50 Feasts : Basic Food Photography Class

A month ago, I received an email from Dwight Co of 50 Feasts, a new food photography school that's located just a few blocks away from home. He invited me to be part of their first ever Basic Food Photography class and after giving it much thought I emailed him back asking if I can give my slot to my husband, Paul, instead.

As you all know, what you see here in Frannywanny.com is a close team-up between me and my husband. I do the writing while he takes care of most of the mouthwatering photos found in this blog. As for the eating, we split that responsibility 50/50. :P

When Dwight said yes, I told Paul the good news and in return I got a big big big hug from him. Looks like someone was very excited about taking further food photography lessons. We had our mini countdown and along the way, Paul found out that fellow blogger Leslie will also be joining him in this class, all the more he got so excited that he at least know one person in the class already.

I think I have to stop talking and turn the spotlight over to my talented husband, Paul as he'll tell you more about his 50 Feasts food photography experience. 


Before that though, check out one of his photos taken during the class. Amazing, huh? :)

- Fran


If there's one thing I'm totally passionate about, it would have to be photography. While I would rather be behind the lens, I'm lucky that my wife, Fran has always been my willing model wherever we go. Since we have been eating out a lot and with Fran wanting to document every single food served on our table, I would always try to experiment and make sure to get the best photos out of every dish. At times, lighting would fail me or I would get a difficult angle to work on thus, I end up with photos that I'm not exactly happy about.

A few years ago, I took a basic photography course with one of the country's renowned photographers. Under his wing, I learned how to make use of my dSLR and the basics of photography. He would always tell us to continue to practice as this is how we'll be able to improve our craft.

When Fran told me that she has enrolled me in 50 Feasts' Food Photography class, I was very excited. If there's one aspect in photography that I'd like to improve on, then this would definitely be it.

AC Rumpa in Angeles, Pampanga

The Food Club went on another out of town trip and this time we all headed to Paul's hometown in Angeles, Pampanga; where we stayed the night in Fontana Leisure Park. (Read Rowena's blog entry about it here)

We got there around 11 in the morning and The Club decided to go Duty Free shopping first. After which, lunch was next on the itinerary and being the ones who frequent Pampanga a lot, I asked the group if they're game to have ribs for lunch. After all, I had my favorite restaurant in mind.


I first encountered AC Rumpa a few years ago when Paul and I first watched the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta in Clark. As always, I went prepared ready with a list of restaurants to try after doing my research online and AC Rumpa got the most number of votes from our Hot Air Balloon group. AC Rumpa stands for Angeles City Retired US Military Personnel Association. I'm not really sure if the owner is an American or a Filipino but one thing I'm really sure of is that they serve one of the best ribs in town! I've been frequenting this restaurant for years now and would always bring friends knowing that I can trust that they will not be disappointed with the food or the service.

The restaurant is located in one of the side streets along Balibago road and the signage is very subtle that you really have to keep your eyes wide open to see it. No lighted signage, no huge banner -- all they have is a craved out name by the gate of the restaurant.

Luckily, I called to make a reservation as there were 13 of us that day. We got to the restaurant a little past 1pm so just imagine how hungry we all were.


First off, I told everyone that their ribs were to-die-for. So almost every family made sure to order a plate of ribs either to be consumed solo or for sharing. Paul and I used to share a plate of ribs but we decided to just have one each this time. :) It was also a good thing that their Barbecue Spareribs was the special for the day so we get this for only P180. That's P10 less the regular price. One order gives you a generous cut of ribs, veggies and your choice of rice, french fries or mashed potato. My usual order always comes with some hand-cut fries! Yum! I'm glad everyone was pleased at how tender and juicy the ribs were.

Microtel Mall of Asia -- Home away from Home

It has been a while since Paul and I had our much-longed-for R&R. Our last was during our 1st wedding anniversary where we stayed a night at Discovery Suites. We were, in fact, really looking forward to our trip to Bacolod which sadly got canceled due to a massive strike conducted by ex-PAL employees.


"Just one night." I always pray to HIM. We've both been so stressed out that I think a mini-break will really do wonders for us. HE heard my prayers so last Saturday I got an email from the Ariel 3D Deep Clean event organizers telling me that they actually booked a room for us at Microtel Mall of Asia. The thing is, this will be from Monday to Tuesday. We've never had a mini-vacation on a work night so this is really something new to us. Still, we tried to be spontaneous and openly accepted the invitation.


