10 Must-Try Food in Davao City (And Where to Find Them)

Davao City is more than just about durian and President Digong, it's also a great destination for a gastronomic treat. Here's a list of must-try food and drinks in Davao and where to find them. (Read: Davao City Travel Guide)

1. Pakfry

Pakfry is derived from the words paksiw and fry. As the name suggests, it goes through two processes to cook. The first step is to cook it with vinegar and spices and then deep fry it for a crispy texture. Pakfry is made from a tuna buntot (tuna tail) which is abundant in Mindanao. The best place to try this uniquely Davao dish is at Palovince Restaurant in Dakudao Avenue, Davao City.

One of Davao's must-try dish. #Pakfry #davao #mindanao #food #pinoyfood Visit Palo Vince Restaurant at Dacudao St., Davao City.

A photo posted by Glen Santillan (@escapemanila) on Sep 19, 2014 at 12:40am PDT

2. Durian Cheesecake

If you want to have a taste of durian and you're not adventurous enough to try the fresh pulp, I highly suggest you try the Durian Cheescake. The best place to have it is at Lachi's Restaurant in Marfori Heights. Lachi's also serve green tea cheesecake and sans rival which are equally good. Please note that they are closed on Sundays and only open Monday to Saturday at 11am to 8pm.

assorted cakes and tortes here at #lachis Sobrang sarap as usual! #davaofood #dfat #davaodesserts

A photo posted by Glen Santillan (@escapemanila) on May 17, 2014 at 6:09am PDT

3. Satti

Satti is popular in Zamboanga City and parts of ARMM but you'll be suprised we also have an equally delicious and authentic Tausug dish in the city. You can have Satti at Davao's Pers Satti Haus located at Unit 25-26 Tiyanggehan, Matina Pangi, Davao City. Aside from Satti, you may also try their Chicken Piyanggang, so good! 

A taste of #Zamboanga in Davao City. #Satti #Tausug #Food 29/365 #365HappyDays

A photo posted by Glen Santillan (@escapemanila) on Jan 29, 2015 at 3:50am PST

4. Seafood in a Bag

Seafood in a bag is not a uniquely Davao dish since it's available anywhere in the country but Davao offers a special version which I am pretty sure will satisfy your palate. The best place to have it is at Blue Post Boiling Crabs and Shrimps in Lanang, Davao City. I bet you'll love it there.

Shrimp in a bag + pomelo salad.

A photo posted by Davao Portal #ilovedavao (@ilovedvo) on Jul 4, 2016 at 5:38am PDT

5. Fresh Durian

Davao is known for its many varieties of Durian available all-year round. The best time to try them is during Kadayawan season since the price per kilo would drop to about P25. You can have durian almost anywhere in the city proper but the best place to have them is in Magsaysay Park Fruit Stand or in Bankerohan Fruit Market. It's cheaper if you get it in Bankerohan though.

A must try when in Davao - fresh durian!

A photo posted by Davao Portal #ilovedavao (@ilovedvo) on Jul 4, 2016 at 5:38am PDT

6. Fresh Pomelo

If you're into fruits, then Davao is the place for you. Fruits are really cheap in the city especially during Kadayawan Season. Davao's sweet pomelo is available everywhere in the city including in the airport. I suggest you get it in Bankerohan or in Madrazo Compound.

Davao Pomelo #davao #fruits #ilovedavao #philippines

A photo posted by Davao Portal #ilovedavao (@ilovedvo) on Aug 25, 2015 at 8:38pm PDT

7. Infused Rum

Davao is known for its strictly implemented liquor ban but it doesn't mean there's no night life in the city. All you have to do is start early if you want to consume more alcohol. One of Davao's unique alcoholic drink is Huckleberry's Infused Rum - made with mangosteen, santol, chili, chocolate and more. Huckleberry Southern Kitchen & Bar is located at Rizal St. Davao City.

Choose your poison. Infused rum @huckleberry_davao

A photo posted by Davao Portal #ilovedavao (@ilovedvo) on Jul 4, 2016 at 5:35am PDT

8. Suman at Tsokolate

Suman is a traditional Filipino rice cake that is usually made from glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk and sugar, wrapped in banana leaves and then steamed steamed. Tsokolate on the other hand is a popular drink in the Philippines made from a local variety of cacao commonly called tablea. The best place to have it Davao is at Seagull Mountain Resort in Buda Road. But, if you want to have it in the city proper, you can conveniently have them at Habi at Kape in Abreeza Mall.

Suman + Sikwate tara kaon! #ilovedavao

A photo posted by Glen Santillan (@escapemanila) on May 29, 2015 at 6:59pm PDT

9. Kalderobo

Kalderobo or kalderetang adobo is a beef stew with a twist and is one of Rekado's signature dish. Rekado is located at 1050 Jacinto Extension, Bgy. 11-B, Davao City.

