Frannywanny

This year flew by in bullet train speed. I can't believe we're a few hours away from bidding 2015 goodbye and saying hello to 2016. People say that time flies when you're having fun. Well, I guess for most parts, that's true but I also have experienced my biggest heartbreak (to date) a few months back when my beautiful Amah lost her battle to ugly cancer and left us all in this world. Sometimes, I would forget that she's gone and would excitedly look forward to flying home to Manila to see her and Angkong. *sigh* On the other hand, our family recently celebrated a big milestone when my sister tied the knot to my new brother-in-law E. That was a really fun occasion and I'm pretty sure that even Amah was up there smiling and watching as the festivities unfold. Anyway, amidst all the ups and downs, this year has really taught me the true meaning and importance of FAMILY. I've been flying back and forth Singapore and Manila for the past months and while a

Christmas Day is just a few days away! This week marks the start of a series of holiday feasting and drinking and I'm pretty sure a lot of you have been attending Christmas parties left and right too. With our social calendars filled to the brim, where are you heading to for that most special holiday dinner date with your special someone? Paul and I usually make it a point to take time out to spend that moment alone and to enjoy a good meal to celebrate the holiday. This year has been so hectic though that we're actually flying home in a couple of days and that annual Christmas dinner date hasn't been planned yet. Eep! Luckily, we had the chance to check out Caffe B a couple of weeks ago were we were given a sneak peek of their Christmas Menus.

Many times, people would ask me how long have I been blogging and whenever they would hear the answer, their eyes would widen and the next thing they'd say is " wow! that's a pretty long time. " Well, they're right. Personally, I am also amazed myself that Frannywanny.com has been around for 8 years already and still counting! It just feels surreal. It has been a fun ride and I know it will continue to be. I can still remember that day when I first decided to open this blog after months of writing about my foodie stories in Multiply for just my friends to read about. A year or so, I started meeting fellow bloggers whom eventually became my good friends too. Oh, and how can I forget those moments when I get to see my blogging idols in the flesh. Believe it or not, I still get all giddy and starstrucked whenever I get the opportunity to be around the guys and gals whom I've been stalking following online pretty much on a daily basis. Wonder who they are? Jus

For almost two years, my brother in law E has been telling me about this restaurant that he discovered that has according him, "the best and most tender crispy pata ever" Since Papa and Paul also love Crispy Pata, Livestock has then long been part of my growing list of restaurants to try. Finally, we got the chance to travel all the way to Quezon City to try it out. I'm so happy as even Kongkong and A-I were able to join us too. Livestock is located behind ABS-CBN. It's part of this small complex that houses a couple of other restaurants such as one that serves a variety of seafood dishes, a ramen stop and more. We got there quite early and were lucky to score a long table for 9 at the ground floor. The menu of course had a lot of different pork dishes but of course they also have a lot more typical Filipino options to choose from. For some reason, all of us where not THAT hungry for dinner that night so we actually just had four viands to share. First was the

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 .

5 years. For many, that may seem like a long time but seriously, 5 years or 1825 days to be exact could fly by sooo fast. Take this year for example, would you believe that we're 16 days away from 2016? That's just a little more than 2 weeks and it's time to bid the year good bye. Wow! That said, I couldn't believe that it has been 5 years since my last visit to 22 Prime in Discovery Suites. I'm glad that Paul and I were able to squeeze in a nice steak lunch before checking in at the hotel two months ago for my sister's big day. Despite how long it has been, I could still vividly remember how amazing my lunch at 22 Prime was. The big Tomahawk steak as well as the delicious bread basket with three yummy spreads brings back delicious memories. I even remembered telling myself that I have to take Paul there given that he loves loves loves steak.  Well, finally we managed to do that and it was indeed a nice sunny day to enjoy our steak lunch. Of course,

