An epic Davao food trip with Sooo Pinoy Day 2

Good morning Davao! After waking up early on the second day and finishing my rituals, I was still among the last ones to arrive at the assembly area – Microtel’s lobby. I was glued to the television waiting for the Sooo Pinoy feature of the local GMA station on its morning show UNA KA BAI.

We saw ourselves from a different perspective and good thing we didn’t come out a “gluttons” on TV. Little did I know that the angle of my face specifically my jaw would start what would be a PANGAstronomic journey.

Buffets form part a large of the Davao gastronomic scene and I had my first at Probinsya serving Balbacua (a gingery version of the Ilonggo pata), Kare-kare, Lechon Liempo, Laing and assorted kakanin.

Lucky is the restaurant that is featured during breakfast as everything they serve will become delicious – we’re all hungry. But in fairness to Probinsya they really did serve good food – especially the lechon liempo. Read more about Probinsya.

Just a few meters (and minutes) away was lunch in one of the most popular Chinese restaurants in town – Ahfat Seafood Plaza. Mind you, there were three Ahfat restos next to each other at the Victoria Carpark Complex and we almost lost our way.

I liked the open kitchen concept as diners can watch how their orders are being prepared and cooked. There we had our first galore of tuna - Grilled Panga (jaw), Belly and Buntot (tail) plus grilled Bihod (sac of fish roe) and Bagaybay (the male equivalent) and the Pineapple Rice - both a visual and palate treat. Even if we just had breakfast, hunger set in as we saw what the restaurant had prepared for us. And the PANGA adventure started. Read More about Ahfat Seafoods Plaza.

And we really got lost as we trooped to our next food destination – D’ Leonor Hotel. But travelled far and wide almost reaching the hillsides as we went to D Leonor Resort, I have no idea where. At long last, we found the right place, which was actually just right across the street outside the carpark – just a walking distance!

Anyway, D’ Leonor Hotel gave samplers of their Special Roasted Chicken with Napoli Sauce, Fiesta Lapu-lapu and Leche Flan. Finally dessert and their leche flan with lemon zest was quite good – or maybe it was the fact it was of different taste. Nonetheless, it was it made up for our “lost gastronomy”.

We were at the right place but seeing all the trees and greeneries around The Ritz Hotel justified the “Garden Oases” part of its name. Actually, it was our second time there that day, as we entered it during our “lost hours”. Nonetheless, The Ritz was among the most prepared as aside from the food, a sort of conference room was set up just for the event.

There we had tasting portions of Bulalo ala Nilaga, Kinilaw na Tanigue and Pinakbet ala Bicol Express with Lechon Kawali. I gorged on the Pinakbet for I need a lot of fiber intake (aside from my C-Lium of course) for that day.

We, again, got lost in gastronomic translation as we found ourselves in another branch of E.Y.s Tuna Restaurant. At least I got a clear shot of the restaurant logo and the Sooo Pinoy banner that I forgot when arrived at the real one.

It was another feast with Adobong Bagaybay, Crispy Tuna Buntot, Tuna PANGA, Crispy Crablets, Grilled Pacol (looked like a very large tilapia) and Chicken ala Mode (chicken adobo with chocolate), among others. Yup adobo with chocolate, which at first I thought to be quail eggs. Actually they were just “garnishing”, as the chicken adobo tasted well, just like chicken adobo. And the rice had rice noodle garnishing too!

Not lost this time and capping our second night was dinner or I would say a fiesta at Flyover Ihaw-Ihaw. There we met old friends - Sizzling Bagaybay, Chicken, Pork and Liver Barbecue, Bulalo, Grilled Tuna, Kare-kare, and Grilled Bihod. But we also met new acquaintances like Chopsuey, Sizzling Sisig, Sizzling Seafood, Pancit Canton and big, I mean large bananas.

They also had an open kitchen concept with all the smoke and sizzles reaching out to the guests. They also had fresh displays of food and we all finally saw what a raw bagaybay looked like.

And we had our first “night out” in Davao! Believe or not, not even SIX restaurants could fill us up and we directly headed to Café Firenzo just outside our hotel. We just wanted to get some hot tea so “clean the excesses out” but seeing “gelato” and “yoghurt” together gave us no reason to think twice and ordered a large cup.

It was a welcome break from the usual taste of grilled, fried, barbecue, kinilaw, soup, and yes PANGA.

