coffeecat's hail caesar

I have been quite busy as of late.  That's my excuse for not blogging.  Now my attempt at explaining my absence has been dispensed, let me get down to business. *laughs out loud*

Coffeecat's generous serving of Ceasar Salad

I have been trying to eat healthy lately and in pursuit of the healthy food, I scoured the city for some great tasting healthy eats.  As hard as it is to find great tasting healthy food, I still was able to find a few good choices.  One of them is Coffeecat's caesar salad which they call Hail Caesar.  I really love their version of this classic salad.  They have an option to put grilled chicken on top, which is how I always order it.  This is a well-made salad recipe, from the choice of lettuce (if I am not mistaken they use iceberg lettuce) to the complementing grilled chicken.  Even the amount of bacon bits and parmesan is just enough.  The highlight of the salad, however, is the dressing.  I love that I can really taste the anchovies and garlic in the egg yolk-based creamy dressing.  I also like that it is not runny.  If I have to nitpick, I'd say they can improve the croutons that they used.  I am sure they can find a good local-made Italian bread for that.  Other than that, I think this is a winner whether one is on diet or not. 

Price: P145.00 plus P40 if you want it with grilled chicken.

Coffeecat is located at the Primeland Bldg, Filandia IT Center (former Venue Compound) and I think in Cebu at the AsiaTown IT Park in Lahug.

picobello's risotto al funghi

It has been a long while since I visited Picobello and so when the opportunity came up to be in Gaisano Ilustre with time to spare, I immediately made a beeline to the first somewhat authentic Italian restaurant I have ever been to.  Picobello's pizzas have always been great and nowadays Picobello's brick oven-baked pizzas are very popular with pizza lovers because in the afternoon they are on sale, "buy one, take one".  But I did not come for pizza.

Risotto al Funghi from Picobello

I ordered their only risotto dish.  The one with mushroom.  I was amazed at how fast the risotto arrived at my table.  I wondered if it was pre-cooked.  As you can see from the picture above, they get zero point for presentation.  They could use a bit of basil or parsley for some color contrast.  Taste-wise however, their risotto was good.  It was well seasoned that I did not ask for parmesan cheese anymore.  The earthiness of the mushroom was the dominant flavor which was perfect with the creaminess of the risotto.  When it comes to risottos, texture is as important as flavor.  And although the speed at which this risotto reached my table suggested that it was pre-cooked, the texture made it seemed like it was not.  The gradual infusion of the white wine and the constant stirring that loosened the starch from the rice making it creamy was present in this risotto.  Their serving size was also perfect, just enough to fill my hungry tummy.  This dish made me feel at home.  I loved it.

  

tiny kitchen's albondigas con pasta

I have always associated albondigas with soup, so when I was told that Tiny Kitchen has a new pasta dish called albondigas, I was intrigued and immediately ordered it.  Their albondigas or Spanish meatballs are served with spaghetti and a creamy savory sauce.  The sauce reminds me of a palabok sauce, only milder.  Obviously, the star of this pasta dish are the albondigas.  Albondigas, unlike the cheesy polpette (Italian meatballs), has a more simple taste.  It has to be seasoned perfectly to make it stand out otherwise there will be no other flavors that will compensate, be it a lack of salt or too much saltiness.  Tiny Kitchen's albondigas were perfectly seasoned.  It's saltiness was perfect to stand out over the mild savory sauce.  It was a delightful meal and I was glad that I gave in to the suggestion.  There is a reason why Tiny Kitchen remains as one of my favorite restaurants.

Tiny Kitchen's Albondigas con Pasta

la bodeguita's angel hair pasta with chorizo

Tucked in the tiny nook that used to be Tiny Kitchen, La Bodeguita has always been under my watchful eye ever since I saw it replaced one of my most favorite restaurants when it moved to a more spacious location.  I have always wondered how different the dining experience would be.  Except for the familiar cramp space, it did not look anything like Tiny Kitchen.  Which is good, it means they have an identity of their own.

La Bodeguita's Spaghetti Fino con Chorizo

When it's my first time in a restaurant, I usually order pasta.  I love pasta and frankly a respectable restaurant wouldn't really mess up something simple like pasta.  So I ordered the most interesting pasta dish I saw, Spaghetti Fino con Chorizo, which is Angel Hair pasta topped with Chorizo and all that oily goodness which oozed from the Chorizo which was probably sautéed in olive oil.  The dish was really good and the star was the chorizo.  I was informed that they make the chorizo themselves and I must say they were able to balanced the flavor of the chorizo very well.  I was so inspired by this dish that I bought some chorizo and made my own version.  (La Bodeguita is also a deli).  If I may nitpick and suggest a way to make this dish better, probably a little more salt.  Just a little and it would be perfect.  But over all, this was a good and satisfying dish.

hog's breath

When we heard that Hog's Breath, an Australian steakhouse, opened in Davao their first-ever branch in the Philippines, we decided to try it out stat.  The family trooped to SM Lanang Premier to have our Saturday lunch there.  Upon entering, we noticed that it is really big.  It has a vibe like TGI Friday's only more spacious.  We were then ushered to one of their booths.  That's one thing I've noticed at Hog's Breath, the service was really good.  The staff were very attentive of our needs.  We ordered chicken tenders, salt & pepper calamari, crusted salmon, and smoked pork ribs.

Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard

Sald & Pepper Calamari

Crusted Salmon with Hog's Tail Fries

Smoked Pork Ribs with mashed potato and salad

I really enjoyed the honey mustard that came with the chicken fingers so much that I kept on dipping the calamari in it because the squid did lack flavor in my opinion.  The other food that we ordered weren't really bad tasting but they did fall short of my expectations.  I did not appreciate the flavor of the crust of the salmon.  They just muddled with the natural flavor of the fish.  The ribs tasted really good especially with the smokiness that permeated the dish.  Sadly though, the taste did not really penetrate the entire ribs.  Although, the well seasoned and very creamy mashed potato somehow made up for the lack-luster porcine entrée.  In fairness to the Hog's Breath, it's not all bad.  The food came in really big servings so you'll get to enjoy more of the mediocre food.

Defying common sense, we did not give up.  We still ordered dessert and I am glad that we did.  Whatever disappointments we had dissipated because of our dessert, apple crumble.  The caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream, and whipped cream that went with the dessert ably complemented the tender apples slices and the good balance of sweetness and the cinnamon taste of the apple crumble.

Apple Crumble

People should come to Hog's Breath for the good service and big servings, and of course, the Apple Crumble.  But when it comes to, let's say, ribs, I'd suggest that Davaoeños should stick with Ranchero's.

tiny kitchen's ham and cheese sandwich

It was late in the afternoon a few days ago when I decided to drop by one of my favourite restaurants  in Davao City, Tiny Kitchen.  Since I was in a hurry, I decided to just order a sandwich.  I ordered their jamon y queso or ham and cheese sandwich.

Tiny Kitchen's Jamon y Queso Sandwich

From the get go, the sandwich was amazing.  The warmth and crispiness of the lightly toasted ciabatta bread set the tone of this sandwich experience.  The first taste that introduced the sandwich on the first bite was the light sweetness of the white onion.  Then an explosion of flavours and textures joined in harmony with the onion.  The crunch from the cucumber and lettuce was perfect with the tender slices of the smoked ham and the distinctive but light note from the mustard.  The last taste that caressed my palate was the creamy melted cheese.  That was just the first bite.

Best Ever, Tiny Kitchen's Iced Tea

The sandwich may look like there's too much in it but the generous servings of the ham and its unmistakable smokey aroma was the piece de resistance of this ubiquitous snack.  Bite after bite and I was swearing that I'll only be eating just sandwich from now on.  Just this sandwich.  But I am sure men swear many things they can't follow through when they are having a bit of an orgasmic experience.  That's how this sandwich was to me, orgasmic.  And it doesn't hurt that Tiny Kitchen has one of the best iced teas around which could match toe to toe with the sandwich.

I came in to just have a light snack but I came out thoroughly satisfied.  This was a winner.

cuisine française

I'm really not familiar with French food but I must say that I am quite intrigued by it because it is much talked about on most food shows on TV.  This is why I did not pass up the opportunity to visit again the only genuinely French restaurant in Davao, Claude's le Café de Ville.

Claude's was located at the Habana Compound before but they have since transferred to a much better location, at the Oboza ancestral house.  The old house, as it would turn out later, was a very good backdrop to an unforgettable feast.

Claude's Baked Goat Cheese Salad

We started by ordering a couple of salads and an appetizer.  We had shrimps cocktail, baked goat cheese salad, and arugula salad.  I have always been a fan of arugula, so I really enjoyed the arugula salad.  The shrimps cocktail was good, too, but I enjoyed the goat cheese salad the most.  I am not a salad person but this is one of the few times that I enjoyed salad.  The goat cheese was creamy but not runny and the mango slice that went with it was a perfect combination together with the light vinaigrette and the salad greens.  We were feeling a little daring that time so we also ordered a very quintessential French food: escargot. I really did not expect to enjoy it, but I did!  The herb and cheese that flavoured the escargot was so good I forgot that I was eating snails.

Claude's Escargot

For our main course, we ordered lamb stew, rabbit stew, and pork chop.  The lamb stew which was cooked with red wine was really good.  The rabbit stew which was cooked with white wine, tasted just as good.  The rabbit meat had a very good taste and texture, just like chicken, as they always say.  But I can't just forget that I was eating a rodent.  However, the best course for the night was the pork chop (Pork Chop a la Café de Ville).  It was cooked perfectly with ham and cheese in the middle.  The  lightly sweet sauce and the slices of apple that went with it provided a sweetness that complemented the pork chop perfectly.

Claude's Pork Chop a la Café de Ville

To end the fabulous meal we were having, we ordered baked cheesecake and creme brûlée.  This was a very appropriate ending as both desserts were amazing.  The cheesecake came with three different sauces, mango, blueberry, and strawberry.  I chose the mango sauce which was, in my opinion, the best partner ever for the cheesecake.  The sweet mango was a perfect topping to a very airy and light cheesecake.  However, hands down the creme brûlée was the better dessert. I have tried making creme brûlée at home to some degree of success but I would have thought of my attempt as a disaster had I tasted Claude's creme brûlée before.  One has not tasted creme brûlée until they have tried Claude's.

Claude's Creme Brûlée

The dinner at Claude's le Café de Ville is the best dinner I had in a very long while.  The food was amazing, the service was great, and the ambiance of the old house provided a romantic backdrop to a very unforgettable meal.  Claude's just made it to the top of my favourite restaurants in Davao.

raison d'être

I love to eat.

That perhaps is one of the biggest understatement I ever made.  I actually live to eat.  I love food.  I enjoy eating.  It's not just about getting full.  It's about savouring the taste and texture of the food.  Although I really do not feel that eating is almost a spiritual thing for me, like some people, but close enough.

And I also want to share to my friends my experience.  I usually end up telling them where to dine or end up bringing them there myself.  I want people to experience and enjoy eating the way I enjoy it.

This is the reason why I am starting this blog.