So Long 2009, Hello 2010!!!

I got a feeling that next year's gonna be a good good year!!!

I can't believe that 2009 is finally coming to a close. This has been a year where we have witness major natural disasters, a number of great losses and a couple more sad news. However, trying to stay positive, there are also a lot of things that I am personally thankful for this year and I'd like to share these with you:

1) Travel

Nothing relaxes me more than planning for an exciting trip! 2009 found me in four amazing spots namely: China, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Visayas region!

Next year will be another big traveling year that includes that much-awaited two weeks honeymoon to certain countries in Asia. Boy, I can't wait!

2) Frannywanny.com

This blog has been my pride and joy for the past 2 years. Here I eagerly share with everyone my latest food finds, my travel notes and a lot more. Before starting on this entry, I even had to go through every single blog post that I've made this year to remind me of the happy times that 2009 has brought to my life.

This year was a big year for Frannywanny.com. Thanks to the people behind the Philippine Blog Awards who nominated this blog as part of the Food Blog Category. Needless to say, that really meant a LOT to me.

Thanks also to Nuffnang to making me your August Blogger of the Month! I really had a great time making that short message that you can all view here.

Shout out also to Yummy.ph for including me as part of your list for the Top 10 Food Bloggers for 2009. Thank you from the bottom of my heart (and stomach).

Lastly, I'd like to thank YOU, my dear readers, for supporting every single contests that I've had here. For sharing your warm wishes and for dropping by regularly. You all continue to brighten my day!

3) Friends and Family

Just like for the past two years, I always end the year by thanking the new friends that I've made and for the old ones who continued to stick by me through thick and thin.

Thanks for the laughter, the smiles and the warm hugs. 2009 has been an interesting ride thanks to ALL of you! :)

To my Family who continues to support me in whatever I do, for always pushing me to do my best and for teaching me to trust and love God at all times.

Thank you to my dear Scottie who never fails to brighten our day. Who would have thought that my fear of dogs would go away the day you came into our lives. I love you!

4) Career

It's amazing when you love what you're doing. Despite the many times it can drive me to tears, I love and am so proud of the two titles that I'm currently handling and I pray that some day I can help it reach its maximum potential. From a magazine, hand-in-hand, we were able to create not one but FIVE books (three for Yummy, two for RL), a cool 2010 planner, two incredible websites, a couple of events and two communities of really loyal readers. What more can a publisher ask for? A lot actually and I have 2010 to achieve all those :)

5) Love

The year started with a question...

Will you marry me?

It has changed my year...my life since then. In less than 7 months, I will finally marry my prince and hopefully we will live happily ever after. :)

2009 has brought along a lot of great surprises and wonderful changes for me.

I wish that 2010 will even be bigger and better for all of us. It will definitely be a good good year!

Happy New Year dear readers!

Love,
Frannywanny

Video credit: franziboy71 of Youtube

Sunday Family Crossover Buffet : A Feast for the Senses

December 27, 2009 (Makati City, Philippines) --

Seriously taking our plan, which is to relax the entire weekend, seriously; we woke up just in time for brunch today. After hearing raves from colleagues and friends who frequently visit Dusit Thani Manila on a Sunday, we were so excited to try out their Sunday Family Crossover Buffet ourselves.

Following the brief instructions of the front desk officer, we visited the four participating restaurants to choose and reserve our table. After visiting Basix, Umu, Benjarong and Tosca, we both agreed to stay at the latter simply because of its cozy ambiance complete with a pianist happily playing Christmas tunes.

Contrary to other buffets and restaurants in town, here you have to pay first. After leading you to your table, the server will hand you the bill. The charge per head is very reasonable. Pay only P1450 net for adults, P725 for children between 6-12 years old while tiny tots below 5 years old can dine for FREE!

After settling your bill, you will be given a paper wristband that will serve as your golden ticket to the four enticing restaurants of Dusit Thani Manila.

To fully enjoy the buffet, we devised a simple plan, we will start from the closest and will work our way down.

First stop was at Tosca -- Dusit Thani Manila's Italian restaurant. I love the interiors and ambiance of Tosca as it gives a very elegant and relaxing feel. We began with a bowl of pumpkin soup to warm up our tummies. Paul even added some garlic croutons and bacon bits to add more flavor to this creamy, delicious soup.

Afterwards, I went straight to the appetizer table where I filled my plate with cold cuts, some fresh greens and lots of smoked salmon! What a light and perfect way to start our brunch!

