White Marlin Sashimi, Durian Shake, Cracking Cakes, and Boiling Shrimps and Crabs of Davao

This is my second post on Davao for this year. For the earlier post, click here.

Went to D'Farmer's and had my fill of D24

During this visit, I sampled Marco Polo Hotel's Malasugui Sashimi. There are two things I'm crazy about Japanese cuisine: ramen and sashimi. This is the first time I tried malasugui. The waiter told us it was white marlin. It looked like washed out tuna, but tasted like a more delicate smoked salmon. Yum!

Marco Polo Davao
Claro M. Recto Street
Davao City

(+63) 082 221 0888

We also visited durian delicacies purveyor, Apo ni Lola. Truth to tell I'm partial to Lola Abon's (yes, the owners are related), but they won me over with their durian shake, using the native and Puyat durian variants. 

Just look at how generous they were with the fruit pulp.

Then they added evap. The shake was so good and it was not cloying.

Apo ni Lola Durian Delicacies
San Miguel Street, Talomo District
Davao City
(+63) 082 298 5099

If Bacolod has Calea, Davao has Osvaldo's Cakes. I flipped over the caramel cheesecake.

Osvaldo's does not stint on ingredients. The cheesecakes were brimming with the flavor of cheese. Plus, they held back on the sugar.

Try the blue cheese cheesecake as well. The stinky stuff, if you are into that like me, was very pronounced.

Osvaldo's Cakes 
Ground Floor, Paseo de Legaspi
Legaspi Street, 3-A Poblacion, Davao City
(+63) 082 221 2695

Another new experience was dining at Blue Posts Boiling Crabs and Shrimps, located near SM Lanang. I didn't know what to expect but some city-based acquaintances were raving about it. 

For starters we tried the pork riblets. You have to try this--buttery soft, moist, and garlicky. Two thumbs up!

We also ordered crabs, shrimps, and tuna belly (no pictures, gasp!) with the spice level on mild. 

The sauce was so tasty and good we poured it over the rice. The heat was just right, although I don't mind dialing it up a notch. 

Eating with your hands and wearing a bib are all part of the experience. 

For this dinner I gave up thoughts of dieting. It was impossible to enjoy fully all this tasty food without rice.

Also try the stellar kinilaw--spicy and sweet.

Blue Posts Boiling Crabs and Shrimp
Lanang, Davao City
(+63) 082 221 8360

That's about it. I'm looking forward to returning to Davao next year.

What I Ate in and Around SM Davao

I recently stayed at SM's Park Inn Hotel. Here's a post of the more noteworthy things I ate. 

1. Bistro Selera's Buchitaw

I already had dinner when I dropped by the restaurant, so I wanted a dessert that's interesting at the very least. The 15-minute wait was worth it for this mash-up, a curious hybrid of buchi (rice calls covered in sesame seeds with a sweet bean paste filling) at the bottom and palitaw (soft, round, and sweet rice cakes) on top. 

I love the textures--soft and chewy for the palitaw half, the desiccated coconut, and the sesame seeds--and the choco filling.

Bistro Selera

SM Lanang Premier

JP laurel Avenue Lanang

Barangay San Antonio Davao City
(+63) 082 285-2184

2. Mesa Filipino Moderne's Laing 2-Ways 

I know I broke my rule on posting only local-based restaurants in my travels, but this stellar dish from Mesa is just irresistible. Laing, one of my favorites from Bicol, is a dish made of taro leaves cooked in coco milk and seasoned with fermented shrimp or fish paste.

Mesa serves their laing topped with pork flakes and in original and crispy versions, although it appears to be either dry or creamy, but I love both.

Both were buttery and creamy and I can't decide which I liked more. The pork floss adds flavor and texture. This version is perfect with crispy pata (pork knuckles).

Mesa Filipino Moderne
SM Lanang Premiere Davao
JP Laurel Ave, Barangay San Antonio
(+63) 082 285-0493

3. Park Inn Hotel's Durian Cheesecake

Before going to Park Inn's ABG, I tried a coffee-chain, famed for infusing durian in its offerings, for their version. I left disappointed. Their cheesecake was dry and needed loving. Good thing Park Inn's version was consistent in taste, but it looked remarkably different from last time. Let me break down Park Inn's Durian Cheesecake: it was moist, with the undeniable yet delicate flavor of durian. The body is not too cloyingly sweet. I love the crumbly crust and the burst of freshness from the mint.