So Day 2 of our epic Davao food trip with Sooo Pinoy has just ended and the word “beach” made us all excited for our third day as our eatinery promised some “sand, sea and surf”. SEA you “tomorrow” …

Filipinos are encouraged to join and support the Sooo Pinoy movement, a partnership between Unilever Food Solutions and the Department of Tourism, and go on a gastronomic adventure that both fills the stomach and enriches our awareness of our own identity. To know more about the campaign, food lovers are invited to like the Sooo Pinoy page on Facebook and follow @SoooPinoy on Twitter

Sooo Pinoy Epic DAVAO Food Trip: June 25-29, 2012

DAY 1: Round up | Dencio's Kamayan | Grand Regal Hotel | Barbeque Boss

Ultimate Ilonggo Favorite: KBL Kadyos, Baboy, Langka

K.B.L. or Kadyos, Baboy, Langka is the ultimate favorite dish of most Ilonggos. It is also one of the most missed native dishes as kadyos and the souring ingredient, batwan , are hard to find when outside of the Ilonggo region. Basically, it is boiled/stewed pork dish owing its "deliciousness" to the combination of the soft and tender pork, the tamed sourness of batwan and the malinamnam na sabaw . One of the "secrets" of the malinamnamn na sabaw , is the fact that the pork, whether just the plain meat or pata (hocks) are first grilled or broiled. This gives the broth a rather smoky taste that makes it more appetizing.. Learn how to make the Ilonggo dish KBL (Kadyos, Baboy, at Langka) with the recipe below. Ingredients 1 kilo Pata (pork hocks) or pork cubes, GRILLED and sliced into bite size pieces 1 unripe Jack fruit, cubed 2 cups pigeon pea (kadyos) 6-8 pieces batwan fruit (or tamarind powder) 1 piece pork broth cube (

An Ilonggo favorite - Valenciana

Found in almost all occasions like fiesta, birthdays, reunions and others, Ilonggos really love valenciana because most if not all have grown accustomed of having it in special gatherings at home. A complete " go, grow and glow " dish because it has the carbohydrates, protein and vitamins and minerals in just one spoonful, Valenciana is really an " occasional dish ". Here's the recipe for Valenciana

Batwan

Ilonggos know batwan or batuan by heart as the fruit is almost endemic to the Western Visayas. Its scientific name is Garcinia binucao, derived from the Tagalog name for the fruit, binukaw. It is a large green fruit with large seeds and its a favorite souring ingredient in most Ilonggo dishes especially KBL or kadyos, baboy, langka and the Ilonggo-style paksiw known as "pinamalhan". It is characterized by a tamed sourness compared to tamarind and kamias . The fruit is sold by pieces or kilo in wet markets and even big grocery stores. Batwan is the preferred souring ingredients for the Ilonggo favorite- KBL. The photo shows boiled batwan with skin and without skin (right) A favorite riddle when we were young - "Among the many fruits in the forest, but one (batuan) is the best. What is it?"

A native (foods) welcome in Guimaras

Even after having breakfast less than an hour that time, we couldn't say no to this lot of native delciacies that welcomed us in Guimaras. First and foremost, Guimaras best known produce is their sweet mango famous almost worldwide. And it comes with it's best partner, ibos. This brown baye-baye variety is made from toasted rice thus giving it a more disctinct flavour compared to it's more "caucasian" cousin. I like the one wrapped in banana leaves compared with the one in plastic for it gives it a more native feel. So when you're in Guimaras, be sure to check out the markets for these native delicacies that can make your trip more gastronomically satisfying.

Takway

The gabi (taro) is just one of those plants which is edible from "roots to tops". The most popular of which is the tuber part which is used in a variety of dishes and mostly in combination with coconut milk. Its leaves, of course, is the main ingredient of a Bicol specialty, laing . It is dried then chopped and sauteed with other ingredients including, again, coconut milk. Then there is takway . The local term for its tendrils/runner, that part which is torn between being a stem or a root for it neither grows upwards nor downwards - it grows sideways . Scraped off of its outer skin, takway is often a key ingredient in vegetable dishes like laswa and the gabi tuber with coconut milk and local snails know as bago-ngon . It is also popular when cooked adobo style with guinamos , the local bago-ong . It is very popular in the region that even big supermarkets sell takway in style - cleaned and plastic wrapped in styro with some additions to make it easier to prepare.

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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