We also got a plate of steaming seafood and mushroom risotto that's cooked upon order. I requested the chef to add in more shrimps to which he happily obliged. While enjoying our risotto, we were also served with a glass of Italian sparkling wine called Prosecco. Yum!

Moving on from our Italian appetizer, we walked over to the other side of the hallway towards Dusit Thani's very own Thai restaurant -- Benjarong. Upon reaching the restaurant, we were surprise to see a line building upon particularly by the center of the buffet area. Taking a peep, we saw a lady who's busy cooking Pad Thai and serving these off to hungry buffet diners right away. We agreed to just come back for the Pad Thai and start off with a plate of Pomelo Salad, Spring Rolls, and some Satay.

I also saw an aluminum container that has some Thai Popsicles for dessert! Boy, oh boy! I've been wanting to try this since our visit to the Chatuchak Market!

Heading down to the ground floor, we noticed how festive everything was! There was a happy man on stilts as well as a pretty lady playing a traditional Thai string instrument. Children were busy lining up to have their face colorfully painted. There's a play area at the side which I think is a really good way to keep the young ones preoccupied while their parents enjoy the buffet.

Watching the happy diners passing by, my mouth started to water at the sight of fresh sashimi and hot-off-the-teppanyaki-grill shrimps, we quickened our pace towards Dusit Thani Manila's Japanese restaurant called Umu.

Paul and I are huge fans of Japanese food and we can never say no to yakitori, sushi, sashimi and of course teppanyaki! Trying to balance the plates on our hands, we carefully carried all these back up to our restaurant on the second floor. We made it back without any spills and happily began to dig into our plate of crispy grilled shrimps and juicy steak! I also enjoyed our plate of tuna and salmon sashimi. We were, once again, in gastronomic heaven!

Taking a break from all those yummy dishes, we sat back and took more sips of our wine. Now we both understand why our friends have been raving about Dusit Thani Manila's Crossover Buffet! We were both having a blast and we're not done yet! There's still Basix to visit and I was told that they have really yummy tempura and Peking duck!

Finally, ready to hit the buffet table again, we walked down to the ground floor towards Basix. Inside, we saw big groups of families enjoying an array of fresh seafood, crispy Peking duck, some Asian dishes and a lot more. I got some grilled lamb and a few slices of the Peking duck while Paul tried the king prawns and some more grilled meats. We also filled up our glasses with sweet Dalandan juice to refresh our palate.

For those who would like to go for another round and would rather just stay near a specific restaurant, you may also eat on one of the many cocktail tables set-up around the hotel. This makes visiting the four different restaurants so convenient.

We were so full but we made sure to leave some space for dessert! Paul and I both love Strawberries and Chocolates thus the reason why we chose this to be our Big Day motif. Take a look at the four different dessert items that we got at Tosca! My personal favorite was the Molten Chocolate Cake with two scoops of Strawberry Ice Cream. The sweet ice cream complemented the bitter dark chocolate making it a very indulgent dessert. Paul, on the other hand, liked the Strawberry Cream Mousse with Chocolate and Fresh Strawberry Topper. He loved the creamy sweet texture of the mousse together with the fresh strawberry slices and dark chocolate candy.

It was already 230PM and we have been eating for 3 hours! In between bites, we watched fellow diners pass by, talked about our respective buffet choices and simply just relaxed and had a marvelous time.

This was surely a great way to end our relaxing weekend at Dusit Thani Manila. It's amazing that all our worries and holiday stress can go away in just two days and that's because of the wonderful food, beautiful amenities and excellent service that we have received during our stay.

It felt like a dream and just like a beautiful dream, we had to bid Dusit Thani Manila goodbye as we return to our daily busy lives. However, we both know that we will soon be back whenever we both need to unwind and take a break from it all. At least we found a place like heaven that's just a short drive across the metro.

Dusit Thani Manila is located at the Ayala Center corner EDSA in Makati City. Call 8673333 for reservations.

photo credit: Paul Ang

Dusit Thani Manila : Feels like Heaven on Earth

December 26, 2009 (Makati City, Philippines) --

Today is our 74th monthsary! I guess for most couples, they have stopped counting monthsaries the moment they turned a year old together. Not for us though, we continue to celebrate every single month as a couple. I guess we just love to find every possible reason to celebrate and be merry!