Their mangosteen cheescake was good as well, although the delicate sweet and tangy essence of the fruit did not come through. 

Park Inn Davao
JP Laurel Avenue
Agdao St., Davao City
(+63) 082 272 7600

The Desserts of Cagayan de Oro's La Vetta Wine Bar and Restaurant

This is not the first time I went to La Vetta, ranked by TripAdvisor as number one among the restaurants in the city. I was smitten during that visit, so the next time I was in Cagayan de Oro, I made sure to drop by. You can read about my first visit to the restaurant here. 

We opted for desserts, and what an excellent selection they have. We tried the double mud choco cake, which is always a sure bet.

We also tried the mango flambe, which was also awesome.

My colleague, Rouschelle, looked like she could whip up the dish herself...

...but we left the cooking to the professionals. I love the theatricality behind the preparation of the dish.

Of the desserts we tried, our favorite was the apricot strudel. Strudels are a popular Austrian pastry.

The other desserts were good, but this was the most unusual. It warmed our hearts, it was creamy, not too sweet. I love the nice textures courtesy of the meringue and dried apricot.

The view from our table.

La Vetta Wine Bar and Restaurant
Rosario Crescent, Limketkai Drive
Cagayan de Oro
(+63) 88 856 1207

Cagayan de Oro's Missy Bon Bon for Durian Gelato and Nutty Nutella Cronut

Whenever I travel, I always seek out home-grown restaurants. Usually I'm pressed for time during my work-related trips, thus eating local is how I experience the culture pronto. At Cagayan de Oro, I made a beeline for Missy Bon Bon's dessert selections. From their frozen items, I ordered their excellent Durian Gelato. I love the real fruit goodness and the creamy, silky texture. It was also not too sweet. It was one of the better duran ice creams I had.

I must admit I'm not crazy about food fads, so it took me only now, in faraway Cagayan de Oro, to sample a cronut. Missy Bon Bon's Nutty Nutella is quite good, if a bit oily and tough from sitting too long. I love the mix of nuts and Nutella, and the pockets of cream and Nutella. This is more croissant than donut.


Missy Bon Bon
Centrio Ayala Mall
Corales Ave
Cagayan de Oro

Top Picks from Gen San's Ranchero's Grill and Seafood Restaurant

When someone asked me where to eat at GenSan, I suggested Ranchero, and he loved it. A quick look at Tripadvisor shows that it ranks 1 out of 45 restaurants in the city. My first visit was at the Paseo del Sol branch was about five years ago, and I was smitten. For this year I got to return twice, this time at SM. (I'm partial to the charms of the first branch, though.) Below are the dishes I enjoyed. 

Duck in Coconut Milk, I think (help!). I forgot where I stuffed my notes, but this dish was very memorable. Sweetish creamy and soft duck meat. I tried to resist eating more, which was futile. The bite from green pepper offered a welcome heat.

Dragonfruit shake. I had this years ago, and the I wondered what the fuss was all about. This time they I was lucky: it was refreshing and creamy, a medley of flavors that reminds me of mixed berries.

Pako salad. The plating is uninspired, but this one's a winner. Pour in the bagoong (fermented fish paste) for the flavors to meld in. The mild greens acted as good foil for the slices of bagnet and salted egg. I also love the tiny zing from the julienned ginger.

Again, ignore the poor presentation. The Pugon Pork does not look pretty, but it is flavorful and not greasy, with skin so crisp. It comes alive with either vinegar or bagoong sauce. And I must say, the pork in these parts taste clean.

SM City GenSan
Santiago Blvd cor. San Miguel St.
General Santos City, South Cotabato

Koronadal City's Arpochi Seafoods for Pampano Sinigang

No idea where to eat? Ask the locals. This was never truer when work found me in the southern city of Koronadal, formerly known as Marbel, the capital of South Cotabato. They vouch for the quality of the food, and warned us that we would be spending the equivalent of Manila prices.

It was quite a challenge looking for the restaurant. Arpochi is located in a residential area, in a house, and save for its signage, no one would know it is a restaurant. Another group followed us, many bearing gifts. It seems that the restaurant is a go-to place for functions as well. There was more. There was no menu. I'm not sure if they have set meals or rely on what's available in the market, but we proceeded to order anyway. We picked fish, shrimp, and squid over native chicken and crabs. Please note that although Koronadal is not along the sea, it is only a couple of hours from the port city of General Santos.

