Frannywanny

My twins recently turned 6 months. To be really honest, I think celebrating their monthly milestone is really more for me and Paul rather than for the kids at the moment. Perhaps, for them, they get to discover that they can do something new each day and most especially for this particular month, they finally got their first taste of solids. However, for us, their parents it's all feeling triumphant over surviving twin parenthood for 6 whole months (and still counting). It's all about still not having 8 hours of sleep since the twins were born, it's about double the number of diapers that were worn and thrown away, it's all about cheering and doing happy dances every time we witness a new milestone, it's all about gaining that extra arm muscle that we never thought existed as our twins are really gaining more weight. I can't help but look at their photos back when they were a day old up until the photos that I took of them today. They've grown so much and ...

"Rice is Life"  and that's a fact. I believe that most Asians would agree with me that no meal will ever be complete without rice. Personally, fried rice is my weakness. As a kid, a meal immediately becomes extra special whenever Mommy would cook her signature fried rice. It's nothing fancy but it's a very garlicky rice with hotdog, ham, spring onions and egg. It has a distinct taste that I know only Mommy can make. In fact, I tried to recreate it several times when I was living in Singapore but I could never get close to the real thing. That's what makes it truly amazing. So, given my immense love for fried rice. I couldn't pass up the chance to check out Super Bowl of China 's Unlimited Yang Chow Fried Rice promotion. It ends on 30 March 2018 so please hurry over TODAY or the next few days. Paul and I took a quick Mommy and Daddy break from our twins for a nice dinner out. I haven't been to Super Bowl of China  for years but I do recall my ...

Every single time I hear the name or the phrase " Chow Fun ", I immediately remember my favorite scene from the late 90's film  "The Story of Us" . It's one of the best romantic movies that I've ever watched in my life which I feel shows the realistic side of marriage. Of course, back when I watched the movie, I was still in high school so what do I really know about love and marriage, right? Fast forward to today, I think Paul and I should watch this again on one of our home movie nights as we'll finally be able to relate closely to Michelle Pfieffer and Bruce Willis' characters now that we've been a married couple for 6 years now. For the youngsters who have no idea what on earth Auntie Franny is talking about... here's a 2 minute clip of my favorite scene: Now you know why I keep on remembering this scene whenever I hear the words "Chow Fun ". In reality though, Chow Fun Restaurant & Bar  is a relatively new food...

"Where shall we eat?" I think this is probably the most popular question that you can hear during lunch hour most especially at the Central Business District (CBD) area. Not that we're lacking in choices but, in fact, we have an abundance of dining options that make it even tougher to choose just one. Normally, I would resort to my go-to salad bar or the local hawker shops in case I need to quickly grab a bite or I just want something quick, simple and cheap. Then, there are days when you want to treat yourself to a good meal. On those days, I'm reminded of what Papa would always tell me. " Tsiak ka ho " which means "eat well" in Hokkien. My dad constantly reminds me that once in a while, it is okay to indulge and to treat yourself to a good meal. I bring that learning with me to this day. Located right at the middle of the Marina Bay Financial Centre (MBFC) complex, Crystal Jade Prestige is the newest addition to Crystal Jade's growing...

Last week was pretty much a fun and memorable one. Thanks to our first-ever house guests A, D and little K. While we were busy making sure that they were comfortable around the house, we also rounded up the gang for a couple of meals over the weekend with our special guests. Since our group get-togethers now include 5 little ones in tow, the challenge is to look for a restaurant that's: a. spacious enough to accommodate all 15 of us and b. it's kid-friendly with menu items that's suitable for our little guests I spent a couple of hours doing my research and finally I zeroed in on Lokkee  at Plaza Singapura since it's the most accessible for all of us and it pretty much fits all our criteria above. Reading up about the restaurant, Lokkee  is one of Tung Lok 's newest concept that focuses on modern Chinese cuisine. From the food to its interior design, it exudes a classy yet modern feel such as the Star Wars brush arts which I wish I was able to point out to P...