Feeling my need to relax and get pampered, Paul surprised me with an overnight stay at the lovely Dusit Thani Manila.

Located right at the heart of busy Makati City, I was amazed at the beautiful interiors that reminded me of our recent trip to Bangkok. With its golden walls and intricate details, I felt myself getting more and more excited as I walk around the lobby knowing that I will finally have that much-awaited relaxing weekend that I've been looking forward to.

Warm Hellos, Genuine Smiles

From the moment we entered the basement parking and were greeted with a joyous hello from the parking attendant followed by the warm welcome that we got from the lobby guard and lastly as we briskly checked-in and were assisted by the front desk officer, we felt the warmth from every single hotel crew that we have encountered with and we were impressed with their kindness and the wonderful service that they have extended to us.

Believe it or not, this was just the start of our Dusit Thani Manila experience.

A room fit for a King (or a Queen)

Upon reaching the 15th floor, we followed the wooden signages and immediately found our room. Before putting the key card into the slot, I paused for a while because I can actually hear music playing inside the room. I looked at Paul and gave him an alarmed look. Are we at the right room?, I asked. He took one more look at the card provided to us and gave me a nod. With one deep breath, I entered the card into the door slot and it quickly opened.

Carefully, we walked inside and found no one but an open TV with my name on it.

I was speechless...

In my many years of traveling, it was actually the first time that I have seen such thing. A very customized service, indeed.

Taking one quick glance around the room, I truly loved what I saw.

First of all, a HUGE bed. Nothing relaxes me more than sleeping in a very cozy bed with comfy pillows and a big blanket to keep me warm.

Secondly, a clean bathroom where I can spend some me-time at the bath tub filled with warm water and some bubbly soap.

Third, a well-stocked bar with all my favorite munchies and packs of coffee and tea to perk me up in the morning.

Lastly, a good office table with available Internet connection (Php. 650/24 hours use) for me to update this blog even when I'm away from home.

I was already ready to take a nap when Paul suggested that we take a leisure stroll around the hotel to check out its amenities. I obliged and within minutes we were back at the lobby working our way up.

Devarana Spa : Relaxation at its finest

I remember back when we were planning our Bangkok vacation, friends would always recommend for us to include getting an authentic Thai massage as part of our itinerary. Unfortunately, we were pressed for time that we sadly had to skip the massage and spend most of our time at the mall. Since then, I promised that I will try an authentic Thai massage someday.

As the elevator opened at the Third Floor, we walked out and saw a well-lit entrance that led us to something so magical. This was the Devarana Spa. Dusit Thani Manila's very own spa center.

How can you not fall in love with something this beautiful?

I was immediately drawn inside. With the relaxing sound of water as it gently flows down from the wall to the comfy-looking couches where customers can sit on while waiting for their treatments to begin. The entire place was just so calm and peaceful perfect for one's weary body and soul.

Work it Out!

From the spa, we moved on to the gym called DFiT Fitness Center. Oh, how I missed working out! Looking at the polished stationary bikes and heavy-duty treadmills, how I wish I brought a pair of rubber shoes with me!

I love how well-equip the gym was which is actually perfect for anyone residing or working in Makati to just pop in after work for a quick run to burn off all those calories.

Outside, the kids are squealing with delight as they jump in and out of the pool. Dusit Thani Manila's pools are surrounded with beautifully manicured plants. They have two kinds of pools that caters to both the adults and of course to the young ones. Nothing beats a dip at the pool on a warm Saturday afternoon.

The weather was perfect as we silently watch the kids play. Everything was just so calm and relaxing that I'm thanking Him for giving us this opportunity to unwind. Little by little, I can feel my eyelids getting heavy. My chinita eyes can barely keep itself wide open that I asked Paul if we can head back to the room for me to take a quick nap.

Hand in hand, we headed back up to the 15th floor where I dozed off to la-la-land.

Late Night at the Lobby

I guess my nap time extended till 7 in the evening. Just in time for dinner, it's a good thing that Dusit Thani Manila is strategically located right beside the Ayala Center and SM Makati where there sure are a lot of shopping and dining choices! Furthermore, there are a lot of other exciting restaurants within the city.

After a hearty dinner with friends at Tong Yang along Jupiter street, we headed back to the hotel and decided to just hang out at the lobby.

We ordered a glass of wine each and listened to the soothing voice of the lady performer who flawlessly rendered a mix of holiday and romantic songs that evening.

