Frannywanny

I got to admit that one thing that I really missed during the quarantine period is my favorite milk tea. When we first had the lock down, I tried in vain to search for any available milk tea shops that might be open during that period and while there sure were, I never really got around to ordering from them for several reasons. First -- I was scared of their sanitation. I wasn't sure of the measures that they're taking to ensure that my drink will never ever be contaminated. Secondly -- I wasn't sure what's good to order as the ones open were not the ones that I would usually go get milk tea from. So as soon as we went on GCQ, Paul and I took the chance to check if our neighborhood Serenitea shop was open and it was! Yahoo! Not only that, they were even running a Buy One Get One promo to make us even happier. So for a couple of weeks, we happily had random milk tea runs and finally, our milk tea cravings have been fully satisfied. I've been staying home more ...

Remember a few weeks ago, I shared with you the super cute tie-up between my favorite milk tea brand, Serenitea and the very iconic Sesame Street ? Well, as their promotion for those adorable metal straws has come to an end, the fun continues this time for all trivia lovers out there! If you're the type who just loves to test your knowledge on a wide range of topics from pop culture, sports, politics and more or if you're just super competitive like me, well this is one event that you shouldn't miss! The Serenitea Trivia Night will run every Thursday night at a particular Serenitea outlet in the metro. They started last August 22 at Serenitea UP Town Center and today, (yes TODAY ), you can join in the fun at Serenitea Robinsons Cyberscape Gamma in Ortigas. I'll share the rest of the schedule below. So basically, all you have to do is to register and sign up at the host branch at least 2 weeks before the event. They can only accept a limited number of participants...

Sunny Day Sweepin' the clouds away On my way to where the air is sweet Can you tell me how to get? How to get to Sesame Street This song has been our household background music every single weekday morning 30 plus years ago. With just the opening tune, my sister Pan and I would rush over in front of the TV and sit there quietly for the next 30 minutes. In fact, that's the only time we would watch TV and after the show is over, we'd continue with our pretend game of bahay-bahayan  or teacher teacher . Back in the day, we didn't had YouTube so that's pretty much the only screen time we get and we didn't mind at all. My favorite character has always been Cookie Monster followed by the duo Bert and Ernie . Unfortunately, I was never fond of feathered animals so Big Bird somehow terrifies me. For some reason, Elmo wasn't so popular then instead we had Oscar the Grouch who lives in a trash bin and Count Dracula who taught us how to count. One metal stra...

I can't believe that my love affair with Serenitea has almost been 5 years long! I'll never forget how it all began and how it continued to be my go-to place whenever I just need to unwind and calm my nerves with a cup of Hokkaido Milk Tea when I was in Manila. Many milk tea places came and went yet Serenitea stayed strong all throughout. That just goes to show what a strong market leader it continues to be. Yay! Of course, every visit back home is not complete without getting my milk tea fix. Just to show how much we love Serenitea, it was the first place that we went to a few hours after landing in Manila a few months ago. It was also perfect timing that Serenitea just launched a couple of new snacks to go with their winning milk tea flavors! First things first though, I had to get my GIANT Hokkaido Milk Tea with QQ ! Look how big my cup was and I was such a happy camper being reunited with my favorite drink. Yum yum yum! As you know, the concept of Serenitea came...

They say, first love never dies . This rings true for my love for milk tea. More than 4 years ago, I first learned about Serenitea during one of our monthly publishers meetings. Our big boss told us that she tried a milk tea place in San Juan and it was pretty good. Being bonafide foodies, we wasted no time and in less than a week we were all able to try Serenitea . Back then, milk tea wasn't still part of one's food vocabulary. Sure, it has been around for decades...even centuries but it's normally found in Chinese tea houses or in Chowking as it's called Nai-Cha for instance. Who would have thought that one day, milk tea would rule Manila and Serenitea was the one leading the pack. In time for the new year, Serenitea has launched 6 new drinks that I'm sure you'll all love as much as your old time Serenitea faves -- be it Hokkaido or Okinawa. A couple of food bloggers and I were lucky to be given a sneak peek on these yummy drinks a couple of weeks ago....

