davao discoveries

Philippine Eagle Center of Davao, Malagos Garden Resort, and HITO!

2010-10-08T01:25:00.003+08:00

Davao City is known for 4 things: the hellishly delicious Durian, the Waling-waling, majestic Mt. Apo, and last but not least, The Philippine Monkey-eating-Eagle.

of late, [meaning: probably in the past decade or so] "Hito-an"s have become popular as well. A Hito-an is a place that serves Hito [catfish] as it's specialty. Hito, being fresh-water fish have become very abundant in Davao because it can be easily farmed, hence it is also very affordable. It is cooked in numerous ways but is most popularly ordered either deep-fried or grilled.

I have had the chance to revisit three places which are a 'must-do' by tourists and locals alike in the last 2 months and i must say, though a bit far from the city-proper, they were worth every second of my visit.

Philippine Eagle Center of Davao

Home to the king of all eagles as well as many other birds and some native wild animals.

This beautiful bird greets you as you enter the main park area.

Lush bamboo, also a rare sight nowadays

Meet Dakila, he peers right back at you

It is located at the Davao City Water District’s (DCWD) Watershed Park in Malagos.
Travel Time from city proper: 30-45 minutes without traffic, go south and take the Calinan road at the Ulas Junction
Entrance Fee: P20.00 per person
My recommendation: go there either really early in the morning or around 4pm to avoid the intense midday heat; more importantly, slather on mosquito repellent lotion. There are souvenir stands at the entrance area selling everything from sari-sari store products to batik to souvenir shirts. There is also a boa constrictor at the entrance you can take a picture with, hold or drape over your shoulder for a 'donation'. i steered clear of this one as snakes freak me out, but there was quite a crowd gathered around the brave of heart.

Malagos Garden Resort

i had the chance to visit the place because of my daughter's recent field trip. Please click on the name[link] for details about the place.
Entrance fee: P120.00
My experience:We were treated with a nature show which showcased the animals living in the resort, and they provided us with a good background on each specie and some trivia about them. It was very interesting especially for the little ones. The place is huge and the tour was quite exhausting but worth it just the same. they had a huge playground which the children enjoyed the most.
My recommendation: same as with the Philippine eagle Center, it is better to avoid the midday heat but if you still opt to go there to enjoy their restaurant offerings for lunch, there are many shaded places and covered buildings to stay in. and DON'T forget the repellent lotion!

the welcome dance at the start of the show

a miniature pony and his mama

a family of ducks running for show

a family of birds who ran away as we neared them

a finely-plumed bird, the picture doesn't do it justice

i would still recommend that you take your lunch or dinner at one of the Hito-ans that line the main road [Calinan] either before going to Malagos or right after your trip there. The deep-fried Hito alone will make the whole trip worth your while and will be a very satisfying ending to your little nature trip!

grilled hito

my personal favorite - deep-fried hito, add steaming-hot rice and spicy soy sauce and calamansi dip and you are in gastronomic heaven!

Durian, the king of all fruits

2010-09-11T14:38:00.011+08:00

it's already mid-september and durian season is still at it's peak.

but then again durian is no longer a seasonal fruit. you can find them practically anytime in fruit stands all over the city. but all fruit loving people know that durian, like most fruits, is at its best and sweetest [not to mention at its CHEAPEST too] when it is in its original season [am i making sense or what, anyway, you all know where i'm going here].

question: is there a relation as to why we celebrate Kadayawan on the month where the now ubiquitous fruit is at it's peak season. Durian, anyway is one of the few things our city is known for. It is one of the symbols which we proudly carry, along with the Philippine Eagle and the Waling-waling. anybody wanna answer that?

only in davao!

i kinda get why some people find it repulsive, thankfully i am not one of them. my sister has headaches if she gets a whiff of the fruit, while i try not to wash with soap after eating it so i can smell my fingers every so often. it's such a pity that a lot of people find this creamy, bittersweet, and heady fruit disgusting. they even compare it to rotten unmentionables.

i 'pshawed' at the fact that Mario Batali, who is a world renowned chef, hates it. and Andrew Zimmern, who is supposedly one of the most adventurous foodies ever, failed miserably not once but three times in his meeting with the king of all fruits. That is why i adore Anthony Bourdain who is the REAL deal for me; he immerses himself in the typical-everyday-life of every city he visits, eats the food that the locals eat, in places where the locals eat them and that to me, is how we should experience places we visit. Oh, and he loves durian too. Check out this link and pshaw with me now. =P

so i dare you to take that first step, give durian a try. i promise you that one bite into its creamy flesh will transport you to another level of gastronomic pleasure, go ahead, close your eyes and enjoy it as it melts in your mouth and lingers in your taste buds long after. in this case, there is nothing to fear but fear itself.

p.s. yes, you love the taste but still hate the smell, the trick is to rub your fingertips on the white, inner side of it's shell, i repeat, the white inner side of it's shell. we don't want you bleeding now.

get rid of the smell by rubbing your fingertips against that white part of the inner shell, and no, that part can't be eaten.

note: first and last pictures from here. middle photo is courtesy of my trusty phone camera. Cello's Doughnuts and Dips is located at Gov. Sales St. in front of Chimes.