So there we were, right after work checking in at Microtel Mall of Asia. There were plenty of parking spots and the attendant were very helpful too. I entered the lobby and loved the bright, clean ambiance where hotel guests would sit on the couch to surf and use the WiFi internet for free.


Checking in was a breeze, all they did was to make me fill up a form, asked for a valid ID, did some verification check and in no time, I was given our room key and was warmly welcomed in Microtel. We headed up to the 7th floor where our room for the night was located.

the view from our room

Microtel is a popular chain of inns and mini hotels abroad, I remember checking their website out as I was planning our US trip. They are known to have a really reasonable room rates while giving you comfortable accommodations without the frills.  What I didn't know was that the rooms in Microtel, or at least in this particular location, is HUGE! We entered our room and I was surprised to see two queen sized beds, a daybed overlooking the Manila Bay, a pretty spacious bathroom and a flat screen TV. If this is what you call "minus the frills" then I'd love to stay in Microtel every time I travel abroad.

Let me give you a short tour around our room and the hotel through this slideshow that I lovingly made for each one of you. :)

Slideroll.com

Starbucks Planner 2012 : Ready, Get Set, Collect!

Once again, we have reached the -ber months where people start to make their Christmas list, families decorating their Christmas trees and for avid Starbucks Coffee fans like myself, we head to our favorite store to collect enough stickers to bring home our very own Starbucks Planner!


This is really the start of the countdown as on November 3, 2011; Starbucks Coffee will begin giving out stickers for every drink purchase for customers to collect to be able to redeem and get one of the five planners available. Yes, you read that right! From having three attractive designs last year, Starbucks Coffee Philippines now has FIVE for you to choose from!

Last night, I was lucky to be able to see the Starbucks 2012 Planner up close and to be able to lift through the pages, run my fingers through the wooden cover and go through each month by month as I read the opening pages. I know you're all dying to see what Starbucks Coffee has in store for all of us planner fans so read on and I'll tell you five great things that's making me love this planner more and more.

Ariel 3D Deep Clean : Technology meets Fashion and Fabric Care

Unknown to many, I am a neat freak. I spend most of my free time (and in between busy schedules) organizing, cleaning, sorting, color-coordinating and a lot more. This is also the case when it comes to my clothes. I hate having a lot of unused clothes stored in my closet just gathering dust. This is the reason why I regularly go through every single piece of clothing and I quickly discard the old, worn-out ones to give space for the new ones.

I love keeping my clothes tidy and clean. However, as we go out, especially when we travel and dine out, it's inevitable that we perspire and we leave stains and bacteria in our clothes. While eating, we sometimes accidentally have sauce dripping on our jeans and oil stains on our long sleeves. These are really hard to remove and not even the most powerful stain remover can sometimes do the trick.


Luckily, I was invited to the launch of one of the country's leading brand in fabric care Ariel as they launched a new product called the Ariel Stainlift with Deep Cleaning Technology.


From the moment we arrived at the venue, we were given our very own 3D glasses and almost all corner of the venue had the latest LG 3D TV set-up. The program was very brief and we were welcomed by no other than Ariel's newest endorser, Boy Abunda. He talked about his experience in Dubai where he shot the Ariel TVC and how he personally witness the power of the new Ariel variant that works on a 3-step process in removing stains, dirt and bacteria.

First: It polishes the clothing fibers.
Second: It reduces the negative charge to reduce repulsion enabling it to penetrate deeper
Third: It extracts the dirt and stains from the deep fiber layers to give a 3D deep clean!

Listening to the interviews, we learned that clothing consists of multiple layers of fibers and this is where the dirt and stains normally stays. Thus, it takes a deeper understanding and thorough research on how to remove them permanently. The Ariel Stainlift with Deep Cleaning Technology will go above, within and below the textile to ensure it gets clean through and through. This is no ordinary clean, this is what Ariel would like to call 3D Deep Clean.

To end the program, we were all treated to an amazing show right at the facade of the new Microtel Mall of Asia. It's the first in the country and the latest outdoor show innovation in the world. It's called 3D Mapping where walls and windows come alive.

Ariel partnered with Bench as they staged the very first 3D Fashion Show. I enjoyed the show very much as it really felt like watching a short fashion show only the models are as tall as the entire hotel. Definitely, larger than life!

Hope you enjoy the video and forgive me for some shaky bits, I wished I had a tripod as shooting a 4+ minute video is not a joke. :P

Cheap Eats : Hainanese Delights

Here's a case when I chose not to blog on the my first restaurant visit...neither on my second but just decided to wait and go back for a third round before I finally give my full review.


