Buon Giorno at the Rockwell Business Center in Ortigas

My family has been a long time loyal patron of Buon Giorno Tagaytay. Every trip to Tagaytay would not be complete without two things: a meal at Josephine's and lunch at Buon Giorno. Yes, that's how loyal my family can get. For as long as we love the food and we find the price reasonable, expect us to be back regularly. After lunch at Buon Giorno my parents love to spend more time around the area as we enjoy the cool breeze and the beautiful sight of the Taal Volcano.

Once in a while, my mom would crave for something Italian and to her dismay not a single Italian restaurant here in Manila could satisfy her craving as much as Buon Giorno could. Her request is simple: fresh ingredients, balanced flavor, top quality meat. Our favorite is the Smoked Salmon with Mango Dill Sauce and their Risotto. We were so happy when Buon Giorno opened their first branch in Metro Manila along Shaw Boulevard. Sadly though, the ambiance there just doesn't match with that of their Tagaytay branch and we only were able to visit it twice before it closed down.

I'm glad Buon Giorno didn't give up, they re-opened again this time inside the Rockwell Business Center in Ortigas (beside Medical City) which is quite near for us. Mom was so happy when I told her the news and we're already planning to visit them soon...

...well, I went ahead and visited Buon Giorno's new branch upon receiving an invite last week. Sorry Mommy, hungry tummy couldn't wait! :)


Buon Giorno prepared a feast! We started off with a bowl of Zuppa di zucca arrosto (Php. 140) otherwise known as Pumpkin soup. I'm such a fan of pumpkin soup despite my mom telling me its loaded with calories. Turning a blind eye just this once I happily slurped my creamy pumpkin soup which had sesame seeds and croutons. Yum!

Minato Sizzling Steakhouse

I've mentioned in various occasions that Paul and I belong to a foodie club which consists of a group of bloggers and their respective partners (husbands/wives/boyfriends/girlfriends). It all began when we are all avid plurkers and after consistently talking about food, food and more food, we all agreed to meet up one evening at the now-close Beijing Hand-Pulled Noodles in San Juan. Incidentally, most of us also resides within the same area making it easy to eat out anytime.

From that first dinner we moved on to move lunches and dinners together, some members of the club even took up boxing and circuit training together. We even have a junior edition consisting of the kids of the club members! Our friendship has transitioned from online to offline. We would run to each other for help and advice and to celebrate wonderful milestones in each other's lives. Soon, we'll look forward to our first summer getaway together!

Given that we're a huge group, always eating out together, small intimate bonding sessions are hardly done. Thus, Paul and I were excited when Richard and Irene invited us out to dinner last Saturday. I first met Richard during the Ya Kun Kaya Ortigas visit when he invited me and a couple of bloggers to try his best-selling items. Since then, Richard would constantly keep in touch with us, eventually becoming a budding food blogger himself and what happened after is what you can see now... we became really good friends! In fact, Paul and I look up to Richard and Irene as our "ahia" and "achi" in the club. I've never had an older sibling thus I really do enjoy their company a LOT!

Our double-date was set just a stone's throw away from my university. You see, ten years ago, Escriva Drive then known as Amber Drive had very little food and commercial establishments. Little by little though, we see it transform into a little K-Town filled with Korean convenience stores and restaurants. Richard and Irene discovered a gem called Minato within this little area and this was our dinner venue that evening.

We were a bit late for our date and Richard and Irene, being always prompt during meet ups, were already seated and ready to eat. Paul and I catched up by immediately ordering our meat and rice dishes -- Sol Kalbi (Php. 350), Pork Ribs (Php. 300) and Dolsot Bibimbap (Php. 250).


One thing that I LOVE with Korean restaurant is the wide array of appetizers! Minato served an appetizer feast with kimchi, beansprout, spicy spinach, macaroni salad, fried dilis and a lot more!

Retail Finds: Golla Laptop Bag

If there would be anything in this world that I can't live without I'd obviously say it would be my laptop.

For years, I've grown dependent on my home computer where I would spend hours blogging, surfing the net, creating trip itineraries, typing compositions for school and a lot more. In fact, my work is very computer dependent too where I would have to regularly check my mail in Microsoft Outlook and since the digital age has made work more efficient and paper-less, majority of our correspondence are done via email and reports sent using the programs of Microsoft Office.

At home, my nightly routine is that I would open my handy-dandy laptop the moment I get home from work to write an entry in this blog. This had, in fact, became part of my packing list on my recent trip to the US. It's what Paul and I used to chat with my family and to update ourselves with what's happening in Manila while we're away.