Davao, my love

2010-07-15T00:08:00.004+08:00

in one of my friend's posts over at multiply, another friend asked her if it would be nice to live in Davao. my friend, who is from Cebu, told her that i would be the best person to ask since i think i'm the only friend in our circle who is from here and who actually lives here now.

so this was my answer to her question:

if you want: to get many things done in a day; less smog; less traffic; more nature; a simpler life; a more laid-back life; inexpensive restaurants; easy access to cool mountain air; quick trips to the islands and white sand beaches; a typhoon-free life; cheap and abundant fruits and veggies; to live near a church, a school, a mall, a bank, a supermarket; and everything else good in between, he he,come live in DAVAO.

of course, it's much less exciting than life in bigger cities like manila and cebu ; less variety in terms of venues for gustatory delights, bars, and shopping destinations; less 'fabulous'-looking people [meaning: people who look like they just stepped out of the fashion runway]; there aren't any skyscrapers to marvel at, and the city streets are practically devoid of cars by 2am on a weekday.

he he, i just wanted to tone it down a bit, people might think i love DAVAO too much. =P

it made me realize once again how lucky i am to live in a city like davao. and this is something big coming from someone who always daydreams about traveling far and wide, and finding the perfect quaint little city where i can settle and live in. and i daydream all the time, even if i'm in the middle of my thousand and one activities each day.

i realize now that each and every word i wrote about why i love DAVAO is precisely what i imagine my dream destination to be. i'm actually living in my dream city! of course, Davao can never be called little nor quaint, but i have everything i need here and woe is me for having only realized this now. =P

the above pic borrowed from here.

Manila's top secret buffet place [you wish!]

2010-07-05T23:51:00.003+08:00

when my mother-in-law, told me we were going to have dinner in a buffet place which charged only P195 per head for adults, i wasn't sure what to think. you won't find a decent place serving buffet for that low a price even here in davao. the cheapest here is atleast P270++ per person. so when dinner time came, i convinced myself not to expect anything and prepare for what might be a night of gastronomic disappointment.

i happily realized that my fears were unfounded as soon as we stepped into the restaurant.

The buffet table was filled with unexpectedly good mostly chinese fare. and the variety was surprising! from the more common ones like sweet and sour pork, yang chow fried rice, and pancit canton to oyster cakes, a tofu dish, steamed lapu-lapu in soy sauce. they also had siomai, congee and bird's nest soup and even japanese chopstick-food like sushi and maki rolls complete with wasabi and kikoman. and mind you the california maki's orange-colored roe was real [sorry, i don't know what they are called]. there was also green mango with bagoong, i thought it out of place, but many seemed to like it there.

and the dessert spread was not bad either, from fresh fruits to filipino desserts like buko pandan to chinese buchi. i 'met' and tasted for the first time steamed egg in a cup, i found it strange that it was in the dessert area because it was not sweet at all. but i liked it anyway.

of course, there is a but. with a price like that you can't expect the ambiance you get from a pricy restaurant. you can't expect an abundance of space, nor can you expect to be able to eat in peace with soft music in the background. we shared the place with a big group which was celebrating somebody's birthday. of course they sang and accompanied it with a birthday cake and loud cheering and clapping as the celebrant blew the candle. on the other side of our table was a group of co-workers probably in an impromptu after work dinner escapade, so they also contributed to the noise. and of course add to that the other sounds you expect to hear in a busy chinese restaurant.

well, obviously it's not really a secret dining destination. the place was filled to the brim when we arrived. Luckily, a big group was just starting to leave so we managed to get a big round table fast. we were 18 in all [yes, the hubby's side of the family is a big one, we weren't even complete that night] so we were kinda scattered into different tables. we spent only P3kplus that night which really amazed us as we rang up more than double that amount in the past nights.

i would normally advise you to go there early as buffet places usually fill up easily and the quality and freshness of the food usually deteriorates by the hour, not to mention the quantity and variety. But here it is happily different, they constantly refill all dishes and they serve them freshly prepared until an hour before closing. so don't worry about the traffic or being late, you're sure to get good food when you arrive.

Tramway Tea House
76 Sct.Alcaraz Street Cor. Banawe Street, Quezon City
[02]411-1565 / 410-3717
Opens from 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

welcome home!

2010-07-02T23:46:00.003+08:00

okay, the pancake house did not originate in davao but i can't help but write about it. i don't know why but it is one of the places i like to eat and hang-out in especially when i have to go at it alone. the food rates are not that affordable i know but the homey-ness of the place and it's bright clean interiors just make me feel right at home. and the food selection si so varied that studying their well-made menu is one of the things i love doing before i make my order. there's always something interesting and new to try.

but being the segurista and predictable diner, most times, i order the same thing 99% of the time. a refillable cup of brewed coffee and my favorite [for years now] - the chicken asparagus sandwich. until just recently [read: yesterday and today] i ended up ordering this combo, even if i intend to try something else once they hand me the menu.

yesterday afternoon, as i was not that hungry, i wanted something less filling. i ordered the classic medley which is 2 pancakes with butter and syrup, a side order of sausages and a cup of brewed coffee. i was careful to just put a couple of drops of syrup but i smothered on the whipped butter. every bite was a sweet, creamy, fluffy forkful of comfort. sure, i could make tastier pancakes with bisquick mix, but the magic of Pancake House is this: you get what you expect. from the pictures in the menu, to the way the food looks when it is served to you, to that first bite that you make, to the last drop of strong, freshly brewed coffee. it is consistent, just like home. until today that is....

