Frannywanny

I know I'm a few days delayed but allow me to still wish you all...祝你中秋節快樂 (Happy Mid-Autumn Festival)!!! Next to the Chinese New Year, this is one of my much-awaited festivals as I love love love shopping for and eating mooncakes. Back in Manila, I thought there was just one kind -- the traditional baked kind that's filled with white lotus paste, salted egg and melon seeds. It was when I moved to Singapore that I was introduced to a whole new universe of mooncakes! From snowskin wrapped mooncakes filled with coffee, ice cream, truffles, durian and even for some, even bacon. I really have to give it to the mooncake chefs and his creativity. This year was made extra special by 1872 Clipper Tea Co as it allowed me to take a step further and to learn how to make mooncakes. I was really excited upon receiving the invite and it coincidentally fell right on Paul's birthday making it a really happy day. I joined a small group of fellow bloggers at the very cozy flat of The...

We all love to brunch. Who doesn't, right? However, when you're too tired to wake up a little before lunch then you can now have Tunch ! I tell you, it just gets brilliant each time. Tunch is the perfect combination of lunch and tea time allowing yourselves to enjoy a wide-array of dishes with the addition of your favorite tea time selections. Last weekend, I was invited to try the Long Weekend Tunch at Grand Park City Hall . The buffet line-up closely focuses on a number of Asian favorites such as the local Rojak, Kueh Pai Ti, two types of congee and what I loved most was the dimsum station. I have to admit that there weren't a lot of items to choose from but the best buffets are really about quality over quantity right? Let me take you on a tour around Indulge at Park  and tell you more about the dishes that won my heart (and tummy) that afternoon. I always like to start my meal with a plate of sushi and sashimi. Look at this "bento box" of colorfu...

TWG Tea Company was established here in Singapore and the funny thing is, the first time I finally went to try it was during my sister's recent visit as she agreed to meet up with her college buddy R for an after-dinner night cap. Being the protective sister that I was, I just can't leave her alone so I insisted to tag along whether they like it or not. Well... another reason is because I was dying to finally try TWG too!  *evil laugh* So, we got there an hour and a half before their ION Orchard branch closes. We promised the server that we will be quick and we just want to have some tea and cakes. Look how pretty the store is! The entrance is lined with the wide array of TWG flavors available on one side and a long line of pretty colorful macarons on the other. Oh, this is such a pretty, dainty place for a girly catch-up.  As soon as R arrived, we wasted no time in ordering our desserts and drinks. They had a rather complex menu of tea blends and sensing our conf...

Yes it's true! I'm not a mall shopper. You see, I rarely get to go to the mall and the only time I seriously would make the effort to go is when I needed something. Often times, my sister would say I shop like a man because I can manage to be and in out of a store in 15 minutes flat. I shop with a detailed list in mind as I just dislike wandering aimlessly for hours on end. Guess, it's the OC side of me. Time is Gold, after all. However, if there's something that I do enjoy, this is to online shop. With the fast paced technology that we get wherein everything we need can easily be attained in just a few clicks, I really do appreciate the efficiency of getting something done without even leaving the house. Through the years, I've managed to shop for my best friend C's wedding gift and to send it to her the next day, even bought toys and clothes for her 1 year old baby H, purchase dozens of airline tickets, bough passes to concerts and musicals and even groupon vo...

There's really something magical about enjoying a cup of tea at any given time of the day. On most days, whenever I have a warm mug of tea with me, I tend to zone out from the bustling noise from our busy surroundings and for that short moment, I can feel peace and lots of zen. Thus, I make sure that our pantry at home is completely stocked with tea in all kinds and flavors. Growing up, I love floral-flavored teas like jasmine and chrysanthemum. I remember Papa ordering pots of Chrysanthemum every time we'd have dimsum in Hong Kong. Somehow, this became a staple for me. Eating dimsum is not complete without tea. Later on, we began a weekly ritual of having Afternoon Teas complete with dainty cups and saucers, a ceramic container of sugar cubes and a pretty three-layer tray filled with tea sandwiches and pastries. Since Chrysanthemum Tea is available mostly in Chinese restaurant, this time we learned to appreciate English Teas like Earl Grey, Basic Black Tea and more.  ...

