Davao cuisine
Happy 70th Araw ng Dabaw!!!
In Davao there are quite a number of various cuisines to get excited about. There are several European restaurants: Claude’s le Café de Ville (French); De Bonte Koe (the name’s Dutch, but what’s on the menu’s Euro fusion); Picobello (Italian); and a few more. There’s American… hmm… McDonald’s? Asian, of course: Tsuru, Mabo, Zakoya, etc. (Japanese); Twosome Palace, Korea Town, etc. (Korean); Hanoi (Vietnamese); Marco Polo’s Lotus Garden (Cantonese); etc.
But I’ve been asked: What really is Davao cuisine?
Well, barbecue maybe? Davaoeños are so fond of grilled tuna and squid and other seafoods. Or maybe kinilaw? One of Davao’s best offerings: kinilaw na malasugui (raw marlin prepared in a vinegar sauce). But then again, neither barbecue nor kinilaw is exclusively Davaoeño.
I guess there’s no special cuisine that’s indigenous to Davao. When you say “spicy Filipino dishes,” people automatically think of Bicol Express. When you mention papaitan, Ilocos comes to mind easily. But if you say kinilaw, do people think of Davao right away? I wonder…
Well, we may not be able to lay claim on a native dish, but Davaoeños are nonetheless mighty proud of their food. Eating out is possibly the #1 pastime here. That’s probably because food’s fresh here — meats, poultry, fish, vegetables. And cheap.
On non-dates, just your ordinary eating-out occasion, Davaoeños spend around P250 on a meal, including drinks. More than that and your average Davaoeño would think of it as a special occasion. No kidding. That’s why Manileños and other visitors find it so pleasant and relaxing to be in Davao.
March 17th, 2007 at 7:47 am
Hi Blogie - I’d say anything with Durian or Pomelo in it is a Davao Cuisine! Have you tried the Durian Suman at Hanoi? How about a Pomelo Salad?
March 17th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
Durian suman?? No, I haven’t tried that yet… but if it’s in Hanoi, might it not be Vietnamese cuisine?
Pomelo salad! Yum!
March 17th, 2007 at 8:39 pm
Sure, Hanoi is a Vietnamese Restaurant, but if it’s got Durian in it, it’s gotta be Davao, right?
It’s delicious too!
March 17th, 2007 at 11:23 pm
Not to rain on anyone’s parade - durian is not exclusively Davao’s. Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam boast of the quality of their durian too.
In North America, visit an Asian store and you’ll see durian being sold in its original form or the golden fleshy part of the fruit ackaged in transparent plastic containers -sealed properly to keep its odour.
March 18th, 2007 at 7:52 am
Hi Dan,
I agree, and don’t think I claimed any “exclusivity” for Davao when it comes to Durian. But, when we speak of Durian in the Philippines, Davao is King, di ba?
March 28th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
@Dan: I’ve tasted Thai durian but I didn’t like it that much. The ones sold in New York — I’d rather not relive that memory.
March 28th, 2007 at 1:28 pm
Ah..nobody was saying that durian is exclusively Davao’s, Dan. But yes, Bob, in Davao durian is king.
I’ve tried several Thai varieties, and they’re pretty OK. But for me, the best is still Davao’s native variety, the one that is slightly bitter. Yummy!
March 14th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
[...] rice. When I blogged about Davao cuisine, it failed to occur to me that this "bottomless rice" offering in many establishments in [...]