Frannywanny

Whenever people ask me what my favorite cuisines are, I would instantly answer "Chinese and Japanese" in a heartbeat. However, when I finally had the time to stop and think, I realized that I'd also like to add "Italian" in the line-up too. I guess, one reason why I love the three cuisines is because, to me, these are my comfort food. I guess, it must be the ESFJ personality in me that puts my emotions above everything else. Let me know focus on the Italian cuisine. While I haven't been to Italy to enjoy the authentic Italian fare, the ones that I've had so far are good enough to make me fall in love with it over and over again. I seek comfort in a plate of pesto pasta or even in a bowl of risotto or gnocchi. I love anything with tartufo (truffle) and I can definitely have Tiramisu (especially the one that my friend Gary makes) any given day. These are just a few of my Italian favorites and trust me, I can go on and on about it. Therefore, getti...

I was born to a family who loves to eat. Save for my Dad who has turned into a picky eater after his operation, the women in my family continues to be avid food lovers and our dinners, for instance, can go on and on and on. Sadly, it's only I who wasn't gifted with a sexy body that whatever I eat immediately zooms straight to my hips and butt. I'd call it ala-JLo asset if only I don't have a growing tummy too. *boo!* Just watch how my sister and Mommy would eat. They'd be the first to sit down for dinner and the last to leave the table. After dinner, you'd find them nibbling on chocolates, dried prunes, chips and a lot more. Life is truly not fair. *sigh* Anyway, one night after dinner, Pan and I were still craving for something sweet. Since we miraculously ran out of our chocolate stash at home, we decided to take a short drive to have some fondue! Yes! Fondue for dessert sounds yummy! The best thing is, I know just the place. After doing my regular bl...

A couple of Fridays ago, The Food Club was invited to have dinner and a few glasses of wine at Café 1771’s The Winebar . This came as a perfect timing given that it was the end of a stressful workweek and a great way to welcome the much-awaited weekend. We arrived just about the same time and as we made our way up to the 2nd floor of Café 1771 in El Pueblo , we were all impressed with the sudden change of ambiance. From the bright pink and blue décor of the Whimsy section, climbing up the wooden staircase led us to an all-wooden interior that reminds me of a scene from The Godfather or one of those Al Pacino films that Papa loves to watch over and over again. After leading us to our table, we were offered some wine to get things started. I sadly had to decline as I’m not really much of a drinker…an “eater”, yes…a drinker, no. Nonetheless, my companions seem to enjoy their selection of wines which I think went perfectly well with our wide-array of dishes that evening. In true Ca...

It's like something right out of a scene in Sex and the City. Fashion-forward ladies catching up on their lives over delicious gourmet dishes and a glass of bubbly wine. That was exactly what my sister and I did one weekday lunch a couple of weeks before my BIG day. Upon receiving an invite to an intimate lunch to try the new dishes of L'Incontro Ristorante Italiano , I immediately invited my sister to join me as I know she has been a fan of this restaurant back when it was still with the first owner. She has been raving about the food, the ambiance and the wonderful service prodding Paul to bring me there on a date sometime. That's how much my sister loves me. Unfortunately, time did not allow our L'Incontro date to push thru up until we found out that it is now under a new management headed by Tina Pamintuan , a big fan of L'Incontro and a well-traveled food lover who will definitely breath fresh air into this classic Italian restaurant. Our lunch was held...

This week was very stressful...both at work and for my personal life. With so many pending tasks calling out my name all at the same time, I just wish I can just close my eyes and everything will just move around in a snap. However, if there's one moment this week when I hope time would just stand still and things would go in slow mo, it would be during my lunch last Wednesday with my sister. We felt like one of the girls of Sex and the City enjoying their lunch out in a lovely restaurant with the best tasting food. Yes, I felt like I was in heaven for two hours away from the office. Well, I just had the most delicious crepe I've ever tasted in my life and I enjoyed this with a glass of bubbly too! Crespella with Tartufo Sauce Crepe stuffed with ham and cheese and covered with rich, creamy truffle sauce...need I say more? Definitely found heaven on my plate.  Let me tell you more about this particular lunch in the following days. Meanwhile, enjoy the weekend ever...

As fellow bloggers Chris and Jane once said, it'll surely be a Prime day . True enough, I took a break from my usual office lunch consisting of a homemade sandwich and a small piece of banana and headed to 22 Prime at the Discovery Suites in Ortigas to join a couple of bloggers for a steak lunch. What I did not expect was that we won't be having the usual rib-eye steak that's good for one but instead we came face to face with the biggest piece of meat that I've ever seen! Introducing the Tomahawk Rib-Eye Chop that's approximately 1 kilogram heavy. As Chef David Pardo de A yala carried this out from his kitchen, I couldn't help but wish that I have Paul or my dad there with me as they are long-time steak fans in the family and would definitely be amazed by the size of this! I can just imagine having the entire piece of lunch which I think would take me the entire day to finish! What a HUGE piece of Meat! Lunch began with basket of bread and thre...

This year has been a very interesting gastronomic year for me! I am blessed to be able to allow my palate to go all around the world. From my very Korean lunch , I went to Bangkok, Thailand and loved their Pad Thai and quickly jetted off to Greece and shouted OPA! with glee. Finally, I came back to Asia and indulged in something very familiar , my taste buds flew off again to another food destination and this time it's somewhere I have very little knowledge of. I was told that they are known for their wine and cheese selection. To be honest, the only two things I know about this country are of two icons: Nelson Mandela and Charlize Theron . Thus, how can I say no to an invite to acquaint myself with what South Africa is all about and most importantly, what are the dishes that they are most proud of. Hosted by Chef Susina Jooste in Restaurant 9501 in ABS-CBN, my colleagues and I had absolutely no idea what to expect. Sure, I did a little bit of research by familiarizing myself...