Over our glasses of wine, we talked and bonded. I repeatedly thank my sweet fiance for the wonderful surprise and even teased him that he should have done this way back. It was truly a wonderful day and there's still tomorrow to look forward to.

I'm closing this entry with a huge smile on my face as I recount the day's happening. This truly felt like heaven on earth as I was finally able to relax and revive myself for the coming year.

Now, wouldn't this be a perfect reason to celebrate?

Dusit Thani Manila is located at the Ayala Center corner EDSA in Makati City. Call 8673333 for reservations.

photo credit: Paul Ang

Cooking and Grilling at Tong Yang

Twas the night after Christmas and despite our hectic schedules, my friends and I all agreed to meet up to have a better-late-than-never dinner to celebrate the holidays. I guess this is what makes real friendship works, nothing will stop us from seeing each other no matter how far, how late or how short the meet-up would be.

Following last year's fun and successful Christmas dinner, we agreed to have it at Tong Yang but this time in their Jupiter branch. We were all so excited to spend an evening cooking, eating, talking, laughing and just having a great time.

Since we were a big group, we were given a private room. Their servers were very attentive that it wasn't difficult at all to ask for assistance. With our stomachs growling loudly, everyone headed to the buffet table the moment we arrived.

Paul and I began with the appetizer section where we filled our plates with yummy sushi, siomai and kimchi! It was truly a mix of all things we like! Korean, Chinese and Japanese! I enjoyed the fresh sashimi too! It was a good thing that they had a wide selection to suit our specific cravings.

After enjoying our plates of sushi, it was time to choose our fresh seafood and meat for both the hot pot and the grilling plate. Trying to be efficient, Paul offered to take care of choosing the ingredients for the grill while I went straight to the veggies and meat for our hot pot. Of course, I made sure to get lots of seafood balls, beef balls, taro, sweet corn and fresh scallops! Paul, on the other hand, requested for two plates of bbq meat, mushrooms and chicken barbeque sticks.

We were ready to cook as we carried our heavy plates back to the table. Complete with a bowl of butter, we were ready to whip up a feast!

Everyone was busy cooking and talking! The guys, in particular, really impressed us with their hidden talents as they took over the shabu shabu pot and the grill pans while us, girlfriends and wives happily ate and ate and ate. Looks like we had a lot of budding Iron Chefs tonight.

In contrast to the other Tong Yang branches, this one promises to have a smoke-less grill that eliminates the smell of food with its built-in exhaust machine. We were all having fun that our dinner ended till closing time.

Looks like we will be back again in Christmas 2010. By then Tong Yang should be ready to welcome 4 kids (1 little tot and 3 newborn babies), 2 newly married couples and once again, a big happy group of friends that will continue to cook and eat our hearts out!

Tong Yang's Bottomless Shabu Shabu and Grill is priced at P585 (dinners, weekends and holidays) and includes a wide-array of appetizers, desserts and drinks!

Tong Yang is located along Jupiter street, Makati City.

HAPPY HoHoHoLIDAYS!!!

Here's wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Late Night Snacking at Sango!

This Christmas was, I could say, the most stressful of all. Normally, I would have been done with my Christmas shopping by October and would start wrapping them up by end of November. This year was a different story, I barely realized how fast time flew that I found myself not even with a ready gift list when December came along.

Squeezing in a bit of shopping during the weekend, it later then resorted to last minute "panic" shopping with my sister for two days in a row as we shop for gifts for the family. We were exhausted as we shop right after work but as Christmas gets nearer and nearer, we had to brave the crazy traffic, extend our patience as we wait in line for a parking space and keep our eyes wide open as we look for perfect gifts for our loved ones.

Last night, we finally completed our respective lists and before heading home, we stopped for a quick late evening snack. Call it a reward that we truly deserve. Our choice was at Sango! which has recently opened a new branch at the 6th level of Shangri-la Mall.

It has been a while since I dine at Sango and one thing new that we immediately noticed was the Express Kiosk. Word has it that the original owner of Sango sold his shares to a local businessman who also owns the company that makes vending machines. With their technological expertise, to have the express kiosk really elevates their service to another level as it allows diners to tap the screen and choose their orders themselves. This reduces errors as there will be multiple prompts asking you to confirm before proceeding to the next step. It's fast because the moment you have paid your bill, your order will automatically be sent straight to the kitchen. Cool huh?

