Frannywanny

It's no secret how much I love Cebuano lechon. Apart from my all-time fave, very sosyal  Truffled Stuffed Lechon , I love the saltiness of the Cebunao lechon and the fact that minimal dipping is required. Apart from this, I love Cebu . The Queen City of the South where you can get the yummiest finds. It's here where I load up on roasted meats, dried danggit (fish) and my ever favorite -- dried mangoes with chocolate. So, when word went around that Rico's Lechon from Cebu will open their first store here in Manila sometime back in August, I was really excited to give it a try. Unfortunately, being full time Mommy to my twins doesn't really make me as mobile as I used to be so even a short trip to the Bonifacio Global City entails a whole lot of coordination, planning and logistical arrangements. You see, every time I visit Cebu, I make it a point to have lechon. I have my go-to Cebu Lechon spot which I would frequent every time I'm in the city. Somehow, I know ...

There's a new kid in town and I'm pretty sure you'll like "him" very much. After all... who says no to Lechon ? Aside from the ever popular Adobo which is probably the dish that's synonymous to Filipino cooking, Lechon remains to be one that never fails to make every Filipino and non-Filipino's heart skip a beat. From the shiny, mouth-watering crunchy skin down to its fragrant and tender meat, I remember making several visits with my local colleagues and friends to this famous Cebu Lechon stall in Paya Lebar in Singapore whenever they'd ask me to take them to try a Filipino dish. In fact, there are several versions of lechon all over the country. Some would serve it with sarsa (sauce), others would stuff it with aromatic tanglad (lemongrass) , my talented friend D has her classy Lechon with Truffle Rice inside and well in Cebu, it's serve just as it is. The meat has a hint of salt and the skin slightly thick with a layer of fat underneath a...

After two years since my first visit to CnT Lechon in Cebu City, I found myself excitedly walking up the short flight of stairs again towards the big dining hall this time with Paul. For those who remembered, CnT Lechon was my preferred roasted pork due to it's delicious smokey flavor that just showed how authentic it was. Since it was Paul's first time in the Queen City of the South , I made sure that we won't be leaving Cebu without letting him have his first taste of real, authentic Cebu lechon. By that, I just posed a great challenge to myself as we're talking about my true blue Capampangan husband who swears by his favorite sisig, lechon and chicharon with atchara  (all from his hometown in Angeles) . Since we were staying at Radisson Blu, CnT Lechon was a quick 5 minute walk away. Do be ready for some heart-stopping jay-walking action though.  It was our lucky day as there was no queue when we got to the restaurant. This made ordering a breeze as w...

Yes, you read that right. Cebuano Lechon  here in the Lion City! This just got to be every Singapore-based Filipino's dream come true! It's true, Lucky Plaza has been there for ages and it has been our go-to place whenever we're craving for some home-cooked favorites but even after all those plates of adobo, laing, sisig or bopis, somehow the flavors still have not hit a perfect bull's eye. I often would think it's probably because I have a really picky sense of taste and the fact that my taste buds have been quite spoiled after all these years of being exposed to really good food back home. It sure reminds me of home, that's true, but there's just that lack of authenticity still, I guess. Then, a few weeks ago, I heard the news about a stall selling Cebuano lechon in Paya Lebar . A couple of bloggers began raving about it and even my friend D told me that she's excited to give it a try. Sounds promising! Finally, the chance to visit this side of ...

Two years ago, I met Chef Myke Tatung . He’s a happy and friendly man who, in my books, bakes the yummiest breads in town. He used to hold private dinners in his home , first doing this every Friday nights only and later extending to the weekends. His menu changes every week and every time I look forward to his announcement over Facebook . What began as a hush hush secret among food lovers the news about Chef Myke’s place spread like wildfire. People were talking about it. Couples would have their romantic dates there. Families would enjoy a delicious evening at Chef Myke’s place as well. Fast forward to a few months ago, Chef Myke opened his new restaurant at Acacia Estate. Given that Taguig is quickly turning into a highly commercialized area with a number of good restaurants here and there, it was just perfect timing and it indeed made perfect sense that Chef Tatung’s Restaurant was born. Chef Tatung has been serving a wide-range of cuisines however for his restaurant he foc...

So my tale continues with my second lechon encounter. I can't believe that I was able to try 4 different lechon brands in the span of 3 days! *pat on the back* After our filling lunch at Zubuchon on our first day, I had a very light dinner that evening as my body feeling extra guilty for all that meaty indulgence. I think though I made a wrong move by just ordering a teeny-tiny chimichanga at Mooon Cafe as I woke up really hungry the following morning. It was a good thing the hotel's buffet spread was pretty good so I was able to fill my hunger with a generous amount of danggit, eggs and garlic rice. Truly a hearty breakfast to prep me for the busy schedule ahead. Day 2 was our BIG day, it was when we had our cooking demo and prior to that, ML and I went around Cebu City to do some trade checks as we wanted to make the most of our short 3-day visit. After going around SM Cebu, we asked our Cebu-based colleague R where's a good place to eat. Seeing that we have time...

As soon as we landed at the Mactan Domestic Airport in Cebu, the first question thrown my way was "where to eat?" Of course, being the aspiring tour guide that I was, I went prepared. Armed with a list of recommended restaurants shared by my dear readers, I checked with our driver which one was the most accessible given that we have to head to Summit Circle Hotel right after. He told me that Zubuchon , which is located at the Mango Mall , would be the best option and you can just imagine the excitement that filled the air inside our crowded van as the thought of enjoying Cebuano lechon for our first meal made our hearts do cartwheels and somersaults. I've been reading about Zubuchon as this is the brainchild of renowned food blogger Marketman . People have been raving at how good it was and so it truly was perfect to make it our first meal in beautiful Cebu. I love the clean  red and white interiors which was totally different from the other lechon places both h...

We consider our weekend sacred... the only time when we can sleep longer and just relax while watching TV and lazing around the house. Thus, the only time we pull ourselves out of bed is when there's a work-related event scheduled or we're off to a really good weekend market that will make waking up early worth our while. Welcome to the Mercato Centrale at BGC. We first heard the buzz about an upcoming weekend market from fellow blogger Anton's site where he mentioned about the newest developments at the Bonifacio Global City . Fast forward a couple of months after that, we found ourselves joining the crowd as we entered the first tent that houses a number of organic and healthy products that one cannot find elsewhere but at the Mercato Centrale. Frannywanny with Mr. OAP The brainchild of power couple Anton and Rache Diaz,  RJ Ledesma and Mommy Mundo, there are four areas in this action-packed weekend market. Tent 1 is filled up with booths selling organic p...