Frannywanny

While walking around Raffles City a couple of months ago, Paul and I chanced upon this cute purple shop that sells... MILKSHAKES ! Now, if you're like us whose childhood includes eating loads of ice cream and drowning ourselves in those thick creamy milkshakes, then you can probably imagine how excited we both were as we got closer and closer to the store. "Welcome to Once Upon a Milkshake !" The server greeted us! What a catchy name. I love it! Looking at the menu, we would chuckle every so often as one of us would point out a flavor which was given a funny name. Imagine ordering Sir Cookies & Cream or Baa Baa Naa! Humor aside, it was really a challenge to just choose one as more than one flavor brought back a lot of nice childhood memories and it just sounded so yummy! Finally we went for the Spooky Mocha in a Regular (S$4.90) cup as it was almost dinner time.

Thank God It's Friday!!! Since I'm finally back at the work force after a month-long break, here I am again excited at the thought that the weekend is just a day away! I woke up with a smile today knowing that it's the last day of the work week. Even my walk to the bus stop was faster this morning as I suddenly have this surge of excitement and anticipation for what we can do for the next two days. Anyway, Paul and I agreed to meet up for dinner at Vivo City a few hours ago. For those who haven't been to Singapore , Vivo City is actually your gateway to the beautiful island of Sentosa . Here, you can take the tram that will take you to the island within minutes. We've been to this mall during our trip to Singapore 3 years ago but weren't able to go around as we just came here to head to Universal Studios for the day. Looks like this will be the mall that I'll end up knowing by heart if I frequent this place more often. After dinner, we thought of w...

They say, first love never dies . This rings true for my love for milk tea. More than 4 years ago, I first learned about Serenitea during one of our monthly publishers meetings. Our big boss told us that she tried a milk tea place in San Juan and it was pretty good. Being bonafide foodies, we wasted no time and in less than a week we were all able to try Serenitea . Back then, milk tea wasn't still part of one's food vocabulary. Sure, it has been around for decades...even centuries but it's normally found in Chinese tea houses or in Chowking as it's called Nai-Cha for instance. Who would have thought that one day, milk tea would rule Manila and Serenitea was the one leading the pack. In time for the new year, Serenitea has launched 6 new drinks that I'm sure you'll all love as much as your old time Serenitea faves -- be it Hokkaido or Okinawa. A couple of food bloggers and I were lucky to be given a sneak peek on these yummy drinks a couple of weeks ago....

♪ It's time to party!!! ♪ As soon as January rolled in, my schedule has been jam-packed with dinners and parties that we have to attend left and right. You see, Paul and I are temporarily relocating to the Lion City very soon so friends and family have been so kind enough to throw us despedida parties in our honor. Honestly, words are not enough to convey how touched we both are with the time and effort that everyone are willing to give just to spend some time with us. Indeed, we're thankful to have the best set of friends and two loving families too! Last week, our dear friend Spanky (who also is Paul's fellow Cabalen) and Loni of Raffles & Fairmont Makati invited us to have some drinks at the very posh Raffles Makati and this was followed by a gastronomical buffet dinner at the adjacent Fairmont Makati Hotel . Raffles Hotel originated in Singapore and they're known for their signature drink called the Singapore Sling . Similar to its Singapore count...

Mommy loves drinking tea. Thus growing up, Pan and I were taught to appreciate the flavor of all sorts of tea blends at a very young age. We would have pots after pots of Chrysanthemum Tea whenever we're enjoying dimsum in Hong Kong, a cup of Earl Grey to go with our choice of macarons or tea sandwiches and even the deep and dark ones like TieGuanYin . Like Mommy, we've learned to drink tea either with honey or with a few drops of sugar cubes. Lately, wanting to stay healthy, I've been having my cup of tea without any sweeteners added into it. I've learned to love it in its purest form. Upon hearing about Da.U.De (da-you-de) Tea Lounge , I set a brunch date with Mommy and Pan after our morning working at the Bonifacio Global City. Da.U.De Tea Lounge is located at the ground floor of the Net Lima Building which is right beside the Mini Showroom. It may be a bit of a challenge to locate but believe me, it'll be worth it. We were greeted by the bright, sunsh...

By the time you read this, I have already landed in the land of Jackie Chan, dimsums and endless shopping opportunities! Today, Paul and I are set to head out to Wan Chai and Central where we will be meeting up with an old friend and to have our much-awaited afternoon tea at a restaurant owned by a renowned French chef which has been highly (or shall I say strongly) recommended to me by my two food-loving friends *ahem* *ahem* ;) . I can't wait to try his macarons, croissants and tea sandwiches! This is really the highlight of our trip so we have extremely high hopes for this. Add to the fact that I love drinking tea. This is also the main reason why I was so excited to receive a pretty pink tin can from Twinings . This is a limited edition and a collector's item tea blend which was created to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth of England. I sniffed the contents of the can the moment it arrived and I immediately noted the strong Assam tea scent. Ohh......

