Yellow Fin Seafood and Restaurant, ironically, is one of my favorite haunts not for its seafood, but for its fantastic greaseless chicken, a trend that seemingly exists only in Davao City. Only recently have I been able to taste their other specialties, which I was able to do during the recently-concluded Davao Food Appreciation Tour. Owned by the Angeles family, Yellow Fin goes way back in 1992 when it was still a small karinderya on Quimpo Boulevard. I don’t recall ever eating there, despite that the family of a high school classmate, JC, owned the place. Yellow Fin is now managed by JC’s shrewd younger siblings Marco and Sam, who both made it the success that it is today.

When I heard that Yellow Fin was hosting our dinner on our first night, I was excited! Our blogger friends from General Santos City and Manila as well some local bloggers joined us on that occasion.

Yellow Fin Seafood and Restaurant
Cuisine: Filipino
Hours: Open Mon-Sat, from 10AM to 10PM
Address: Sandawa Plaza, Quimpo Boulevard, Ecoland, Davao City
For Reservations: 082.297.8777 or 082.298.0299

Any true blue foodie would try anything he catches wind of. So after hearing good things about Ngoyong Haus, I ventured out to Barrio Obrero with my trusty secretary to look for it. After 30 minutes of searching, I finally reached my destination — a rather inconspicuous eatery composed of a straw hut dining area, a grill station and a small kitchen.

Ngoyong Haus has but a few items on their menu plastered on a wall. The ones we had to try was the Ngoyong, understandably, and the Balamban Liempo, which my cousin could not stop raving about.

The Ngoyong is quite similar to the traditional fried lumpia (egg roll), but its outer shell is noticeably thicker and crunchier. It has only ubod and a few spices and no meat, making it great for vegetarians. The minimum order for the Ngoyong is 10 pieces. It was quite a meal by itself, I tell you. Pair it with rice, it’s enough to feed 2-3 people.

The Balamban Liempo, on the other hand, is a cross between the Lechon Kawali (fried pork belly) and the traditional Lechon Baboy (grilled whole pig). It’s not fried, but grilled and mixed with loads of spices, salt and lemongrass. The moment it was placed on our table, the aroma vivified just how good it is. The outer skin is crispy and the meat was tender and juicy. The spices made it hard to resist getting another piece. Before we knew it, the plate was empty! Okay, I’m lying. We saw it coming.

The ten pieces of Ngoyong cost P60 while the Balamban Liempo set us back P140. Satisfying and very affordable. If you don’t like eating outdoors, order them for takeout. Highly recommended.

Ngoyong Haus
Cuisine: Filipino
Entree Price Range: P60-P140
Notes: Outdoor dining, no air conditioning. The Balamban Liempo is not served until 530PM.
Address: Vinsons Street, Barrio Obrero, Davao City (in front of Gabbie’s)

As a frequent restaurant diner, I already have a built-in mental blackbook of my favorite haunts in the city. Although I don’t always get the opportunity to eat there, Tiny Kitchen is one of them. Tiny Kitchen is owned by Enteng and Donna Rodriguez, a charming, hands-on couple who never fails to make you feel welcome during every visit. Many of my Manila friends recall Tiny Kitchen as the place to buy gourmet tuyo (dried fish). A few of them even ask me to buy it for them when someone with a trip to the capital comes up. But if you ask me (or my friends), I’m not after the tuyo at all.

Tiny Kitchen also specializes in breads, pastries, pastas and home-cooked meals. Their Caldereta Espanol is my all-time favorite. It’s a wonderful stew of beef, carrots, olive and potatoes drenched in a thick, savory sauce. For only P170, it’s good enough for two people. Though I recommend that you enjoy it by yourself (lol). What I do is eat it with a serving of rice, then clean the bowl with their Foccacia Bread. Their Foccacia Bread is to die for!

My second and most recent favorite is the Maya-maya ala Pobre (P240). It’s baked Red Snapper with potatoes, olive oil and topped with garlic and onions. The snapper is always fresh and if you’re after a healthy meal to cap off the day, this is the one!

For the unadventurous, fret not! Tiny Kitchen also has their own version of fried chicken, the Chicken Frito. It’s nice and crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. I love the gravy that comes with it too.

While at Tiny Kitchen, you must not miss their desserts! During our last visit, Enteng made us try their Dark Chocolate Cake. He gave us a rather large slice, but it disappeared in a few minutes! Other notable desserts are the Square Indulgence (P79) and the unique Mango Sans Rival (P70).

Tiny Kitchen
Cuisine: Spanish/Filipino
Entree Price Range: P120-P390
Address: Mabini Street corner F. Torres Street, Davao City
For Reservations: 082.305.9232

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.

Back to the food: Ms. Tan gave us several recommendations such as the Shrimp Kinilaw, Beef Abodo (yes you read that right) Tortang Talong and the Chicken Tinuyuan.

Mamu’s
Cuisine: Filipino Fine Dining
Entree Price Range: P200-300
Notes: Free wifi is a plus. Waiters could use some training.
Hours: Mon-Sat 9AM-11PM; Sun 5PM-11PM
Address: F anc C Building, Bacaca Road, Rolling Hills, Davao City
For Reservations: Mobile – 0917.623.6724; Tel – 082.225.8114

We kicked off the Davao Food Appreciation Tour with a spirited dinner at Lachi’s last March 14, 2008. Our guests, Aileen Apolo and Jay de Jesus had just come in from a flight from Manila. And what better way to welcome them but with a scrumptious feast, Lachi’s style!

For dessert, we munched on:

Lachi’s
Cuisine: Filipino
Entree Price Range: P80-150
Notes: Parking can be a tad difficult, try parking on the side streets. The effort will be worth it. Table are limited, calling or texting for reservations is highly recommended.
Address: Ruby St. (in the old AMA Building), in Marfori Heights, Davao City
For Reservations: +639179841183

Mmmm. There’s nothing like a good helping of Honey Bear Chicken House’s Greaseless Chicken. As part of Davao Food Trip, we were invited over by owner Emmylou through our blogger friend Dominique. Here’s a run through of everything we ate.

To cap off the terrific evening, we had these yummy desserts:

Honey Bear Chicken House
Cuisine: Filipino
Notes: Nice, warm ambience. Owner cooks the food and is quite sociable and friendly. There are a few tables outside where smokers may sit.
Hours: Open Mon-Sun
Address: Along Quirino Avenue, Davao City (across Central Bank).