Frannywanny

I finally did it! For years, I've been wanting to make stuffed veggies. When I was growing up, whenever we would visit Hong Kong, we would always make sure to have dimsum for Sunday lunch. Somehow, it's a common practice for locals to go for dimsum brunch where the entire family would feast on baskets after baskets of the best dimsum creations paired with their choice of hot tea. They would eat for hours as this is the time when the family also comes together. There would be a handful of aunties pushing the wooden dimsum steam cart and some would have the deep-fried cart too. As you order, they would put a stamp on a piece of card and that's how they would later tally your total bill. It was definitely one of my best childhood memories and the reason why I love dimsum so much. Anyway, during one of those dimsum brunches, I remembered having Stuffed Bell Peppers with Minced Meat. It was so good. Being a kid then, I was never fond of vegetables but if you stuffed it w...

Opa! There are a number of restaurants in Manila that I love for their consistent quality in taste and service. Cibo of Chef Margarita Fores is one and the other is definitely Chef Robby Goco's Cyma . In fact, I wouldn't limit this to only these two restaurants but will consider all the chain of restaurants under their hats. Somehow, both chefs never fail to come out with impressive restaurants that has been making us go back to over and over again. I think one factor is how hands-on they've been on their businesses. Take Chef Robby Goco for example, I've seen him countless of times in Cyma , Green  Pastures , Charlie's Burger , even his Mexican restaurant a couple of years back called Ristras and just recently, we met again at Souv! -- his newest business venture. While Cyma is clearly a household name here in the Philippines as it is probably the first restaurant to introduce Greek cuisine to the local market, Souv! is it's hip, younger brother that...

In a world that's predominantly populated by meat-lovers, sometimes I wonder how vegetarians can survive especially when it comes to eating out. I have friends who have been vegetarians all their lives and I'm really amazed at how creative they are in the kitchen. In fact, their food looks mouthwatering and definitely not so sad at all. While I have a long way to go in being able to fully accept all types of veggies, at least I do appreciate a wide variety of leafy and non-leafy veggies and I think, at this point, that's good enough. One thing that I love about vegetables is the light feeling that I get after each meal. While I know I can't live life without meat, I do not enjoy the heavy, guilty feeling that I would get after munching on 2-3 pieces of fried chicken or after finishing even half a slab of ribs. Thus, I would allow myself to take a day off and go all-veg for some sort of "detox" once in a while.  Anyway, a few weeks ago, I had lunch wi...

For a food blogger, I have to admit that I can get quite picky too. Carrots, peas, corn, mussels, oysters and whipped cream are just some of the big no-nos on my dinner plate. Admittedly, I like leafy veggies more than the slimy ones. I know, I know... it can be quite challenging to get me to really eat all my greens. (sorry Mommy!) So, when I got an invite to check out the new menu of Do.Si.Rak. I initially had my fears. "Will I like the food?" "Will they be serving veggies that I don't like?" "Will it be tasteless and bland?" These are just some of the things that have crossed my mind and I'm pretty sure the minds of countless others who are not big veggie eaters. However, Do.Si.Rak. is a step above the usual salad bar as it offers something more than just x number of toppings on top of your mixed greens. Here, you choose your base (noodles, rice, tofu, cauliflower rice, etc) followed by your veggies and lastly some protein .

I have to hand it to my parents for teaching me and Pan to appreciate eating vegetables at a young age. I remember that back then, there's never a day that would pass that there won't be any kind of vegetable dish in our meal. Of course, as kids, we were still picky then. Choosing the leafy ones such as spinach, lettuce, broccoli over the gooey and slimy ones (eg: eggplant, okra and bittergourd). As we grew up, that's when our taste buds began to appreciate more flavors and today, I can proudly say that I'm just down to not liking peas, carrots and okra which I don't think will ever be well-suited to my taste...ever. So, when I received an invite to visit Joie by Dozo and to try its 7-course meatless dinner, I was pretty much excited for it. After all, I've been trying to eat more greens since I moved to the Lion City and this invite was simply perfect timing. The restaurant is located at the rooftop garden of Orchard Central giving it an all-zen vibe. J...

