December 9th, 2009
I was having a terrific lunch of Pesto Cream Spaghetti and Grilled Porkchops the other day when my cousin raved about her friend’s cupcakes. I asked her what was special about it. She said they were soft, creamy, rich and downright sinful. I said ok I’m sold, what do I order? She recommended the Red Velvet cupcakes by Johnny Cupcakes.
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Posted in Cafes | No Comments »
March 26th, 2009
The last leg of the Davao Food Appreciation Tour (DFAT) was done at the Italian Restaurant, Spirale, in Damosa. It would be my 5th or 6th time to eat here. In a word, Spirale food is excellent. Our group of bloggers was in high spirits when we were served a wonderful sampling of their menu, instead of the usual complete meals. But I don’t mind. After the gluttony that went on for 3 days, I didn’t mind a break at all!
Posted in Italian Restaurants | 7 Comments »
February 16th, 2009
Caffe Firenzo – A new homegrown cafe. Its second branch on Quirino Avenue is perfect for bloggers. Has lots of tables and corresponding outlets to plug into. I’m not a coffee drinker but I heard their Lavazza brews are good. I’m in love with their iced green teas that are available in a dozen flavors. Their cakes are nice but pretty standard — most come from Lachi’s and Sugar Munch.
Wifi: Free; Electricity: Free; Outlets: Everywhere
Damosa Gateway, Lanang, Davao City and Quirino Avenue, Davao City
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Posted in Cafes, Coffee Shops | 4 Comments »
January 24th, 2009
I was lucky enough to tag along with a bunch of bloggers for dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, Taj Minar. Not many people I know like Indian food. Well, that only means one thing. More Indian food for me!
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Posted in Indian Restaurants | 10 Comments »
January 15th, 2009
Yesterday we had another one of those impromptu dinners. Blogie, Ria and I met and drove up to Mamu’s, a new restaurant in Bacaca Road owned by Anselmo “Elmo” Ferrazzini. By sound of the name I was certainly not expecting fine dining. My knowledge was limited to what Blogie told me — 1) it was new 2) it was in Bacaca road 3) nothing follows. The interiors were impressive and made me wonder if I had enough money on me. Good thing I did! (Blogie didn’t haha)
Mamu’s gracious manager, Luvluv Tan, made sure we were all comfortable and took us on a mini tour of an adjacent hotel owned by Ferrazzini — Anisabel Suites. I learned that Ferazzini, himself a talented architect, designed both Mamu’s and Anisabel Suites. Each room is cleverly designed and the furnitures, fixtures and upholstery befit a king (or queen 
). Easily beats the suites of the Marco Polo, Apo View or Casa Leticia combined. Ms. Tan says they needed to “compete”. I share her enthusiasm. Anisabel Suites is an excellent choice for anyone visiting Davao City.
Posted in Filipino Restaurants | 9 Comments »
January 12th, 2009
Since when did blogger gatherings become “Plurkfiestas”? I become jealous when I hear about bloggers in Manila spontaneously organizing these so-called plurkfiestas. Thus, last week, I thought of inviting a few blogger friends here in Davao for a dinner-cum-plurkfiesta. We agreed on Tadakuma, a trendy new Japanese restaurant in Damosa.
Blogie was able to invite Chattee and Jaime over and I got Migs to come too. Tadakuma has an older branch on Jacinto Street and one near the airport. It’s gone through a couple of name changes: Ramen Tei and Mabo. If I’m not mistaken, they also had one branch near the old airport when it was still Ramen Tei but I’m not sure if they’re in any way connected to the Ramen Tei chain in Manila.
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Posted in Japanese Restaurants | 2 Comments »
October 27th, 2008
My trip to General Santos City was unforgettable not only because of the beautiful city and people, but of the sumptuous food! On the night we arrived, our friend Avel Manansala treated us to a dinner at Grab A Crab. When I heard of the name, I was thinking the restaurant was more in the lines of picking out a crab and have it cooked for you. To my pleasant surprise, everything was a la carte (ok, I’m afraid of live crabs). Michael Wee, its owner, is into construction, and it is quite apparent in the building that houses Grab A Crab. The architecture has a nice Mediterranean vibe to it, but Grab a Crab is essentially a Chinese restaurant.
For starters, we had a plate of mixed cold cuts of Hainanese chicken, century egg, seaweed and slice beef with oyster sauce.
For our meal, we had: (more…)
Posted in Chinese Restaurants | 12 Comments »
October 21st, 2008
Kangaroo Coffee Company is one of my absolute favorite coffee places in the city. I was at their cafe last week with a couple of my cousins for dessert. I got my usual order: Hot Native Chocolate (P60) and a Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin (P90). This muffin is a force to be reckoned with. Nice and crusty on the outside and soft and oozing with chocolate chips on the inside. It is perfect. Other must-trys are the Tuna Pesto and Dried Fish pastas if you’re a little adventurous and hungry. The garlic breads are excellent! The perky and friendly baristas add to the whole dining experience. I’ll be back.
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Posted in Coffee Shops | 3 Comments »
October 19th, 2008
Hooked up with a couple of my cousins for a small dinner-cum-catch-up session at Al Fresco. I’ve heard of the place a few times but never had the time to check it out. To me though, the name “Al Fresco” didn’t jive. The three tables located outside seemed to serve as a smoking area more than anything. Eating inside is the way to go. The food was nice but took quite a bit to prepare. I got the Osso Buco (P250) and I especially liked the brown rice that came with it. Both my companions ordered the thick bacon rice bowl (P89 — cheap!), which they thoroughly enjoyed.
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Posted in Asian Fusion Restaurants | 6 Comments »
April 29th, 2008
Posted in Asian Fusion Restaurants, Chinese Restaurants | 5 Comments »