Davao: A Gourmet Haven

CEBU, Philippines - I have not been to Davao in a long time, although my honeymoon in the mid-70s was spent in Batangas-Baguio, then in Davao with a day trip to the newly established Pearl Farm in Samal Island. I visited Davao a number of times since then, but not in the last two decades! Hence, I was looking forward to my trip there upon the invitation of Seda Abreeza Hotel, an Ayalaland affiliate, in partnership with the Floirendo group. I was astounded by the cosmopolitan ambiance of today's Davao, its clean avenues, its peace and order!

From day 1, our Davao trip was all about eating. Right after check-in, we had a taste of the offerings of the newly-launched Seda Executive Lounge where we had a late breakfast—of  sweet pomelo, plump papaya, delicious mangoes and juicy pineapple. We then remembered that Davao is the fruit basket of Mindanao.

After formally meeting the dapper Seda  Abreeza hotel manager Ken V. Kapulong & the nurturing  Seda Abreeza communications manager Nel L. Ruiz (separate article on the hotel to follow),  we then walked over to the huge Abreeza Mall next door (separate article on the mall to follow).  After touring the upscale shopping complex, we had a sumptuous lunch at Ranchero Grill —a popular Davao restaurant with "Mindanao-grown food concept."

Abreeza Operations Manager Luigi Escano ( w/o the ñ), our host, summed it all up when he shared: "I am from Luzon but have taken roots in Davao. When my town mates would ask about my migration, I would counter—is there any other place where you can eat blue marlin and deep sea crabs every day? That's why I have lived here ever since!"

True enough, we had malasugi ceviche, along with a piquant soup with tender pieces of goat meat sinampalukang kambing and a plateful of the bounty of the Davao seas accompanied by tender steak slabs. As Davao has vast pasturelands, beef and cow/goat milk are fresh and available.  So are forest harvests like wild ferns for salad. Blessed with a fecund volcanic soil due to the presence of majestic Mt. Apo, Davao's flora and fauna are one of the country's most diverse, as well as they are large and plentiful.

A visit to world-renowned local cheese and chocolate artisan Olive P. Puentespina was an afternoon of excellent cheese and wine pairing. Her refreshing chevre (queso blanco or what our grandmas used to call queseo) goat milk cheese pairs very well with a topping of pure honey (or with freshly made jam) and chilled chardonnay or, as what my friend Kenneth prefers, sauvignon blanc. Of the fermented varieties, I went for the  local camembert that Olive calls La Marea.  This went spectacularly with a good merlot.  I also loved the Rustico more than the Peppato, which is flavored with peppercorn.

On the second night, I excused myself from the Seda dinner and went on a gourmet walk downtown with my Davao connection—young adventurous gourmand Kenneth Irving Ong.  We picked up a slice of gourmet artisan cheesecake of blue cheese, figs and walnuts at Osvaldo's in Paseo de Legaspi on Pelayo St. The venue itself is worth a visit—a heritage house resembling a cake confection with its intricate façade. On foot we proceeded to Cellar de Oboza, two blocks away on Rizal St. , where we had tapas with our bottle of excellent red wine: Boca steak empanada (chunks of curried Angus beef), beef salpicado, gambas , shrimps ceviche (sooo sweet!) and shrimps in crab roe. I felt so sinful just hours after attending the anticipated Mass at the Redemptorist Chursch, beside Abreeza Mall!

Before we left for the airport, we were each given a 5-kilo box of their Nenita brand sweet pomelos.  Courtesy of Ken, Nel and the commendable Seda Abreeza staff. As I also took home some frozen Boca empanada for my foodie family to taste.

My lingering impression of Davao is in gourmet whiffs. (FREEMAN)