The mall was quiet already by this hour as we relaxed on two of Sango's comfy green couch. I like the cozy, study table feel of this branch. I say study table feel mainly because of the green low lamps on each table.

Finally, our orders have arrived and boy were they piping hot! I got the Yakiniku Rice Burger (Php. 125) which I would consider as my guilty, meaty indulgence. I just can't get over how good their thin slice of beef that has a thin strip of fat which is cooked with Sango's Japanese marinade and sauce, packed together with Japanese mayo, lettuce and of course their rice buns. Yummy!

How I wish Sango has more stand-alone branches that can open till late at night. With their delicious burgers and sandwiches, this can truly make a perfect late evening chow after rigorous shopping or partying with friends.

Sango! is located at the 6th level of the Shangri-la Mall. They also have branches at the Powerplant Mall, Creek-Side Mall (Amorsolo Street, Makati) and at the South Supermarket in Alabang.

[ CONTEST ALERT! ] Allergy AWAY!

By this time, we most probably have already attended half a dozen Christmas dinners and have officially thrown our diet out of the window. Dining out is always fun to do! This is a perfect opportunity for us to try out the different delicious dishes out there and of course, this is the time for us to unwind and bond with our loved ones.

One thing that keeps us from enjoying such gastronomic feast is ALLERGY. The type that will leave your itching and scratching with ugly red blotches simply by just taking in a food that is not received well by your body.

According to Wikipedia, the most common food allergies are shellfish, peanuts, fish, and eggs. One's allergy can range from mild itching to shortness of breath or even death. This is definitely one thing that we all should give importance too particularly when preparing a meal for your guests.

DELeting the Allergy!

With more and more people having different types of skin allergies, home care brands such as Del Hypoallergenic Fabric Softener made sure that their product is safe for both kids and adults. Its skin-friendly formula has a mild scent and does not contain any artificial colorants which leaves the skin safe from allergies.

To make your Christmas a happy, allergy-free one, we're giving away THREE limited edition DEL Hypoallergenic Kit!

The rules are simple..
1) Leave a comment and tell me your never-fail hypoallergenic food tip. Taking soy milk instead of the regular kind to prevent milk allergies.

2) Include your name and email address so I can immediately inform you as soon as we have chosen the three lucky readers!

3) Enjoy!!! :)

This contest will run from December 23 - December 31, 2009!

Happy Holidays everyone!!

Whose Cuisine will reign Supreme? ... at the ASC Iron Chef Challenge

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to judge an Iron Chef Challenge that was done with the Ad Strat Council of the Philippines, this is a group of corporate CEOs from both the FMCG and Advertising industries who stand has guardians to the ads being shown, printed and produced.

Being very busy individuals, majority of them rarely have the time to bring out their creative juices in the kitchen. Thus, with the help and expertise of a group called Skills and Innovation, a total of six groups were formed and they were tasked to create a full course meal for only two hours. The menu was a trio of appetizer bites, Chicken Cacciatore, Chocolate Trifle and their very own signature drink.

We arrived at exactly 1pm at the venue and after a short briefing I found myself part of a three-member judging team with two professional chefs as my co-judge. Woah! I was very much overwhelmed and I somehow felt that I am truly not worthy to be beside two food experts who surely know their way around food. With some morale boost from Paul, I went around and began chatting with the contestants as they happily prepared their meal.

Finally, it was time for us to take our place on the judging table and with a couple of creative spiels as introduction, we were served one by one with each dish as we took a small bite here and there. A number of the dishes were beautifully plated that I commented that it seems like they really do know about food styling and proper plating.

I've always been fond of appetizers and my favorite here was the sinful quail eggs with fish roe (ebiko) on top. I think I ate almost ten quail eggs that day. The cucumber with tuna salad was also very refreshing and is something I'll surely add into my menu on our next dinner.

Some of the chicken dish were a bit dry while others were a little bit on the salty side while at least three nailed it perfectly. I love my Chicken Cacciatore with just an ample amount of sauce and is well pan-fried to make the skin crispy.

The dessert was also very delightful! I particularly liked one that has a bit of coffee flavor added into it. It gave more life to the chocolate and lady fingers blend. If only I wasn't already too stuffed from the numerous dishes that we have tasted, I could have probably finished the entire trifle in one sitting. Yum!

Lastly, the drink was a test of how well we can handle our alcohol. While some went on party mode and had a multiply mix of alcoholic drinks blended into their very own signature drink, others went wholesome with a sweet, fruity shakes that reminded me of our trip to Boracay.