today was sadly different, i had to go to SM after fetching my daughter from school. it was 4pm and my first and only meal was a quick brunch. i was hungry and my daughter wanted pasta. we went straight to Pancake House and i ordered white-sauce pasta for her [i forgot what they called it], it had shiitake mushrooms, asparagus and bacon. i ordered a taco for myself and the usual strong coffee. to cut my story short, only the coffee was good. the pasta was bland and tasteless and the taco filling was 90% garnish and just 10% meat [more of meat paste, actually].

for the first time i was disappointed in my 'home away from home'. but, no permanent harm done. the magic is still there, i guess i'll just stick to my good old reliable chicken asparagus sandwich till the next time i'm brave enough to try something else. =P

[that man is sitting in my favorite booth. see me in the mirror?]

my beloved sandwich

Pancake House
2nd Level, SM City
Davao

note: all pictures were taken a few months ago, during a more satisfying visit.

friday night wish:

2010-05-28T23:31:00.003+08:00

i wish i were here right now.

yep, it's that dark in there. just like an old western saloon should be.

where there is always cold potent brew to be had, you can guzzle yourself to sleep, he he.

where the food menu is international yet unexpectedly cheap, think nasi goreng [this was a strange thing to find] to good old american burgers to european sausages. don't forget to try the hot mustard!

where you can relax, unwind and cozily chat the night away. not a bad idea to go by your lonesome too, there's discovery channel to stare at and soothingly faded music in the background.

where you can temporarily forget the outside world and pretend you're in an old cowboy movie, but not looking for trouble of course.

where you can find nice deli items to bring home to your kids, validating your 'me' time/date night or whatever.

i wish i were here right now. [sigh]

DE BOERDERIJ

106-c DBC Bldg-H, McArthur Hi-way, Matina, Davao City
(near Ma-a junction and NCCC mall)

BayanSpan 082-303-2199

Smart 0921-971-1051

Globe 0927-998-5905

another crabby experience

2010-05-18T23:15:00.007+08:00

i can't really say when i started seeing crab buffet restaurants sprouting all over the city. to date i think i can count 5 recently opened ones. i don't know why but i think the more high end Let's Crab Eat restaurant pushed for the opening of these more affordable options.

i got my first taste of the 'crab buffet concept' at Sari Makan Crab Buffet Restaurant. A friend boasted of eating there twice and wanted to go back for more. So when another friend made a quick round-up of us long time pals, Sari Makan was the first choice to feast in. Due to the name [Crab Buffet] one friend actually thought that they only served crabs or sea food, which she is allergic to. We contemplated on buying food for her to bring to the place [lol!]. I on the other hand was apprehensive of the crab thing, being an eat-with-your-hands kind of food, and i also dreaded the laborious task of picking the flesh from the many partitions. Not worth the effort, most of the time, i thought.

but we were assured that there were other things to eat so we went to the place at 6 p.m. which turned out to be the best time to arrive in a buffet restaurant. the food is in all it's fresh, steaming-hot glory, untouched by previous diners, and the best seats in the house [meaning: nearest to the buffet table =P]

the other reason we chose the place was the unbeatable price of P270 per person which was the cheapest in it's league [or so we heard, somebody prove us wrong please]. i prepped myself by washing my hands well, instead of the usual alcogel, as it was going to be a serious meal up ahead.

the place had a straightforward, no frills ambience [hence we did not have to pay for it, he he] and can seat up to around 30 comfortably. More importantly, i noted that the place was well-lit and really clean. true enough there was kaldereta [i think] but it was a goat dish for sure and there was also kare-kare [oxtail stew]. Both were delicious, my friends swore, and tender too. i can't vouch for the taste though as i do not eat goat nor beef.

i stuck to the sole crab and prawn dish which was really yummy i had to exclaim, 'sauce pa lang, ulam na!' and the requisite fried chicken leg and of course my beloved rice.

the prawns were scrumptious. as for the crabs, some parts were over-cooked and paste-like in texture. but the claw-meat, which was intact and perfect, plus the finger-licking, lip-smacking sauce more than made up for that and the fact that there was hardly any aligue [crab roe]. they also had a decent dessert spread which i unfortunately, had no room for anymore.

i polished off, i think, 3 whole crabs [they were small okay] and a few more claws =P. plus, there's something about sharing a meal with friends who are more like sisters, it just made it all more enjoyable and appetizing.

so if you ask me, yes it was worth all the effort of picking at the flesh. they had more than the usual shell cracker, there was also a crab pick which suspiciously looked like a manicure-pedicure tool [just joking].

seriously though, i'd definitely go and get my hands crab-dirty all over again with my girls, anytime. =D

p.s. sorry there are no actual crab pics as it was in-between refill time when i got up to take pictures. =P

Sari Makan Crab Buffet Restaurant
Bonifacio St. [beside Alsons]
Davao City

Davao's Big 'Little-Secret' Food Court

2010-05-02T13:17:00.007+08:00

having lunch at 3pm poses 2 problems.

1 - you're so hungry, all the will power you need to keep your vow of skipping rice for a month is gone the minute you see the food line-up.