I first heard about Hainanese Delights from my colleague ML who is a certified foodie and a budding food blogger. It was during one of our work-related events in Robinsons Galleria when she pointed out this fast food-like restaurant with a bright pink signage to me. I made a mental note to check it out but since I rarely get to visit the mall, it took me more than a month before I finally had the chance to try Hainanese Delights for the first time. My first visit was ok, nothing amazing as I was only able to try one dish and a can of Coke. Nothing more.

My second visit came shortly after when Hainanese Delights opened at Robinsons Pioneer, a mall that's just within walking distance from my office. ML and I were invited to a lunch meeting there and we were able to sample more dishes this time. Here, I found a few good ones which I found myself ordering again on my return.

This time, I will talk about my third visit in greater detail. It was a lazy Saturday and with nothing big planned for the day, Paul and I decided to go shopping in Robinsons Galleria. You see, we rarely get to go to the mall more so to shop. However, with most of my clothes looking really old and worn out, I realized that it's time to hit the shops once again.

After visiting our favorite retail brands, we started to feel a bit hungry and I invited Paul to have our afternoon snack at Hainanese Delights. We both were not able to have breakfast and lunch was very light that day so just imagine why we decided to have rice at 4 in the afternoon.

Here's what consists our hearty afternoon merienda at Hainanese Delights:


Hainanese Delights (Php. 120) -- The dish that takes after the name of the restaurant. I immediately figured that this must be their signature dish.

At first glance, the rice may look too little but don't fret as Hainanese Delights (the restaurant) offers unlimited refill of rice for all their rice meals. I think we had two servings that day. The rice, admittedly, doesn't taste like the usual Hainanese rice served in Singapore but it was pretty tasty and fluffy at the very least. The chicken was tender and I was always given the leg portion which I really like. On the table were containers filled with the usual Hainanese sauces : hot sauce, soy sauce and ginger oil. I think we emptied out our container of ginger oil as we poured this over our chicken and rice. It was that good!

Tea Time at Cha Dao Tea Place

A month ago, I received 4 Gift CerTEAficates to try Cha Dao Tea Place, a new milk tea shop near my office. This entitles me and three companions to an XL Drink with Free Sinkers each!


Since Paul and I basically had nothing planned yesterday afternoon and my sister and her boyfriend E happened to be at home too, we decided to go out for an impromptu double date over milk tea. So, off we went to Cha Dao Tea Place in Brgy. Kapitolyo in Pasig.


The store is quite small where probably only 10 customers can fit at a time. I like the nice touch of having bowls of dried tea leaves on the table. Wish that it was more aromatic for the scent to fill up the room.

The servers were extremely friendly, asking us if it was our first time in Cha Dao and after learning that it indeed was, she proceeded to pointing out their best-sellers in the menu. She was very helpful in suggesting and guiding us through our orders.


Paul, a non-milk tea drinker were interested to try the Yakult line and he was told that the Peach Mango is one of their top picks. He took their advice and ordered an XL cup of Peach Mango Yakult Blend with Light Sugar (Php. 75) as we were told that the drink itself is sweet already.

I wanted to try their milk tea and so I went for the Wintermelon Milk Tea with Coffee Jelly (Php. 75). Meanwhile, my sister tried the Assam Milk Tea (Php. 75) and E got the Cha Yen (Php. 75).

Visa Debit Card: Three reasons why I love thee

*SPONSORED POST*

Two months ago, I wrote about the wonders of having a Visa debit card. I talked about the convenience, the speed and the power that it gives you without having to worry about bringing a loadful of cash in your bag. Sad to say, our environment is not that safe and we go out having to be mindful of pick-pockets and snatchers all the time.

After writing that entry, I had the privilege of using my very own Visa debit card powered by Unionbank. Signing up for it was so easy! I simply filled up the form, presented two valid IDs and within weeks I finally got my very own debit card! I loaded up my card with a small amount and this became my emergency cash from that point on. The best thing is there is no minimum maintaining balance needed so you can deposit as much as you want and leave it empty without the fear of losing your account or incurring interest fees.

Let me share with you three amazing things that you can do with your VISA debit card:

1) Swipe it!

I am in dire need for a new pair of sturdy flipflops that will be my walking companion here and abroad. You see, I love wearing flipflops as it’s light and pretty much easy to maintain. I really get to over-use my flipflops as I bring them with me wherever I go. Since I will be traveling soon, I know I need a new pair as my old ones are pretty much worn out.

