FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

How many ways can tuna be served? In my two days in Davao City, I met grilled tuna panga , crispy buntot , sizzling tuna bihod and bagaybay , but on the third day our gastronomic stint we were introduced to these kind and even more. Welcome to Marina Tuna and they served tuna not only 4 or 5 ways but 10! I was part of Sooo Pinoy, Food Trip na Pilipinas! which is set to visit 300 restaurants in 10 key regions/areas in 10 months all over the Philippines. Davao is the 4th food stop after Iloilo , Bora cay 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. Davao has abundant tuna supply - thanks to it being geographicall...

Our stint at Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao for Sooo Pinoy was among the most unforgettable part of our food trip in Davao City. Maybe because I was still high on my Cebu trip where I stayed at Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Lahug, Cebu just a few weeks prior and meeting its brother in Davao was a sort of deja vu. And of course, the hotel's Isla Parilla Grill served among the most indulgent food that's still etched in my mind - Crispy Pata de Paella . I was part of Sooo Pinoy, Food Trip na Pilipinas! which is set to visit 300 restaurants in 10 key regions/areas in 10 months 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 speci...

As our eatinerary for the day begins late in the morning, we made use of the spare time doing our pasalubong shopping at Lola Abon’s. Among the most popular durian candy makers in Davao, this business started in 1948 when Abondia del Puerto Raakin made some pastillas de leche. When her sukis suggested putting some flavour to them, she thought of durian being abundant in Davao, thus the durian candy making business was born.   This was the “C” I did not foresee the night before – me being “CRAZY” when buying pasalubong. In no time at all I filled my basket with numerous packs of durian candies, durian macaroons, durian yema, durian tart, durian polvoron, durian bars and more.  I even had a cup of durian ice cream I enjoyed all the way back to our hotel – Microtel Inn and Suites. If I had time I would even tried those durian ice candy!     Continuing our epic Davao food trip, our fourth day started in a stylish mode at Kusina Selera, meaning ...