I believe that behind an efficient laptop should be a comfy-carrying bag. 

One thing that I do not like though is having to lug around my laptop using a not-very-functional-laptop-bag that we got upon purchase of this laptop. It's this bulky black bag that says nothing about being fashionable nor does it help lighten the load off your shoulders. No padding, no extra cushion, it was simply just a bag that fits our laptop.


Right now, our slim handy laptop has a new home.Thanks to the guys behind Golla who sent us this pretty floral red bag, we can proudly carry our laptop around with ease.

Tweet Tweet Twitter!!

For years I have been very active in Plurk even putting my account on "vacation" when I go out of the country just so my karma won't drastically go down. There, I've gotten to know new friends and have strengthened my friendships with some.


During my recent trip to the US, I realized that people there are crazy about Twitter. With their advance technology via mobile people are busy checking their Facebook accounts, checking in on Foursquare and Twitting every chance they get. Almost all of the people that I've met has either a smart phone or an iPhone and they're all on data plan. Amazing huh?!

How I wish we can be as technologically-savvy here. I know eventually we'll get there. Well, here's a start.. while I am not abandoning my Plurk account but I am joining the crowd as I enter the world of Twitter. It has been less than 24 hours since I've revived my dormant account and I've connected with fellow bloggers and friends. It's a fun Twitting world out there!

See you there!!!

Click here to follow me on Twitter.

image source: http://technorati.com/blogging/article/trouble-deciding-who-to-follow-on/

Allies Wonder Nuts heading to Mercato Centrale!

Are you nuts about Allies Greaseless Nuts?!



Well, here's some good news! You can now easily get your can of Allies Nuts every Saturday starting March 26 at the Mercato Centrale!



This is located at the corner of 8th and 34th street beside MC Home Depot and Starbucks Coffee Drive-Thru store.

We'll also be selling more delicious food items that you'll surely enjoy!



Watch out for that big nutty banner at the Mercato Centrale! See you there!!

*note: we wish to thank Ro, Abet, Jane U and Trixie for helping us spread the word!!!

Alex III in Wilson street, San Juan City

Alex III has been around for more than two decades.. I'm pretty sure of that as I remember dining in their Quezon City branch as a little girl and I'm sure that has been more than twenty years ago (ok, here I am on the verge of revealing my age). For years, my staple order would be a plate of Chicken Barbeque with Java Rice, a bowl of Bird's Nest Soup with Quail Egg and my family's favorite -- Ponchi Sushi Roll and Laing.

Even when we were still students, my parents would take us to Alex III along Wilson street to celebrate small achievements and milestones in our lives. I remember dining here after every quarterly exams. Papa would always get their Boneless Chicken Barbecue and the three of us would have our own plates of two-piece Chicken Barbecue. Mommy would always request that her Java Rice be changed to Plain Rice. These things have never changed since then.

Now, our family is growing with Paul being the newest member of our small yet very tight-knit family. Last Sunday, Mommy decided that instead of having our regular Sunday dinners at home, we will eat out. I was excited! We rarely get to eat out as a family save for the birthday celebrations and once in a while dinner outs with either side. We decided to have dinner at Alex III where my dad, who lately has been a very picky eater, will definitely approve of.


We arrived at exactly seven and the restaurant was half-filled. Through the years, Alex III would try to tweak their menu -- removing some items such as my favorite Bird's Nest soup and adding some creations such as the rib-eye steak. I'm glad though that this time, the Bird's Nest Soup with Quail Egg is back and so is Paul's favorite Chicken Oriental Salad. Of course, I had to order the Bird's Nest soup since I miss it so much! One slurp and Paul and I looked at each other. The soup doesn't taste the same. For one thing, we could hardly see or taste the bird's nest. It actually tasted like Egg Soup with Quail Egg. Ohh..hello cholesterol!

Mary Grace Cafe in Serenda Piazza

On our first weekend back in Manila, Paul and I were busy dealing with terrible jet lag. We were up at exactly 6AM and was fast asleep by 9PM. Thus, evening social activities were totally out of the question yet the good side is we get to make the most of our mornings for almost a week and a half. Both wide awake at 6AM on a Sunday morning, we decided to head to Mercato Centrale to check out the weekend market scene. Mommy agreed to join us and off we went to the Bonifacio Global City ready to eat, eat and eat!

It was a very warm Sunday morning and after quenching our thirst with Iced Barako Latte and filling our tummy with Angus Beef Tapsilog, Mommy wanted to continue our bonding session somewhere with air conditioning this time. So off we went to Serendra Piazza where we had an early lunch at Mary Grace Cafe.

