FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

I was in Davao City exactly this day a year ago, to be part of Unilever Food Solutions' Sooo Pinoy Food Trip . 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. PATOK SA MANOK The promise of  sand, sea and surf, perked us all up on our third day of discovering Davao gastronomy. And it started with a break”feast” at Patok sa Manok – makers of Davao’s original Lechon Manok . I was expecting another grill type restaurant – smoky and al fresco. But seeing a nicely interiored food place with air-conditioning and big function rooms – a déjà vu of “being in the wrong place again”. But we weren’t, the mismatch just occurred in my thoughts that w...

I was in Davao City exactly this day a year ago, to be part of Unilever Food Solutions' Sooo Pinoy Food Trip. 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. Our second day of nothing but food trip started with us appearing on a local morning show featuring our food trip the day before. It was a prelude to another gastronomic day as we were scheduled to have at least 6 restaurants for the day. Read more about our Sooo Pinoy Food Trip in Davao City Day 2 . PROBINSYA BUFFET RESTAURANT 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, Lech...

I was in Davao City exactly this day a year ago, to be part of Unilever Food Solutions'  Sooo Pinoy Food Trip . 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. On this day in 2012, it was my first time to set foot in Davao City and it was gastronomically overwhelming. We stayed at Microtel Inn and Suites, had a courtesy call with Mayor Inday Sarah Duterte and went around Davao with just one goal in mind - food! Read more about our  Sooo Pinoy Food Trip in Davao City Day 1 . DENCIO'S KAMAYAN My gastronomic baptism on Davao cuisine started with the grilled specialties of Dencio's Kamayan. We satisfied ourselves with the perfectly cha...

It is just fitting to end our 5-day gastronomic trip with the "specialty of the house" and for Davao City - it's tuna. And how about this juicy and mouth-watering tuna steak from Fiesta Dabaw found at the Gaisano Mall of Davao foodcourt. If the photo looks appetizing, it was indeed really that the on the first bite and the next and the next... 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 , 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. Another tuna ender we had...

It's been an overload of tuna in Davao a few weeks ago and on our last day for our second to the last restaurant - it was still, you guess it, tuna! But it was a tuna of a different kind, a "fusion" of Dabawenyo and Bicol specialties. Say hello to Tuna Laing served by Yellow Fin Seafood Restaurant.  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 , 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. As the restaurant name suggests, "yellow fin" is the tuna v...

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 , 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. For starters, we had these fried talong - a great appetizer. Thoug...