Finally, I found the one! It was during one of my impromptu shopping trips with Paul when we saw a cute pair of bejeweled Fitflops sandals! I’ve always wanted a pair of Fitflops and the moment I saw it on the glass display, we immediately headed inside the store and asked the sales clerk to get me a pair to try on. Guess what, I found out that it was actually the last stock they have!


I tried it on and just how the glass slippers fit perfectly into Cinderella’s feet, this particular Fitflop was the right size for me. What great luck! I didn’t waste any time and I told the sales clerk to wrap it up right away. It was only when I opened my wallet and realized that I was Php. 500 short in cash. Drat! It will take me forever to head to the nearby ATM machine to withdraw money! Good thing, I saw my Unionbank Visa Debit Card and I happily pulled it out and handed it over to the cashier.

In less than 3 minutes and a few swipes on the card terminal, I signed my first debit charge slip and I am now a proud owner of my first ever Fitflops! Yay!

2) Click it!

I honestly think that whoever has created the first ever groupon site is a genius! Imagine allowing food lovers like me to be able to try a new restaurant at a lower price. It has also made traveling more affordable too!


Since everything is done online, it’s easy to use the Visa debit card in making purchases in groupon sites! Just recently, I purchased a few coupons for me and my family using my Unionbank Visa Debit Card. The process is very much similar to using a credit card only the amount immediately gets deducted and I don’t have to wait for another month to pay for my purchase. That’s a speedy way to choose, click and buy!

Eating Healthy at Le Bistro Vert

Okay, I promised myself I will consciously try to start eating healthy. This was after having had two amazingly good lechon dinners and hundreds of meals that include me indulging in something oily, sweet, buttery and basically...deadly.

For fear of clogging up my arteries and cutting my life shorter than it should be, I have started to have a bowl of oatmeal again for breakfast and to choose my meals wisely for the coming days...months...years...so help me God.

Kidding aside, I know once in a while I'll still allow myself to bite into that fluffy piece of caramel cake or grab a bag of chicharon when the craving hits but this time, I'll try to be wiser.


I started my healthy campaign last Saturday as I had lunch with fellow bloggers and friends Jin and Leslie. This time, Paul was able to join us and I gladly introduced him to two of my favorite food bloggers.

Since Leslie was under strict Cohen diet and is quickly turning into a va-va-voom sexy lady (hehehe!), we supported her and opted to try Le Bistro Vert which is known to prepare healthy dishes with items sourced from local farmers. I love how they really make it a point to help the community thus making me feel extra happy to be able to eat healthy and organic dishes and knowing that I'm also supporting a good cause.


Lunch began with a bowl of complimentary Sweet Potato Chips. Lightly sprinkled with salt, it's one of the lightest, less-salty chips that I've ever had. Still, I couldn't stop munching while catching up with Leslie and Jin that we even asked for a second round.


I ordered the Pandan Iced Tea for lunch and sadly it was a bit too bland. I even added in a good amount of syrup but it was a bit bitter and I could hardly taste the pandan too. Not one of my best choices that day.

I said we are eating healthy so Jin, Paul and I ordered two salads to be shared by the three of us. Leslie, had her own which was specially prepared to meet her dietary requirement. Hats off to Le Bistro Vert for being flexible enough to adjust their serving size to meet their customer's needs.


Our first salad was the LBV Signature Salad (Php. 295). Even without reading the description I immediately pointed this out to our server as I was instantly attracted to the word "signature". I'm glad it turned out pretty okay. The serving of fresh greens was pretty generous as it was topped with poached organic egg and chopped baby tomatoes. At the side were two crunchy strips of bacon, two crostinis with goat cheese spread and the entire salad drizzled with Bistro vinaigrette. Without the bacon though, the salad was admittedly a bit too bland. I'm glad that there was the addition of fried bacon which was pretty good it reminded me of the yummy bacon that my friend Irene made during one breakfast with The Food Club. I think there was just something lacking in the salad.Could it be some croutons or were we supposed to break the crostinis and sprinkle this on top of the salad? It was pretty good but nothing fantastic enough to be called a signature salad.

Worth the Wait : Lolo Dad's Cafe in Malate, Manila

I feel very lucky that I have a grandfather who's an excellent cook. He can whip up even the most complicated Chinese dish for his family of 5 kids and 7 grandchildren to enjoy. Kongkong, as we call him, was first introduced to the kitchen during the World War II. Together with his siblings, they were abducted by the Japanese invaders and while my other grand uncles were put to do rigorous work; my Kongkong, being the Mr. PR that he is has immediately endeared himself to the Japanese who made him a kitchen assistant at a very young age.

