Frannywanny

One thing that I noticed when I first relocated back home was the growing popularity of eat-all-you-can Korean BBQ restaurants and they're priced really affordable too! It seems like every mall would have long queues leading to these restaurants that offer a buffet of Korean bbq meats and cooked dishes for less than P500 only. Before I left the country, the buffet has been on a rise and it came to a point when hotel buffets and restaurant buffets are charging fees somewhat close to each other. Classy interiors, impressive buffet line-up, that was the food trend back in 2012. Filipino love to eat. There's no denying there and this is probably why buffets and eat-all-you-can promotion will always be well received by the eating public. Anyway, I remembered my first eat-all-you-can KBBQ experience. I was close to my delivery date then thus I was literally heavily pregnant with my twins and we entered this popular Korean restaurant where we were led to the second floor dining area...

I can't believe that my twins are about to turn a year old in a month's time. They've literally went from being newborns to curious toddlers in just a snap of a finger. WOW. I just can't help but feel so amazed as I watch them grow. I think one of the most memorable moment for me was when they learned how to crawl without any assistance. It started with small, wobbly careful steps to crazy rapid speed at present. We literally always have to be on alert level as there's no telling where they'd be crawling or cruising towards to. More often than not, my twins love going towards my direction. For instance, when I'm sitting at the corner of the bed, they'd both crawl towards me so fast as if they're racing against each other. Babies being babies though, they still haven't grasp the concept of pain, falling or fear. There are no breaks when they crawl and L, for instance, has had her first fall from the bed a few months ago. Luckily, Paul was sleeping...

After our delicious family dinner at Green Pastures a couple of weeks ago, my parents and sister decided to take their balikbayan daughter (yours truly) and son-in-law (Paul) on a quick tour around the new wing of Shangri-la Mall. The last time we were here was during our visit last March where it was newly opened and there were just about 10 stores present then. At present, the mall is alive with shoppers and diners alike. We started from the top-most floor and lately worked our way down. As we reached the Ground Floor, we chanced upon a store that's filled with identical looking jars. Peering inside, we saw labels that says "Oils", "Vinegars", "Liqueurs & Spirits" and more. With our curiosity reaching its peak, we all went in to really see what the store is all about. Welcome to Vom Fass , says the friendly staff. First we were given samples of their homemade Blueberry Wine (Php. 400) which was very light and fruity. Papa and Paul had two ...

"Let's eat out when you're home!" , this was the SMS that my little sister Pan sent me weeks before our recent visit to Manila. My response was: "Okay, can we try Green Pastures ?" She SMS backed to say: "Galing! I was just thinking of that." We may be miles away but my sister and I sure do think (and continue to talk) alike. I've been hearing and reading about Green Pastures from fellow food bloggers and knowing that this is Chef Robby Goco's newest baby, all the more I was so excited to give it a try. Being a big fan of Cyma and Charlie's , I was pretty certain, Green Pastures will also be a winner. Just to ensure that we get a nice table as we planned to eat there on a Friday night, I called to make a reservation. I'm sure glad I did as the restaurant was packed at 7PM and there was already a waiting line outside. Whenever Pan and I are excited to try a new restaurant, we tend to over-order. Here's our dinner men...

I think the title should actually be, "New Ramen on the (East) Wing!" I'm talking about the newly opened East Wing of the Shangri-la Plaza Mall which Paul and I were lucky enough to visit during our quick return home last month. I can't believe how fast things can change in the span of a month. We were just away for a month and when we got back to Manila there was the new Shangri-la Plaza wing as well as the New Glorietta Mall in Makati. I can't wait to go home and see what's new in the coming months. Given that we only have a few weeks in Manila, of course, majority of our time was dedicated to our families and about 30% of our time were spent bonding with our closest friends. As much as we wanted to meet with everyone, there were basically just 3 meals in a day and 7 days in a week. Nonetheless, we were so happy to see the friends who have been checking up on us eversince we got here. This act may be nothing for them but it means the world to us. A sing...

A few months ago, Paul and I had one of our impromptu lunch dates again and this time we had it at the Shangri-la Mall . Going around the mall while thinking of where to eat, we were faced with a big dilemma as there were quite a lot of options to choose from. The best way was to do it through the process of elimination. Since we both don't eat beef then all steak and burger places were immediately removed from the list. Paul wasn't in the mood to splurge so there goes the high-priced restaurants as well. However, I was feeling hungry (a.k.a. I want rice) so we skipped all sandwich bars and cafes in the mall. Finally, as we got to the 5th level and I spotted an old favorite -- Recipes by Cafe Metro . I first tried this more than 5 years ago and it has been my go-to place for comfort food done the Filipino way. Believe me, you'll never go wrong with their Gising Gising, Crispy Tilapia and their famous General's Chicken. We got there earlier than the lunch crowd thus ...