2 - you're so hungry, your brain can't seem to zero in on any food establishment which will seem worthy of an inevitable food binge [not to mention, thinking of one that won't put a hole in your pocket]

well, it happened to us yesterday and after about a few minutes of wasting gasoline trying to think of a place to eat, my sister finally remembered an eatery she wanted to try. she said she saw a long line of 'lunchers' around a week ago.

the place is the opposite of hoity-toity, but it's not your scary possibly-hepa-a-infested venue either. it's like the in-between of a fastfood and 'carenderia', but with restaurant trimmings. think: non-aircon, turo-turo style service, banquet tables, wine glasses, breakable serving-ware and plate-ware. and an abundance of RC cola drinks.

the food was great considering the price, tasty, and the variety of choices was mind-boggling, from streetfood fare of crispy chicken skin, to lutong-bahay guisadong gulay to fish wrapped in pandan leaves on a bed of coconut milk-based sauce.

as a result we ended up sharing 3 cups of rice, 7 servings of different ulam and 2 bottles of RC cola. we only spent P188.

i checked out the rest of the place with its super high ceilings and an odd shaped serving and dining area, it was a hot day but the heat wasn't so bad with the ceiling fans. i think it used to be a company-building garage in its other life. i was all the more surprised to discover that it was a wi-fi zone.

the place was surrounded by dormitories and a school was just a block away, hence the long lines at meal hours. they close at 12 midnight and there are viands displayed all day long, prepared at odd times.

as we were about to leave, the staff was displaying 2 freshly cooked, steaming-hot viands, making us wish we had just arrived.

TOP SAW FOOD COURT
Narra St., Davao City [between Sta. Ana Avenue and Monteverde St.]

default after dinner destination

2010-04-24T00:01:00.006+08:00

or after lunch, a coffee shop that is. and yesterday it was Coffee Cat [because we had lunch at Little Nonki, a japanese restaurant just across it].

this cafe is quite popular with the frozen yogurt loving crowd and true enough my friends ordered different yogurt concoctions. i opted to have tea as i was quite full from the japanese fare we had just enjoyed.

but it did not stop me from taking a teeny-weeny taste of the choco-coloured yogurt one of my friends ordered and indeed it was yummy. with less of a sour note than the one being sold just outside of SM Supermarket's fruit section, i made a mental note to visit again soon, for my fill of frozen yogurt, the coffee cat version.

too bad my cup of tea was not my type at all. when the barista pointed at their selection, i immediately zeroed in on the vanilla hazelnut flavor. since i adore both as fragrances too, i thought it was going to be a great find. i was so wrong. it felt like i was drinking my lotion or something. the aroma was too strong i suddenly don't like vanilla that much anymore. with tea, i must remember to stick to the classics - peppermint, chamomile, green tea.

but i liked the Yogo, that's what their frozen yogurt is called. and i liked the interior design of the place with its mod [but not overly so] slash clean black and white contemporary theme, it was definitely not your typical coffee-colored, coffee-themed cafe. i bet you i can name more than 5 cafes whose color scheme is as brown as the brew they serve, just off the top of my head, =P

Coffee Cat
F. Torres St. Davao City

a kitchen that's bound to grow bigger

2010-04-18T01:04:00.008+08:00

Tiny Kitchen, if memory serves me right, started out by selling their bread in supermarkets. the nice packaging made me get one loaf and try it. the next thing i remember is that they began selling bottled tuyo and other delicacies and not long after, they had their own tiny store in Mabini St.

they sell all kinds of baked goodies as well as frozen ones you could re-heat in the home oven. i used to tell the lady behind the counter to put tables so they can serve dine-in customers. and about a year after that, they did open up a new and bigger shop. slowly the menu board started to fill-up with yummy sounding items. i finally found the time to sit down and eat there today. they had a new pasta item on the menu, but the name escapes me now, dang!

it was Penne something, something that was definitely spanish. i loved it. it was obvious that they used great ingredients as it tasted nothing like those canned sauces we usually get in restaurants serving pasta [ you know, even the imported ones taste like the can they came in]

the sauce of this dish is rich but not cloying. you could taste the spanish chorizo it was infused with, and the mussels were soft and tender with no fishy smell at all. i usually don't like mopping up left-over sauce with bread but this time i did. i wiped the dish clean. Yum!

TINY KITCHEN
F. Torres St., Davao City
[082]2346095

p.s. the pasta dish is named Penne Catalonia. and i was right, it is spanish.

a sad coffee experience

2010-03-12T09:00:00.004+08:00

the heat in davao is unbearable and one particularly hot afternoon, just the other day, as a matter of fact, as i was leaving SM to claim my car from the 'in-house' carwash... he he, that was a very good example of a run on sentence, a really bad one. Lol, anyways, on with my story.

i espied the hot sun as i was about to leave SM and to delay my encounter with a blast of hot air, i decided to arm myself with a cold coffee. i dropped in on Karl's Koffee Korner and ordered a really cold and really strong frapp. i was not familiar with the menu, so i asked help from the server. he told me that their coffee frappe was the strongest, given that it is made purely of coffee, no chocolate or ice cream to tone it down. i paid a hundred bucks for their coffee frappe and eagerly waited for my respite from the heat.

when the barista gave me my order i noticed that the color of the concoction seemed suspiciously pale, i took a sip and to my dismay, i tasted sweet and creamy with just a hint of coffee. i told her that i asked for a really strong one and she answered me with 'but all our frappes are made from light coffee' [whatever that means]. i repeated that i ordered strong coffee. of course, she just repeated what she first said.

