De Boerderij Bar And Restaurant, Davao City.

[Markham]

If you ever come to Davao then I do recommend you pay a visit to "De Boerderij", Dutch for "The Farm", which is almost opposite to NCCC Mall on MacArthur Highway. It's a cosy little place with rustic decor - old copper cooking pots, farm implements and even a Victorian brass coal scuttle are suspended from hooks on the ceiling and around the walls.

The bar stocks the full range of San Miguel and Asia Breweries beers along with some selected imports including Guinness, Old Speckled Hen, Czech Budweiser, Abbaye de Oudkerken (Belgian Abbey) and Grafenwalder Strong - an 8.5% German beer. Most of its imported beers cost less than Php200 except for Duvel, a strong (8.5%) Belgian beer which is Php250 for 320 mls. The prices for its local beers ranges from Php40 for SM Gold Eagle to Php65 for SM All Malt Premium; SM Pilsnen and RedHorse are Php45. There's a decent range of spirits on optics - a rare sight in the Philippines. It also has a pretty decent wine list with many being available by the glass with vintages from France, Germany, Italy and Australia.

Food-wise, well where to begin, it's menu is very extensive and almost everything has been prepared from scratch using fresh ingredients sourced locally as well as some imports. Last night I dined on Steak and Kidney pie - a dish I'd not seen offered by any other restaurant in the country - and it was huge, good for two (but I am greedy!). The flaky pastry literally melted in my mouth and the meat filling was very generous, beautifully seasoned, moistened by a thick beef and onion gravy and cooked to perfection. The cost was just Php200 - I'd be very hard-pressed to buy the ingredients for that price! It also has a Beef, Mushroom and Ale pie which I will be having next time accompanied by Hutspot - mashed potato mixed with carrots and onions (a Dutch speciality); it costs the same. Then there's the Dutch version of Melton Mowbray pie, various German, Hungarian and Italian sausages and its signature burgers; you can even order Cod and Chips to go with your pint. Although much of its menu is distinctly European in origin, there are a few dishes that are more oriental including Tuna Kinilaw, Sateh and baked Cream Dory fillet served with rice. Unadventurous Americans may be disappointed by the lack of typical American fare although there are one or two Mexican dishes and a range of Australian and Brazilian beef steaks.

It bakes all its own bread including the buns enclosing its delicious burgers (I regularly get those as a take-away) and a dark rye bread all of which are available for retail. It also has a small range of imported, mostly canned, goods that aren't available elsewhere.

 

It attracts British and northern European Expats and Filipinos almost equally with the Expats mostly taking their positions at the bar.

Our bill came to exactly Php550 which included two main courses, beer for me and a shake for my wife and two cups of delicious hot chocolate.

My verdict: a great place to get some of that comfort food you may be missing and at a price that won't break the bank.

[Jollygoodfellow]

Website and full menu http://www.deboerderij.ph/

[Markham]

That web site is a bit out of date and, no, it's not the full menu by any means!