Believe it or not, I grew up not drinking coffee. Unlike my sister who loves needs her cup of java to wake her up in the morning, I used to prefer a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice to go with my breakfast plate anytime. It's quite surprising then that I ended up working for the Green Siren for a fun two years plus. My first day at work really changed my life. It led me to drinking my first cup of brewed coffee and guess what, I liked it! Liked it so much that I never stopped drinking coffee after that. After a year or so, I even got certified as a Coffee Master ! This got my parents thinking how on earth did that happened. Their daughter, the former non-coffee drinker becoming a coffee master. That, my friends, continues to remain a mystery. It has been 4 years since I bid the Green Siren good bye but I continue to relive the fun days every single time I step into a store. The warm smiles, the comforting smell of coffee, the sound of the blender, oh I wish to be able ...

*SPONSORED POST* How did you celebrate the New Year? Watching the news, I can’t help but get teary-eyed as CNN featured the live New Year’s countdown at Times Square in New York City. From the looks of the crowd, it seems to be a very cold winter night yet this didn’t stop thousands of Americans to go out to the street to be part of this festive celebration. As soon as the clock struck twelve, everyone began hugging, cheering, some couples started kissing and kids began jumping and dancing all around. What a happy sight! This scene is not far from what we had here in Manila 16 hours earlier than what happened in New York. In various part of the country, big parties were held, beautiful fireworks lit up the sky and in my in-law’s cozy home, we greeted one another and sat around the table to enjoy on our New Year’s Media Noche. As we enjoyed our bowls of misua soup, sticky rice cakes and fruits, we opened two bottles of Tropicana Twister in two different flavors – Apple Lemon and...

I'm addicted once again. After being witnessing my long running addiction to Serenitea , here I am again falling in love with another milk tea brand that has just recently opened its doors to the Philippine market. I would like to introduce you to ChaTime . It's actually a big milk tea company that originated in Taiwan and has a number of branches in Malaysia, China, USA, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Australia, plus new stores opening soon in Korea, Japan and the Philippines! (source: ChaTime Philippines' FB Page ) I'm lucky because ChaTime's first official branch is located once again just a stone's throw away from my workplace. Just like Cab Cafe , I can easily go there via a short tricycle ride. On my first visit, it was after doing overtime work at the office as Paul and I made it to ChaTime at 9PM. Despite being a few days old, there was already a long line inside the store. I like the clean and brightly-lit interiors. They also have a ...

Not long after my first visit to Happy Lemon , I went back with my high school buddies and enjoyed our night-long chat as we catch up on each others lives. I took T's lead by getting the Milk Tea with Black Pearl Sago (Php. 85) while I convinced E to try the Green Tea with Rock Salt and Cheese . The store was packed despite the fact that it was a weeknight. Familiar faces all around as it is conveniently located without OUR neighborhood. I liked my Milk Tea and was surprised how mild the tea was. Unlike other milk teas, I would spend the evening with a bad hyper-acidity attack. I slept like a baby that night which was a very good sign. my pretty best friends T and E -- they can pass as Happy Lemon's endorser, don't you think? Nothing beats spending a great night with friends who truly loves you for who you really are. Cheers to our two decades long of friendship and a dozen decades more! Love my co-musketeers! ♥

For months, word has been going around that one of Hong Kong's popular milk tea brand is coming to Manila. Wild guesses were thrown here and there as to which particular brand this would be. Finally a happy yellow tarpaulin was put up beside Fully Booked Greenhills and I recognized the cute winking girl from our trip to Guangzhou, China last year. Happy Lemon is coming to town! Finally, the long wait is over and Happy Lemon finally opened to the public a couple of weeks ago. Despite the crazy traffic happening in and around the Greenhills Shopping Center , Paul and I were very determined to finish our Christmas shopping before December begins thus we patiently waited in line to get a parking slot. After almost crossing out our to-do list, we rewarded ourselves with a visit to Happy Lemon . I love the bright yellow interiors and the winking little girl is just so adorable. The store is still having their soft opening at the moment but I noticed that the service was prett...

I grew up learning how to appreciate tea and loving the different tea variants that has entered the market. This goes way back when my family would spend our Sunday afternoon tea bonding with each other at a hotel lobby. While the parents chit-chat, we kids munched on scones, canapes and mini tea sandwiches as we drank cups and cups of tea. At times, we would have dimsum for lunch and together with all of our steamed favorites, we would fill up our teacups with hot tea, be it chrysanthemum, jasmine or oolong. Just lately, you've witnessed how fond I was over a neighborhood milk tea shop where I would make it a point to buy myself a large cup of Hokkaido Milk Tea on my way home from work. This went on for quite some time and I've influenced a number of friends in the process . My tea addiction can be pretty infectious. Before this neighborhood milk tea though, I came across a cute Japanese-looking store at the basement of SM Megamall . It was my sister who first discov...

Who does not love to eat?  Eating brings people together. It builds new friendships and strengthens relationships. Birthdays, anniversaries and any kind of celebration definitely has eating involve. When planning a party, the first thing the host thinks of is what she will serve to her guests. For me, eating has always been a happy experience. I enjoy trying out new dishes that tickles my taste buds. Traveling around the globe has been made to be more exciting as we look forward to trying the local cuisines available. I also enjoy the fact that I've made great friends over our love for food and eating. However, eating has its drawbacks too. In comes unwanted bulges, increase in weight and bad cholesterol that can clog your arteries leading to nasty heart ailments and sickness. Ever since my mom had a mild stroke five years ago, my family has been more careful with our food intake. This particular episode in our lives became an eye-opener wherein we have learned to watch what ...