i asked why the other server said that it was a strong blend. she countered me with, 'ah, among the 3 frappe flavors, that was the strongest, but it is made of light coffee.' i was contemplating on just accepting my plight, i was too lazy to argue, when she [the barista] said, if i wanted it strong they can add espresso, but i have to pay an additional 60 pesos. stupefied from the confusion, i agreed, paid the additional charge, and waited again.

after a few moments, my order was ready and looked slightly darker than what i was first served with. thinking that i got what i paid for, a whopping P160.00 for a frappe, i accepted the coffee, stood up and left Karl's. as i sipped it on my way to the car wash, i noticed that the thing was not as heavy as the original version they first gave me. my mouth then met a tepid, watery, and slightly bitter excuse of a coffee frapp. and after a few sips, there was no more liquid left the cup was still more than half full, of whipped cream that is.

let's just say that, the sun, and time, were on their side. i had no intentions of marching back to Karl's and extending my 'fun' in the sun. and i had to rush to the airport besides. i muttered to myself why i didn't just accept the order as is. cold, thick, creamy and sweet was definitely better than lukewarm, watery, and almost tasteless coffee.

lessons learned from the experience:

leave well enough alone
never go back to Karl's Koffee Korner

starting from the core

2010-03-11T23:20:00.006+08:00

it's going to be my fifth session tomorrow. and so far, i'm loving every minute of it. i first got introduced to Pilates more than five years ago. i was in cebu and one of my friends there asked me if i wanted to try a new fitness work-out she recently started. one thing i couldn't forget about that session was the fact that it sapped out your energy, even if you hardly moved with your back flat on a mat 99% of the time. it was one calorie-burning session indeed. i never tried it again though, as i was in my active phase then, i preferred the usual weights and cardio exercises you usually get in gyms.

this time though, since i wanted something new and not so hard on the joints, i decided to try pilates again. i checked out Coreworks Pilates, as recommended by my sister and some friends. Conveniently located on my way to work, it was not difficult to decide on the place.

One big plus is the fact that your work-out sessions are done one-on-one with a certified instructor, i need all the pressure i can get. my main goal is to lose weight but i soon learned that i could do that and so much more. I happily discovered that Pilates can do wonders for my posture and i'll dare hope a little bit more, i might even learn to move with more grace. But the best thing about it is, it's one of the best exercises for scoliotics like me.

on the first meeting i was told that it was going to be a mental and physical exercise. i soon learned what Marie, my instructor, meant as she started spewing out instructions for each and every movement you were supposed to make. Focus is vital to execute a movement correctly. Lose concentration for a moment and you suddenly have no idea what it is you are supposed to do. in a way, it is a chance to forget about everything else. forget about the work waiting for you in the office. forget about what to prepare for dinner, forget about the errands you still have to do. instead, you think about each flex and point you make, how you are supposed to keep your back flat while doing the leg movements, and making sure you are getting all the force and energy from your core [which simply means your abdomen]. if you manage to execute even just a few perfect moves, you are rewarded with a sore core the day after. =D

so if you are looking for that new thing that will drive you out of the gym rut, the ennui to get fit, try out the sessions at Coreworks Pilates. They are one of only two centers in the Philippines who have authentic equipment and certified staff. Yes the session rates are pricey but definitely worth every peso.

this picture from here.

Corework Pilates Rehab and Fitness Center
Patio Valencia Corporate Center, Jacinto-Mapa Sts.
Davao City, Philippines, 8000
Phone: 082-3008838
Open Mon - Sat: 8:00 am - 9:00 pm

going nuts over donut...

2009-12-31T01:52:00.005+08:00

... boxes, that is.

wel, im sorry if my 'come back' post is more of a rant but i just can't help it.

why is it such a big deal for dunkin donuts [nccc mall branch]??? why is the friggin box such a big deal??? what am i saying? they refuse to put the donuts i want to buy in a box if i don't stick to their prescribed combos. i don't get it. even if i buy the ones that are more expensive than what they are offering me they insist that they can't give me one measly box.

if my daughter wasn't such a donut freak, i wouldn't waste a second trying to talk sense to these unreasonable dunkin donuts personnel. i don't know why i need to explain to them why donuts should be sold in boxes not in cellophane bags. they should know this, for goodness sakes, without the box the donuts will be crushed, mushed-up, soggy and simply yucky looking by the time i arrive home. who will want to eat them? who wants to eat a donut that looks like it's been trampled on.

i initially had the same problem with the 24-hour Duterte St. branch but after saying i was gonna order more than the actual value of their original promo, they gave in.

alas, this nccc mall branch staff looked like he was about to throw a tantrum as he was punching on the cash register. of course he relented, i glared at him and almost threw a tantrum myself.

it was well worth the stress in the end. my little girl was ecstatic when i arrived home with a box full of fresh donuts, and she had plenty of chocolate varieties to choose from.

i wonder when the dunkin donut gods will get it. donuts belong in boxes, not in cellophane bags! sheesh!
--------------------------------------------------------
postscript: i finally raised my dilemma to the Supervisor at the SM branch and she graciously assured me that she will communicate with the other branches. i was so happy albeit perplexed as to why the crew at the SM branch made no fuss at my request. all they said was, 'ah, free box ma'am?, sure!' Now that's what i call really good customer service! hurrah for people behind the counter who know how to listen and understand simple logic!

