.

A taste of Palawan here in Manila

It's no secret how much I love to travel...and to eat. This actually goes hand in hand as my travel itinerary is normally filled up with new places to try and local delicacies that I make sure I bring home for my family to enjoy as well. In fact, one of the best birthday gifts that I've ever received was a handy travel journal given to me by my best friend.

At present, I have already filled up around 10 journal pages documenting my adventures in China, Hong Kong, Iloilo, Bacolod and more! Soon, I will be adding a new entry as I embark on another fun trip this time to my favorite Asian destination -- Singapore.

There are times when I would find myself craving for a local food item that can not be found here in Metro Manila. Despite my efforts in searching high and low, the only answer to my craving is a plane ticket back to the province where the object of my gastronomic affection can be found.

Thankfully, most of the key cities here in the Philippines have a couple of entrepreneurial residents who ventured into distributing their local products here in Manila. Such is the case of my friend Anna So who started a small cart called Exotic Delicacies of Palawan first in Market Market and now has a pretty looking kiosk at Robinsons Galleria.

I always enjoy visiting her kiosk simply because of its growing list of items. They initially began with two varieties of cashew nuts followed by some dried fish and the ever famous rainmaker. During my last visit, I was surprised to see more items such as the Cashew Wine (Php. 280), the Cashew Brittle (Php. 199) that Paul loves very much and my personal favorite the frozen Lamayo Boneless (Php. 200 / 250g).

What's interesting about the Lamayo is that it looks fairly similar to the well-known Danggit but doesn't have as much salt content. I love frying this and having this together with fried egg and some garlic rice.

Paul and I make it a point to drop by Anna's kiosk before heading to the cinema level as we would buy a small bag of cashew nuts to munch on while enjoying the movie!


Visit the Exotic Delicacies of Palawan located at the Food Court level (beside KFC), Robinsons Galleria, Quezon City.

*photo credit: Paul Ang