Frannywanny

Whenever I think of visiting Tagaytay , this place immediately equates to relaxation, comfort and good food. I guess, my parents feel the same way that's why we have been frequenting Tagaytay so much since I was in high school and every long breaks would be spent here. A lot of changes have took place since those days as Tagaytay is now filled with rows after rows of establishments thus giving every visitor endless options on where to stay to where to eat. Unlike before where we would quickly pack our bags and head up to Tagaytay during a long break, this time, we would try to avoid heading there on a holiday unless we plan to spend most of our time on the road.  However, this has never stopped us from having Tagaytay as one of our top destinations whenever we just want a quick and relaxing family break. During one of our weekend trips in Tagaytay, we decided to check out Farmer's Table  which is part of the Raintree Group of Restaurants . Others may not know this nor would t...

I can't believe that we have been frequenting Tagaytay for more than a decade now and not once have I written about Bag of Beans ! I tried searching all over this blog and I found..nothing. To think that not a single trip to Tagaytay, back then, would ever be complete without stopping by Bag of Beans for lunch or merienda. I must have been to engrossed with their coffee and bread that I wasn't able to take photos of the place and their food thus no blog entry. They, after all, have one of the best brewed coffee in Tagaytay and the yummiest bread to go with it too. Bag of Beans has been an institution in Tagaytay. Just like us, other tourists and visitors would make sure to drop by in order to grab a bite or to take home some of their homemade goodies every time they find themselves in Tagaytay. Bag of Beans started with one branch along the Tagaytay-Nasugbu Main Road across Residence Inn Zoo and it wasn't even overlooking the Taal. While they may lack in having a scenic ...

"Life offers you a thousand choices...all you have to do is to take one."  - Frances Mayes, Under the Tuscan Sun Don't you just love the quote above? This is perhaps one reason why I love the movie Under the Tuscan Sun  aside from the fact that every scene is making me wish I can just hop on a plane and jet off to this sunny part of Italy. How I wish I can just spend at least a week of peace and quiet, far away from the rest of the world (or at least any cellphone signal) where I can just eat, sleep and write without a single interruption. Guess, it's time to start planning for my next trip! :) Speaking of trips and travelling, let me tell you about the time my family and I spent two days at our favorite getaway destination -- Tagaytay. We had Kong Kong (grandfather), A-I (aunt) and even my in laws in tow so with a big group, we seriously have to plan our meals properly. For one of our lunches, we headed to Marcia Adams'  as it's one of the few restau...

I've probably mentioned a couple of times before how much my family loves...as in LOVESSSS Tagaytay City . Growing up, we would frequently drive up to spend a night or two here. In fact, my parents love it so much that they've been talking about investing in a small lot there to turn it into our family weekend home doubled as their mini herb garden. Well, I do hope we can make that a reality for them someday. At the moment though, we would constantly keep ourselves updated on possible hotel accommodations in the area. Recently, I chanced upon Wilson's Place  after browsing through a couple of my fellow bloggers' pages. Wilson's Place is a family home turned into a Bed & Breakfast place in Tagaytay. The location is not really so central but it's a quick drive in from the main road provided you do not get lost. We relied mostly on Waze all throughout out trip. So, during the Christmas - New Year break, we decided to head to Tagaytay with Kong Kong and A-I...

Early this year, I opened my travel journal again. Not known to many, I keep a notebook/scrapbook that documents all trips since Paul and I got married three years ago. It had photos, quotes, theme park tickets, boarding passes and a lot more. However, we got extremely busy and I now have a heavy box that goes with my journal filled with photos, receipts, tickets that have yet to be placed in this journal. What more now that I've relocated to another country?!  I think I need a whole new scrapbook as everything might not fit in my old journal anymore. Anyway, at the last page of my journal, I have a list. This list is something that I love referring back to once in a while. My goal is to visit at least one country per continent in my lifetime. So far I've covered two thus I have 5 more to go. Knowing that I won't be able to travel far this year, I went through the list to see which are the "doable" destinations. Vietnam . The land of pho and banh mi! L...

This is to continue our 3-day vacation in Tagaytay City . After spending our first night at the very posh yet homey Discovery Country Suites , Paul and I headed to another accommodation spot called Crosswinds Resorts Suites . I've been seeing the huge signages of Crosswinds' development for more than 5 years already. What I know is that it's located very close to Tagaytay Highlands and while it doesn't overlook the famous Taal Volcano , the size of this property is breathtaking and impressive enough. What I didn't know was that you can actually stay the night or two (or even the entire week) even if you are not a member. They now have two hotel buildings that allow visitors to stay in. We checked into our Studio Bedroom (Php. 6,000) and were pretty impressed with the comfy looking interiors. I loved how clean it smelled and the view was simply amazing. We were told that they have imported thousands of pine trees in order to achieve the Swiss feel . Well, s...