Kalderobo, beef caldereta + adobo! Read on the blog at www.ilovedavao.com

A photo posted by Glen Santillan (@escapemanila) on Nov 15, 2015 at 3:05am PST

10. Goto + Tokwa't Baboy

If you're into comfort food and you love goto and tokwa't baboy, there's only one place to go - Dencia's Restaurant. It’s located in General Luna St., near Gaisano Ilustre

Goto + Tokwa't Baboy at Davao Dencia's Restaurant. #davaofood #davaodining #merienda #pinoyfood #food #davao #ilovedavao

A photo posted by Glen Santillan (@escapemanila) on Jun 9, 2014 at 1:34am PDT

#TasteTheFeeling : A Journey of a Coca-Cola FEMSA Bottle

I was one of the not so lucky people who have not experience a tour at a Coca-Cola Plant during my high school years. Yeah, it's a bummer! We were supposed to have a field trip to the plant but it got cancelled so the idea of getting to taste an ice cold Coke fresh off the bottling line remained just a thought for many years. So, when I got invited to be a part of a media tour at the plant, I did not hesitate and said, yes!

Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines ranked 10th among the largest Coca-Cola Bottlers in the world, the only nation outside South America in the top 10. It offers 18 FDA-approved brands with a wide product variants selection spread throughout the country. 

And so the journey begins...

Our first stop was at the Coca-Cola FEMSA Davao Plant, where the journey of a bottle begins. The Davao plant was established in May 1950 an was moved to its current location along Mac Arthur highway in Barangay Ulas in 1974 which occupies 3.8 hectares. The plant has the capability to produce about 1.1M gallons of beverage annually. 

Cat Avelino, Coca-Cola FAMSA's External Communications & CSR Manager

Just like in any other plant tours, before we commenced our media tour, we were briefed by Cat Avelino, Coca-Cola FAMSA's External Communications & CSR Manager about the company's values and how it remained the top choice by many Filipinos when it comes to soft drinks. 

How the Coca-Cola is made?

The bottling process starts from the preparation of the raw materials, ingredients (basically composed of water, sweeteners, and natural flavors), then onto the bottle washer where the bottles are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized, filled, capped, and inspected using state-of-the-art equipment and the strictest quality control measures. Bottles that pass the stringent quality control are then put into crates and brought to the warehouse for immediate dispatch.

Now that it's bottled, where are those Coca-Cola products go?

After the filled bottles are put into crates, they are delivered to the distribution center where they are tagged and loaded to the trucks in accordance to the customers order for a certain day. They are being dispatched for delivery  to retail establishments.

Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines has two distribution centers serving Southern Mindanao area, employing 395 associates and providing beverage requirements close to 80,000 establishments.

A Taste of Success

Most of the establishments supported by Coca-Cola FEMSA are small to medium enteprises (SMEs) sari-sari stores and carinderias or eateries.

One of them is Nanay Vangie, owner of Vangie Eatery , a thriving carinderia in Bangkal, Davao City. Nanay Vangie started small 30 years ago and grew her business eventually into a bigger outlet today. 

Nanay Vangie is an exclusive Coca-Cola outlet since she started her business. From just four dishes and two carinderia tables, she now offers 40 types of dishes and serve more than 100 customers a day. Her carinderia mainly caters to local residents in the area as well as students and office workers in the vicinity who are looking for a meal and a cold drink.

She is grateful for the support she received from Coca-Cola sales executive assigned to her for guiding her and keeping her business on track. With the success of her business, she was able to send her children to school. 

"Coca-Cola plays a major role in my family's life as it helped us get through the day from our daily expenses, sending my children to schools, among other expenses," she said.

Nanay Vangie has five children, three of which are now young professionals.

The journey doesn't end

More than its world-class quality and satisfying taste, a Coca-Cola and all the other beverages produced by Coca-Cola FEMSA, is actually made of so much more. It's made out of love, dedication, and happiness by the more than 10,000 people in 19 plants and close to 60 sales offices across the Philippines.

So the next time you open a bottle of Coke, remember that it is more than the fizzy drink you have loved for so many years. It is the result of the hard work and dedication of thousands.

Celebrate Mother's Day in Davao at Seda Abreeza Hotel

Wondering where to treat your mom on Mother's Day? Seda Abreeza Hotel has put together an exquisite offering for moms and the rest of the family to enjoy. 

Seda Abreeza offers an affordable room package from May 7 to 9, 2016 to cater to your family's staycation. Bond with your mom and the rest of the family in one of Davao's top hotels for only P4500 nett per room. The room package includes complimentary breakfast, WiFi access, use of the hotel gym and pool, and one complimentary Spa Gift Certificate for your mom. (Read: Davao 101: A Comprehensive Davao Travel Guide)

To complete your bonding moments, treat your mom and your loved ones at Misto, the hotel's all-day dining restaurant. It offers a Mother's Day Lunch Buffet on May 8, 2016. Sous Chef Giovanna "Bang" Flores and her talented Kitchen Team prepares a buffet spread highlighting hotel specialties and family affair favorites. You'll surely have a gastronomic satisfaction with the dishes they are going to serve. The buffet includes dishes such as the Angus Roast Beef, Lechon, and a Live Pasta Station. Desserts are also one of the highlights of the lunch buffet, as it includes: Lemon Meringue Eclairs, Caramel Chocolate Trifle, Angel Cake with Rose Frosting, Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake, Apple Pie, Lemon Layer Cake with Blueberry Buttercream, Strawberry Crinkle Cookies, Mother’s Day Themed Cakes, Cupcakes, Cookies, and one of Misto’s specialty cakes – Mango Sansrival.

