Frannywanny

One thing I love about Singapore and more importantly the people in Singapore is their ability to queue up orderly. No kidding. I believe that the secret to a country's success is the people living in there and seeing how disciplined and organized everyone is here, it's no big surprise to see that Singapore is one of the fastest progressing country in Asia. Queues are normal. Wherever you go in the world, you'll see people queueing up to purchase something -- food, tickets, bags, clothes...anything! There's also always a queue inside the loo! However, it's how people react to queue differs greatly. I've witnessed people jumping the line, cutting queues, creating their own imaginary queue in another country and I can't help but notice how this kind of mentality affects the progress of the country. Anyway, enough political talk and let me go back to FOOD. Since late last year, there seems to be a new food trend that's quickly taking Singapore by sto...

Mommy would always tell us that "breakfast is the most  important meal of the day." Well, what she forgot to mention is that it can also be the most exciting one too. You see, I normally wake up feeling hungry that the first question that enters my mind is "what should I eat this morning?" So, it is always so exciting for me to plan what should I have for my first meal of the day. For the past year, breakfast for me would either be of two things: a) a bowl of instant oatmeal in chocolate or banana honey flavor b) a bowl of fruity yogurt with my favorite whole grain cereals on top Gone are the days wherein I would have rice for breakfast. Perhaps, the only times I'd have my ever-reliable silog is when I'm in Manila. Living here in the Lion City, I've become more conscious of what I eat and that includes getting into the habit of starting my day right. While I love my two breakfast options dearly, I have to admit that it can get tiring to have this...

Chicken lovers all over town rejoiced when Bonchon Chicken finally landed in Manila 4th quarter of 2010. I still remember missing out on The Food Club's first visit to their Ayala Triangle branch as I was bedridden with a nasty and traumatic case of amoebiasis (believe me, a food blogger's worst nightmare) . It took me a couple more months before I finally was able to give it a try and as expected... I liked it! Since then, Bonchon Chicken has been my go-to place whenever I'm craving for some Korean Fried Chicken and most especially some Kimchi Coleslaw when in the mall. With 19 branches all over Metro Manila, it makes it so accessible to dine in whenever the craving arises. However, there are just times that I would prefer a seafood dish over a meaty one. Luckily, Bonchon Chicken now has the answer to that as they recently introduced a line of seafood options for the non-meat eaters. A month ago, I was able to try their Fish & Chips Box (Php. 145) that come...

Let's start the countdown!!! Indonesia's very own donut and coffee brand is finally opening its doors in Manila! I've been hearing about J. Co. Donuts and Coffee ever since our trip to Singapore and Malaysia almost two years ago and was once again intrigued by it after my sister's trip to Singapore where she was able to try their coffee and liked it very much! Admittedly, I do not have a sweet tooth and has one of the lowest sugar tolerance in the family but I was really excited when 3 huge yellow boxes were delivered to my office one afternoon a month ago. I opened each one of them and the smell of freshly baked donuts instantly made my tummy rumble. Since I was still swamped with work, I shared one box with my colleagues who all liked the ultra moist and fluffy-soft donuts. The boys gave their thumbs up while the girls immediately asked where J. Co. is located. I grinned and told them the good news... J. Co. will soon open their first branch at The Strip in SM ...

My US trip last February was really memorable. For one thing, it was my first long-haul flight and I was so proud that I've survived! You see, I easily get airsick that a short flight to Hong Kong or Singapore would normally make me want to throw up. My Dad found a great solution by giving a pair of ear plugs as the high cabin pressure makes me dizzy. Still, I wasn't so sure if my ear plugs will work wonders all throughout our 12hr+ flight....well, it did and I had a great time enjoying the food and walking around the plane from time to time. Another thing that made my trip memorable was that it started as a business trip and ended as a fun 1.5 week long personal trip for Paul and yours truly. We were able to reunite with our California-based relatives and to bond with them given the short vacation time we have. Nothing beats spending quality time and catching up with family. Lastly, it was also the first time that I've experienced what 9 degrees Celsius feels like. I...

It just seems like yesterday when a number of frozen yogurt brands took the nation by storm. What used to be an ice-cream loving country now as a new breed of yogurt fanatics who are on a lookout for this healthy dessert alternative that can clean your digestive system too. Then there were talks about culturing kefir and having this to help fight the meaner bacteria not only in the digestive system but up until the colon too. I first heard about kefir from my fellow blogger and dear neighbor Jane who makes her own kefir and was generous and kind enough to share a bottle with me when I was sick. Researching about it, I learned that kefir is a cultured, enzyme-rich food filled with good micro-organisms. To be honest though, it has quite an acquired taste and surely not everyone would be too keen on trying this. It's a good thing that Swirls Frozen Kefir is here as they have made this into a soft-serve dessert and added in lots of topping options for the consumers to enjoy. So...

After enjoying our filling dinner at the newest branch of Charlie's here in San Juan, I sweetly asked Paul if we can hop over to the next store for dessert. I have heard quite a buzz about this new yogurt place from blogger friends and fellow club members Rowena , Richard and Carlos and I've been itching to try it since July. I am a big fan of frozen yogurt and I find joy in trying all of the brands that has been sprouting like mushrooms since last 2008. At the moment, I love Red Mango and Yoh-gurt Froz for their yogurt that's not too sweet yet not too tart either. I've tried a number of self-service yogurt places as well but none has made me go back after my first visit. Enter Yoggle , a hip-looking yogurt place along Ortigas Avenue in San Juan. It offers a total of 8 different flavor ranging from the Plain Tart to Sweet Vanilla. The charging is P20 per ounce. While this might be pretty tricky as you get a big cup at one end of the store and you make your wa...

This is normally the case when I try something new and it wasn't really love at first taste . I even remember feeling a bit queasy about trying my first cup of Golden Spoon strawberry yogurt and vowed never to go back again... ...Guess I was wrong... Golden Spoon deserves a second try and I'm glad I went back. We wanted to continue our girl bonding session tonight and after a light yet delicious meal at Cibo , we walked over to Golden Spoon which is actually being operated by the same company where we all met and became such great friends. Taking the advice of a friend who loves Golden Spoon, I got the Cake Batter flavor (Php. 115/small cup) and added in two toppings: crushed graham crackers and mochi (Php. 30/topping). First bite, I liked the sweet vanilla flavor that has a buttery addition just like a rich cake batter that kids love to lick off from their mom's spatula. I was happy with my choice of toppings and I felt that getting a small cup was just right for me....

It has been 5 months since I shared with you what my tummy has been craving for lately ... It has been a very warm summer and nothing beats enjoying a huge tub of Red Mango yogurt complete with my favorite toppings: mangoes, strawberries and mochi! Thanks Jon for the cool treat! :)

Just as we thought we've seen them all..now comes a new player in the Yogurt world . Coming all the way from California, USA; Tutti Frutti has finally arrived in Manila! Unlike its friendly competitors, Tutti Frutti will help you exercise your freedom to choose as you go through the entire self-service procedure with the help of their friendly staff. Here's a simple guide on how to enjoy your visit to Tutti Frutti : First, choose the size of your cup . If I'm not mistaken there are four different sizes. I like the huge tub at the far right, this is perfect for a group of four. Second, choose your yogurt flavor . After trying at least six different flavors ranging from chocolate to taro and even fruit strawberry, I ended up getting the Original Tart which is your basic yogurt flavor. Third, take a pick from the wide variety of toppings . I originally wanted to get blueberries and crushed graham but the blueberries looked different that I just ended up creating my own mix...