in search of a favorite noodle dish

2009-07-29T10:24:00.011+08:00

i used to work for Malaysia Airlines and yes i had a couple of opportunities to go to Kuala Lumpur [KL] on work assignment. It was there where i discovered what i consider to be one of the best noodle dishes in the world. Char Kway Teow. In KL, this fantastic fare is sold in hawker stalls. i would go out and look for a stall during mealtimes. the preparation alone is an interesting and entertaining experience, and it makes you hungrier as you wait for your order to be ready.

a friend used to bring me or send me a serving of Char Kway Teow via the flight crew whenever the craving striked. it was one of the best things about being an employee of MH.

fast forward to more than 10 years later, meaning 2009, i discovered another noodle dish, this time vietnamese, Nam Thit Heo. it reminded me a lot of my beloved Char Kway Teow that i searched it on the net to try replicating it. MH has not been in davao for the longest time now and the friend is no longer a friend. =P

i was so craving it that i asked a friend who just came back from singapore if she ever came across this dish over there, and she simply said, but they serve it in Banana Leaf Asian Cafe. HWAT???

i go to Sales St. atleast once a week and not once did i even think of checking out this Asian fusion restaurant. How was i to know that they served Char Kway Teow?

The next day, i invited the parents to have an asian fusion lunch with me.

The verdict: their version looked different from what i remember. it had too much brown sauce and the noodles were a lot fatter than the ones they served in KL's hawker stalls. and sadly, it did not taste the same. Our other choices tasted a lot better.

oh well, i guess, i'll never find it here in davao. anyone, wanna prove me wrong on this one?

*hawker stall picture from here

chinese comfort food

2009-07-23T10:01:00.006+08:00

chinese fastfood outlets are a dime a dozen here in davao city. From dimsum stands to noodle houses to restaurant-style set-ups, you are sure to find one in every street. but only one stands out the most because there is not one time that their branches are not busy and bustling with hungry customers. Mandarin Tea Garden

whenever i am out on solo flight at meal times, i look for the nearest Mandarin Tea Garden outlet. i can enumerate a string of their reliably delicious offerings but i almost always end up asking for the same thing: Ravioli Noodle Soup and Fresh Fruit Salad. the combination doesn't sound so great but i tell you, the first one makes up for the fact that i'm eating out alone and the latter is a very healthy dessert choice, just try not to devour all that yummy cream.

so, the next time you catch yourself out on the street and hungry, head to the nearest Mandarin Tea Garden. Try out my favorites and experience the satisfaction only comfort food can bring. Slurp!

happy feet

2009-07-04T22:54:00.008+08:00

my feet are smiling again. well, they would if they could. after two weeks of looking like they belong in the dark ages i finally had the time to go to the salon and have them scrubbed, massaged and pedicured to perfection. don't get me wrong, my feet aren't pretty. i would have posted a picture of them if they were. but at least now, they look like they are appreciated and loved.

back when i was still on solo flight, i brought my feet to my favorite manicurista, Ate Celia, at least once every 2 weeks. foot spas are my thing. all that scrubbing, foot and leg masks, yummy smelling creams being massaged into my skin and the icing on the cake, a great pedicure, just simply feels like heaven on earth.

i love foot spas so much i even opened a day spa [along with other spa-lover-family and friends] once upon a time. our foot spa was i think the best in the city. not only did you get well deserved indulgence from your knees to your toes but you were assured of the most hygienic treatments in town. at the start, your feet are washed with soap and running water, not the typical soak-in-the basin washing, but heated water from the tap. all our instruments were sterilized after each use. the scrubs, masks, and creams were slathered on generously, and the nail colors were of good, mostly imported, brands. plus the ambiance was very cozy and restful. too bad we had to close it down last year. the really bad location took a toll on it and after much denial i finally had the heart to let it go.

so now i'm on the hunt for a spa or a salon that could match the kind of service we gave. so far i've visited ELEMENTS salon at the Holiday Gym and Spa twice. Fe, was my manicurista again today. I give her an 8 [rating from 1-10, with 10 being the highest], the salon was clean enough, and the chair i sat on was also comfy. they did not have the same hygiene policy as we did though. and their towels looked like they should already be turned into rags, blecch =P. next time, i'll go back to Ate Celia over at HairStudio in SM. they should have services which might make my feet happy again. i'm hoping that someday i won't miss our beloved Spa anymore.

virtually losing weight

2009-07-03T00:09:00.009+08:00

since eating is a major part of my happiness, i have had to try all kinds of diets back when having a great body mattered. from the three day diet, to the cabbage soup diet, to the no rice diet. all these diets had one common thing in particular. they all drove me to such anger, i was ready to kill anybody who crossed me. so i decided to count calories one day and wrote everything i ate in a notebook. i managed to fill up 3 notebooks [i think] but it was the best thing i ever did for my body. i finally achieved a dream: look fit and trim and wear the clothes i wanted to wear.

after my first baby, i did not try to get back to the pre-baby body. nothing motivated me, not even the sight of all those women who so have-it-together. you know, the ones who have toddlers in tow but still look like they came right out of a fashion magazine page. i saw one such 'hot momma' in my little girl's school today, i wanted to rip her head right off. =P

anyway, a few days ago, while i was reading a blog i happened to click on, it was about grungy mommies [ this one got my radar blinking on overdrive], i came accross a link about tracking your calories. and since then i was hooked. it's precisely the reason why i have not been blogging.