From that day on, he continued to find enjoyment in cooking and eventually influenced my Mom to have that same love for cooking as well. Kongkong even once opened his very own restaurant and I still have that photo of that one-year-old me happily sitting on top of the cashier counter.


Mommy always tells me that I take after my Kongkong especially when it comes to our love for food. I initially didn't quite believe her but it was when I spent an afternoon with my grandparents and after engaging in a three-hour-long conversation with my Kongkong about food, food and more food -- I realized that my Mom was so right. We talked about the best noodle house in town, how to make his signature Pata Tim and how he excitedly recommended that I try Lolo Dad's Cafe with Paul soon. That has been more than 5 years ago but I continue to put Lolo Dad's Cafe as part of my restaurants to try list at the start of every year.

Thus, it felt so surreal as I walked along the garden path of Lolo Dad's towards the big heavy wooden door last Saturday. Paul and I went out on a double date with friends Richard and Irene and we were all so excited to finally try Lolo Dad's Cafe. After all, it has been years in the making (and waiting) for all four of us. 

Lolo Dad's Cafe exudes this traditional Filipino ambiance with wooden flooring, photos of local heroes on the wall and heavy wooden chairs and tables. We were immediately ushered to our table and were handed the big folder-type menu. The list was pretty short yet it took us a while to finally make our choice. They also have a tasting menu for those who really couldn't decide what to get. We initially wanted to try that but I backed out upon seeing that there's foie gras and sheep included in the line up. Oops!


After giving our orders, we were served with a basket of warm bread and our own roasted garlic butter spread. The spread was delicious, save for the overly toasted garlic that gives a bit of bitter taste, yet I liked this very much.


I wanted to get more bread but I had to stop myself knowing that I have to save enough space for our main dishes up ahead.


Paul and I decided to share a bowl of Gourmet salad of Langoustine and Prawns (Php. 490+). I was immediately drawn towards the two seafood items included in the salad and I'm glad Paul agreed with me. The serving was big and definitely was good for two. I love the crisp lettuce mixed with savory mushroom, feta cheese, Kalamata olives and of course the plump pieces of prawns and langoustine. At first glance, the lagoustine looks very much like the prawns however the difference is the presence of the antennae and a harder shell. To me it looks like a baby lobster. It was a delicious salad and I'm glad that we chose this.

And the WINNERS are: Snack Time with California Crunch Cassava Chips

A week ago, I launched a quick and fun contest where I will give away a special California Crunch gift pack to 5 lucky readers. The mechanics was simple and I had a great time reading through all of your answers!


Some made me laugh till my tummy ached, others were just so unique that it made me say "that was cool!" All entries were great and I know I have to do a great job in choosing the top 5 answers.

Thanks to my ever reliable Microsoft Excel worksheet, I finally have my top 5 answers and I'm proud to announce the lucky readers who will be receiving a special gift pack filled with California Crunch Cassava Chips!!

Congratulations!!!!

Analyn Alonsagay

Agnes Ducs

Jerome Carreon

MG De la Costa

Josephine Soliman Gregorio
I will be needing your contact details so kindly expect an email from me soon!! :)

*image credit:http://lacqueredme.blogspot.com

Flapjacks : Back...Better...Best!..and some Hairy Experience

I'm typing this entry with Take That's Back for Good playing in the background. Yes, I'm a 90's kid at heart and I just love songs from old school boy bands like Take That, Boyzone and my one and only Backstreet Boys. ♥



It's perfect timing too that I am about to share with you some good news! After a few years of innovating and changing the menu line-up, Flapjacks is finally bringing back some of their well-loved favorites and just like the Take That song..I do hope they'll be back for good.

A few weeks ago, The Food Club scheduled to have dinner at Flapjacks Theater Mall as Richard, Jane and I were able to receive some gift certificates from Flapjacks. Dinner was scheduled earlier than usual as we have a bowling game to catch right after. (Yes, The Food Club is now turning into a Bowling Club as well haha)

Paul and I used to frequent Flapjacks as we both love having breakfast meals at any given time of the day. My favorites include their fluffy pancakes, the Filipino breakfast sets and the only non-breakfast item that I love was the Pan-Seared Fish Fillet that was served with lemon butter sauce. Sadly, probably with the intent to innovate, a number of my favorite dishes were taken out of the menu and were not available for such time. Since then, my visits has lessened and I think the last time I actually dined at Flapjacks was a year ago.