Patterned after the famous Iron Chef competition, we took turns in giving our comments to each group after their respective presentation.

After all of the dishes have been presented and tasted, we had to tally up the score and announce the winner of the competition.

It surely was a close fight most especially with the top 3 groups, one bested the other in terms of plating while the one came out as the best in flavors... finally, the award goes to the.... RED TEAM!

What made this event truly exciting was seeing all participants enjoying and having a great time. It was also a great pleasure for me to sit beside two professional chefs in the industry and it somehow made me wonder if it's really time for me to pursue my dreams. :)

Thank you to Skills and Innovation for inviting me. It's really amazing to see a group of young ex-professionals from the FMCG industry who continues to conduct team building activities such as the Iron Chef challenge and a lot more for big companies not only here in the country but abroad.

photo credits: Paul Ang

Forgiven...

Last November 24, I received an email from Mr. Ritche Salgado who introduced himself as a writer for The Freeman. Upon reading the first two sentences of his email, I was baffled as to why on earth would he write to me.

Reading further on, I then found out that it was an apology email as apparently he accidentally submitted my entry about Pizza Hut's newest pasta line and it was published under his by line. It took me a while to absorb the information that I have just gathered from his lengthy email. He kept on apologizing but of course I just had to see this for myself. Apparently, every article written on The Freeman also gets published online via PhilStar.com so my article was re-published not once but twice and it was under someone else's name.

Perhaps the normal reaction here is to get mad, to threaten to sue or at least to complain directly to management. My colleagues have been helpful by offering to give me the contact details of the publisher and to support my every move. A lot were angry and some were disturbed that if this can happen to me, then it is also highly possible that their articles/entries are also being used without their consent somewhere out there.

Well, how did I deal with this?

First of all, I did not get mad at Mr. Salgado. No harsh words were written, no mean feelings were given. I just couldn't find it in my heart to get mad after seeing that he has came forward and apologized for what happened. Somehow I believe that there are still a lot of honest individuals out there and what happened was simply a mistake.

He clearly explained to me that my entry was emailed to him by Pizza Hut perhaps as a reference to their newest campaign. Now, I was a bit upset at Pizza Hut for just forwarding my entry just like that without asking my permission. I know that this blog is open for public viewing but to copy and forward an entire article just doesn't seem right.

With two word files in his computer, Mr. Salgado accidentally submitted the one that has my entry on it instead of the one that he personally wrote. Had Pizza Hut have just forwarded the link for Mr. Salgado to view this online, then perhaps the chances of him submitting the wrong file would have been smaller.

My Request

My request to Mr. Salgado was simple.

First, to remove the article posted online. Second, to send me the original copy of the issue with the erroneous article and another one with the Erratum written on it.

He complied with my two requests and I truly forgave him.

Realization

While I may have forgiven Mr. Salgado, this does not mean that the same treatment and response will be given when done the next time. Plagiarism is a big thing and for me, it signifies total disrespect towards the author or creator of whatever was copied. While the Internet is a big wide world where people can just copy something off with just a few clicks, we all have to bare in mind that bloggers or online writers/photographers/artists are just like your traditional media personalities, we give just the same amount of importance to our works and we pour our heart and mind into every single article that we come out with.

As bloggers, we also have to be careful in the things we post online. I remember a conversation that I had with a fellow blogger who got so pissed off because another blogger copied quite a huge chunk of text from his blog and when confronted the plagiarizing party did not offer any apology but instead just gave a nonchalant reply that he must just have the same thoughts after reading my friend's blog over and over again. After hearing this I was infuriated! How dare can he just shrug off my friend's confrontation. My friend, being the kind soul that he is, just let this issue go despite getting upset over what happened.

As we are all in just one blogging community, let us help protect each other by making sure that every article written is truly ours and that we give due credit to borrowed materials at all times.

Like a Proud Sister

I can still remember watching my sister pack for her one-week trip to Egypt almost a month ago. I remember that aside from reminding her to pack in some jacket and long sleeves, I also told her to make me proud and check out the local cuisine.

Well, I was also sure she doesn't need much reminding as she is a more adventurous eater than I am and I wouldn't be surprise if she would bravely try out a couple of exotic dishes that Egypt has to offer.

She's back now and with lots of stories to tell. Of course, she proudly told me about all the restaurants and dishes that she was able to try while I listen with much envy.

