Frannywanny

One thing that I love about k-dramas is when I get to have a glimpse of the food trends and scene in Korea. From local coffee shops to famous restaurants in and around Seoul, I can't help but wish that I can visit South Korea soon to fully experience the k-vibe and eat to my heart's delight. * Can I just teleport myself in just a snap of a finger? * Thanks to my cousin-in-law B, who has always been my main source for food stops in Pampanga, as he recommended Premium Cafe Retro 525  which is just located along Friendship Highway. We went there for lunch with my university friends after we took our little ones to Dinosaur Island. Feeling famish and in the mood of anything cold as the weather was so warm, we were greeted by the beautiful and spacious interiors of Retro 525 . I tell you, I don't think we have cafes this big here in Metro Manila. It has a center section with a wide array of breads on display. There's an ample amount of tables available at the ground floor b...

When two of the country's well-respected chefs come together to serve you their best creations, then you know that this is one buffet that you can never pass up. Happening now up until Sunday, July 1, 2018, enjoy the best dishes made by Chefs Sau del Rosario and Miko Aspiras  at Diamond Hotel 's Corniche for both lunch and dinner. June, as we all know, is the month when we celebrate our Independence Day so it's just fitting to celebrate this with an impressive, mouth-watering spread of the best Filipino dishes in the country. You don't even have to take a plane to enjoy the freshest Oyster Ceviche from Aklan or Chef Sau's signature Crispy Pork Kare Kare Macadamia with Truffle Oil , Salted Eggyolk Prawn Rebosado  more so, the show-stopping Lechon Trio  with filling from Luzon (Buru), Visayas (Chili Mango) or Mindanao (Malagos Chevre and Cocoa). Paul and I were lucky to try this delicious spread last week, on the first day it opened to the public. I didn'...

Allow me to let you in on a secret.  It's the kind of the secret that I've carefully kept mum about for the past 13 years. However, I feel it's the right time to make the big reveal. So, here goes.... I found the ONE. That glorious plate of Baked Macaroni and I can dare say that it's the best that I've tasted in my entire 33 years of existence. Too good that I'm allowing myself to be melodramatic about it.  Welcome to Toll House . A home-grown neighborhood coffee shop found along the busy street of Sto. Rosario  in Angeles, Pampanga. Paul first took me here during our early days of dating and if I remember correctly, it was exactly after he officially introduced me as his girlfriend to his gwama and gwakong  which led to a short chit-chat a.k.a. interview. Yes, we had a " Meet the Grandparents " kind of moment and I guess it went pretty well so we headed to Toll House to celebrate. Haha! 

Last year, Paul and I celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary in two of Asia's busiest cities -- Hong Kong and Macau. We have been regular visitors of Hong Kong, frequenting this place even when we were kids. As for Macau, it was both our first time there and we're both so excited to explore this small island that's easily accessible via a ferry ride from Hong Kong. Since Air Asia Philippines began offering really cheap flights to Macau via Clark and we luckily got free ticket vouchers from attending their launch , we thought of giving it a try! To be honest, family members all gave us quizzical looks when we told them that we're flying out at the Diosdado Macapagal Airport . With NAIA just a quick 20-30 mins drive from home, they're probably all thinking that we're being silly for wanting to take that extra hour and a half drive to Clark. Well, the best things in life are indeed free and while we initially were thinking of just booking a flight with an airl...

Remember I was telling you about my MIL’s superb taste in food? Well, here’s a perfect example that the apple sure doesn’t fall far from the tree. My husband Paul has inherited this special trait and this is why I’m so lucky to have someone who totally supports my food tripping ways. Not that I want to stereotype but I believe that people who belongs to a certain area shares a number of common characteristics and behaviors. I don’t have to go far to prove this point. Since the Philippines has a total of 81 provinces, you can see how different one can be from another. They say the Ilonggos of Ilo-Ilo have an extremely sweet demeanor and I can attest to this by just listening to my friend T speak. She would talk in a sing-song voice even when she’s annoyed or mad. Amazing, I tell you. As for Paul, they hail from Pampanga where, to me, is the land of yumminess that's located north of Metro Manila. This is where you can experience having a lunch feast that could last for hours on...