For someone who only gets to fly back home at least once a month and who stays in Manila at an average of just 3-4 days in total, choosing the places to dine in is really crucial. I really have to plan each meal well. So, it's really rare that I get to repeat a restaurant given my long, long list of new places to try. However, I got to admit that I do have my favorites and I really have to give in to my cravings once in a while. Remember the first time I tried Tuan Tuan Chinese Brasserie  with my family in SM Megamall? I fell in love everything that we ordered most especially the amazing House Special Trio . It's definitely the best fried rice in town. On my next visit back home, I went back again to Tuan Tuan  this time with my in laws . Then, I was able to try more dishes which I got to my list of favorites such as the XO Radish Cake  and the Deep-Fried Baby Squid with Aioli Sauce . As you all know, December is the time of the year where we get to spend more tim...

For many years, rumors have been going around town that the ever-famous Taiwanese Xiao Long Bao brand, Din Tai Fung will open a branch in the Philippines. I could still remember hearing this news back when we were still based in Manila. Well, those rumors continued to remain as..rumors for 5 years or so. No one really knew who would finally be able to bring Din Tai Fung to our food-loving shores. That was until that fateful day in December when the Moment Group made every xiao long bao-lovers dream come true. Din Tai Fung finally opened its flagship branch in SM Megamall Fashion Hall . Given that this place houses a lot of international brands such as Tim Ho Wan, St. Marc's Cafe, The Halal Guys and Ippodo to name a few, it then makes perfect sense for Din Tai Fung to join the fun mix. I was in Manila a week after it opened but hearing friends warning us about the long queues, we decided to give it some more time before we go and check it out as we really do not have the lux...

Annyeong Haseyo! Konichiwa! 你好 ! This just got to be one of the best culinary showdowns that has ever graced the kitchen stadium ! In corner we got the fiery hot, yet ever colorful Korean cuisine. On the other side, there's the fresh and always attractively-packaged Japanese masterpiece. Last but not the least, the comforting flavors from China which most of us grew up with. This was definitely one thing that I couldn't miss during my recent trip back home and I got my entire family to enjoy it with me. Running up until October 15, 2015, this buffet will entice your taste buds with the gastronomic flavors from the North Asian region. This is indeed the time when Bibimbap, Pajeon, Sushi and Dimsum takes center stage. You all know that Marriott Cafe is one of my favorite hotel buffets in Manila as I just love the wide selection of dishes available and it's presented in such as way that it doesn't overwhelmed you that you'll feel too full to really enjoy yo...

I'm pretty sure we all have heard of Crystal Jade . A popular chain of Chinese restaurants with branches all over the world. What many may not know is that Crystal Jade originated here in Singapore with a history dating back in 1991. Today, it has more than 100 outlets worldwide and a wide variety of concepts all over Singapore alone. It's my first time to come across a Crystal Jade that specializes in steamboat , another in casual dining dimsum fare, a bakery outlet and a couple of fine dining ones. This coming weekend is a big and exciting one for everyone here in the Lion City as we will be celebrating the country's 50th birthday! A lot of preparations are being done for this year's National Day Parade, streets, homes and offices are all sporting nice shade of reds and whites all around and of course, in the food scene, restaurants are ready to offer special SG50 promotions not only for the coming weekend but mostly for the entire month of August. Crystal Jade ha...

Now back to one of my Manila food adventures! As Paul had to fly back to Singapore earlier for work, I stayed behind a few more days to spend more time with family. So, on my FIL a.k.a. Daddy's actual birthday, we went out for a nice family dinner to celebrate his special day. Luckily, we also managed to do a grander birthday party a few days in advance just so the entire family's complete. The initial plan was to try a new restaurant in the Kapitolyo area but it started to drizzle and with most restaurants fully booked, we decided to just head to the mall. Mommy then suggested we dine at Tuan Tuan Chinese Brasserie . I've been there once and I loved it. Well, guess what?! It has been one of my in-law's favorite places to dine in too!  Remember, when in doubt...go Chinese! It was quite late already so everyone was feeling hungry. That said, we surely ordered a LOT! One thing that I love about my MIL is the fact that she loves to eat and try new things as much as I...