It may not look it, but the sinigang na pampano (pompano in sour broth) was the best of the lot. The fish was fresh and sweetish, and thus did not require any complicated cooking techniques or thick sauces. 

The prawns cooked in butter and garlic were likewise fresh, although I'd prefer they use less sugar. I can still remember the warm, umami goodness of the fat from the heads of the shrimps--really delicious. The sauce was so good we drizzled it on our rice. 

The adobo-style squid was also good. The squid were soft and the dish sweetish from the onions.

Arpochi Seafood and Restaurant
Jaycee Avenue, Koronadal City
(+63) 83 228-3418

Davao del Sur's Belito's Vineyard for Paella Negra and Crispy Spareribs

Last February I had to make a quick trip to Davao. Except for my hotel, I did not have much planned ahead. I only zeroed in on where to eat lunch after flipping through the pages of my plane's inflight magazine, where the black paella of Belito's Vineyard came highly recommended. Aside from pork, I love squid. You might recall a post I made earlier on paella negra here. 

Belito's Vineyard is tucked away in a residential compound, and perhaps because it was a Sunday (thank God it was open) it was unusually quiet. Only a couple was there when I arrived. I ordered the black pella and the crispy pork ribs.

The black paella, Belito's signature dish. It can handily serve 3-5 persons. Rich and dark, full
of squid meat. Onions and lime cut through the rich flavor. My favorite is the tutong,
rice sticking to the bottom of the pot made crisp.

Lightly battered pork ribs. I love the vinegary, spicy sauce which hint of fish paste.
This dish was also good, I can't help but eat with my hands.

They were short on home-made durian ice cream, so I made do with strawberry ice cream.
Rich and creamy--a perfect cap for a sumptuous lunch. 

Belito's Vineyard
Palm Drive, Bajada, Davao City
(+63) 82 227 6726
Opens daily, 11 am to 10:30 pm

Davao City's Galletas de Davao

I'm in training, and one of our lecturers is related to Wency Cornejo, the singer, who's now into a Davao-City based pasalubong business. They met in one of our trainings in the city, and she urged us to buy his crispy wafers called Galletas de Davao.

I bought two canisters from their Davao airport stall: one in durian, the other in ube-langka. I hand-carried these to Manila, and they barely survived intact.

durian, my favorite, now in wafer form

the ube-langka was delicate

Since I'm partial to durian, I tried it out first--it was melt-in-your-mouth and rich, like ice cream. I should have bitten into the ube-langka wafers first. The durian wafers overwhelmed the delicate taste of the latter. I tried these a few days later, and they're quite good, too. 

If you've ran out of ideas on what to bring from Davao City, consider these wafers.  

Davao City's Marco Polo Pool Bistro for Pizza Prosciutto

I love a good deal. Since I'm a sucker for fancy hotels, Marco Polo Privilege Club need not do much to convince me to join. They had me at free overnight stay. 

And thus, during work that brought us to Davao, I rustled up the necessary vouchers to treat a dear colleague to a birthday dinner. "Would it be okay if you stay by the pool? The bistro's closed for a private function," the Club staff inquired. I said I didn't mind. With a view like this, who would? 

Now on to the food post. The stand-out for us was the pizza prosciutto--it was the first item that we wiped out. The cheese was sweetish, tempered by blue cheese and the delicate flavor of dry-cured ham. It was a delight wrapping the leafy green with each slice, just like a panizza. 

Great company, wonderful ambiance, good food. I can get used to this. 

Dakak's Curious Coco Cake and Quattro Formaggi

A curious thing happened during my stay in Dakak Park and Beach Resort. I chanced upon this coco pie and cake hybrid.

The top was crusty and quite heavy, like buco pie and cassava cake, but underneath it was all chiffon. But it was delicious and new, and again I'm sorry I didn't take down its name. I hope I can visit the place again and make a better acquaintance. 

Help! What is this cake?

I was wary of the restaurants inside the resort. The place is quite isolated, and they discourage bringing in food. The breakfast was unremarkable, but the Italian Restaurant, Il Ristorante was quite good and good value for money. It made me rethink my aversion to Meatballs Spaghetti.

We fell in love with the Quattro Formaggi Pizza., which we paired  with Pizza Margherita.
The Four-Cheese Pizza was a home run--straightforward and delicious