When I found out that they're bringing back some of their best-selling dishes, I was hoping that they would include my favorite fish fillet dish...


Guess what, they did! Thus, that Friday dinner I had the Lemon-Pepper Pan-Seared White Fish (Php. 295) and it was just as good as I remembered it to be. Everyone in the table agreed with me too. Juicy, fork-tender fish fillet which was gently rubbed with lemon and pepper and pan-seared to perfection. It was served with herb rice and veggies making it a healthy choice amidst all the meat and carb options available.


In addition to the Pan-Seared Fish Fillet, we started our meal with a regular serving of Mango Exotica Salad (Php. 325 regular / Php. 195 lunch). It was really refreshing to bite into the sweet slices of mangoes drizzled with Flapjack's own mango vinaigrette and sprinkled with almond slivers, croutons, raisins and chicken strips. Yummy!


Everyone in The Food Club loves Buffalo/Chicken Wings which is why we didn't pass up the chance to try the Parmesan Chicken Wings (Php. 255). This was actually a welcome treat since there were a number of non-spicy eaters in the group...yours truly included. I love the salty taste of the chicken wings which was coated with herbs and parmesan cheese. Served with sour cream, it would have been better though if they served it with bleu cheese instead.

Maimee's Garden Cafe in San Juan

I really have to thank my lucky stars that despite that fact that Paul and I love to dine out with friends, we don't have to drive so far to be able to enjoy good food. In fact, here in San Juan... we simply just have to WALK.

I've told you about my favorite afternoon snack venue called Segovia's Cakes and Recipes (Homemade Mamon FTW!!), my recent late-night find -- Taibun Bakery and Coffee Shop and of course, the countless number of milk teas and noodle houses that's just within walking distance from home.


Last week, Paul and I joined our favorite couple friends Jai & Stan, Jeanny and Karl for an impromptu triple date at Maimee's Garden Cafe. Compared to the other restaurants and food establishments in San Juan, this is the most hidden and it takes a keen eye and a good knowledge around the area to be able to find it. I first saw the banner announcing the opening of Maimee's Garden Cafe a few months ago. This prompted Paul and I to drive around the neighborhood one afternoon in search for the exact location of the restaurant. Luckily, we found it right away and agreed to go back and try it out soon.

Maimee's Garden Cafe is located inside a small street called E. Jacinto where it's near J. Abad Santos (where Serenitea, Mann Hann and Alex III are located). As you reach the restaurant, the friendly guard will help you park and usher you down the side path where it leads you to the restaurant. The entrance was quite dramatic that I felt myself holding my breath as I make my way down the rocky steps and as I came face to face with a mini ponds with man-made falls and a beautifully manicured garden. We had the option to stay outdoors or to enjoy the cool air-conditioning indoors. Obviously, we chose the latter as we wanted my friend Jai, who's a mommy-to-be, to be extremely comfortable.

The menu was simple yet I liked it this way, below each entry is a one-liner description which simply explains what the dish is all about. Our group wasn't complete yet so we agreed to order a plate of salad and starter to share.


Jai ordered some Caesar Salad (Php. 230) which had the biggest Caesar Salad serving that I've ever seen! In fact, it was good for our party of 5! The lettuce was crisp and fresh, no dark spots and was sprinkled with bacon bits and Parmesan cheese. Beside it is a saucer filled with Maimee's homemade Caesar dressing. We passed the huge plate around and got a generous share of salad each. I loved the light dressing and the crunchiness of the lettuce. I am definitely ordering this again soon.


We also got a plate of Cheezy Beefy Nachos (Php. 190). Friends who regularly dine with me knows how much I love nachos. This is the homemade kind where some chips are coated with melted cheese and the entire platter sprinkled with ground beef. In the middle of the plate is a tiny bowl filled with their homemade salsa. I found the salsa a bit spicy so I happily just munched on the chips and beef alone.


Everyone had their individual orders so Paul and I ordered the Maimee's Kare Kare (Php. 360) to share. We had mixed feelings about this dish. I personally loved it as it was filled with ox tripe and tail which was very chewy and tasty while Paul wasn't quite pleased as he loves his Kare Kare filled with beef, beef and more beef.

Taibun Bakery and Coffee Shop in P. Guevarra, San Juan

"San Juan is turning into a mini Taiwan!"

I caught this comment over Twitter a few weeks ago and I couldn't help but agree. First, we saw the fast emergence of milk tea shops starting with Serenitea followed by ChaTime, TeaTap and now ShareTea from Taiwan is opening pretty soon.