Here's her story which she generously shared with the reader of Yummy.ph on her magical food adventure in the land of camels and pyramids:

Egypt: A Welcome Surprise to the Palate

Women who Lunch at the Chelsea Market and Cafe

In this day and age, it is more common to meet up for dinner given our busy work schedule. Somehow, this also gives having a relaxing lunch out a different and special meaning since it's something that everyone looks forward to and truly treasure when given the opportunity to have one.

Such is the case one fine Saturday noon when my sister and I found ourselves with no specific plans for the day. Waking up early, we agreed to go out for lunch with mommy to just bond for the day.

It's about time for our regular mother-daughters bonding session! While Pan and I have been really tired and stressed out from work, Mommy's stress level probably triples that of ours combined since she takes care not only of our family but that of her own team at work as well. In fact, I still owe her a massage session this coming holiday break.

salmon tartare
Our lunch date was set at Chelsea Market and Cafe, I had such a wonderful experience here on all three occasions that I dined here while preparing for a previous Yummy event. I crave for the salmon appetizer, the spinach pot pie and their refreshing fruit shakes! I think this is a perfect venue to dine and unwind with my mom and sister.

We arrived just in time for lunch, the restaurant was packed and servers were all busy attending to everyone's needs. It felt like a country-side diner where the air is still relaxed but everyone is just busy chatting and eating at the same time.

We were ushered to our seats by the cake display and my mom was already eye-ing a couple of cakes that she would like to try for dessert. I told them to save some space as I, myself, would like a slice of Chelsea's Cookie Dough Cheesecake!

As we go through the menu, we were served with a tray of warm foccacia bread with roasted garlic as spread. This is actually one of the things I look forward to every time I visit Chelsea. I love spreading the soft, buttery garlic on my slice of warm bread. Every bite brings a warm, cozy feeling which makes it a perfect way to start my meal.

Our Slow Lunch Menu

We finally made our choices and we ordered quite a spread!

First was our appetizer of Salmon Tartare (Php. 450), I enjoy the contrast of cold fresh salmon garnished with Arugula leaves and sweet cherry tomatoes. I love the tortilla chips too which made this starter a fun dish to eat!

Following our starter, we got the Pea and Mushroom Ravioli soup (Php. 280). I was never a fan of green peas but this soup I really like. I love the aromatic smell of truffles and the tender but juicy bite of the mushroom ravioli. The pea soup added more texture which just made every sip heavenly. One order is actually good for two that you may request your server to split it for you.

I remembered that while planning for a certain Yummy event a couple of months back, B, my editor, requested if we can have the Spinach Pot Pie with Apricot Jam (Php. 395) as part of our line up. I was intrigued by this and at the same time I'm also excited to try this as I'm pretty sure this is must be really special for her to like it so much.

True enough, one bite of this cheesy pot pie and it stole my heart as well. Imagine a mixture of creamy spinach and cheese covered with crunchy puff pastry and baked to perfection. Make sure that in every slice, do add some apricot jam to give it that sweet-salty taste.

We're a family who loves pasta! We enjoy creating different pasta dishes using the wide array of noodles available. Of course, we couldn't pass up the chance to try Chelsea's Lamb Bolognese (Php. 575). This is tomato-based pasta will surely delight the senses of all lamb lovers out there. I enjoyed the sweet meaty smell of the lamb that was obviously cooked properly, the pasta was al dente as expected and the sauce was just right perfectly coating the meat and noodles without turning it into a soggy dish. While Mommy felt that the cheese was a bit too overpowering, Pan and I on the other hand, just cut the white cheese into smaller cubes to be able to have a tiny piece in every bite.

Finally, the star of our lunch -- the Duck Confit Risotto (Php. 575). Our choice came down to either a salmon dish or the duck confit. Since the three of us have been in a seafood diet for quite a while, we felt that it's time to add some meat into our diet and we got the duck for lunch instead.

I'm so glad we did as this was surely a delicious dish! The duck was crunchy and tender, the risotto so creamy and the veggies that came with it was so yummy! This really capped off our lunch and we're all so happy that we ordered this.

With our stomach bursting, we sadly had to skip dessert this time. This was a special lunch and with all the delicious food and wonderful conversation, I surely can't wait for our next monther-daughters bonding session!

Chelsea Market and Cafe is located at the Ground Level of Serendra Piazza, McKinley Parkway, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. Call them at 909-7011.