A couple of months ago, I had the privilege to borrow the Ford Fiesta for the weekend. This invite then led to an impromptu out of town food trip to Paul's hometown in Angeles, Pampanga . Paul and I really had fun driving the Ford Fiesta as we would take turns taking this on a test drive around the city. It's small, compact yet very spacious that we were surprisingly able to fit quite a lot of Allies Wonder Peanuts ! Read more about my Ford Fiesta Food Trip over at their Official Facebook Page . Click here to access the application. See where I brought the Ford Fiesta and learn about the FOUR Fab reasons why I love it to bits! Let's go on a ride!!! Zoooooooooooooooom!!!

The Food Club went on another out of town trip and this time we all headed to Paul's hometown in Angeles, Pampanga ; where we stayed the night in Fontana Leisure Park . ( Read Rowena's blog entry about it here ) We got there around 11 in the morning and The Club decided to go Duty Free shopping first. After which, lunch was next on the itinerary and being the ones who frequent Pampanga a lot, I asked the group if they're game to have ribs for lunch. After all, I had my favorite restaurant in mind. I first encountered AC Rumpa a few years ago when Paul and I first watched the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta in Clark. As always, I went prepared ready with a list of restaurants to try after doing my research online and AC Rumpa got the most number of votes from our Hot Air Balloon group. AC Rumpa stands for Angeles City Retired US Military Personnel Association. I'm not really sure if the owner is an American or a Filipino but one thing I'm really sure of is that they ...

...and the snacking continues! The Food Club celebrates Paul's 30th birthday!!! My husband Paul blew out his 30 birthday candles yesterday! He officially said goodbye to his twenties and gladly welcome the BIG 3-0! Aside from my non-stop teasing; I, together with his family, organized an intimate dinner to celebrate his birthday with our loved ones (his side and mine) and our dear friends a.k.a. The Food Club last Saturday. Despite the short notice, we are really blessed that almost everyone was able to make it. Thanks guys!! ♥ For his birthday, Richard, Irene and Lauren gave Paul a box of Homemade Treasures Ensaymada . It looks really pretty and premium as it's encased in a light brown box and tied with a golden ribbon. Paul normally skips breakfast as he would rather sleep till lunch especially during the weekends. I was surprised when we woke me up early on Sunday and invited me to have breakfast with him. I really wanted to sleep some more but when I remembere...

Paul has been going back and forth his hometown these past few weeks. During one of his visits, he found himself eating at Everybody's Cafe with his mom and little did he know, this marked the start of his love for.... fried crickets . Yes, you read that right. While he actually can bravely take in all sorts of exotic dishes such as Turtle Soup, Fried Frog Legs and a lot more, I don't think Paul really imagined the day that he would be having a spoonful of fried crickets with rice and meat. Since then, he has been craving for more thus the reason for our impromptu visit up north for lunch at (where else?!) Everybody's Cafe . To be honest, I wasn't as excited as him knowing that we are to dine at a restaurant that serves all sorts of local delicacies / exotic dishes. As you may all know, I can be a pretty picky eater and not a big fan of anything beyond the usual pork, beef, seafood and chicken. Still, I went there with an open mind and a growling tummy so I was q...

Let me tell you about the day I had the best cake in my LIFE! It as a Saturday and Paul and I took a spur-of-the-moment trip back to his hometown in Pampanga . Yup, my dear husband is a true blue Cabalen (and he's really really proud of it!) . Our plan was simply to go on a fun relaxed ride, have lunch, buy some pasalubong and grab a really good dessert on our way back home. Lunch was at a restaurant that Paul has been bugging me to try as it's known to serve all sorts of exotic dishes such as stir-fried crickets, stuffed frogs and a lot more. I really do not get why on earth Paul would think I'd be brave enough to go on a an exotic food trip. Well, let me tell you more about that on my next entry. For now, I'd like to share with you where we had dessert and the cake that truly made traveling all the way to Pampanga truly worth it. à La crème Cake Shop and Cafe is a local bakeshop that originated in Angeles, Pampanga a decade ago. Today, they have three bran...

I'd say old habits die hard...and so does this almost half-a-decade-long tradition. It has been almost 5 years since Paul and I have been traveling to his hometown in Angeles, Pampanga every February to watch more than a dozen hot air balloons fly up in the sky. In the past years though, we manage to book a hotel room and spend the night in Angeles giving us sufficient time to wake up just about the right time before we should head to the Clark Air Field to catch the sunrise. This year, we took the more challenging option which is to leave Manila at exactly 3AM to be able to get to Clark by 5. I guess word has really spread far and wide about this yearly event that we were faced with a bad traffic jam from the entrance of Clark up until the parking lot of the Air Field. At 430AM there was already a long line of cars filled with excited passengers hoping that they will make it inside on time. We finally found our parking spot at 530AM and thanks to Richard and Irene who got tick...