There are also a lot of Taiwanese bakeries and restaurants in the area like Feng Wei Wee and their delicious dumplings and Cold Layers for authentic Taiwanese Ice Desserts.


A few months ago, a Taiwanese establishment called Taibun Bakery and Coffee Shop opened just a few blocks away from my home. One thing that I noticed is that they actually have a cool discount schedule where they give price-offs for their bread products  from 6AM to 10AM and from 9PM to 12MN. I guess this is their way of making sure their bread gets sold quickly to keep it fresh all the time. I also noticed that they operate with very long hours! Imagine being open from 6AM to 12MN? Wow!


After watching No Other Woman one evening, Paul and I decided to stop by Taibun Bakery and Coffee Shop to have our late-night snack. We chose the Set Menu A (Php. 100) which consists of Stir-Fried Chicken Fillet with Taiwanese-style omelet and Garlic Rice. All of their set meals are served with a glass of Iced Tea or Orange Juice and have the same price for all.

I wasn't really expecting much as the photo made the dish looked pretty ordinary. Service was quick simply because we were there past 10pm and there were only two tables filled when we arrived. I hope service is always this good at any given time of the day.

At first glance, we commented that the serving of the egg and chicken was so little however the rice was pretty generous. I mixed the sauce of the chicken with the rice and took my first scoop. I was surprised that the chicken was very tender and the sauce was sweet and flavorful that I actually was happy having it with my rice. Now, I hope they have added more chicken in, even Paul enjoyed this very much.

[CONTEST ALERT] Snack Time with California Crunch Cassava Chips!

Don't you just LOVE to snack?

Two weeks ago, I blogged about a couple of delicious snack finds that I was lucky to discover over just one weekend. Aside from breakfast, afternoon snack is one of my favorite meals (well if you would consider it a meal, that is) of the day as it allows me to slow down from work, take a break and enjoy bite after bite of fill in with choice of snack of the day here.

Well, it has been a month since I haven't ran a contest and I actually feel bad for not having one on my anniversary month, well it has been a month since Frannywanny.com turned 4 and it's not too late to celebrate yet, right?


Remember my blog post about this yummy bag of cassava chips that actually makes a healthy snack choice? I'm actually giving away 5 California Crunch Cassava Chips gift pack for 5 lucky readers to enjoy!!!

The mechanics is simple:

1) First of all, log on to Facebook and make sure to like the Frannywanny.com page as well as the California Crunch Cassava Chips page.

2) Create a status and fill in this sentence:

Hey @Frannywanny, my favorite @California Crunch Cassava Chips flavor is ______________ because  _____________.

3) Leave a message at my comment box with the URL link of your message complete with your name and email address.

4) Unfortunately, this contest is open to all Metro Manila residents only.

5) This contest will run from October 8 - 14, 2011. I will be notifying the winner via email and will also announce it here in my blog. The prize will be delivered to the winners too.

6) Each entry will be judged based on the following:
- 50% Originality (Copycats are not allowed here)
- 20% Wit / Humor (Come on! Make me laugh!)
- 20% Relevance (It really should make sense ha)
- 10% Validity of entry ('nuff said)

7) Only ONE entry per person please. :)

That's it, pansit! Good luck and looking forward to reading your entries! :)

Good Bye, Steve Jobs

Here's my morning routine, after putting my phone alarm on snooze for about 20 times, I spend a little more time in bed with my iPod Touch on hand as I browse through my favorite social media sites -- Facebook and Twitter.

photo taken from www.apple.com

This morning, I opened my Twitter and saw a number of messages that says "RIP Steve Jobs", "Steve Jobs is dead". In my mind, I thought it was a bad joke. Just the other day, Paul and I were very excited with the launch of the iPhone4s which really blew us away with its innovative, high-tech functions. How can Steve Jobs be dead?

I still remember the day when we learned that Steve Jobs stepped down as Apple's CEO I told Paul that it felt like the end of an era. Well, the news are real...Apple's former CEO succumbed to pancreatic cancer and passed away this morning at the age of 56.

photo taken from http://www.widestart.com

Admittedly, it was only last year when I fell in love with Apple. True, there was even a time that I declared that I wouldn't be caught using a Mac, an iPod or an iPhone... months after I married Paul, I simply ate my words. It all began when I started using Paul's iBook and learned how to maneuver my way around stumbling into shortcuts along the way. Paul has been a big Apple fan and he continues to complain how slow our home PC is comparing to the fast, user-friendly system of his Mac OS. Then I thought he was simply bragging... after we came home from our honeymoon and I had a lot of stories to share in this blog, it was then that I realize that he was speaking the truth. It truly was faster and somehow it made blogging and photo editing more efficient.

