Frannywanny

Months ago, Paul and I went out on a double date with Joan and Abet , one of the few couples whom we love hanging out with. For those who know them, you'll probably agree with me that they're really a nice couple with a pure heart. No pretenses, no intrigues and definitely someone whom you can depend on. They're such joy to be with too and that's why Paul and I look forward to any chance we get to spend time with them. I remember running a low grade fever that day yet I insisted that we push thru with our double date. It was also perfect that both Abet and I got an invite to re-visit Sentro 1771 in Greenbelt . This restaurant is not new to both Paul and I as we have dined here quite a number of times before . We always have our staple dishes such as the Rated GG , the Fried Kesong Puti and their famous Corned Beef Sinigang to name a few. This time though, the invite came just in time for their 10th year anniversary . It's amazing to see restaurants celebrati...

We only had three whole days in Cebu and with all the meetings, trade checks and a grand cooking demo lined up, the only thing that kept all of us in high spirits was the thought of being able to eat good food for all three days. Of course, I made sure that my team won't go home disappointed so I did my research and had my list all ready. Given our short visit, I wanted to give them a little bit of Cebu's best -- gastronomical-wise. We were able to try two of the best lechon brands in the city, had an amazing night cap while enjoying the best warm brownie cup in La Marea and of course, our celebration dinner just had to be in one of the best local Cebuano restaurants as recommended by fellow bloggers and the Lonely Planet .  This is none other than Golden Cowrie Native Restaurant . Golden Cowrie has been around since 1982 (we're of the same age!) . They're known to offer really good local dishes which we luckily were able to try that evening. The ambiance exu...

I believe that shopping and eating goes hand and hand. Like peanut butter and jelly. Like salt and pepper. Perhaps, even like strawberries and cream. Both fills a need, are pretty much therapeutic and at the end of doing either of the two, one always ends up feeling extra happy. No need to pop in the happy pill as this is a natural way of achieving that ultimate satisfaction and happiness. Agree? Rustan's Department Store has been around for years. This has been almost every grandmother's favorite shopping place and to this day, Rustan's has been my go to place when buying a wedding gift. In fact, it was also here where Paul and I did our gift registry for our very own BIG day. I love Rustan's for its quality choice of brands be it for the home, for your personal use or even for men. I really love it when department stores also think of their client's well-being in the middle of having their retail therapy. Shopping can be tiring and what better way to take a ...

Remember my story about this particular Filipino restaurant that my family would frequent on a weekly basis? Just as much as we love Chinese and Japanese food, my family is a huge fan of good traditional Filipino cuisine too. Since the disappearance of Harana more than a decade ago, it has been a while since we've been loyal to a specific Filipino restaurant simply because there hasn't been any that can match up to the taste and quality of service of our favorite Harana . While I truly appreciate modern Filipino cuisine where I like trying deconstructed traditional dishes such as the ones tried here , here and here , my parents and grandparents still prefer Filipino dishes cooked the same way as it was centuries ago. Then we tried Abé , a traditional Capampangan restaurant operated by the LJC Group . We first visited Abé years ago when they opened in Serendra Piazza . Together with my grandparents, we ordered a couple of their house specialties and enjoyed it very much...

Yesterday was the birthday of our National Hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal . Unlike others (namely my sister and husband) who's forte lies in math and science, I'm pretty proud to say that I excelled in history. Probably because I love reading stories and reading a history book is just like peeking into the past and the lives of the people who played a big role in our country's history. I remembered perfecting my Rizal class in college as I totally enjoyed learning about the life of Dr. Jose Rizal and I would even read up in advance to know what happened next. As we commemorate his birthday, we are reminded of the sacrifices that he has made for our country. How he fought for our freedom and equality that we are all enjoying at present. For that I give him the highest respect and I salute him for his courage. Dr. Jose Rizal was also an awesome writer . Actually, he fought not with a sword but with his pen. Through his works he revealed the abuse and pains of the Filipinos and ...

Today we celebrate our 113th Independence Day . It all began on June 12, 1898 at Kawit, Cavite where Former President Emilio Aguinaldo declared the independence of the Philippines from the Spanish rule. Year on year, we celebrate this special day wherein majority would proudly wave our flag, go on a local Pinoy-inspired tour, sing our national anthem and a lot more. Here are Frannywanny.com , we turn the spotlight on to *what else?!* the food . Given that our country has been colonized by both the Spanish and the Americans, I'd say both influences have really played a big role in making our dishes pretty unique. Growing up, I've have the privilege to orient my taste buds to the varied flavors of our local cuisine. There's the coconut-loaded dishes that I truly love like the Gising Gising and Laing. Then we also have the deadly cholesterol-filled ones that are really sinful but are equally delicious such as the ever-famous Lechon, Crispy Pata and Sisig. Of course we hav...

I am so excited for this weekend, wanna know why? :) First of all, my college friend L and her fiance T are finally getting engaged! By this I mean, they will be having their Ting Hun and we were lucky to be invited to be there on their special day. I can't believe my dear friends are finally tying the knot in less than 5 months!! What a happy happy thing to look forward to! :) Secondly, Paul and I are going on a trip... not on a plane...not even on a boat but on a van filled with 14 other bloggers and four lucky people who will be joining us on a fun food trip around town !! I saw the itinerary and I've been so excited for the trip ever since! I've never been to most places on the list thus this will be a new experience for me. Of course, since we're also celebrating our country's Independence day this weekend, the food trip is Pinoy-themed. That's the final clue I'm giving out...it will be a Pinoy Food Trip and right now I'm having visions of Cr...