There are a lot of barbecue places in Davao and Penong's Barbestcue is among the most popular. Having chicken barbecue with unlimited rice is among their selling point and it is synonymous with Davao as Mang Inasal is to Iloilo. But we had more than chicken barbecue during our visit and all were just as good.
I was part of Sooo Pinoy, Food Trip na Pilipinas! which is set to visit 300 restaurants in 10 key regions/areas all over the Philippines. Davao is the 4th food stop after Iloilo, Boracay and Cebu that started last March. The goal of the Food Trip is to show that Filipino dishes per region have different identities based on the culture, lifestyle and history of the area. The Food Trip also aims to show that there are many Filipino recipes from different regions of the Philippines, each having its own specialty that has to be recognized for the unique flavor it adds to the Filipino Cuisine.
For starters, we had these fried talong - a great appetizer. Though we had a big breakfast that day, these talong chips sort of tickled our appetites that we can't wait to see and taste what Penong's has more to offer for lunch.
And we didn't wait in vain as a very lively seafoods basket came to our table. Called "Pinukotan", a merry mix of seafood (shrimps, squid, shellfish which looks like imbao and grilled blue marlin) with green mango, onions and tomatoes as sides. It was both a visual and a gastronomic feast for seafood lovers!
Finally, one of the best sellers aside from the chicken barbecue is the Baby Back Ribs. Oozing with deliciousness, all the breakfast I took in that morning seemed to disappear as I was looked hungrily at the back ribs. After a series of clicks and flashes in between interviews, we finally got to taste this appetizing baby back ribs.
And it made our final lunch in Davao a gastronomically memorable one. Its tastes good as it looks, in fact maybe even better. Each rib had a savory burst flavor and I can't seem to eating and licking my fingers in every bite. It was how good it was during our last day and Penong's certainly made it event better with their range of grilled specialties!
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
DAY 2: Round up | Probinsya | Ahfat Seafoods Plaza | D'Leonor Hotel | The Ritz at Garden Oases | E.Y.'s Tuna | Flyover Ihaw-Ihaw
DAY 3: Round up | Patok sa Manok | Marina Tuna | Waterfront Insular Hotel | Paradise Island Park | Garden by the Bay Resort | Taklobo at Jack's Ridge
DAY 4: \Round up | Kusina Selera | Binggoy's Lounge | Kusineros | Glamour Crabs Buffet | Tiny Kitchen | Pansititoy | Kookel's
DAY 5: Round up | Harana | Penong's | Chippen's | Yellow Fin | Fiesta Dabaw