Frannywanny

When it comes to celebrating the holidays, of course, we're talking about having a mouthwatering spread of savory and sweet dishes. This is probably the reason why people would say that we, Filipinos, do take Christmas seriously as this is the season of endless merry-making and non-stop eating. Case in point, on the day that Paul and I landed in Manila, we were greeted with this black insulated bag sitting prettily inside our freezer. While the look was really simple and doesn't evoke much excitement at a glance, seeing the name printed on the bag was enough to make my heart leap and do a million cartwheels.  Of course, who can ever say no to ice cream? Much more... Japanese Ice Cream! When it comes to food, I love anything Japanese. From sticky glutinous mochis to flavoured Kit Kats, from the spongey Tokyo Banana to the creamy Hokkaido Ice Cream. I love how the Japanese gives so much attention to detail. From the quality of the ingredients used, to the flavor and f...

I truly appreciate restaurants and coffee shops that dedicates a sufficient amount of time and effort to details . For me details is just as important as making sure you get the word out there, it's just as crucial as ensuring that your products are of top quality. Details creates the best ambiance and by giving your customers a good feeling every time they step into your store will surely bring back bigger rewards. Tonight, Paul and I went out on a date. Yes, after killing ourselves with months filled with busy weekends, we decided to just relax and go out tonight. Let me tell you more about our *ahem* romantic dinner date in the next few days. What I'm excited to share is where we ended up hanging out for our night cap before heading back home. After dinner, I decided to text my two girl friends J1 and J2 to ask what were their Saturday night plans. J1 told me she's spending time with her family while J2 immediately called me and invited us to join her and boyfriend ...

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!

Friends over at Plurk.com must have probably noticed how often I would mention dropping by a store named Serenitea for just three things: Hokkaido Milk Tea, Chicken Chops and Peppered Sweet Corn. I first discovered Serenitea exactly a year ago upon hearing the raves of my boss about this cozy tiny tea store along J. Abad Santos that serves good tea drinks. One visit and a couple more, I was immediately drawn by the relaxed ambiance and yes, their good tea drinks and snacks. At first it was Gyokuro Genmaicha followed by Green Tea Yakult. Finally when they offered Hokkaido Milk Tea as a fellow plurker would say tastes like melted Kraft caramel candy, this has been my frequent choice for almost two months now. I like my milk tea plain with only 50% sugar. With Serenitea, you can customized you drink from the type of tea to be brewed then to the toppings that will be added down to the amount of sugar that will be added. It makes every experience very personal. Together with thei...