It has been a while since I've last visited Cyma , it has been 3 whole years in fact. Still, the memory of the delicious Roka Salata, the salty Lamb Chops and the to-die-for Skolatina still remains clear and vivid in my mind. Remember, I mentioned that I had a heavy lunch prior to visiting Sweet Pea last week ? This was because I joined my colleagues for lunch at Cyma Greek Taverna located at the nearby Shangri-la Plaza Mall and boy, we had a feast! Our lunch started with an order of Saganaki otherwise known as Flaming Cheese . Normally, the entire crew will shout OPA! as this was being served to you but I guess everyone was busy attending to the customers that the dramatic entrance of the flaming cheese somehow disappeared. Still, we enjoyed the crunchy buttery garlic bread and the delicious melted cheese. My only request was an order of Roka Salata . I can't have enough of this mix of fresh arugula and lettuce with candied walnuts, sundried tomatoes and parmesan che...

We were really just planning to sleep the entire day to catch up for the hours missed as we both had a very busy week. This is also to remove those pesky dark circles growing under my eye. However, I woke up this morning suddenly feeling nervous that I am not ready for my upcoming trip. For one thing, I don't have enough clothes for the cold weather and this is already counting the coats and jacket that my dear mommy-in-law will lent me. I don't have a pair of close shoes in my shoe rack as I live on strappy sandals, flats and flipflops. Thankfully, Paul was game enough to cut our weekend sleeping plan short and to go to Shangri-la Plaza with me. Since July last year, I learned that one of America's biggest shoe store is finally opening in Manila. I haven't checked it out since as Payless in SM Megamall opened during my wedding month and my schedule was filled to the brim leaving me no time to shop. I've heard raves about shopping in Payless -- how organized it...

Today's my dear Mommy's birthday and to celebrate her special day, I shall talk about one of her favorite restaurant -- Via Mare . It's here where she introduced us to real good Pancit Luglug where we would happily share on one order. This is on top of her other must-orders such as the Bibingka , Puto Bumbong and their wide array of AlTangHap . A couple of days ago, wanting to have a slight change in environment for our regular meeting, I invited my colleague ML for an afternoon snack at Via Mare . I was, in fact, craving for a plate of Pancit Luglug and I'm glad that she was game enough to go with my choice. We were quickly ushered to our seats as the restaurant was not that full at that hour of the day. Via Mare has been around for as long as I can remember. We would even frequent their branch in Greenbelt 1 whenever Mommy and Papa would allow us to tag along as they go to the office during our summer break. My favorite was the AlTangHap it stands for the thr...

A few months back when Paul and I were still busy preparing for our BIG day , we found ourselves at the Shangri-la Mall where we had an appointment with the Rustan's bridal registry where we were given the chance to choose a couple of lovely items that we would like to receive as gifts from our dear friends and relatives (big thanks to those who made our dreams come true by choosing the items on our list!) . After going around Rustan's within the time allotted for us, Paul suddenly felt hungry and invited me to have an early dinner at Tender Bob's . On rare occasions such as this, he suddenly had a craving for one big meaty burger. So off to Tender Bob's we went. In every visit, we always get Tender Bob's Onion Rings (Php. 140). These are hug rings that are stack high on a wooden pole. I love the presentation and I love the rings even more. I prefer big chunky onion rings over the tiny ones and nothing beats dipping this into their homemade creamy sauce. Pau...

My love affair with Pepper Lunch goes way back in 2008 when it first opened at the Power Plant Mall. Since then I've been fond of their Double Beef Pepper Rice, the Salmon, Chicken and a lot more! I also love their desserts and ice cream! Recently, I revisited their Shangri-la Mall branch with the goal to try something else. Following the lead of fellow bloggger Richard , I got the Double Beef Curry Rice (Php 266) and I found myself falling madly in love with it. I love the rich spicy taste of the rice and the tender meat that somehow melts in your mouth. How I wish their double beef though is really double in quantity as we couldn't tell the difference between this and the regular serving. Still, I was in curry beef heaven. I loved it so much that I had to sweet talk Paul into taking me back to Pepper Lunch the next day. Yep! I had Pepper Lunch for two consecutive days and I was a happy camper. :) With my BIG day fast approaching, I seriously have to put a hold on m...

It was yet another meatless Friday for me, however this did not stop me from heading over to Cibo at the Shangri-la Mall to enjoy a relaxing dinner with two of my favorite girl friends. I have always loved Cibo for its consistent quality and superb service. In fact, I have my regular set of dishes that I regularly order and it never fails to disappoint me every time I visit. While bonding with my friends K and B, we agreed to order the Patatine con Maionese (Php. 110) otherwise known as Potato Chips with Garlic Aoili as starters. I really love Cibo's Garlic Aioli and couldn't help dipping each piece of crunchy potato chip before taking a bite. Yum! K chose the Fiori di Zucca pizza (Php. 330) to which both B and I agreed to. This is a perfect choice for all seafood and veggie lover! It's topped with squash flower, anchovies and lots of cheese! A very light type of pizza that makes it perfectly ok to take in a slice or two. Finally, while choosing our pasta, I asked K a...