It's funny because I frequently buy from the Mary Grace kiosk in Greenhills but I've never dined in her Cafe. My mom, on the other hand, is a huge fan and she was craving for their Chorizo Pasta that day. The menu was pretty simple but the prices were quite steep. Pasta dishes, for instance, averages at P250. With this, my expectations are quite high for Mary Grace's pasta dishes.


I love the ambiance though. Each table were adorned with notes of customers written for Mary Grace. Paul was urging me to leave a note but I was just too shy to do so. :) Maybe when I frequent her restaurant more then I'll tell her how much I ♥ her Cheese Roll and Lemon Squares.

Stopover : Tatsu at the Narita Airport, Japan

I was just in Japan for four hours for a brief stopover and I've immediately fell in love with the orderliness of their airport system and how delicious their airport food was. Thus, my heart goes out to the thousands of families who lost their homes, loved ones and basically all of their belongings due to the recent earthquake and tsunami last March 11 that destroyed the island particularly in northern Japan -- Sendai.

As I was getting tips from one of my cousins before flying off to the US, one thing that he told me was to try the ramen at the Narita Airport which was located right at the waiting terminal of Delta Airlines. It's fun to know that being a food lover runs in the family and I can totally count on my relatives to give me great tips on what's delicious here and abroad.


Paul and I took my cousin's advice to heart and we immediately spotted Tatsu which was indeed located where my cousin told us it would be. We fell in line and got a bowl of Tempura Udon and a sushi box to share.

Best Food Forward!!!

I would like to interrupt my US food stories to talk about an exciting event coming this April. Summer will never be there same as we launch this year's hottest season with a fun food fair from April 2-3, 2011 at the NBC Tent!


It will be two whole days where you can try the latest food finds and orient your taste buds to new, unique flavors!

Furthermore, Yummy Magazine and Entrepreneur Philippines are proud media partners of this event! Lucky participants will be able to get free back issues of these two magazines.

See you all there! :)

Onboard Delta Airlines (Los Angeles - Narita - Manila)

We're finally back! With just a few more blog entries left, I will be concluding our amazing US trip which was filled with a lot of delicious finds and fun sights. I love to travel but I honestly dread the long-haul flights. I am a very restless person and to make me sit still for four hours straight is torture already which is why I have to fill my bag with chips and magazines to keep me busy all throughout the flight.

Flight attendant: "Maam, this is a 12-hour flight"
Frannywanny: What???? (panic mode)

This was the first thing the flight attendant told me as I boarded the plane. All the while I thought it would just be a 9-hour flight like before but due to the law of gravity and the force of the wind, this will be a longer flight. Boy, oh boy! I am not ready for a 12-hour flight! I'm glad though Paul filled our hand carry with snacks but I think I'll just try to catch as much sleep as I can to prepare myself for Manila time again.

Just like my first flight via Delta Airline, I am excited for the food! My flight to the US was pleasant with a very attentive flight attendant and the food was just delicious. I hope I'll be just as lucky on this flight.

Flight #1: LAX to Narita, Japan

I read the menu and I was excited with the first entry -- Shrimp cocktail. Wow! This is Paul's favorite! We had a choice between the Sliced Beef with Rice or the Chicken Breast with Potatoes. Paul got the beef with rice which was very fragrant while I went for the chicken breast which was surprisingly tender and the potato has the same texture of a polenta.

I love the shrimp cocktail! The three plump shrimps were served chilled and fresh with delicious cocktail sauce. If only I can bring more packets home, I would. :)

Menu
Shrimp cocktail
Seasonal green salad with cheddar cheese, cucumbers and tomatoes
Chicken breast with thyme demi-glaze dressing, carrots and spinach
Bread and butter
Chocolate chip blondie

Travel Essentials: Travel safe with Pacsafe

It's no secret that Paul and I love to travel. At the same time, we have been blessed with wonderful opportunities that have enabled us to travel at least once per quarter since we got married. It all began with our two weeks trip to Singapore and Malaysia for our honeymoon followed by a quick visit to the happiest place in Asia a.k.a. Hong Kong Disneyland and just recently, we went out of Asia and explored the west as we traveled to California, USA.

As we travel, we make sure that safety is always on our side. We pray, we plan and we pack well in order to ensure that we keep our valuables close and away from the wandering eyes of snatchers. Nothing can destroy a trip more than losing your passport, money and clothes. Not only will it waste you time but it will surely take the fun away from what was supposed to be a memorable traveling experience.