I really love it whenever I get to catch up with my dear friends Jin and Leslie . If you haven't visited their blogs yet, I highly recommend that you do so after reading this entry as, for me, they are the best and most reliable food bloggers in town. ♥ I trust Jin and Leslie's taste when it comes to food so whenever we dine out, it's one of those rare moments where I'd rather keep quiet and allow my two friends to take the lead. Take for example our recent lunch out at Lung Hin , I know they've been there so many times but knowing that I'm dying to try this when I visited Manila last month, they were game enough to go back just to have lunch with me and Paul. Aren't they the sweetest? It took us a while to locate the hotel so we were actually the last to arrive. Leslie, the ever prompt one, took charge of pre-ordering the Roast Duck (Php. 1,600/half) as she knows that it will take a while for this to be ready. True enough, our glorious plate of du...

Have you ever watched the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"? Remember scenes when Gus, the dad of lead actress, Toula, would refer everything back to its Greek word origin? While we all know that this was included as a comic relief, it also showed how proud Gus is to be Greek. His character reminded me so much of my own dad. No, Papa do not go around spraying everything and everyone with Windex but he also loves sharing stories about China and what it has created in this world. My dad is mighty proud of our origin and do value the importance of understanding our roots. As for me, I show my appreciation through my stomach. :) It's no secret that I love Chinese food. I love the wide-variety of dishes that you can create with one main ingredient. As Papa would say, the best Chinese chef should know how to cook an egg in 100 different ways. I haven't went past 15 so I guess I have a lonnng way to go. :) Kwong's Provisions was the first stall that my family checke...

If there's one thing that I was truly thankful for about our trip to Kuala Lumpur , it would definitely be the fact that cousin J thought of renting a car. It just made moving around so much easier and safer too. For as long as I'm with Paul or with a more experienced left-hand driver, I'll make sure to rent a car next time I'm traveling too. So, on our 1st day in KL, we decided to head up to Genting Highlands which is a quick 1-hour drive from the city center. Paul and I have never been to Genting Highlands so we really didn't know what to expect. All we heard was the famous theme park as well as the big Resorts World casinos. The drive up reminded us of our Baguio trips only it has less dangerous curves and the road was filled with directional signages and speed humps. Finally, we reached Genting Highlands and it was a good thing that cousin B reminded us to bring our jacket as it was cold and very windy! 

Over lunch one day, my colleagues AH and IW suddenly asked me what are my favorite restaurants here in Singapore . I haven't been here long enough to try a lot of restaurants but this question somehow left me stumped me for a minute or so. As I was putting together my usual bowl of salad, I made use of the extra minute to think. Then I began telling them about my usual go-to places such as Poulet for good casual French food, Keisuke Ramen , Kamal's for the best Fried Chicken Briyani in town and Din Tai Fung whenever I'd crave for xiao long bao. Now, it was my turn to ask. AH quickly named a couple of her favorites which were a mix of local and Chinese food spots and IW followed suit naming her go-to places as well. They have their own unique choices but I noticed that both of them named Swee Choon Tim Sum as their #1 favorite restaurant in Singapore. Add to the fact that D also went there recently and came back with non-stop raves about how yummy and affordable the ...

For locals here in Singapore, Crystal Jade has been a household name since 1991. Today, it's the leading Chinese dining concept with more than 120 outlets all over the world. In fact, my first taste of Crystal Jade was in Manila when it opened a couple of years ago. I could still remember the long queue that would form almost all throughout the day in the V-Mall branch. That's also where my love for Dan Dan Mian began. Often times, I would say that dimsum is one of my top 3 favorite food in the world and having steamboat or what we commonly call hotpot / shabu-shabu  for dinner is always something that I look forward to. Never mind that my kitchen diva skills are not Master Chef level yet but at least, I get the opportunity to cook even if it means tossing everything into the boiling pot with the confidence that everything will still be so delicious. So, when Paul and I were invited to have dinner at Crystal Jade Steamboat Kitchen in Plaza Singapura, this was one of th...