Buffet price is Php 780 nett for adults, and Php 380 nett for kids aged 7 to 12 years old, and free for kids aged 6 and below. 

For further inquiries and reservations, please contact 082-2443000 or 082-3228888 or send an email to dvo@sedahotels.com.

Marco Polo Davao is Awarded as Best Hotel in 2015

It was another success for Marco Polo Davao as it received the 2015 Hotel of the Year, Bold Leadership Award from Marco Polo Hotels. As a way of sharing the good news to its partners and friends from the media, Marco Polo Davao held a Thanksgiving event entitled, "Celebration of Colors" at the hotel's ballroom.

The event was led by Marco Polo Davao GM Dottie V. Würgler-Cronin and the hotel’s owning company, Halifax Davao Hotel,Inc. (the hotel’s owning company), represented by its Senior Vice-President,  Francis R. Ledesma.

Mr. Francis R. Ledesma and GM Dottie V. Würgler-Cronin

“We are very honoured to achieve this prestigious milestone, as this is a manifestation of our team’s hard-work, commitment and dedication to provide the best service quality and accommodation to our guests. This event is also our way of expressing our heartfelt gratitude to the people behind our success; which are clients, guests, associates, our owning company HDHI, and our management company, Marco Polo Hotels. Without their support, this achievement won’t be made possible” says GM Dottie V. Würgler-Cronin.

GM Dottie V. Würgler-Cronin

Mr. Francis R. Ledesma also expressed his gratitude on behalf of Halifax Davao Hotel,Inc. to the MPD Team and their honoured guests.  “Thank you Dottie for being steadfast and consistently at the helm of things. Thank you to all the officers and associates for the hard work and dedication. Thank you to all our valued guests and friends from the media who are truly part of the Marco Polo Davao family”.

This meaningful celebration also included the awarding of the 2015 Associate-of-the Year Award to the hotel’s Executive Secretary, Ms. Regina Francia Cueva; who is also fondly called as “Boodie” by her associates. “Boodie has been a great asset to the team, and she should serve as an inspiration to the younger generation of associates” says GM Dottie.

The evening was filled with great food, live music, raffle prizes and the much-awaited dance number by the hotel’s Associates of the Month who were also acknowledged during the celebration. The hotel’s Director of Sales and Marketing, Pearl Peralta- Maclang, also surprised the guests with a short video clip of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’swell-wishes to Marco Polo Davao.

Zabadani : A Taste of Middle Eastern Cuisine in Davao City

One of the Must-Try Restaurants in Davao, Zabadani Cafe & Restaurant is one of the few restaurants in the city that offers sumptuous halal foods. It mainly serves cuisines from the Middle East like kebab, kabsa, biryani, pita breads, hummus, and a lot more. Starting December today, December 8, 2015 they will also be serving pizza during their tea time from 2 pm to 5 pm.

During a blogger preview of their new offering, we were able to try their pizzas, pastas and teas as well as their delectable biryani and kabsa. As expected, it was a night full of scrumptious dishes. Starting today, they will be offering three kinds of pizza - Mediterranean pizza, Vegetable Pizza, and my favorite Zabadani Pizza. For as low as P149, you'll get a set of your favorite tea (red, Moroccan mint, herbs and flowers), a slice of pizza and pasta. It's definitely a great value for money!

Zabadani Pizza P235

Vegetable Pizza P235

Mediterranean Pizza P235

As for the tea, we've tried both their Moroccan Mint and Red Tea. They're a perfect match for the pizza and the pasta they served to us. Aside from the tea, we also tried their different coffee blends. I am not a coffee person but I definitely enjoyed their Layered coffee, half and half, and the crowd's favorite - Guatemalan coffee.

Pasta Bologenese

Chicken Samboosak P190

Chili Flakes & Garlic Sauce, a perfect match for their pizza!

Pita Shateerah P105

Zabadani Turn-overs P225

Pesto Pasta

Chicken Shawarma P105

For the main course, we had their best selling Chicken Kabsa and Biryani. We already feasted on their pizza, pasta and shawarma so we're almost full when the kabsa and biryani were served. But, since their kabsa is my favorite, I wasn't able to resist it. I had to try it. It was good. It was really good! 

Chicken Biryani

Chicken Kabsa

If you love Middle Eastern food or if you're curious about Mediterranean cuisine, I highly recommend you visit Zabadani Cafe at RAMP Bldg, Corner Jacinto Extension & Circumferential Road, Davao City. You may call them at 0917-309-6008. You may also visit their Cotabato Branch at 2nd Floor Annex 1, Mall of Alnor, Sinsuat Ave., Cotabato City.

Wadi (Owner of Zabadani) and myself

Zabadani Cafe & Restaurant Menu