As we were preparing for our recent 2-week long vacation, we made sure that we were equipped with the right bags and luggage to make our trip stress-free and safe.

That was when we came across Pacsafe. I remember that my sister has been raving about her Pacsafe waistband during our trip to Bangkok a few years ago. It has a slash-proof band and certain safety features that has enabled her to store her money and passport safely.

Paul stopping over at Narita Airport with his Venturesafe Day Pack

Paul will definitely be bringing his camera and for the past trips, he would just use his camera bag which was very bulky and eye-catching. With the name NIKON stitched in front and the size that resembles that of an ice candy box, it easily becomes a target for camera snatchers. We don't want that to happen and so Paul brought along with him an orange Venturesafe Day Pack that doubles as a camera back and a backpack for him to store more items in.

Lucille's Smokehouse BBQ in California

Our trip was quite short..a bit too short that we barely had enough time to visit other cities outside of LA.

Still, we had a blast!

Within the span of 14 days, Paul and I fell in love with one particular restaurant that made us go back twice. It was that good that the server even recognized us and thought we were locals.


Let me tell you about Lucille's Smokehouse BBQ which, I believe, has one of the best ribs in this part of the world. I guess I've mentioned quite often how much Paul and I love eating ribs. We enjoy chomping down on a full rack of ribs, clearing out the meat till the bone ends up shiny and clean. Yep, we're carnivores that way. While others would go for huge tender perfectly grilled steaks, we'd choose ribs any day. We love sinking our teeth into the tender meat that falls off the bone in an instant. What more, the juicy barbecue sauce that covers it and the delicious sidings that come with it never fails to make our day complete.

One evening after enjoying a full day at Knott's Berry Farm, Paul's aunt and cousin J decided to take us to Lucille's Smokehouse BBQ for dinner. We arrived at 6PM hoping to have an early dinner to be able to catch a movie afterwards. We were surprised to see a huge crowd filling up both inside and outside the restaurant with customers waiting for their tables. J immediately made a reservation and was given a pager that will inform us if our table is ready.

Turnover was quite fast still we waited for 30 minutes. By the time we were ushered to our table, the number of people waiting in line for their turn continues to grow. Amazing!

Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California

Little has been said about Knott's Berry Farm. This is probably the reason why I also went with basically no clear idea on what to expect and instead just decided to just keep an open mind and heart about it.


Thanks to my dear friend K for providing us the tickets, we headed out to Buena Park one Sunday morning ready to enjoy a full day at our first theme park!


From the moment I entered, I knew I'll definitely have a great time, sure I may not be the type who would go for the thrilling rides but as we walked around the park and discover every nook and cranny, I enjoyed the sights, sounds and flavor that we've experienced at Knott's Berry Farm!

Here are FIVE amazing reasons why you'll definitely love Knott's Berry Farm:

In-N-Out Burger in California, USA

As Paul and I enjoyed our trip around California a.k.a. Burger Land, of course, we didn't pass up the chance to try one of their famous fast food burger chains -- In-N-Out Burger.


I couldn't believe my eyes as I would see a line of cars outside the restaurant and a line of people inside at any given time of the day. We would pass by the nearest In-N-Out Burger in the morning and there's already a line of cars waiting at the drive-thru counter and when we head back home at night, the line just gets longer and longer. I asked my cousin-in-law J about it and he told me that that's actually a daily scenario at In-N-Out! Wow! Business is really good for them!


Their menu is simple, you get to choose among three types of burgers: Hamburger, Cheeseburger and the famous Double-Double burger. Add some fries or maybe a milkshake basically that's how simple their menu line up is. Yet, people just wants their burgers fresh, fast and delicious. No frills, no add-ons and this continues to make In-N-Out Burger successful for more than 60 years.

We had In-N-Out Burger for lunch where J dared us to try the Double-Double Burger Meal ($5.95). Just as it was named double-double, this humongous burger comes with two beef patties, two slices of cheese and the works! The meal also consists of a mountain-full of fries and tall-size drink. For a regular diner, this may be a pretty manageable size but for us, it's a GIANT meal!

Specialty's Cafe & Bakery in Irvine, California

During the first leg of my US trip, my colleague L and I stayed at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Irvine. Irvine, is actually like the central business district of California where tall skyscrapers line up the streets and it's relatively more quiet here at any given part of the day simply because everyone is busy at work.


On our first work day, L and I decided to start early by walking around the neighborhood in search for a good place to have breakfast. Thanks to the friendly hotel staff, he directed us towards Specialty's Cafe & Bakery which he says serves pretty good coffee.

