Ang Dabawenyo

Ang Dabawenyo is busy today at the…

1st Mindanao Bloggers Summit

I’m happy to see that my friend Tope Cubos and his wife Fritzie seem to be running a pretty sound operation in Fwendz Diner. Already they’re getting quite a few regular patrons — last night I overheard someone say that, at last, he had found a new hangout.

This isn’t surprising either. For one, the food is hands-down delicious. And cheap, to boot! The other day, Tope had us try a new item on the menu: a generous serving of chimichanga. It was really good and, as far as I could tell, was authentic Mexican fare. At 45 pesos per serving, it’s a steal! ••• Read on »

It’s been more than 6 months since Bankerohan Bridge (Gov. Generoso I) fell to ruin… yet today there’s not even a single pile driven to the ground for the new bridge. It’s as if the national government has no plans at all of restoring this vital infrastructure.

The Department of Public Works & Highways-Region 11 laments that there simply isn’t any money earmarked for the bridge. Wow… after half a year, still no action? It’s not a question of money. It’s a question of political will. Or the lack of it. ••• Read on »

It’s just three weeks to go before the 1st Mindanao Bloggers Summit, and I’m really excited about it! This is a first-of-its-kind event down South, and I’m proud that I’m part of the team that’s organizing it.

If you’d like to be part of this unique event on 27 October 2007, go ahead and register to join now. It’s free! But more importantly, it will be a venue for us to promote the true images of Mindanao to the world, via the power of our blogging voices. ••• Read on »

Food is a tricky business — if you don’t get the right formula, chances are your restaurant or café or bistro will close shop. That’s probably why many businessmen who venture into the food & beverages industry stick with what’s proven. In Davao that would be barbecue joints or Chinese restaurants. Or if there’s ample capital, a franchise from fast food chains.

That’s why I find it very refreshing and exciting when more adventurous entrepreneurs come up with something new in the Davao restaurant scene. Alias Bar & Shahzad Restaurant was one, I thought. It’s a fairly new place (they opened last 28 July 2007) that offers authentic Pakistani and Indian food. I say authentic only because the owner is a Pakistani (who can speak fluent Japanese, I was delighted to find out). Finally, a place that serves South Asian cuisine — I adore deliciously hot, spicy dishes! ••• Read on »

For those of you who are into online poker, blackjack, roulette and other popular online casino games, it might be a good idea for you to check out this Web portal first: Online Casino Bluebook. It’s a resource site that shows a list of the top 10 online casinos, among other things. ••• Read on »

Cheers to my AngDabawenyo.com blog! This is my 100th post, so some friends and I toasted this humble milestone with a few beers. Fellow blogger Maej Villanueva, entertainer extraordinaire Ahbet Padilla, new friend and chef Jenny Tan, and fellow student of Nihongo Peter Labor kept me company that night.

We were with a couple hundred Dabawenyos at the Victoria Plaza carpark, where one of several Oktoberfest celebrations have kicked off in Davao. By the looks of it, this one will most probably last the whole month of October. It’s located in front of 51 Coffee Shop and Buffet Palace — you can’t miss it, what with the humongous San Miguel tents covering the entire area. ••• Read on »

Swiss Deli, that chic European restaurant in Lanang, has recently completed renovations and now features extended dining space in a new wing. The al fresco area is also now much cooler, even during hot afternoons. Most importantly, Signor Romano Venuti has added a charming wine cellar at the basement of the new wing.

Last Wednesday night saw Rochelle Venuti, Ahbet, Miguel and me at The Cellar for a bottle of their house red. The Ventisquero Cabernet-Sauvignon Clásico is another product of Chile that I now enjoy — but I’m still holding on to the Sta Rita cabsav as my favorite red. The Ventisquero (2005) sells for Php361 per bottle. With its deep woody texture, it was perfect with the sausages and cold cuts that we had. ••• Read on »

Today my folks and I had a very enjoyable lunch with my friend, Bob Martin, and his family at their lovely home. The Martins were at our home some weeks ago and we treated them to Filipino fare. This time, we were treated to American cooking — Bob’s mother, Billie, described it as a traditional Thanksgiving meal.

The butterball turkey, which is available in grocery stores in Davao by the way, was really good! They had it prepared lechon-style at Lechoneros. I’m prefer white meat because it’s healthier, and not because it’s tastier — but the turkey breast was juicy. ••• Read on »

It’s always a delight to discover little places with great food. And that was my experience when I went to Pinutos for after-drinks dining with friends. The place is al fresco, decorated simply — far from the look and feel of expensive restaurants, but comfortable enough.

The food, though, now that’s what you’d go to Pinutos for. I had the Crispy Tadyang (deep-fried beef ribs) and Binagoongan Rice — not a very healthy dish… but when you have it that good, who cares? My friends had Adobo and Kalderetang Baka, which of course I had a taste of as well. The pork adobo was awesome! It gave me a very homey feeling, as well as a palate-satisfying effect. ••• Read on »