Maki Rolls — one of my favorite things to eat — is a Japanese dish that looks extremely simple and delicate, yet takes a very discriminating palate to tell what’s good and what’s not. Sushi Dito (meaning “Sushi Here” in English) is a new Japanese food joint in Davao that specializes in Maki. I’ve tried only two out of over a dozen they have on their menu and I’m already a fan. The Black Dragon Maki was quite the belly filler. Each slice was over an inch thick and packs a generous Unagi (eel) topping. Just four of these babies will surely quell your hunger. If you go for the eight-piece whopper, well, suffice to say you’d be hard pressed to keep those chopsticks down.

I also had the Orange Dragon, a roll made of fresh salmon and cream cheese garnished with lemon. It lends a fresh, tart aftertaste compared to the plump sweetness you get from the Black Dragon. Both rolls are excellent, but I have to say the Orange Dragon is my ultimate favorite.

Aside from the Makis, Sushi Dito offers sashimi, appetizers such as Gyoza and rice bowls. I particularly liked the Chicken Teriyaki Don, which I’d dare say is better than Teriyaki Boy’s Chicken Ju. My companion had the Katsudon, which she says was also good.

Sushi Dito
Cuisine: Japanese
Entree Price Range: P75-P1000
Notes: Seating is very limited, parking could be difficult at peak hours, but don’t fret — they deliver!
Hours: 1030AM-2PM; 430PM-1030PM
Address: Quirinio Avenue, Davao City
For Reservations: 082.295.3333
Website: www.sushidito.com

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.

I wanted to try something out of the ordinary. Since everyone else was thinking ‘ramen’, I went for the Ebi Shitake Ramen. It looked pretty tempting on the menu and I can never go wrong with mushrooms and crustaceans. Jim ordered some California Maki and Gyoza for all of us to eat on the side. The gyoza, for me, was the star of the show. It’s by far the best I’ve tasted in Davao. The ramen was great on its own right. The big helpings of jumbo shrimp and shitake mushrooms were a nice surprise. Suffice to say that I’m coming back for more!

Tadakuma
Cuisine: Japanese
Notes: Parking is vast. Service a little slow and credit cards not yet accepted. Be wary of the seats outside as they are not properly built. Careless, you may tip over face-down onto your table (almost happened to my aunt and her husband).
Address: Damosa Business Center, Mamay Road, Lanang, Davao City

Beef Sukiyaki (Php180) is one of my favorite Japanese dishes. I took a picture of the one I ordered at Aseya Bistro Orientale here in Davao City. It was nothing short of excellent!

Other dishes I enjoyed:

Aseya Bistro Orientale
Cuisine: Asian Fusion
Entree Price Range: Php90.00 – Php150.00
Notes: Parking can be difficult. Restaurant cannot handle large groups of people as they are understaffed. Eat only with a few friends and at off-peak hours or when owners are present.
Hours: Open Mon 6AM-2PM; Tue-Sun 6AM-11PM
Address: Humberto’s Inn at J. Palma Gil corner Padre Gomez Streets, Davao City
For reservations: (082) 222-3831 local 131