Frannywanny

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...

So what's a normal Sunday for Paul and I?  Waking up later than usual, slowly moving around the house as we do our weekend chores, cooking and enjoying a nice home-cooked meal, further lazing by the pool and heading out later in the afternoon to hear mass. Basically, Sunday mornings are non-existent in our lives as we'd use these precious hours catching up on lost sleep incurred during the weekday. While we love this relaxing routine, we also do love to do things spontaneously once in a while. This is perhaps the reason why getting an invite to have a nice Sunday brunch got us up and out of the house right before noon. After all, a good and delicious weekend brunch is indeed a perfect motivation for us to wake up early and to head out just to satisfy our growling tummies. This was what happened when we visited District 10 Bar & Restaurant at Star Vista  one Sunday. I've heard of District 10 but I didn't know that they're open for brunch as most of my...

If there's one person here in the Lion City who has been really supportive of this blog aside from Paul, that would definitely be C. C has been giving brilliant ideas on what topics I can write about, how I can further keep you, my readers, entertained and he would also share news about restaurants that I have to try out. In fact, the Explore Singapore series came about after a quick chat with C one afternoon. I do hope you're all enjoying that new addition in this blog and we all got C to thank for. Anyway, he turned another year older (and wiser) two weeks ago but due to a really unfortunate and sudden incident, we had to somehow postpone his celebration to last weekend. Well, I do believe in week-long even month-long celebrations so it's really not too late. C didn't gave much information on where his birthday lunch will be except an instruction to meet us at the lobby of the hotel where he had a nice weekend staycation with his wife I. As soon as we got to ou...

In my opinion, when it comes to Indian food, there are just two types of people -- one who loves it to bits and one who don't. Rarely have I encountered anyone who's in-between. What's being in-between, after all?! I consider myself lucky as the people whom I regularly eat out with all share the same love for Indian food as I do so it's not difficult to convince them where to go whenever the craving for prata, butter chicken masala, paneer or papadum comes about. Back in Manila, Pan has been my constant Indian lunch date as we both love to order the same things -- see here and here . So, whenever I would have some Indian cuisine here, I can't help but reminisce about our fun lunch dates making me miss her even more. Khansama Tandoori Village is a popular Indian restaurant located in Science Park . Surrounded by office buildings, Science Park is a bustling place during the weekdays and a very quiet community at night and during the weekends. Who would have th...

Everything wonderful in life comes in pairs.  Harry + Sally Batman + Robin Tom + Jerry Romeo + Juliet Paul + Fran ♥  It also makes sense for food to team up: Peanut Butter + Jelly Coffee + Milk Burgers + Fries Prata + Curry ...and the list goes on and on!  It then makes perfect sense for two gastronomic cuisines to pair up. Miam Miam  is a casual restaurant that brings out the best from both the French and Japanese culinary worlds. We stumbled upon Miam Miam by accident when we decided to check out Westgate in Jurong East one weekend. I was immediate drawn towards the uber chic interiors and I'm glad that the boys were game to dine in such a dainty-looking restaurant with me.

It's currently the Great Singapore Sale and I'm pretty sure a number of you are flying in or have already flown in to shop, shop and shop some more! I got to admit, regular price shopping is not cheap here in the Lion City so even we, residents, do welcome these mall-wide sales with glee! When it comes to shopping in Singapore, definitely Orchard Road would immediately come to mind. A whole stretch of malls located right beside each other housing a number of brands to suit our taste and needs. However, if you're here for bargain shopping, then head over to the Bugis district . Back in the 50s up until the early 80s, Bugis Street was known as Singapore's red-light district. This all changed when a major urban redevelopment project happened turning what used to be a street filled with bars and pubs into one lined with shops and bazaar stalls ready to cater to the shopping crowd. How to get there: With the addition of the newest MRT Downtown Line (Blue), you can no...

For someone who spends her weekends trying a restaurant or two, there are just days wherein I would go back to the ones that I've tried and "tasted"  through time. These are the restaurants that I have full confidence in bringing a guest to as I know the best dishes by heart and I have full confidence that it will be just as good as how I've enjoyed it the last time..and the time before that. One of my favorites here in Singapore (and basically in most parts in Asia) is Din Tai Fung . A restaurant that originated in Taiwan, they are very popular worldwide for their to-die-for Xiao Long Bao which is one of my all-time comfort food wherever I go. In fact, our first taste of Din Tai Fung was back in 2010 here in Singapore . We've been to a few more outlets after that, even to the one in Taiwan too.  It has been 4 years of non-stop patronage and loyalty still Din Tai Fung serves consistently the best Xiao Long Bao for me. In addition to their XLBs, let me...