This is normally the case when I try something new and it wasn't really love at first taste . I even remember feeling a bit queasy about trying my first cup of Golden Spoon strawberry yogurt and vowed never to go back again... ...Guess I was wrong... Golden Spoon deserves a second try and I'm glad I went back. We wanted to continue our girl bonding session tonight and after a light yet delicious meal at Cibo , we walked over to Golden Spoon which is actually being operated by the same company where we all met and became such great friends. Taking the advice of a friend who loves Golden Spoon, I got the Cake Batter flavor (Php. 115/small cup) and added in two toppings: crushed graham crackers and mochi (Php. 30/topping). First bite, I liked the sweet vanilla flavor that has a buttery addition just like a rich cake batter that kids love to lick off from their mom's spatula. I was happy with my choice of toppings and I felt that getting a small cup was just right for me....

Just recently, Paul and I went on a Chinese food fest all weekend with Le Ching and Eat Well . This time, we're saying irrashaimase and arigato gozaimasu as we're both craving for Japanese food! After getting all sentimental and dramatic after watching Valentine's Day , we walked out of the cinema thinking of where to eat. I spotted the bright yellow vendo machine and a couple of cute origami pieces that I suddenly blurted, "let's go to Sango !", to which Paul immediately agreed. While we have been to Sango a couple of times before, we both agree that it's about time to go back and to enjoy their famous Master Burger and perhaps a cup of their refreshing Strawberry Soda . Normally, I would get my favorite Yakiniku Rice Burger but I decided to try something else that evening. Obviously taking a long long time in front of the self-order machine, the friendly server called us over and offered to assist us with our orders. Paul got the Master Cheese Bu...

This Christmas was, I could say, the most stressful of all. Normally, I would have been done with my Christmas shopping by October and would start wrapping them up by end of November. This year was a different story, I barely realized how fast time flew that I found myself not even with a ready gift list when December came along. Squeezing in a bit of shopping during the weekend, it later then resorted to last minute "panic" shopping with my sister for two days in a row as we shop for gifts for the family. We were exhausted as we shop right after work but as Christmas gets nearer and nearer, we had to brave the crazy traffic, extend our patience as we wait in line for a parking space and keep our eyes wide open as we look for perfect gifts for our loved ones. Last night, we finally completed our respective lists and before heading home, we stopped for a quick late evening snack. Call it a reward that we truly deserve. Our choice was at Sango! which has recently opened a new ...

This is what I've been munching on for the past few days... Chicago Popcorn Shops Definitely one yummy Christmas gift that you can give to your friends and loved ones. I like this particular flavor called the Chicago Mix® . This is their best-seller and I can definitely see why. It's your perfect sweet-salty snack item that is a combination of cheese and caramel popcorn. Stored in a handy tin container, it keeps the popcorn crunchy even after a couple of days. Chicago Popcorn Shops has branches located at Mall of Asia and Shangri-la Mall.

Let me tell you about the best dinner that I had this week. It actually consists of a wide array of dishes mostly served on an aluminum pan and brought piping hot to our table. My friends and I feasted on the restaurant's battered cream dory with al dente pasta, hot and spicy beef curry rice and a lot more! I guess we've all have encountered this dilemma before...when we wanted to order a certain dish but the serving is just too much for one's consumption that we have to settle for something else. Finally, Fish and Co. has the perfect answer to this problem by introducing a couple of delicious entrees as part of their Just for Me menu. The first on the list was the Baked Fish Napolitana (Php. 265). It has my favorite battered cream dory fillet baked with Napolitana sauce and mozzarella cheese served on a bed of al dente spaghetti noodles. I've always been a fan of Fish and Co.'s Fish and Chips and this is the exact same fish used minus their yummy crispy fries. B...

It's no secret how much I love Mexican food . I love nachos and I will forever be a huge taco and burrito fan. Of course, there's nothing like having a Margarita party that my friends and I would normally have after a hectic work week. I'm pretty lucky that there is one good Mexican food stop available within the neighborhood and another one that's located in Paul's hometown in Pampanga . Well, three is definitely not a crowd and I'm adding one more to my list of favorite mexican cantinas. This one is strategically located near my workplace making it highly accessible at any time. I received an invite to try Agave Cantina at the Shangri-la Mall . While I'm not new to Agave as I have dine at their Eastwood branch a couple of years ago, I still said yes as I am curious if their menu has changed from my last visit. What a Feast! Agave's Chris Maier and Mat Tee took care of ordering for us making sure that we try out their best-sellers. Here are some of th...

The dramatic fusion of East meets West comes alive in this booming corner restaurant at the 6th floor of the Shangri-la Plaza Mall. The name is Sumo Sam , the first name symbolizes a competitive contact sport in Japan and the second name stands for the main icon of the United States. Here in the Philippines, the unification of these two names stands for a funky dining place that serves unique dishes that blends both cultures in. Wanting to catch up on each other's lives and to satisfy our Japanese cuisine cravings brought myself and three good friends to Sumo Sam one Friday evening. With our stomaches growling loudly, we poured over their big heavy menu and quickly pointed out our individual orders. One wanted something with unagi (eel) and so we got the Dragon Roll (chopped unagi sushi topped with fresh mangoes and crunchy ebiko) . Another friend requested for the Spicy Tuna Salad which we all nodded in approval, another friend wanted something simpler and chose the Squid Karaag...