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 ...

It has been a yearly tradition here in my blog that I have my year-ender list of things I'm thankful for. This year, I am thankful for more than a million things.. 2010 indeed was a really good year for me..in love, in relationships and in my career . However, I'd like to give more focus to that one thing that has kept my year exciting, all 365 days round -- EATING . It is because of my love for food and discovering amazing restaurants that I continue to blog and share these finds with you. It is also because of my interest in dining out that a group of new found friends called The Club was born. The idea of coming up with my BEST food list was suggested by my dear friend and very loyal reader J. Therefore, J , this list is for you. Happy new year! :) In no particular order, here are the top ten restaurants that has made my 2010 truly delicious! My Top 10 Food Spots in 2010 1) Serenitea Summer of 2010 began with my daily addiction for Serenitea's Hokkaido Mi...

Call it mutual attraction, I discovered Serenitea and immediately fell in love with the whole concept that kind of took the place of the Green Siren in my heart. A year later, I'm more addicted to it than ever that I even had to impose a two-week hiatus in order to normalize the tea and sugar level in my body. Yesterday, I went back and enjoyed the familiar smell of brewed tea as I entered the store. Getting closer to the counter, I noticed that the server now has a new addition to their regular uniform. They now have cute button pins with words I couldn't not make out from where I stood. Finally it was my turn to place my order and Janet beamed at me as I ordered my usual large cup of Hokkaido Milk Tea (Php. 95). Looking closely I read her pink button pin and it says.... It sure was a great surprise and I love Serenitea more than ever!

I'm stuck at home today. Had to take a leave from work due to a nasty stomachache that kept me up all night. Was it something I ate or is it because of stress? Whichever it was, I'm just upset that I'm wasting a beautiful day doing NOTHING. Going through the folder filled with my favorite photos I came across a couple that made me smile... these things truly make me happy and so I'd like to share them with you. my favorite drink my comfort food a sweet surprise wish I can be a kid again :) a delicious discovery the best set of friends LOVE :) Tell me, what makes you HAPPY?

Friends over at Plurk.com must have probably noticed how often I would mention dropping by a store named Serenitea for just three things: Hokkaido Milk Tea, Chicken Chops and Peppered Sweet Corn. I first discovered Serenitea exactly a year ago upon hearing the raves of my boss about this cozy tiny tea store along J. Abad Santos that serves good tea drinks. One visit and a couple more, I was immediately drawn by the relaxed ambiance and yes, their good tea drinks and snacks. At first it was Gyokuro Genmaicha followed by Green Tea Yakult. Finally when they offered Hokkaido Milk Tea as a fellow plurker would say tastes like melted Kraft caramel candy, this has been my frequent choice for almost two months now. I like my milk tea plain with only 50% sugar. With Serenitea, you can customized you drink from the type of tea to be brewed then to the toppings that will be added down to the amount of sugar that will be added. It makes every experience very personal. Together with thei...

Who would have thought that located just a couple of blocks away from my home is a place where one can enjoy a cup of freshly brewed customized tea? This is one reason why I LOVE my neighborhood. One of Metro Manila's smallest cities, San Juan , is quickly growing to be an ideal residential area due to its proximity to other key cities in the metro, a lot of food and shopping options and various places where its residents can unwind after a crazy day at work . After a hearty seafood dinner last Friday, Paul and I wanted to hang out at a quiet place where we can talk and relax before heading home. Since, we didn't really feel like having coffee nor do we have enough room for dessert, I suddenly remembered a meeting that I had earlier that day when a colleague enthusiastically shared with us her newest discovery called Serenitea . She told us that it's a cozy tea shop that serves really good freshly brewed teas. However, for those who wants the sweeter version, they also hav...