I've been bitten by the ramen bug!  It has been months and every now and then I'd continue to crave of a bowl of piping hot, al dente ramen noodles! Guess this ramen craze of mine will go on for a little while longer... after all, Singapore is literally bursting is a lot of good ramen shops and it's just so hard to say no to all of them. As they say... if you can't beat them, join them ! So, here I am spreading the ramen love to one and all. ♥ When our friends J and A came to visit us a month ago, Paul and I excitedly met up with them at Ramen Champion in Bugis+ Mall. It's just perfect that J and A are such fun foodies to be with so we happily tried a couple of bowls of ramen that evening until we finally declared the winner. Ramen Champion is a cool restaurant concept wherein it has a number of ramen stalls inside one main establishment. As you enter, you are given a card which you'll have to present upon ordering your choice of ramen. The payment ...

It has been a while since Paul and I had our weekly hawker challenge and we just felt that it was time to go for one again. What a perfect timing that the Chinatown Food Street recently re-opened making it our next hawker stop destination. Admittedly, compared to the two other hawker centres that we've visited and reviewed, this one had a more touristy feel. It was better ventilated, the kiosks are quite limited but have a good mix of basically anything and everything you'd like to try in Singapore, tables are cleaner and you'll see a lot of tourists dining here all day long. We were a bit hesitant to do the Hawker Challenge here simply because we know that anything tourist-y also means it can be pricey but as Mommy would always tell me, you'll never know unless you try . The first step is to walk around . Visit every stall and see what they have to offer. Most of these were specially chosen from all other hawker centres so you're assured of getting pretty ...

Much has been said about Singapore's Hainanese Chicken Rice . Debates have sparked here and there as to which restaurant or hawker stall reigns supreme. Each one has his or her own opinion and that's perfectly fine. We all know that taste is subjective . So what tastes better for me may not be the same case for you. However, one thing is certain -- Hainanese Chicken Rice (together with the Kaya Toast ) has surely put Singapore right at the center of the foodie map and for years..maybe even decades now, it has sealed its spot right there and I don't think this will change soon. No visit to the Lion City is complete without having a taste of this delectable dish that consists of boiled chicken cooked in a rich and really flavorful stock. It comes with a cup of rice that is also cooked using the same stock and is drizzled with oil and is served with a trio of dipping sauce -- ginger oil, sticky soy sauce and chili. Friends would always ask me where's the best Hainanes...

One thing that got me excited about checking out the local food scene here in Singapore is the fact that I'll also be able to dine at restaurants owned by Celebrity Chefs ! For years, I've been following Mario Batali, Wolfgang Puck and Jamie Oliver on TV. Who would have thought that the day would come wherein I now have the chance to be able to dine at their restaurants anytime I want! This is definitely a foodie's dream come true. ♥ So, on our first month in the Lion City, Paul and I were reunited with my college friend T and the love of her life S at ( where else?! ) Pizzeria Mozza ! Pizzeria Mozza is located right adjacent to its sister-restaurant Osteria Mozza which is also owned by the same trio (Mario Batali, Nancy Silverston and Joe Bastianich). However, both offers different menus and it somehow gives a different vibe too. Pizzeria Mozza boasts of a long list of pizza combinations, a couple of paninis and starters. It has a more casual vibe and here you'll...

"If only Pan and T were here with me, this would probably be their wonderland." This was the thought that entered my mind when Paul, O and I decided to have lunch at Everything with Fries . A quick look at their menu will tell you that they're taking this fries-loving quite seriously and staying true to their name, almost every item in the menu comes with a generous serving of fries. Yes, you can have a rice meal with fries, a burger with fries, a pasta dish with fries and more! Matching the relaxed vibe of Holland Village, dining at Everything with Fries will give you that laid-back feel as you enjoy your meal with friends and family. Service was good as our server was pretty much attentive to our every need.

For friends and family who would come to Singapore to visit, part of their list is to "eat chili crab and cereal prawns."  Well, let me tell you one thing -- there's more to Singapore than Chili Crab and Cereal Prawns . True, you should have crabs and prawns while you're here but there are actually other crab options especially if you have a low tolerance for spicy food like me. I remember when we just moved here, we would hear our friends saying that there's this really good seafood restaurant called Irvin's Live Seafood House in Ang Mo Kio, up north and really far away from where we live. It has been on my list for more than a year and finally we got around to checking it out thanks to our friend A who came to visit and was craving for salted egg seafood. The group got together and despite the distance, we all made the journey to Ang Mo Kio after work one Friday night. Irvin's is known for their Salted Egg Sauce so much so that they have dedicated...

There are several things that make me feel giddy and excited lately: - When I get to try something surprisingly good. - Whenever I'm going home to visit my family and lastly... - When anyone from my family comes to visit.  Such was the case a few months ago when my sister suddenly decided that she will be visiting me and she'll be staying for a few days! I was so excited as I began planning our itinerary and the places where I will be taking her to try. It's pretty obvious how my sister and I keep a very close relationship. We're a small family of four so we have this "it's you and me against the world" kind of bond not only between us sisters but even with our parents too. I guess my giddiness was so obvious that my colleagues can feel how excited I was when Pan can to visit. From the moment she landed, I wasted no time and the eating quickly began. One Saturday, we told Paul that he can sleep a little longer while we go out for our sisterly bon...