fitday.com, i was happy to discover did not only automatically compute my calorie intake but it showed me graphs of my nutrition or the lack of it, activity level and calories burned, and more. call me weird but i finally found something to motivate me to lose all the weight and get moving.

so i'm on my 5th day today, and so far, i am happy with what i've been posting. i'm taking it slow but with direction. and i'm being realistic. there is a downside though, it takes a while for each entry to be uploaded. and not all the food i eat is in its database. but tonight i found redemption. i was able to finish with my inputs faster by opening multiple tabs and working on the different pages one after the other. and checking out calorie equivalents is a breeze if i just google the ones they don't have.

so if you are like me, a person who finds satisfaction and motivation in a planned, methodical, and detailed weight-loss regimen, fitday.com is for you. i'm sure the simple, clean and straightforward interface will excite you. do i hear "obsessive-compulsive" just yet? =P

here's to finally finding my motivation! bottoms-up the diet cola!

breakfast on a budget

2009-06-27T21:16:00.008+08:00

i am not a breakfast person but i love hearty breakfasts. so its two things, either i grab an energy bar if i have to wake up early or sit down to a slow leisurely brunch that has to have sinangag and eggs.

one early morning, having time to sit down and eat but not wanting to cook for only one person, me, i left the house wondering where my grumbling tummy would take me. there is a short block in Ruby St, Marfori Heights, which i pass on my way to work everyday, which houses, mostly food establishments. only one of these opens early enough, Gian's D' Breakfast Club. this is actually their new second branch, the original is in Ponce St.

it is not airconditioned but the way the place was set-up, one would think that a meal here would not be as cheap as it actually is. you could say that the owner invested a lot on the ambience as it looks and feels homey and cozy. anyways, it was still early, read: the sun was not yet that hot, so i decided to take my breakfast there.

i ordered: tocino and eggs with garlic rice, and a mug of coffee. I spent a grand total of:--, err i don't remember how much i spent but i'm sure it was a whole lot less than P50.00. real value for my money!

the serving was just right. i asked for extra packets of cream and sugar for my coffee, noting that the service staff did not wince in pain at my request, nor charge me for it. and they were not stingy with the condiments either. but the food was good, i didn't need any seasoning to go with it. it was like having breakfast at home without having to prepare and cook it yourself. Not bad, not bad at all.

two very crabby places

2009-06-24T00:12:00.003+08:00

H [my hubby] and i love crabs. when i was pregnant with the little girl, we ate crab plenty of times because H craved crabs a lot. this was when i discovered that this old chinese restaurant in Villa Abrille served the best crabs in town. we fell in love with their Sate Sauce preparation that we hardly ate crabs anywhere else again.

so when it was a 'must have Sate Crab day', i remembered that a flashy new crab retaurant opened in Torres St. i urged H that we try it out. He refused to eat in any expensive looking restaurant without recommendations so we drove straight to Villa Abrille.

everytime we go to Davao Asia Restaurant, before we start imagining all that aligue, we make sure to ask the waiter up front if they have female crabs. when the answer is no, we back out. nevermind the whetted appetites, we can't have crabs without the aligue.

So when we arrived, my face fell when the waiter said 'no she-crabs anymore'. as i turned to inform the waiting driver, H, the waiter said 'why don't you try out our new branch?' which one? i didn't know they had other branches. He said, 'the new one in Torres'.

I happily told H the good news and off we went to Let's Crab Eat, the newest resto in town. we were not disappointed, the Sate Crabs were the best we had so far, super rich and for sure cholesterol-full, he he. And i, the hygiene-freak was very happy to see that they had modern interiors and because it was new, it was very clean. we had our new crab haunt.

a three-hour holiday

2009-06-22T00:34:00.008+08:00

when it was still just the two of us, hubby, who was The Boyfriend, back then, and I would spend most of our dates in this manner:
Three hours in Holiday Gym and Spa Massage Area, usually starting at around 5pm,
dinner at a nice restaurant,
and then probably a movie or if there was nothing we wanted to watch, guzzle beer at MTS.

what the heck did we do in the massage room for three hours, you may be asking. this was our routine:
a hot shower,
15-30 minutes in the sauna,
a 1 hour and 15 minute massage,
another 15-30 minutes in the sauna,
and another shower to prepare us for the evening ahead.

we would usually meet up in the lobby still perspiring from the sauna.

fast forward to getting pregnant and becoming a mother, i had not been in Holiday Spa's Massage room for three years as i couldn't muster the thought of leaving Miguela and be selfish for a few hours.

Having a second baby changes your perspective and with the experience with your firstborn up your sleeve, you become less of a martyr and a bit braver to leave them in the care of trusted people.

and so, one day last week, hubby and i, after a lot of failed attempts, drove over to Holiday Spa for this long awaited ritual. first, i was surprised to find out that the rates did not change, still P450.00 for the full body massage, even after 3 years! and as i entered the women's massage area, i was pleased to find the place neat and clean, and well maintained. The reception area staff were new, but also friendly, and i noticed, more professional.

what got me excited was when i learned that they had a current promo - an hour of full body massage and an hour of foot massage for only P600.00. i decided to upgrade as i am a foot spa freak.

