Frannywanny

When in comes to workday lunch, I normally would go for something fast, easy-to-eat yet still delicious. Often times, I'd just prepare my own lunch and bring it to work. This is the only way I make sure that I eat healthy. My usual lunch staples would be an assortment of salad mixes which consists of whatever I find in our fridge that morning or a grilled cheese sandwich. Sometimes, I'd bring pasta to work only when I was able to cook some the night before. However, there are just weeks wherein either I'm too lazy to prepare something or I just want to eat something else. Luckily, my office neighborhood (a.k.a. my workhood) is filled with a LOT of food places so the choices are pretty much endless. Recently, Paul and I discovered a restaurant called Sushi Burrito  in 100AM. It was after our gym visit in the same mall where we decided to check this place out. Funny that I've been seeing this restaurant for months since we moved to this side of town yet I never really...

As a man of few words, Paul is truly the kind of guy who can keep a secret and a surprise really really well.  Take for example our recent 4th wedding anniversary celebration , who would have thought that he has been planning and saving up for a nice dinner date at Rise in Marina Bay Sands for months leading up to that special day. No amount of hinting or bugging from my end would make him spill the beans. The only hint he gave me was "to eat light for lunch"  on that day. I did was told by just having a bowl of soup and a couple of pork siomais to go with it. At exactly 630PM I sprung out of my office chair and forced myself to close my laptop and to get ready for my dinner date. Work can wait but my date won't be very happy if I kept him waiting. :P We headed to Shoppes @ Marina Bay Sands and quickly headed towards the hotel where Paul has made reservations at Rise . Ohhhh I was so excited! After watching an episode of Mega Food in Nat Geo on Marina Bay Sands we'...

Ever since we moved office, I've always been excited to go in work and also to have lunch. This is probably because I'm really enjoying exploring our new neighborhood and so far every discovery I make have been a good one. A couple of weeks ago, D and I chanced upon a newly opened stall in 100AM, our very cool mall that's located across our new office. Named after Japan's high speed train, Shinkansen serves salad and a couple of hand-rolled sushi and sashimi too. The drill is to choose what "size" would you like to get:  Transit  (S$7.50) comes with 1 Base + 5 Toppings + Sauce Station  (S$10) comes with 1 Base + 5 Toppings + Sauce + 2 Add-Ons Terminal  (S$12) comes with 1 Base + 5 Toppings + Sauce + 2 Add-Ones + 1 Meat Quite simple isn't it? After you choose how you want your Shinkansen bowl to be, you move on to choosing your base -- do you want to have Sushi Rice, Brown Rice, Soba Noodles or Mixed Greens...

No matter how many days our vacation in Manila may be, we always end up feeling that we should have stayed longer. *sigh*  It just goes to show that time truly flies when you're having fun more so when you're with your loved ones and your dearest friends too. During my recent visit home, I made sure to make time to meet up with two of my good friends and I have to admit, my two favorite food bloggers too  -- Jin and Leslie . Being with them always makes me and Paul feel very comfortable and we would always look back and say how much fun lunch/dinner was with them. ALWAYS. I guess it's because the three of us share a lot of common interest -- FOOD is one, traveling is another. We also share a number of common friends here and there. Needless to say, our table conversations have always been always fun, funny and definitely negative vibes free. Recently, we were invited to dine at Kitsho Japanese Restaurant at Traders Hotel Manila . We've been reading up and hearin...

This week will be a happy one! More family members are coming to visit and I'm feeling all giddy all day. Speaking of family, let me tell you about this delicious dinner that I had with my in laws on our last day in Manila a few months ago. I have to tell you that my MIL has great taste in food. It need not be over-the-top expensive but she really has the eye (or shall I say the nose and the taste buds) in finding really yummy finds from weekend markets to hole-in-the-wall eateries in Chinatown. *sigh* no wonder I'll never achieve my 23 inch dream waist line. For as long as I'm home, I have both my Mom and my MIL force feeding me everyday. Hehehe... Dinner was held at Ginzadon Restaurant inside Resorts World Manila in Pasay. I've been eyeing this restaurant for almost 2 years now but since Resorts World isn't exactly what I would call accessible from my house, Paul and I never really found the time to purposely drive all the way here to eat. I'm so glad M...

My good friend Bianca is getting married tomorrow. While I'm extremely happy that Bianx and Pao are finally  tying the knot, I can't help but feel a bit of sadness that I won't be physically there to witness this momentous moment in their lives. Oh to be 1,400++ miles away from home. *sigh* Anyway, allow me to dedicate this entry to Bianca as I tell you about our recent dinner together at Haru Sushi Bar and Restaurant -- our last before she officially becomes Mrs. M. Bianx, Kat and I are a trio. We all used to work for the Green Siren a couple of years back and have moved on to new companies since. Both Kat and Bianx were from the same department and our office cubicles were not exactly close to each other. What made us bond was our shared love for... FOOD. It all began with a series of emails sent back and forth until we agreed to meet up for lunch and that lunch led to another lunch...after which, we also had dinner and more dinners thereafter. It has been 5 years si...

There's a different feel the moment you step into the big wooden doors of Manila Hotel . The historical nostalgia that gives you a sense of the old yet with a touch of the new. I remember hanging out at the lobby with my family as we enjoy our tall glasses of Halo-halo on a warm summer day. I love walking into their big wooden bathroom doors and the fact that they're the only hotel back then that had a dispenser for disposable toilet covers. It's amazing how Manila Hotel continues to keep up with time. I've witnessed this during my lunch at Cafe Ilang-Ilang a few days ago. While there are more and more hotels offering irresistible buffet choices, I believe that Cafe Ilang-Ilang is one hotel buffet that you should consider and here are some reasons why: They have 9 (yes counted them all!) stations to choose from. From kimchi, bulgogi and chap chae...You'd be transported to Seoul without having to ride an airplane. I love their Chinese station where I couldn...

It has been years since I've been back at Little Tokyo along Pasong Tamo in Makati City and Paul has actually never been there. For almost two years, this place has been a permanent fixture in my list of places to visit with Paul, I'm glad that last Saturday, we were finally able to tick this off the list. After setting an appointment with our BIG day officiant, we took a short drive from the church to Pasong Tamo making it just in time for lunch. While Paul was parking, I quickly headed to Izakaya Kikufuji to reserve us a table. I've been warned : this place can easily be jam-packed during lunch time . Luckily, a table for two was being cleared up and we were immediately ushered to our seats. Inside, a number of Japanese diners were present. I love dining in places with their "locals" present as it speaks a lot about the quality and authenticity of the food being served.  It took us a while browsing through their menu, everything sounded so delicious! Th...

I don't know why but I never get tired of sushi . This is the reason why I immediately suggested that we dine at Omakase the moment an old college friend and her boyfriend invited Paul and I to meet up. The thought of the spicy tuna salad and the delicious sushi creations never fails to make me hungry. As always, the entire restaurant was packed with happy customers even on a weeknight. It's a good thing that there was an available table for four that can accommodate us. It was a breeze scanning their menu as I already knew what to get. Our Sushi Feast Paul and I decided to share on one appetizer, a sushi platter and a savory item. We still wanted to make our dinner light so we skipped on the rice and noodle varieties. First off was my personal favorite -- the Spicy Tuna Salad . This has a generous serving of fresh tuna sashimi cubes mixed with their special spicy dressing and garnished with tempura flakes and chopped spring onions. I also love the addition of the crunchy or...