Thank God It's Friday!!! Since I'm finally back at the work force after a month-long break, here I am again excited at the thought that the weekend is just a day away! I woke up with a smile today knowing that it's the last day of the work week. Even my walk to the bus stop was faster this morning as I suddenly have this surge of excitement and anticipation for what we can do for the next two days. Anyway, Paul and I agreed to meet up for dinner at Vivo City a few hours ago. For those who haven't been to Singapore , Vivo City is actually your gateway to the beautiful island of Sentosa . Here, you can take the tram that will take you to the island within minutes. We've been to this mall during our trip to Singapore 3 years ago but weren't able to go around as we just came here to head to Universal Studios for the day. Looks like this will be the mall that I'll end up knowing by heart if I frequent this place more often. After dinner, we thought of w...

Mommy loves drinking tea. Thus growing up, Pan and I were taught to appreciate the flavor of all sorts of tea blends at a very young age. We would have pots after pots of Chrysanthemum Tea whenever we're enjoying dimsum in Hong Kong, a cup of Earl Grey to go with our choice of macarons or tea sandwiches and even the deep and dark ones like TieGuanYin . Like Mommy, we've learned to drink tea either with honey or with a few drops of sugar cubes. Lately, wanting to stay healthy, I've been having my cup of tea without any sweeteners added into it. I've learned to love it in its purest form. Upon hearing about Da.U.De (da-you-de) Tea Lounge , I set a brunch date with Mommy and Pan after our morning working at the Bonifacio Global City. Da.U.De Tea Lounge is located at the ground floor of the Net Lima Building which is right beside the Mini Showroom. It may be a bit of a challenge to locate but believe me, it'll be worth it. We were greeted by the bright, sunsh...

By the time you read this, I have already landed in the land of Jackie Chan, dimsums and endless shopping opportunities! Today, Paul and I are set to head out to Wan Chai and Central where we will be meeting up with an old friend and to have our much-awaited afternoon tea at a restaurant owned by a renowned French chef which has been highly (or shall I say strongly) recommended to me by my two food-loving friends *ahem* *ahem* ;) . I can't wait to try his macarons, croissants and tea sandwiches! This is really the highlight of our trip so we have extremely high hopes for this. Add to the fact that I love drinking tea. This is also the main reason why I was so excited to receive a pretty pink tin can from Twinings . This is a limited edition and a collector's item tea blend which was created to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth of England. I sniffed the contents of the can the moment it arrived and I immediately noted the strong Assam tea scent. Ohh......

When I first saw Saint's Alp Teahouse along Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City, my initial impression was that it was a local milk tea store concept. It was only when The Food Club decided to check it out for our after-dinner snacks and drinks that I realized that it was, in fact, a foreign franchise from Hong Kong with branches also in New York . That evening, I was nursing a nasty sore throat so I had to skip the milk tea and settle for just the snacks available. As they were having their dry run, not all menu items were available then. Paul and I decided that we'll just go back some other time to try it once again. Fast forward a couple of months after, Paul and I joined our favorite dinner buddies Richard, Irene and Lauren at Saint's Alp' s newest branch at the Bonifacio Global City . Richard and I were each given a Php. 1,000 credit which we decided to use that evening. We began choosing from the Rice Entrees and it was a toss between the Honey-Glazed Coffee...

A month ago, I received 4 Gift CerTEAficates to try Cha Dao Tea Place , a new milk tea shop near my office. This entitles me and three companions to an XL Drink with Free Sinkers each! Since Paul and I basically had nothing planned yesterday afternoon and my sister and her boyfriend E happened to be at home too, we decided to go out for an impromptu double date over milk tea. So, off we went to Cha Dao Tea Place in Brgy. Kapitolyo in Pasig . The store is quite small where probably only 10 customers can fit at a time. I like the nice touch of having bowls of dried tea leaves on the table. Wish that it was more aromatic for the scent to fill up the room. The servers were extremely friendly, asking us if it was our first time in Cha Dao and after learning that it indeed was, she proceeded to pointing out their best-sellers in the menu. She was very helpful in suggesting and guiding us through our orders. Paul, a non-milk tea drinker were interested to try the Yakult line an...

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...

I remembered a recent interview that I've had with a friend. She asked me what I feel would be the food trend for next year -- I paused for a minute and told her that I feel that people would continue to go healthy . With the rising popularity of healthy food alternatives, organic veggies and of course the ever famous frozen yogurt , I told my friend that I feel that everyone will eventually catch on and live a healthier eating lifestyle in 2010. A couple of days ago, I attended the media launch of Figaro Coffee as they presented the Raspberry Chai Swizzle and the Cinnamon Chai Latte . Partnering with Monin syrup, the team created a new line of healthy drink options to customers who gives top priority to the nutritional content of their beverage. By introducing Chai , which actually means tea in many parts of the world. It brings back the century old history of drinking tea in India where Chai Masala originated. Chai tasting While listening to our friends from Monin tell us the ...

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...