Question: What is much better that a weekend brunch?  Answer: One with free-flowing champagne and an abundant choices of food, of course!  One of the highlights of our relaxing staycation at the Garden Wing of Shangri-la Singapore was the Sunday Champagne Brunch at The Line . As you know, The Line is one of our favourite hotel buffet restaurants in the Lion City, so we couldn't resist not having brunch there before checking out. More so, we have been getting non-stop raves about the premium offerings that you can find in this buffet line-up so we knew that we just have to go for it. Let me walk you through the different selections that you can find in the buffet: First, you start with some fresh seafood . From three kinds of crabs (King Crab, Sri Lankan and Alaskan Snow Crab) to air-flown oysters to the most plump and juicy tiger prawns, be sure to fill your first place with all these! Paul went wild with his favourite tiger prawns with marinara sauce while I reall

Ever since we moved to Singapore , we've been fortunate to have old and new friends who have tirelessly exerted so much effort to ensure that we feel right at home. From taking us to the must-eat places around the island to inviting us to house parties and all sorts of events, Paul and I have easily adapted to our new life here and we got all of them to thank for. In addition to that, I'm also lucky to have met the nice ladies of Shangri-la Singapore . After a short email introduction, Paul and I were invited to go for a weekend staycation at the Garden Wing of the hotel and this was definitely one that we were really looking forward to as relocating to a new country is definitely not an easy walk in the park. Thus, a staycation was definitely a good way for us to unwind and to enjoy each other's company. The following year, our friends from Shangri-la Singapore , once again surprised us with an amazing 3 days, 2 nights stay at the Valley Wing for our 4th Wedding An

It's Sunday and normally this is the day when Paul and I would head to the grocery to stock up on our veggies, meat and favorite canned goods. Since I've been flying back and forth from Manila to Singapore though, our kitchen cabinet is still well-stocked with bottled fishes and canned meats thanks to the regular care packages that we'd get from both my mom and my MIL. That said, we have been frequenting the grocery much lesser for these past few months. Let me share with you one yummy find that I got from Manila. Meet Super Tuyo ! While it may not be a superhero character, it's yummines can definitely qualify for some gourmet superhero qualities. I received these bottles a few months ago and I was so excited to bring it back as Paul is really a big fan of tuyo (dried herring). He loves it so much that he can happily enjoy a meal with just a generous amount of tuyo swimming in a pool of spicy Sinamak vinegar, fried egg and steamed white rice. I'm lucky that my h

One of the highlights of our visit to Emporium Shokuhin was our meaty, beefy dinner at Gyuu . As you know, Japanese cuisine is not limited to bowls after bowls of ramen, plates of sushi and sashimi or baskets of ebi tempura. Japan is also know for producing top quality beef that has got the world drooling for years. One distinct characteristic of Japanese beef is its amazing tenderness that people would love to describe as the kind that "melts in your mouth". So, when we were told that we will be dining at Gyuu  that evening and if we eat beef, I guess our resounding YES! has exposed our sheer excitement for the food to come. Gyuu specializes in grilled meats and what makes it more fun is that you grill your beef yourself. Okay, maybe if you really do not want to get down and smokey then the friendly kitchen staff can do it for you but I highly recommend for you to go for it as it will complete your dining experience after all. Our dinner began with a good selection of

Back when Paul and I were still in Manila, we were pretty lucky to have spent the first few years of our married life with my in-laws first and later on, with my family. This means, we never really had to worry about the nitty-gritty of running a household as our parents got those covered. I remember one time, we were doing our weekly grocery shopping and we bumped into one of my colleagues. She curiously peeked into our cart and laughed while saying that it seems like we're two teenagers simply filling up our stock of junk food. Well, she was pretty spot on there. Looking back, our grocery shopping meant buying more junk food, cookies, juices and the most "adult" thing would be our personal toiletries. I've always told people that moving to the Lion City has changed our lives in so many ways. For one, we have learned to "grow up". By this, I mean running and maintaining our own household, worrying about running out of cooking oil, rice or even the basic