Frannywanny

We all know that Metro Manila is literally bursting with so many restaurants, cafes, eateries and foodie spots found all over the 16 cities and 1 municipality of the region. I've lived there for 20+ years of my life and I can say that I still have a lifetime to go if I seriously want to try at least half of all the restaurants available. Despite the big number, when it comes to dining out with my family to celebrate a special occasion, we would always have just a handful of choices to choose from. Don't look at me. I'm not the only  picky eater in the family! Obviously, my picky taste must have originated from somewhere , right? ;) As the person who frequents the very few places that he loves to dine in, my Dad has quite a growing list of requirements whenever we go out to celebrate someone's birthday or a family milestone. Clean ambiance? Check! Delicious, high quality food? Check! Serves steak or beef? Check check check! So far, Mario's Restaurant has passed...

It's the new year and I'm busy listing down my resolutions. Obviously, one resolution that never goes away is "to be fit and healthy" . I'm happy though that I've actually took my first step last 2013 when Paul and I began a healthier diet and have been hitting the gym more than once. We intend to continue this good habit for the entire year, this year. Anyway, Paul and I just came back from our amazing 12 Days of Christmas in Manila and we had a great time bonding with our dear family and friends. These 12 days, I must say, we've allowed ourselves to indulge in all the yummy food that Manila has to offer and yes, there were no regrets whatsoever. Right on the 1st day of our visit, we met up with our friends E and soon-to-wed C and K. C suggested that we try Relish in Quezon City and I was all for it as it was definitely something new to me. Parking was quite challenging as Relish shares the same lot as Cerchio, another restaurant. It's a good...

Remember my search for the best Ribs in town ? It's funny that I first found my favorite rib places in Angeles, Pampanga and as far as California, USA but none yet close to home. My search for the best rack of ribs never stopped though as I am determined to find THE ONE. That perfect ribs place that will allow me to go back to over and over again. Wonder when will my luck strike? Ever since Paul and I tied the knot a year and five months ago, we have been planning to have dinner with our every talented wedding coordinators and host . Since we all live extremely hectic lives, this has been pushed back a million times until last Wednesday when we finally found time and met up for dinner. Jerome , our host, is also a foodie. This is also one reason why we instantly clicked as he's a great fan of the magazine that I work for and our pre-wedding meetings would also end up with us talking about food, food and more food. He was the one who suggested that we try Rub Ribs ...

Every single time I dine at Mario's Restaurant in Tomas Morato , I can't help but reminisce about my childhood years. The time when I would dine there with my parents and we would order their Grilled Tanigue with Dill Sauce for starters, have our own plates of Caesar Salad and this immediately will be followed by our respective choice of main dishes -- on most occasions I would switch back and forth between the Lamb Chops or the Chicken Parmigiana. Our meals will never be complete without looking at their dessert cart where my sister and I would always choose the gelatin with fruit cocktail inside. Oh how I always feel like a grown-up woman every time we dine at Mario's as I would carefully slice through my lamb chops or fork through my crisp salad. Fast forward a little more than ten years after, I'm back at Mario's this time really as a grown married woman with my husband sitting beside me as we attended a special dinner hosted by Fil and Anton Benitez , the ...

"Hi, I'm Frannywanny and I'm a group buying site addict. *hic*" I have three favorite group buying sites that I frequent on a weekly basis. For me, they all have the best formula : good choices of restaurants + irresistible discounts and promotions All three sites offer the chance for me to either try a new restaurant or go back to an old favorite packaged with an amazing discount that helps me save and keep my wallet on a healthy state. How else can I say no? Recently, I bought two coupons from Deal Grocer that will enable Paul and I to partake in the daily buffet of Alba Restaurante Español -- a favorite Spanish restaurant of ours which we used to frequent with our families to celebrate certain milestones such as Paul's college graduation a few years ago. Admittedly, it has been a while since we've been back and when I bought the coupon, I wasn't even planning to make reservations as I thought the restaurant won't be full anyway. I'm g...

Back in high school, I had a very nasty teacher who made the class believe that I do nothing but daydream. She would continue to torment me making her 60-minute Algebra class feel like the longest hour of my high school life. Boy, I'm so glad I only had her for a year and we never crossed path since. *phew* Even how often I look back, I know in my heart that I wasn't daydreaming, dozing off maybe but not daydreaming. I think the only time one gets to daydream are during times when we have experienced something truly amazing, agree? I daydream about shopping in Hong Kong, enjoying the waters of Boracay, getting a massage, sinking my teeth in my friend Irene's Quezo de Bola cheesecake and the list goes on and on. Now tell me, why on earth would I daydream during an Algebra class? Yesterday, Paul and I met up with half of The Foodie Club for lunch. I was extra excited for this as we headed to Ukkokei Ramen Ron along Pasay Road in Makati which has been on my list for a ...

Do you have a collection? I do. I love collecting all things pink! My fascination for the color pink is quite evident in this blog and with the items inside my bag and on my work desk. My pink post-its, my pink pencil sharpener, pink pencils and pens, pink magnets and a lot more! Even my wardrobe cabinet has gone pink-ified with more than half of my clothes in shades of pink, fuchsia and red. Back when I was a child, I would collect all sorts of things from stickers to stationaries, from rubber stamps to button pins, I even have a growing collection of all Hello Kitty and Donald Duck items! People may not understand why I love collecting these items but I guess it just brightens my day being able to discover a new button to take home or a Donald Duck item to admire. The Real Thing's Cinnamon Snifter -- one of their many Coca-Cola concoctions! Then I met KV Golamco who is a HUGE Coca-Cola collector. I've known quite a number of people who loves to drink Coke, but to...