Food and Restaurants in Davao

[Mike J]

On 9/25/2019 at 7:42 AM, Tommy T. said:

One New York well done, one tenderloin  medium and one more medium rare. They were all cooked properly and all came with roasted potatoes... 

Tommy, we both know that "well done" and "cooked properly" is an oxymoron, 

[Tommy T.]

15 hours ago, JDDavao said:

This is the one around the corner from Tiny Kitchen? There is/was one in Matina near the new water company building (near Swiss Deli). There were two signs outside for a long while, a buffet and Coco's. I can't tell which came first.

15 hours ago, JDDavao said:

There's a new resto on Quimpo heading east just before SM Ecoland. I can't remember the name of it but it took both spaces from G-Cafe and Brother's Burgers. It looks fairly swanky for the area. I really want to try it.

I don't know about Tiny Kitchen (but I will find and try it!). I think you know the place I mean - right at the corner of the road that takes you to SM Ecoland from MacArthur Hwy. It's maybe two blocks before the water company and Swiss Deli.

Don't know about Red Corner either. You aren't missing anything with "liquid cheese sauce." I had it once at the Dugout restaurant and thought it was disgusting...

I think we did Sumo Sam and found it to be good.

We tried one of the walk-up Indian food places and it was surprisingly good - and cheap. I love Indian foods but am also a bit wary about those smaller restos. This one was busy with adults and students so thought - why not?

I went into that new restaurant you mention. It's a cafe, sort of like Starbucks, but also does some cooked dishes. It was super clean inside and modern, but the prices seemed a bit high for what they offered. I miss the Brother's Burgers place! They weren't the best, but they were decent and the place was very quiet.

Oh... and I forgot to tell you before. Next to the the Shell gas station across the street from that new resto is a place called Dexter's Pizza... L and I tried one once and it was just strange - not anything like pizza I have had - and not good. But it was cheap! Never again...

 

[Tommy T.]

13 hours ago, hk blues said:

Strangely, I'm not a fan of native chicken.  I find the taste too strong and the meat too tough.  Give me a Chooks To Go anyday!  

I can understand that, HK, nothing strange about it. Not everyone would like native chicken. I actually enjoyed that bit of gamy flavour and I guess it seemed like a nice change from the amped-up rather bland commercial chicken. I would not eat it every day. Maybe I am going Canoy?

L and I don't like Chooks to Go - we find it too sweet (a bit surprising since L is Filipina). We prefer some of the no-name street vendors or Uling Roasters that are more savory and less sweet especially when they are stuffed with lemon grass and some other seasonings.

I guess chicken is subjective like pizza. Maybe we should start a chicken poll for ex-pats like Dave did for Greenwich Pizza?

Edited September 26, 2019 by Tommy T.

[Tommy T.]

1 hour ago, Mike J said:

Tommy, we both know that "well done" and "cooked properly" is an oxymoron, 

Of course, Mike! I was trying to be polite....

But the one was enjoyed properly burnt as requested and the medium and medium rare were spot on.

I think you can imagine who had the medium rare?

[Mike J]

39 minutes ago, Tommy T. said:

Of course, Mike! I was trying to be polite....

But the one was enjoyed properly burnt as requested and the medium and medium rare were spot on.

I think you can imagine who had the medium rare?

I expect it was the person who knows how a steak should be cooked.    You could have saved a little money and ordered two steaks plus one peice of large charcoal for the third entree. 

[JDDavao II]

5 hours ago, Tommy T. said:

I don't know about Tiny Kitchen (but I will find and try it!). I think you know the place I mean - right at the corner of the road that takes you to SM Ecoland from MacArthur Hwy. It's maybe two blocks before the water company and Swiss Deli.

That's the place I was talking about, with the two signs. Apparently there's another branch next door to the Tiny Kitchen. Here's the Google Map for reference.

[JDDavao II]

5 hours ago, Tommy T. said:

I think we did Sumo Sam and found it to be good.

There is a Korean supermarket called HMart in Lynnwood, north of Seattle, that has a big food court. That was the first place I ever ran into the phenomenon of sushi rolls covered with sauces and crunchy bits. They do it at Tsuru in SM Lanang and they do it at Sumo Sam. I'm a purist but I do like Sumo Sam's Dynamite Roll.

I forgot to add that I was majorly disappointed by the Philadelphia Roll at Sumo Sam the other day. My wife won't eat raw fish. We order the Philly Roll because the salmon is smoked, not "raw" (smoked salmon, "Philadelphia" cream cheese, nori, rice). They changed the cheese from cream cheese to some sort of processed glop and ruined the only roll my wife and I can share. 

[Tommy T.]

17 minutes ago, JDDavao said:

I forgot to add that I was majorly disappointed by the Philadelphia Roll at Sumo Sam the other day. My wife won't eat raw fish. We order the Philly Roll because the salmon is smoked, not "raw" (smoked salmon, "Philadelphia" cream cheese, nori, rice). They changed the cheese from cream cheese to some sort of processed glop and ruined the only roll my wife and I can share. 

Yuck!!!! What a shame that they f***** that up for you and your wife! Only four simple ingredients and they couldn't produce one of those?

Now I am thinking we haven't done Sumo Sam... those dishes are not sounding familiar... But we will give it a try and definitely try the Philly Roll for a test.

Back in USA, I used to test restaurants by ordering duck. It is not an easy meat to cook, so poor chefs won't be able to do it right...

[JDDavao II]

2 minutes ago, Tommy T. said:

Back in USA, I used to test restaurants by ordering duck.

Just like I test bars by asking for a martini. In Tagbilaran City, at a hotel that billed itself as a convention center, I asked for a martini. The waitress came back empty-handed and asked me, "Dry Martini?" I said, "Yes." She brought back a small glass half-filled with vermouth. It came from a Martini and Rossi Dry Vermouth bottle you see...

[Tommy T.]

1 minute ago, JDDavao said:

Just like I test bars by asking for a martini. In Tagbilaran City, at a hotel that billed itself as a convention center, I asked for a martini. The waitress came back empty-handed and asked me, "Dry Martini?" I said, "Yes." She brought back a small glass half-filled with vermouth. It came from a Martini and Rossi Dry Vermouth bottle you see...

You are lucky... she could have just returned with an empty martini glass and asked, "Dry enough for you sir?"