Heart, Meat and Soul : Personal Chef at your Service

There are times that we find ourselves too lazy to cook. This is especially when our ever-dependable househelp goes on a day-off and we are just so tired of ordering from our neighborhood restaurants. Thank God for City Delivery where I can order from restaurants as far as Makati or Quezon City. However, whenever the entire family comes to visit, ordering this way just doesn't work that well. We normally would either have it potluck or get someone to cater for us.

Another challenge when getting a catering service is that I have a very small family. My immediate family consists of just 5 people -- Papa, Mommy, Pan, Paul and myself. If you add our extended family, we would just be around 20. More often than not, we either end up with a lot of food for everyone to take home and in effect spending more than we should.

The foodie world is fast evolving. From one-number-delivery services, we also see the emergence of talented personal chefs who can prepare a good meal even for a small group.

I had privilege to meet Francis Fabie who's the owner of Heart, Meat and Soul. Having had training and background in cooking, he came up with this unique special order business that showcases four of his specialties at the moment.

That evening, he invited The Food Club to his lovely home and prepared dinner for us. Let me share with you what we had that evening:


Hearty, Meaty Spaghetti (Php. 1,499 / 12 servings) -- This reminds me of the good ol' spaghetti that we grew up to. Al dente pasta noodles topped with all beef tomato sauce and sprinkled with grated cheese. It was good, very comforting and definitely something the kids will love.


Soulful, Tender Roast Chicken (Php. 799 / whole chicken with rice or Php. 849 / 8 pcs of chicken quarters with rice) -- I remember my mom making chicken rubbed with rosemary, basil and roast to perfection. It was one of my favorite dishes that my sister and I would look forward to having dinner after a hectic day in school. As for Chef Francis' roast chicken, the meat was tender yet there were some parts which were a bit powdery I guess because it was kept in the oven for a long time. Personally though, I find the chicken a bit too salty that it truly hurt my sore throat that day. Maybe if Chef Francis can adjust the salty level a bit then this would be a winner. :)

Segovia's Cake and Recipes -- A Home Cafe in San Juan

San Juan is truly an amazing place to be. When we first moved here, my sister and I would call it the donut hole simply because it's located at the middle of Metro Manila where it makes it practically accessible to head north, south, east and west. Another reason was due to a long blackout during the Milenyo typhoon and it seemed like the entire Metro Manila had power back already except for our city.

San Juan is one of the smallest cities in Metro Manila yet its currently growing with a lot of food finds and amazing gastronomic delights which makes it a great place for food lovers like me.


Just recently, Paul and I had our afternoon snack at Segovia's Cakes and Recipes, a new resto-cafe located just a few steps away from our home. I heard that Segovia's is owned by Carmen Segovia of the famous Cake Studio who used to cater for my high school. While my memory can be pretty hazy now, all I remember is that her pasta is really one of the best that I've ever had. There's truly none like it.


We entered the cozy-looking eating area and were ushered towards a table by the wall. We loved that the tables were covered with pages from Archie comics -- another childhood favorite.

[EVENT ALERT] The BIG Outlet and Travel Sale 2011

Earlier I woke up and I suddenly realized that September is over and October is finally here. This just means Christmas is just a few hops away and we are pretty much on the verge of saying goodbye to 2011.

With the holidays coming soon, it's time to plan for that much-needed vacation. It's then perfect timing that there will be a BIG Outlet and Travel Sale happening on October 14-16, 2011 at The Megatent in Ortigas.


I can't wait to book for a weekend R&R as travel merchants such as The Tides Boracay, One Tagaytay Place, Hotel Elizabeth and a lot more will be there! Paul, on the other hand, is ready to check out products from his favorite brands such as Rudy Project, Crumpler, Digital Walker and of course, PowerMac Center.

Lastly, here's some great news! If you have a BPI Credit Card you'll get to enjoy these additional perks:
Free Entrance to BPI Cardholders (with valid ID)
Additional perks for BPI Express Credit Edge and Petron Mastercard holders!
Hourly Raffle Draws for BPI Edge & Petron Mastercard holders

So, mark your calendars and we'll see you there!!! :)

For inquiries, email malibu.enterprise@gmail.com