On days where I'm really busy at work and I feel like my brain has been drained from all that thinking, I look forward to going home and enjoying a delicious home-cooked meal by my talented hubby or should we decide to eat out, I'll ask that we go to one of our favorite restaurants instead. Yup, for someone who loves trying something new, there are just days where I would go for something familiar, something tried, tested and loved over and over again. These are where I can find my comfort food . To me, comfort food means a plate of pasta, some hand-rolled sushi or a warm bowl of mushroom soup. One evening, Paul and I met up with cousin J and we decided to dine at Nana's Green Tea in Plaza Singapura -- a modern cafe that specializes in..you guessed it!... green tea ! So, I just had to try their Iced Matcha Latte which was delicious! It immediately reminded me of my friends Jin and Leslie who are big fans of matcha green tea! I made a mental note to take them here wh...

Let me tell you a secret. Ready?  Okay, here goes....  I really love it whenever good friends from Manila would come visit and make time to share a meal with us. ♥  I know how traveling can be quite hectic so Paul and I really do appreciate it whenever our friends would go through the trouble of messaging us just to say that they're coming and they would really set aside some of their precious time to see us when they could probably spend this shopping away in Orchard. It really tells us a lot about the friends whom we have to treasure for life. Take for example my good friend M. He has been one of my closest friends since high school and we would talk almost every night all throughout our high school / college years and even after that. I know the story of his love life by heart and he has been a witness to mine. He's the kind of friend whom I know I can always count on anytime. For example, during my debut party, he even bought me my favorite fish sandwi...

"Tsia Ka Ho." This is one thing that my dad always reminds me to do every since I gained a little bit of independence and a wee bit higher allowance during my university years. In English, it means "Eat Better/Well". I guess my overprotective Papa feels that without this reminder I might be munching on pizza, burgers, fries or worst chips all day long. He doesn't mind the fact that I somehow lived in the Starbucks Coffee shop across our school but he keeps on telling me that I can't live on sandwiches and frappuccinos all throughout my 5 years in college. So, with his constant reminder, I would go to treat myself to a really good meal once in a while. Luckily, there were a couple of choices available near school so on some days I'll head to this really nice restaurant and have some Prawns Thermidor or I'll spend some me-time at a Japanese restaurant with a bowl of Seafood Chahan and a plate of Gyoza. To my 18-year-old self those were considered qui...

While most of our peers would fly off to Hong Kong or some even to the US for weeks of endless shopping during our school summer break, my family and I would frequent Singapore to visit the not-so-endless variety of touristy places available given that this was in the late 80s, earlly 90s. Every year, we would visit the zoo, the Science Centre, to my horror -- the Jurong Birds Park and eat in some of the well-known hawker places in town. You see, Singapore holds a special place in the hearts of every family member. After all, it's the only place on earth that Papa considers to be really safe that he would allow me and Pan to go around on our own.Mommy grew up frequenting Singapore too and loves sharing her childhood memories with us. On of her childhood favorites is the Bak Kut Teh. I remember having this for breakfast and it was love at first sip. Unlike most kids who shy away from herbal-tasting soups, I love them very much! Having it the traditional way, we would have our bo...

Taking a break from our usual rice toppings / packed lunch / healthy salads and sandwiches options, our team decided to head a little further out for lunch one Friday. Our choice that day -- The Rotisserie along Telok Ayer street. We have been passing by this restaurant for some time now and noticed that it's always packed during lunch hour. Given that people here are such foodies, having a long queue or a jam-packed restaurant is definitely a clear sign that the food must be good. The system here is a bit different from a normal restaurant. You have to queue for the cashier first, place your order, pay for it then head over to the counter to get your food. It was quite a challenge for me as I really like choosing my food slowly as I see it before finally making my decision. Well I guess I just have to be a little bit more flexible at times right?

People often ask Paul and I how we're doing in the Lion City . The truth is... we're having a BALL! While others might find Singapore a bit too boring given the size of the place thus the lack of quick weekend getaway options or "happening" places around, I always say that Singapore perfectly suits our personality and lifestyle. Readers probably can see by now that Paul and I are pretty much the laid back kind of couple. We're really happy just spending our weekend at home, hanging out by the pool, meeting up with friends, going to the mall or watching a movie. Of course, there's got to be a lot of eating happening in between. Anyway, so when I heard that there's this nice gourmet market called PasarBella that recently opened a few months back, I've quickly included that in my list of places to visit. After so many failed attempts, we finally were able to visit PasarBella right during Pan's weekend stay. Hooray! Getting there can be quite a ch...