What makes for a good vacation? For me, a good vacation should be a perfect balance of being able to recharge yourself --physically, mentally and spiritually, as well as to satisfy your tummy with the yummiest dishes too. :) It was pretty obvious that Paul and I had the time of our lives as we enjoyed the room, jacuzzi and the DVD collection in Discovery Country Suites . After enjoying our wine and cheese cocktail, we also had dinner at Restaurant Verbena where we were given the chance to choose a set menu. It was so hard to choose as we each had something we wanted to try from the other set menus but the Verbena's Classics was mutually agreed upon as THE ONE. Restaurant Verbena is Discovery Country Suites ' in-house restaurant. I've been wanting to try this for the longest time for two main reasons -- first, it was listed as one of the top restaurants in Miele Guide and second, the restaurant features a number of Chef David Pardo de Ayala 's culinary creations...

It was indeed a Sweet November for me and Paul last month. Despite being extra busy and stressful all month-long, we both looked forward to every single weekend as we had a staycation or a mini vacation planned one week after the other. Our Sweet November began with an overnight stay at the Marriott Hotel back-to-back with a delicious steak dinner at Cru . The next weekend followed with a fun pasta making class for me at Global Academy and another overnight stay in Alabang. After my quick trip to Cebu for work, Paul and I ended the month with a 3 day break in one of our favorite out of town destinations -- Tagaytay City . Others may find Tagaytay City boring but not me. I grew up going to Tagaytay so often and yet every vacation leaves me rejuvenated, happy and relaxed after. It helps that Tagaytay is so close to Manila that I don't get bored on the road going there and coming back home. That's a big plus as I really do not like long road trips. There are a lot of res...

For someone who loves to eat like me, I find enjoyment in trying different cuisines from all over the world. However, there are just days that I want to keep it simple and would go for my comfort dishes. These are the dishes that I grew up with, the kind that would give me that warm, fuzzy feeling inside..the kind that reminds me of HOME. I've mentioned before that growing up, our family dishes predominantly evolve around the Chinese cuisine but if you ask me what are my favorite comfort dishes, I would tell you it's a plate of garlicky, oily pork and chicken adobo that our talented cook would prepare and I would always have this with a cup of rice..or even more. I love how well the meat soaks up the flavor brought by the spices included in this dish. If there's one dish that would quickly remind me of home, it would definitely be this. Given that we have 7,107 islands in the Philippines , expect that we have just as much variety in terms of food and flavor too. I'l...

After my Beijing trip last April, my body and mind have been begging to travel again..”even just a weekend getaway to recharge”, I can feel them saying. Finally, I found the opportunity to head up to Tagaytay for a back-to-back weekend getaway last month. For years now, Tagaytay continues to charm me with its laid-back vibe, the calming sensation of just looking at the Taal Volcano and the numerous food establishments that have been opening left and right. Needless to say, I love Tagaytay ! The first weekend was spent with my good pal T. It was an all-girls bonding that all we did was to eat, catch up with one another and to eat again. I must admit I really cannot be a backpack traveler as, first and foremost, I always end up packing the entire closet with me and I am pretty finicky when it comes to my travel accommodations.This is also the main reason why I don't mind shelling out extra more in order to have a good comfy bed, a clean bathroom and superb service from the ...

Recently, my best friend T and I had a fun R&R weekend in Tagaytay City . Believe it or not, it was our first time to go on a trip together despite being friends for more than two decades already! This is because a handful of plans have been postponed and cancelled again and again. Finally, after two decades of planning, we finally took the first step by having an all-girls bonding session that weekend! How I wish my two other best friends C and E can join us next time. Well, there was just one major thing that T and I did all weekend... that was to eat . We started by having lunch followed by grabbing some milk tea...then we headed to our hotel and after resting for a few minutes, we drove to Tagaytay Highlands to do a little walking to prepare ourselves for our much-awaited steak dinner at Highlands Steakhouse ! It was my first time to dine here and I was really excited about it. I'm glad that T made reservations as we got to the restaurant at 7PM sharp and it was alrea...

We all had a very busy summer. Some flew in and out of the country, others got busy at work while I..created a BIG event . Thus this trip was very much awaited by every member of The Food Club namely: Jane and Chris , Richard and Irene , Abet and Joan , Ro and Peter , Carlos , Trixie , Paul and yours truly . After all, I was already day-dreaming about lounging by the pool while bonding with my dear friends. We all stuck by our proposed time schedule to be able to make the most of our trip and to be able to have more time to bond with one another. We all agreed to meet up at 830AM to load our groceries and drinks and to begin the not-so-long drive up to Tagaytay where we all agreed to stop for lunch before heading to Punta Fuego where we will stay for the night. While thinking of where to eat, Jane and I decided to try Amoroma as I've heard a number of raves from my boss. He told me they serve "real slices of black truffles" and that was in fact the magic word...