The healthy trend has finally reached Manila and it's something that locals seem to be embracing quite well. That's really good as it's high time for people to take a closer look at what they're eating and if this will bring more harm than good to their body. A quick check on Google showed me that heart attack, stroke and cancer remain as the top 3 causes of death in the Philippines. While cancer is more often than not due to genetics, there are a lot of ways to avoid the top 2. No, I won't go preaching about health and wellness to bore you all out. However, I just want to share that moving to the Lion City has made me realize the importance of eating well and keeping a more active lifestyle. It has just been more than a year since we've moved and both Paul and I would shake our heads in disbelief whenever we would come across our photos taken 2 years back. Paul has lost all the unwanted weight and has done an amazing job at maintaining it. I still have h...

Here's another Singapore hawker find!  Lately, I've been challenging myself to eat more green! From pesto pasta to salads, even green bottled water (haha!) and if possible green tea or a whole kiwi after every meal too. On some days, I think I went overboard with my green lunch but that's alright.  Anyway, I stumbled upon this stall while checking out the Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market and Food Centre --my new go-to hawker centre since we moved to our new office recently. It's a stall called Traditional Hakka Rice and it serves one main thing: Thunder Tea Rice . 

Let's admit it. Upon hearing the word vegetarian what comes to mind are veggies...lots of it. More often than not, the thought of eating veggies doesn't really equate to the same feeling as indulging on a plate of juicy perfectly grilled steak or even a basket of fried chicken. Yes, that's my carnivorous self talking. While I grew up learning how to eat my veggies, I still consider myself a very picky veggie eater. For one thing, it was only recently that I learned to appreciate eating bitter gourd (ampalaya). Sadly though, I still can't get myself to like the taste of eggplant (not unless it's cooked as an omelet or is part of a moussaka) , okra, peas, carrots and sayote and I honestly think it will take a lifetime to do so. That said, I can't imagine living life with no meat. This is also the reason why I have such high regards and respect for all the vegetarians out there. I admire their dedication and self-control.  Paul and I tried abstaining from beef ...

A few months ago, Paul and I met up with long time friends Sophie , Jean and Karl for our much-awaited dinner. This plan has been pushed back so many times that we were all so excited that the day has finally come that we will be able to catch up and see each other again. The venue was set at Quezon City and going through my Restaurant List, I suggested that we try Pino Resto Bar which shares the same building with its healthier vegan version, Pipino Vegetarian Restaurant . I was able to try Pipino's Mac and Cheese during the Yummy Eats event last May. In fact, it was the only thing I ate after running around the venue, making sure everything goes as planned all day. I wasn't really planning to eat had it not been for Paul who pulled me to stop and firmly told me to eat after 10 attempts or so. When I had my first bite of Pipino's Mac and Cheese, I was hooked! It was delicious, no signs of it being a purely vegan dish and it was very addicting in fact. Too addicting...

It's no secret that Paul and I have truly fell in love with Singapore . The clean environment, honest system and good food... there is no doubt that a lot of people echos our sentiments as they frequently visit this beautiful country. While we just got back from a recent trip and we have to stay in town as we prepare for our BIG day this does not mean that we have to deprive ourselves from enjoying a plate of Hainanese Chicken Rice or a basket of freshly baked Roti Canai and wait for our next trip. One Saturday evening, we satisfied our craving at Banana Leaf Asian Cafe were we feasted not only on our Singaporean favorites but also on a couple of Malaysian must-tries that got us really excited for our upcoming trip to Kuala Lumpur next year. First off was Paul's favorite -- the Roti Canai with Curry Sauce (Php. 78 + Php. 30). One order comes with one big roti that is good for sharing. The best way to enjoy this is to tear the roti with your hands and dip it into the bowl o...