Whenever I'm asked what my favorite food is, I would always have to stop and think really hard. You see, the problem here is that I don't only have one but in fact, I have 3 favorite types of food that I love very very much! That would be sushi , dimsum and pasta . Give me any of these and I can eat it for days on end. I'm lucky that Singapore is such an awesome food mecca that there's pretty much a very wide array of food choices available all the time. Take dimsum for example. Yes, I do admit that Hong Kong still reigns as the dimsum capital of world but when it comes to Xiao Long Baos , then Singapore is pretty much ahead of the pack. What are  Xiao Long Baos ? It's a delicate, hand-created dumpling that is filled with pork and a small amount of soup. Steamed to perfection, the beauty of xiao long baos is that the soup stays intact even upon serving. So, there's one way to eat this -- carefully lift a piece using your chopsticks making sure that you d...

O's birthday is coming up and he decided to celebrate it with the Normanton kids (NKids) a little bit earlier. So one Sunday, we traveled to the west *background music: Go West by Pet Shop Boys*   to have lunch at the new Westgate Mall . It was our second time here and I really like this mall a lot. While the zoning was a wee bit confusing, I just love the good mix of restaurants that you can find here. There's Tim Ho Wan , Ippudo SG, Paradise Dynasty, Miam Miam, my favorite Poulet , Tsukada Nojo and Skinny Pizza to name a few. One thing about the Nkids is that we are all up for trying out a new restaurant every time we go out together. So on this special day of O's, we tried Chicken Hot Pot which is a franchise from Shanghai, China. As the name suggests, this restaurant specializes in hot pot which is also known as shabu-shabu or steamboat. However, what makes it different is that the pot comes with a whole lot of meat and less soup initially. After you get your first...

I came across an old quote recently: "The only thing CONSTANT in life is CHANGE."   -François La Rochefoucauld In today's fast-paced, ever-changing world, we have been witnesses to things coming and going in such lightning speed. Restaurants opening and later bidding us good bye. Take these past 6 months for example, I've had my heart broken multiple times upon hearing news after news of restaurants closing both here in Singapore and in Manila . Competition is indeed very tough in this business but together with that comes inflation of goods, shocking increase in rent and sudden death of food trends. So, when a certain restaurant reaches a milestone, a big celebration is should definitely in order! I was recently invited to try the Anniversary Set Menu of Red House Seafood who's celebrating it's 38th anniversary this year. This restaurant first opened at the Upper East Coast Road back in 1976 but has moved out of their original site years after. It l...

When my SIL told me that we will be having our family lunch at COCA which is a Thai restaurant at SM Aura, images of Pad Thai, Thai Iced Tea, Takoh and Catfish Salad starts coming into my mind. I was really excited as I'm a fan of Thai cuisine. We got there just in time for our reservation and I was surprised that the restaurant was empty on a holiday. How odd... Where did all the people go? Well, SM Aura was fairly new when we went so maybe the foot traffic is still quite low. Scanning the menu, both my SIL and I were quite confused as it doesn't have any of our Thai favorites. Asking the server, we found out that COCA is apparently a Thai-Chinese restaurant and there seems to be more Chinese dishes than Thai. No problem then, we were hungry and were pretty much agreeable to anything edible. Thankfully our server was very helpful as he gave us a couple of recommendations. First on the list was the Suki Steamboat Platter which was COCA's signature dish -- Each tabl...

The celebration continues! For the past years, celebrating the Chinese New Year for me means wearing red on that auspicious day, sharing a delicious meal with my family and receiving ang paos (red money packets) from the elders. I have to say that living in Manila, the celebration normally just lasts for two days max. After that, life pretty much goes back to normal.  When Paul and I moved to the Lion City a year ago. We arrived exactly right after the Chinese New Year and one thing we noticed was that the celebration seems to last longer than what we were accustomed to. We would still hear the dragon/lion dance trucks in almost every corner, office buildings would have those huge kiatkiat plants, people would be in red and restaurants are still busy hosting CNY lunches/dinners. I had my first taste of what CNY was like here in Singapore during my company lunch wherein I had my first Lo Hei.  "What's a Lo Hei?" I still remember asking my colleague K about ...