Umami Burger in Los Angeles, California

While planning for our trip to the US, Paul and I did not expect that we are about to embark on a journey to Burger Land! Everywhere you go, you'll surely encounter a burger stand or a restaurant serving the meatiest, biggest burger ever seen!

From the famous In-n-Out, which I will talk about more in detail in my next entries, to the gourmet ones such as Umami Burger where my dear friend Karla brought us for dinner one chilly evening, we had a great time having a taste of all-pure beef with the freshest veggies and soft burger buns.

Back in Manila, I'm not really a big burger fan as I prefer the non-meat choices such as Burger King's BK Big Fish or McDonald's Fillet o Fish sandwich however, since I am in Burger Land I have to try these burgers and see why the locals love them so much.

As mentioned above, it was a very chilly evening where the temparature was at 8 degrees celcius. We buttoned up, pulled down our hats and shivered our way towards Umami Burger along Hollywood Boulevard where we were greeted by Karla and her fiance Mike who were already in line waiting for our table. Despite the cold weather, there was actually a long line outside the restaurant. This got me really excited as their burgers must be really good for people to brave the chilly air as they patiently stand underneath the gas warmers while waiting for their tables to be ready.


Soon, we were led to our tables and were handed long paper menus for us to make our choice. Paul and I zeroed in on the Umami Burger ($10) which was their signature burger. We wanted to share on one burger but Karla insisted that we get one each. We gave in to our host and I'm glad we took her advice. I enjoyed my Umami Burger as it has a huge piece of burger patty with thin parmesan crisp and veggies.

The Boiling Crab in Rowland Heights, California

I love seafood! Nothing makes a meal greater than enjoying fresh seafood cooked in various ways -- from steamed to fried, from baked to grilled whichever way you take you'll surely enjoy your seafood plate. When my cousin invited us to try the much-talked-about The Boiling Crab for lunch last week, I was very excited that I was up at 7AM eagerly waiting for our 12NN lunch date.


Thanks to our handy GPS, we got to The Boiling Crab at Rowland Heights just in time. I love the laid-back wharf-like ambiance where vandalism is allowed. Yep! You read it right, check out the walls and you'd see scribbles from customers whether it bears their names or a short message stating their presence in the restaurant.


Head to the table and you'd be led to a bear table-top with a wax paper cover. No utensils here as they mean real business about getting your hands dirty to enjoy their freshest catch. All you get is a plastic bib to shield your clothes from the possible mess that you'll be making.


To start off, we got a basket of Cajun fries ($2.99) that has a very mild hint of spiciness. I love how they can make their fries thin and crispy here. A great starter to every meal.


Then here's where things get serious. Order from their short list of seafood. Unfortunately, they were out of crabs that day so we went for a bag of two pounds worth of Shrimps ($8.99/lb). You get to choose what sauce you want to go with your seafood (Rajun-Cajun, Lemon Butter, Garlic Butter or the whole Sha-Bang) and how spicy you'd like it to be. Taking the preference of the majority, we went for the mild spicy level with the whole sha-bang sauce.

Denny's Restaurant in California, USA

Whenever we travel, I look forward to waking up early in order to have a good breakfast.

Wanting to just relax and to live the local life, we decided to skip flying to Las Vegas for another exciting yet exhausting day and to just stay in the city to shop, eat and walk around. Our lazy day began with brunch at Denny's Restaurant, a diner that has a lot of branches around the US and even in some neighboring countries as well.


It's good that they have a number of value meals starting at $2. We began with a plate of Buttermilk Pancakes ($2) as I was determined to enjoy a plate of all-American pancakes in this trip. However, I was a bit disappointed that Denny's pancakes were not as fluffy as I was expecting it to be. We shared a piece of pancake eat and covered it with creamy butter and syrup. I still love our pancakes back home.


We also had Country Fried Steak and Eggs ($9.99) which is a huge platter filled with meat, meat and more meat! Here's what we got: two sausages, two crunchy bacon, lots of scrambled eggs, hashed brown, biscuits and deep fried beef steak with creamy gravy. This one was very delicious! We love the crunchy bacon and the hashed brown was yummy too. The country fried steak made the $9 price tag worth it as we enjoyed the tender beef steak perfectly coated and deep-fried just the way we like it.

I love the diner feel at Denny's and the service rendered was superb. We even had the manager visiting our table asking how everything was. Now, this is one restaurant you can visit at any given time of the day as they're open 24/7. A diner perfect for your all-day craving!

*photo credit: Paul Ang

Denny's Restaurants has more than 1,500 branches in the USA. Click here to locate a store near you.