Who would have thought that you can enjoy your favorite cup of Starbucks coffee even when there's no Starbucks store nearby? You can literally take your coffee with you up to the top of the mountain or to the farthest point of the island and you can still enjoy the same Starbucks experience minus the jazz-y music and the sound of blender going on and off every other minute. At first, I thought it was a joke when I heard that there will be a Starbucks instant coffee. "How can that be possible", I thought. After working for the Green Siren for more than two years, my mind was set to think that Starbucks will always be about freshly brewed coffee or fragrant espresso-based drinks handcrafted by your favorite barista. However, the news is true and the Starbucks VIA Ready Brew has arrived here in the Philippines following the first market launch in Japan. It comes in three flavors: Italian Roast , Decaf Italian Roast and my personal favorite, Columbia . I was excite...

Don't you sometimes wish you can be anywhere in the world with just a blink of an eye? How about with just a couple of slurps and a few clicks? Before you think I might be going crazy, I came across this interesting photo contest brought by KFC where you may submit your most creative photo of you and your friends posing anywhere in the Philippines that resembles that one place that you would like to go to. Perhaps a certain mall would resemble that of the Grand Palace of Bangkok or the Esplanade of Singapore, take a couple of wacky shots together with a cup of KFC's Krusher and upload this photo in the official KFC Krushers Chill Zone Website . You have up until July 30, 2010 to submit your entries. The good news is that there's no limit to the number of entries that you can submit. The contest will have two stages: 1) You photos will be shortlisted by the KFC officials and after which... 2) Online viewers will be asked to vote for their favorite photo! (so alert...

Let me share with you my favorite quote as taken from the Disney movie, Mulan : "The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all..." Trying the Floral Bloom Tea (Php. 59/pot) at the Cantonese Soup Kitchen was really something. I enjoyed watching it bloom as the server slowly pours steaming hot water into my cup. It does not only looks beautiful but it tastes good too! It reminds me of my favorite Kak Hue Te (Chrysanthemum tea) that has a very light body in every sip. Cantonese Soup Kitchen is located at Unit C-847 Banawe cor. Linaw St., Quezon City. Call them at 743-5249.

This is definitely the warmest summer ever! Since the start of March, I have been looking out for cool drinks and desserts to bring the temperature down. Of course, there is my long running love for Serenitea's Hokkaido Milk Tea . While shopping at SM Megamall today, I got myself a large cup of my favorite cool drink since I was in college. Quickly's Super Taro Ice (Php. 65) To be honest, I wasn't sure really was goes into this yummy drink until lately when I bravely asked the server what this drink consists of. He then told me that it has a mix of sago and nata de coco + a layer of three different puddings + ice crushed taro mix. Yum! I am a fan of anything with nata and taro. This is the best thirst-quenching drink while strolling around the mall.

Call it mutual attraction, I discovered Serenitea and immediately fell in love with the whole concept that kind of took the place of the Green Siren in my heart. A year later, I'm more addicted to it than ever that I even had to impose a two-week hiatus in order to normalize the tea and sugar level in my body. Yesterday, I went back and enjoyed the familiar smell of brewed tea as I entered the store. Getting closer to the counter, I noticed that the server now has a new addition to their regular uniform. They now have cute button pins with words I couldn't not make out from where I stood. Finally it was my turn to place my order and Janet beamed at me as I ordered my usual large cup of Hokkaido Milk Tea (Php. 95). Looking closely I read her pink button pin and it says.... It sure was a great surprise and I love Serenitea more than ever!

In less than 130 days, Paul and I will finally take that much-wanted and much-needed vacation that the both of us have been looking forward to since late last year. While planning for this trip, it was actually a choice between going up north and getting in touch with our roots or to go back to Singapore and to visit Malaysia for the first time. It seems like the 3 days that we spent in Singapore were not enough for the both of us that we decided to go back and to spend more days to explore the island and later on to hop over to Malaysia to continue our Southeast Asian adventure! Of course, no trip would be complete without enjoying the local cuisines and this is one thing that I am truly looking forward to. Chatting with fellow bloggers and food experts, majority assured me that I will surely enjoy Malaysian food as it is said to be even better than Singapore. Hearing this brought visions of Char Kuay Teow, Roti Canai with curry sauce, Chili or Creamy Crabs and a lot more! Since t...

My mom asked me to pass by the supermarket to buy a can of floor wax... I came out with two big bags filled with chips, ingredients for a pasta dish and .... THIS ! How can I resist this chocolatey goodness in a handy tetra-pak? I chilled it the moment I got home and enjoyed it with Paul this afternoon. Yummy! How about you? Share your Top 5 grocery picks! Nestle Chuckie is available in almost all of your favorite supermarkets and convenience stores.