Frannywanny

I got a confession to make. One that took me years to realize and to fully accept.  Okay, here goes... I can't live without RICE . Wow! That felt so good to put it out there. Well, I'm Asian and I grew up in the Philippines. Naturally, rice has been one of our staple in almost every meal (breakfast included). For years, I never reallly thought that I love it THAT much but living abroad, I would find myself choosing rice over noodles, rice over bread, rice over salad, rice over pasta... well that's still an ongoing debate. Anyway, you get the point. I pretty much can't live without rice. So, when I chanced upon Grilllo at PasarBella in Suntec City and got to try some of their dishes during their opening day, I knew that this is one stall that I'll go back and visit regularly. What's there not to love? Grilllo  specializes in Pan-Asian classic rice bowls with a bit of modern twist here and there. Let me show you some of the rice bowls that Paul and...

3 years ago, Paul and I travelled all the way to The Grandstand in order to check out Pasarbella , the first ever gourmet market in Singapore. Remember, this was where we fell in love with Le Patio 's paella and that's where I discovered Ugly Cakes ' cupcakes too! Admittedly though, the distance from home has really hindered us from frequenting Pasarbella even how fun it really it to be there. Since then, my only wish was for Pasarbella to open a second branch which hopefully will be in a more accessible location. This year, my wish was granted! The second Pasarbella branch opened its doors in the newest wing of Suntec City  and boy was I so happy! I first saw this when it was still having its soft opening and I went around to check out the kiosks present. Luckily, all 14 of them were already fully operational during my first visit.

When one says Japanese cuisine, admit it. The first thing that comes to mind is -- SUSHI. This could probably be followed by ramen, tempura and the donburis. Nothing wrong with that as all those are correct but what I love about the Japanese cuisine is its grand variety of dishes using a lot of different ways to prepare it. From raw, we get to enjoy boiled, steamed, deep-fried, pan-fried and grilled. The list could go on and on, actually. I was invited to try Sumiya  located also at the new wing of Suntec City. It's located right across my fitness gym so just imagine how difficult it is to concentrate while slaving away on the treadmill and right in front of you is a row of tempting restaurants. Sumiya  means charcoal house  in Japanese and living up to its name, it boasts of being the first in Singapore to use two food preparation technologies namely, the fish-drying machine as well as the inori genshiyaki which is an old-school Japanese way of grilling using charcoa...

Some days can get very stressful and when the pressure is on... I eat. Yup, I eat to my heart's desire! That's what I told my friend D recently when we were talking about our stress-coping mechanisms. D normally forgets about her hunger when she's stress while I told her that I'm such a stress-eater. One thing though, I don't just munch on anything within reach or within sight. I have my comfort food staples that never fail to make my tummy and heart happy. These include a delicious plate of well-done pasta and pizza among many others. I'd say, I'm very Italian by heart. I love my risotto and I always enjoy ending my meal with a scoop of gelato. Perhaps, my next travel destination should be Italy, don't you think? *cough* hello Paul! *cough* While that dream trip might come in the next few years, I'm lucky to discover Bottura , which I must say is one of the few good and authentic Italian restaurants here in Singapore. Located at the newest win...

Here's the best way to end a busy work day -- Top a wooden board with an assortment of cheeses, fill up your wine glass with your favorite bubbly, bring in a good mix of friends and do this repeatedly whenever you feel like it.  It was only Tuesday but Paul and I were both so excited for this fun food tasting at Bistro 1855 with the folks from Entertainer App . At one side of the restaurant, you'll find the Bottle Shop where you choose from a wide-selection of wines and decide later on if you'd like to enjoy this with your meal in the restaurant or to bring it home. As soon as I entered the restaurant, I suddenly remembered my friend I whom I know would definitely love love love this place.

I have to admit that I am very sentimental most especially when it comes to... LOVE . Who can blame me? I grew up thinking that once upon a time, a dashing prince will just sweep me off my feet and we'll live happily ever after. Despite this, I would also hope that no wicked witch would come our way but I don't mind having talking tea cups, 7 friendly dwarves (seriously, Fran?!) or a sassy fairy godmother who can instantly give me a ride and a make me a nice looking gown too. ....Well, at least that part about finding my prince charming became a reality but I don't think the others would materialize anytime soon...maybe not ever. *sigh* That's life! So, for the past 11 years, my prince, who knows me so well, would ensure that Valentine's Day would be extra special for us. This year, we took the weekend off to have a nice hotel staycation complete with dinner and a movie date too. Nothing extremely fancy as I'm not really a fan of degustation dinners whe...

If there's one thing the Normanton Kids (NKids) have in common, it's definitely our love for good food. In fact, most of our weekends would basically have us food tripping or enjoying a good home cooked meal while watching a movie. So, when I invited the NKids out for a fun night at Morganfield's on a Monday evening, it was no surprise that I immediately got their YESes within minutes. They're definitely a fun bunch to eat out with! Morganfield's recently opened their second branch in Suntec City and we were all ready to enjoy slabs after slabs of ribs, fries and more! Being fans of western food, this is something that we rarely get to indulge in here in the Lion City. After all, Morganfield's is known to be the home of the Sticky Bones . Watch out for my Morganfield's blog giveaway below!!! You know that you're in for a good meal when it begins with some Homemade Cinnamon Candied Bacon  (S$8.90). Well, this is one thing that bacon fan...

Halloween is just around the corner and this is the season of ghost stories and spirit sightings. Being the scaredy cat that I am, I cringe whenever I hear scary stories and try my darnest to stay away from spooky-looking places. Did you know that garlic is said to keep vampires and witches away? True or not, I am not taking chances. Of course, I won't go around town munching on plain garlic as my breath won't only ward away all those spooky elements but even my friends, family and Paul will stay as far away as they could from me too. I'm loading up with garlic in style and the best way to do so is at Mad for Garlic which recently opened a new branch at Suntec City . I heard that Mad for Garlic has also opened a branch in the Bonifacio Global City in the Philippines and I have yet to pay them a visit. Meanwhile, let me share with you the garlic-loaded dinner that I had with my cousins-in-law at Mad for Garlic, Singapore . Dinner began with Mad for Garlic's signa...