Frannywanny

Months ago, photos of this donut-like pastry has been popping up on my Facebook wall and Instagram feed . One post after the other from various friends would show their latest discovery and I have been dying to give this a try. CRONUTS . That's what they're called. A perfect play between the mouthwatering words "croissant" + "donuts" I later found out. Did a little research about it and learned that these sweet creations originated in New York, USA. Trust my fellow Filipinos to catch this food craze right away and so within weeks more and more bakeries and retail shops began offering their own versions of Cronuts. Before heading home last weekend, I messaged a couple of foodie friends to point me to where I should try my first cronut. They were very helpful in giving me tips and so I went home ready for my Cronut initiation. First stop was at Chatime in Pioneer, Mandaluyong City. When a friend told me about this, I immediately asked if she's su...

Here's a case when I chose not to blog on the my first restaurant visit...neither on my second but just decided to wait and go back for a third round before I finally give my full review. I first heard about Hainanese Delights from my colleague ML who is a certified foodie and a budding food blogger. It was during one of our work-related events in Robinsons Galleria when she pointed out this fast food-like restaurant with a bright pink signage to me. I made a mental note to check it out but since I rarely get to visit the mall, it took me more than a month before I finally had the chance to try Hainanese Delights for the first time. My first visit was ok, nothing amazing as I was only able to try one dish and a can of Coke. Nothing more. My second visit came shortly after when Hainanese Delights opened at Robinsons Pioneer , a mall that's just within walking distance from my office. ML and I were invited to a lunch meeting there and we were able to sample more dishes ...

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 ...

Lola is a Tagalog word that means Grandmother. Thus the name Lola Maria Restaurant inside The Legend Villas evokes that warm homey feeling that we'd get whenever we visit the home of our grandmother. The smell of wonderful home-cooked meals that she would lovingly prepare as you wait while admiring the beautiful decors that adorns her home. The same home where either your mom or dad grew up in. You memorize every nook and cranny and know where lola's favorite part of the house is..most likely the kitchen. Located just right across where I work, I was surprised that there's actually a hidden gem for me to discover. It is said that people normally tend to search far and wide when a beautiful thing is standing so close by that we fail to take notice of it. I've first visited Lola Maria last year for a business meeting. We were surprised that the buffet lunch was pretty extensive and delicious. Fast forward to a couple of Fridays ago, we were invited to a food tastin...

Whenever I drive myself home from work, once in a while, I'd find myself craving for pasta. As always, my dilemma is where to get good pesto pasta. There used to be a stall at the food court of our office building that sells this..it was pretty oily, not the best quality but I stayed loyal to it for almost a year. At home, this has been my constant request, it used to just be every Monday where Mommy would ask our helper to prepare pesto spaghetti for dinner. However, now we would ask for this almost twice a week or more. Back when I still had Bo (the Basil) , I was planning on making my own pesto sauce. Bo, after all, was very cooperative. He grew to be a very healthy and fragrant basil plant with lots of leaves. However, I became very busy and didn't had the time to source for the other ingredients needed to make my own pesto sauce. Thus, I've resorted to stocking up on bottles of pesto sauces as home. Still, I know nothing beats enjoying a plate of piping hot al dente ...

I've mention time and again how much I love hanging out with friends. However, I also do enjoy spending some time in my lonesome. In fact, there are actually some activities that I'd rather do on my own. Take shopping, for instance, I treasure the moments wherein I can easily go through one store at a time at my own pace. It's simply that quality me-time that I regularly treat myself to once in a while. Yup, I'm unique like that and I honestly don't get it why people would take pity over those who chooses to spend some time alone. Last week, after finishing a major presentation due pretty soon. I treated myself to a quiet dinner at Joey Pepperoni , a casual dining restaurant located along Pioneer street in Mandaluyong City. I entered the restaurant and noticed that there were quite a number of tables occupied by big groups. After telling the server that I'm dining by myself, he ushered me towards a table by the door and handed me the menu. I was craving for pas...

Sonsi's Alaminos Longganisa (Php. 125) Thanks to Anton for the heads up. I found another yummy food stop near the office. Sonsi's House of Longganisa Imagine a place that offers all types of longganisa coming from the different provinces in the country. Craving for sweet longganisa? Get the Pampanga or Cebu longganisa. For those who wants their longganisa with a bit of spice and garlic, order a plate of Bacolod longganisa. For my first visit, I went with their best-selling longganisa -- the Alaminos longganisa meal . For only Php. 125, you get a generous serving of crunchy longganisa slices, garlic rice and fried egg. For those who wants more than longganisa, Sonsi's has a lot more to offer. This is also a great place to unwind with friends over platters of longganisa and a cold bottle of beer. Cheers! Sonsi's House of Longganisa is located at Madison Square Pioneer, Pioneer street, Mandaluyong City.

It has been a year since my last visit to Thailand . How I miss the delicious Pad Thai , shopping at Central World Plaza and of course, getting the best deals at the Chatuchak Market . Yesterday, feeling a bit hungry and with a few more hours to go before dinner time, I drove to Madison Square Pioneer which is just half a block away from my office. It's funny that I'm starting to hear raves here and there about certain establishments in this complex from people who actually lives or works farther than I do from this place. My first visit led me to a nice looking Thai restaurant called Lime Leaf . I scanned their menu and ordered a plate of Shrimp Pad Thai (Php. 150) and a glass of Thai Iced Tea . Service was fast and I got to hand it to my server for taking the extra step in ensuring that my dining experience remains insect-free by placing a candle on my table. As my pad thai was served in front of me, I immediately smelled the yummy aroma of shrimp, shrimp paste and chili....

Tomorrow marks my 3rd official week as part of the corporate crowd in Pioneer. Day in and out, I still get excited exploring my new environment be it inside the confines of my big (and I must say hip and trendy looking) office or outside with a mall that (ok, fine) barely matches up to that giant shopping complex along EDSA. However, still miraculously provides the basic necessities such as books and office supplies, a big hardware store, a number of restaurants and fast food chains and yes! even a bingo bonanza station. One discovery that I am very happy about happened over an impromptu lunch out last week. It was supposed to be a lunch meeting that got cancelled at the last minute when two out of three of my groupmates suddenly couldn't make it. With no food for lunch, my colleague and I decided to try this new restaurant called Chili Willy's . To be honest, I was excited to visit this restaurant after reading Anton's wonderful (and as always, very convincing) review . I...