My family has been a long time loyal patron of Buon Giorno Tagaytay . Every trip to Tagaytay would not be complete without two things: a meal at Josephine's and lunch at Buon Giorno . Yes, that's how loyal my family can get. For as long as we love the food and we find the price reasonable, expect us to be back regularly. After lunch at Buon Giorno my parents love to spend more time around the area as we enjoy the cool breeze and the beautiful sight of the Taal Volcano. Once in a while, my mom would crave for something Italian and to her dismay not a single Italian restaurant here in Manila could satisfy her craving as much as Buon Giorno could. Her request is simple: fresh ingredients, balanced flavor, top quality meat. Our favorite is the Smoked Salmon with Mango Dill Sauce and their Risotto. We were so happy when Buon Giorno opened their first branch in Metro Manila along Shaw Boulevard. Sadly though, the ambiance there just doesn't match with that of their Tagaytay br...

Let me tell you about the time when I first fell in love with Sonya's Garden . It was sometime in the early 2000s when my mom brought the entire family to Tagatay for a special healthy lunch. After a couple of wrong turns here and there, my dad carefully drove down a small side street and my mom rolled down the window to keep her eyes out for a small metal signage on the gate. It wasn't easy finding it then as there were no huge banners or directional arrows to guide us. All we had was my mom's memory and a couple of instructions from a family friend. Finally, we found it. We drove into the compound and parked at the gravel lot. My mom called to reserve us a table and after giving our name, we were lead into a small greenhouse-like room where our table was ready for us. The moment we sat down, there was no menu handed to us. However, it seems like a scene out of Beauty and the Beast where the food would start coming out and in our minds we had the song Be our Guest pl...

Pasalubong is the Tagalog term for presents given by someone who just came home from a trip. A pasalubong is normally a native product from a province or a keepsake from the visited destination. Before leaving Tagaytay City , popular pasalubongs would include Buko Pie, Pineapple, Guyabano, Espasol and Langka. On our drive home during our recent visit to Tagaytay, we chanced upon a brighly lit pink signage that says Kesong Puti and Fresh Milk for sale. We have heard raves about Mr Moo's Carabao Fresh Milk and Paul was determined to give this a try. Visiting the store, we found out that they are selling more than Carabao Fresh Milk. In fact, they have a huge blackboard filled with their items such as Pastillas de Leche (Milk Candy), Feta Cheese, Yogurt, Cottage Cheese and even Goat's Soap! Making it an interesting pasalubong stop. We ordered two bottles of Carabao Choco Milk (P36 / 200ML) to share with my sister. Since the ride home will take us a little more than an ...

In the numerous times that we travel to Tagaytay for a short weekend getaway, some things remain constant . How we would always make it a point to visit the Pink Sister's Chapel, how we would always buy Buko Pie, Tawilis and Ube Jam and lastly how we would always devote one meal at Josephine's . In fact, back when driving up to Tagaytay was a breeze and we would find ourselves craving for ice cold Halo-Halo on a hot summer day, my family would just round up the clan and head to Josephine's for an afternoon break while enjoying the cool wind and the marvelous view of the Taal. In our recent Tagaytay vacation, we had our Sunday lunch at Josephine's. As usual, there was waiting line but the turnover and service was quick that we immediately had a table ready for us in no time. Mom left the ordering to my sister and I. We immediately chose our family's favorite and added a couple of new items in our list. It was starting to drizzle and with the cold wind that...

It has been a while since my family went on a trip. This realization came when a long weekend was announced and my sister started throwing suggestions on where we all can go and what we can do. You see, ever since Papa's brain surgery, he has been more unwilling to go out, this is despite the fact that he has improved a whole lot! Of course, Tagaytay was our unanimous choice as it continues to be our favorite long weekend getaway. Anyway, we took the plunge. I made some advance reservations at One Tagaytay Place after seeing wonderful comments and photos from fellow bloggers Bong , Arpee and Eric and left it all up to Him as we pray that Papa will join us for this trip. We were all in need of a breather from work, after all. The drive up to Tagaytay was a bit slow due to the traffic along Bicutan, Paranaque. Oh, how I miss those days when it would just take us an hour to get from San Juan to Tagaytay City Proper. We arrived at 3PM and after a relaxing lunch at Sonya's w...

I had a very relaxing weekend with my family :) Spending it with four of the most important people of my life. We indulge in our favorite dishes, enjoyed the cool weather and just relaxed and bonded all throughout the long weekend. While the weather wasn't so pleasant all throughout, we saw something that made all of us smile... ...a Rainbow! I'm thanking God for giving me the best parents, a wonderful sister and a loving husband. I must have done something right to deserve all these in my life. Watch out for my Tagaytay blog series coming up SOON!

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to judge an Iron Chef Challenge that was done with the Ad Strat Council of the Philippines, this is a group of corporate CEOs from both the FMCG and Advertising industries who stand has guardians to the ads being shown, printed and produced. Being very busy individuals, majority of them rarely have the time to bring out their creative juices in the kitchen. Thus, with the help and expertise of a group called Skills and Innovation , a total of six groups were formed and they were tasked to create a full course meal for only two hours. The menu was a trio of appetizer bites , Chicken Cacciatore , Chocolate Trifle and their very own signature drink . We arrived at exactly 1pm at the venue and after a short briefing I found myself part of a three-member judging team with two professional chefs as my co-judge. Woah! I was very much overwhelmed and I somehow felt that I am truly not worthy to be beside two food experts who surely know their way around f...