Today, the Hollywood world once again mourns for the lost of another star. This morning, we bid goodbye to Patrick Swayze who starred in the blockbuster hits Ghost opposite Demi Moore and Dirty Dancing as he succumbed to pancreatic cancer . The news was depressing to say the least. I can't believe how many stars have gone since the start of 2009. Over lunch today, I received yet another news that truly broke my heart. Coming from a fellow blogger who hails from Paul's hometown in Pampanga , I was told that Zapata's , one of my favorite Mexican restaurant in Angeles has closed its doors due to rental issues. Zapata's was where Paul and I had our Valentine's lunch this year, it was actually a memorable lunch as we truly enjoyed every thing that we ordered and the service, despite the fact that the place was jam-packed, was superb. I was hoping that Zapata's will continue to delight both Capampangan's and visitors alike. I hope that they will soon find a new...

Finally arriving at Pampanga after our short drive via the NLEX, Paul took the Angeles exit and drove a little more until we reached a small side street with a lot of commercial establishments lined up. A closer look at these establishments and I realized that we are driving along Angeles' red light district. During the day, we still saw a lot of local girls dressed in very skimpy day outfits and foreigners looking for a place to have lunch. Since it was Valentine's Day and the weekend of the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta , there were more cars and visitors present than normal. Luckily, Paul was able to get a good parking spot just right outside the door of our target lunch destination. Hand in hand, we walked towards the entrance with a bright yellow, red and green signage. Zapata's Cantina Mexicana , it read. We opened the big brown door and was surprised to see the place packed with more customers waiting for their turn to be seated. Scanning the room, I saw a couple of famil...

I have a new discovery and it's located along a not-so-busy road in the town of Angeles, Pampanga. It took us a while to locate it but imagine my excitement the moment I spotted the white brick wall that looks like an Eskimo's square igloo. We entered the store and a cheerful lady greeted us hello. We gave her our order and immediately she pulled down the knob to produce a soft, white cream into a medium sized cup. Swiftly, she opened a small container which she pulled out from the chiller and piled my cup high with a generous serving of blueberries with syrup. Ohh my mouth waters at the sight that I can't wait to take my first bite! I've finally found Cold Spoon Frozen Yogurt and I love it! I like the smooth texture of the yogurt as it melts in my mouth. It's sour taste was just right, enough to remind me that I'm eating a healthier alternative to ice cream. If only they have fresh fruits available then it would have been perfect. The following day, I just had...

Waking up at 4AM... Taking a short drive to the Clark Aviation Field ... Getting a good spot while receiving painful shoves and nudges from equally eager visitors... Patiently waiting while trying in vain to get a good shot... We've been doing all THESE for three consecutive years ... Here's why... ..and I'm excited to do all these again next year!! See ya! Ü

Did You Know? ...that this year is supposed to be the 13th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta (PIHABF) but the organized decided to skip the number 13 due to superstitious beliefs and thus making it the 14th. ... that Hot air Balloons were once used as a mode of transportation back in the days? ... that 25 balloons will be joining this years event making it the biggest so far. There will be teams from all over the world coming from Hungary, France, Germany, Thailand, Malaysia, USA, Japan and a lot more! This year marks the 3rd consecutive year that Paul and I will travel all the way to Clark, Pampanga to watch colorful, big, hot air balloons fly and fill up the sky. Through the years, we've encountered standing in line to buy our tickets, getting stuck in a really bad traffic jam on our way out of the field and realizing that our kite was defective. These I would call the pains of a Hot Air Balloon Fiesta fan. We've learned so much since then, we now have our stra...

If there's one local event that I always make it a point to go to, it would be to see this Philippine International Hot-Air Balloon Festival 13 Feb 2009 - 15 Feb 2009 No matter how early we have to be up to make it to the Clark Aviation Field. No matter how traffic it can get. It's all worth it the moment we see these breathtaking flying wonders get blown up and start flying up up and away! This will definitely be a yearly tradition. A great way to start another travel year! See you all there!