the lowdown:

the massage therapists were nice and attentive, they listened to my requests to concentrate on my back, shoulders, and feet more. they were skilled and knew where to put on the pressure and when to lessen it. i'm not one who likes hard massage as it makes me sore all over the next day, as if i spent an hour torturing myself in the gym. so i guess the therapists were happier, they had a pretty easy time with me. i came out of the spa promising myself that i would do this once a month at the very least, i was still in an altered state, i guess. i'd be lucky if i'd find the time again within this year. >o

hubby was already at the lobby and judging from the look on his face, he was must have been waiting for quite a while. i was right, his hair was already dry. i couldn't wipe the smile off my face even as he complained about my taking too long.

little did i know that he was going to get back at me not long after we left Holiday Spa'a driveway. We were having dinner in another thai restaurant just a few meters ahead. blecch!

our life with the Jadali-Sabets

2009-06-20T23:24:00.018+08:00

how can i not write about MAJID'S PERSIAN KABABS! First, we fell in love with the food. Then we fell in love with the couple [Majid and Arlene] behind the food. Then we became business partners with them. And now we are practically family. Majid became our ninong sa kasal. Arlene became ninang to our first born, Miguela. And now, hubby and I are ninong and ninang in their eldest daughter, Farzane's marriage.

We first got to know Majid when he chatted with us, his new customers, around 7 years ago. We heard about the place from hubby's brother and being true blue foodies, we tried it out. we couldn't get over the tastiness of the kababs as each type had its distinct flavor and aroma. the goat kabab immediately became our favorite. served with nan [locally called pita bread], grape seed powder, THE secret sauce, and a salad, we were in gastronomic heaven.

the difference of Majid's food from other foreign dishes is that you truly will never get tired of it. unlike pasta or pizza or even burgers, you can eat kababs again, and again, and again. and because we were crazy about it, we had it for lunch and then for dinner, everyday of the week. what's not to love about it? you get carbo from the pita bread, protein from the goat [or beef or chicken], all the nutrients plus fiber from the salad. one complete healthy meal! and its not even diet food!

and then, majid fell in love with us, well more with my hubby actually, as according to him he had not many filipino friends. he then started inviting us over to his house, first to meet his wife and 3 kids, and then to feed us some of the most amazing food we ever encountered. in our visits, we learned about how Majid, an iranian, and Arlene, a filipina met. they told us about their life, how their family started out, their struggles, and how their little food business began. hubby and i were still courting at that time and so all we could do was eat and listen intently. we learned a lot from their stories. we were in their house practically every weekend, that is, until we had Miguela.

as we came into our own as a family, we saw them less and less. hubby started to become busy with the business and i with taking care of miguela. our visits with them became few and far between. but we remain family, and with family, you don't need the constant contact to remain close.

for 3 years now, Majid has been taking care of 2 branches. the original one in Rizal St. has grown from 2 tables to more than 10 tables. and with a lot of convincing and guarantees from hubby and i in the early years, they are now serving many other persian dishes. come to think of it, maybe Majid was making us his guinea pigs for the recipes he wanted to try selling. we made good, i guess, as 2 of our favorite dishes continue to be bestsellers.

Now, hubby and i make it a point to eat at Majid's as much as our schedules permit us. our usual order: 2 chicken biryanis, 2-4 goat kababs [depending on our hunger level], salad, hummus, loobia and whatever drink we fancy for that day.

so, for all of you who strangely still do not know of this place which is already a landmark in davao, visit Majid at J. Rizal Street [in front of Rizal Promenade]. Tell Majid i sent you. So he will love me more than he loves hubby. ha! ha! ha!

a WOK in BANGKOK

2009-06-16T23:37:00.009+08:00

i was never a fan of thai food but my husband adores it. he has been in constant pursuit of the genuine thai taste since i can't remember. and up until he set foot in Bangkok, that eatery in boracay, in station 1, wins hands down. well, as i said, that was until he set foot in Bangkok. now, he has yet to find something which will at least come close to the food he sampled in the food stalls of Bangkok.

so for dinner tonight, we went to BANGKOK WOK, the newest thai restaurant in davao city. it was quite far from where we live, situated in Robinson's Cybergate mall. As we waited for our orders to arrive, i noticed how the set-up of the place was well thought out. the air conditioners were out of sight, there were laptop charging stations right under your seat and out of your feet's way. and i was surprised to find bag hooks under the table, which rendered my cutesy bag hanger useless. =D

i can't recall all the names of the dishes we ordered but pad thai stood out because i see that dish in every menu card featuring thai fare. it was my first time to try it and i was quite looking forward to it as i love anything with noodles.

hubby ordered the usual tom yum goong, beef sate and a steamed sea bass dish that he thought would be swimming in soup. we also had their sampler of appetizers.

the verdict:

the appetizer sampler did not whet my appetite, the soup left a sour taste in my mouth [pun intended] and the pad thai sauce was too overwhelming. hubby devoured the beef sate because he was already hungry. though he was not happy about the sea bass not swimming in soup, i loved it as the fish meat was tender and so infused with davao's native lime, which we call dayap.

as i am not a thai food connoisseur, i can't say if BANGKOK WOK serves authentic thai food or not. but judging from my hubby's unfinished plate, it seems a long way from Bangkok, Thailand.

the service was good though, the wait staff were friendly and seemed to know about their food enough to give descriptions and make recommendations.

all in all, i think it's worth trying out the other dishes in the menu list. but i will not go back there with kids again. Guela ended up playing and running around. we had to bring her to jollibee, the sleekest [newest?] branch located in Buhangin for her usual burger steak and choco sundae meal.