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From my first time there and up to now, Picobello Ristorante Italiano has always been one of my most favored restaurants in Davao City. Their unfailingly delicious Italian dishes are a mainstay in the city’s culinary culture, and the restaurant now holds the distinction of being a gastronomic institution hereabouts. It was entirely unsurprising, therefore, [...]

Handuraw, a restaurant chain from Cebu, is now one of my favorite pizza places in Davao City. Their thin-crust pizzas are expertly made and they have various toppings that are flavorful and adventurous.

The area in Davao City called Barrio Obrero is fast becoming commercialized, what with its proximity to Victoria Plaza Mall, and a university right in the middle of it. I’ve been noticing that a lot of different types of businesses have been opening up in Obrero — Internet cafés, massage clinics or spas (on one [...]

The area in Davao City called Barrio Obrero is fast becoming commercialized, what with its proximity to Victoria Plaza Mall, and a university right in the middle of it. I’ve been noticing that a lot of different types of businesses have been opening up in Obrero — Internet cafés, massage clinics or spas (on one street there are in fact three of them!), retail stores… and lots & lots of food establishments.

A new one that I’ve tried twice in the span of a week is Barrio Bistro. The first time, as I’ve mentioned in an earlier post, I wasn’t impressed at all. Together with a couple of friends, we had their Kaldereta, Spicy Ribs, and two kinds of pizza: Barrio Pizza (their house special, I presume) and Hungarian & Onion. Only the ribs made the grade, in my opinion. So the food trip was rather disappointing.

The spicy ribs was a hearty, enjoyable meal. It was indeed spicy, and the meat was tender. And, the rice was perfectly steamed: soft, moist, with just the right stickiness — a lot of times, no matter how good the main dish is, if the rice is bad the whole meal is ruined. The kaldereta would have been good if it had been cooked with more care, and time. I definitely detected an interesting flavor that I’ve never tasted in other kaldereta recipes before.

The two pizzas we had, unfortunately, were a disappointment. They have a buy-1-take-1 promotional offer, but that’s not going to keep their customers happy if the pizzas don’t get better. The crust was just too crunchy, like crackers, and the flavor of either pizza we had was nothing to rave about at all.

But I’m not one to dismiss a restaurant just after one visit. Plus, my close friends did say their non-pizza food was good. So off I went to Barrio Bistro again for a reprise.

This time, I had Grilled Pork Chops, and my dining companions had BLT Burger, Barrio Pasta, Spaghetti Bolognese, and Ham and Cheese Sandwich. The pork chops were tasty, if a bit dry because it was obviously overcooked. But it was a decent meal — and affordable at ₱140 for two big pieces of pork chops. And the rice was still perfect. I like it when restaurants are consistent.

I had a taste of the Barrio Pasta that my friend ordered, and it was satisfyingly good. Basically, it’s spaghetti aglio e olio, but enhanced with bite-sized bits of chorizo. On the other hand, the bolognese was a tad on the salty side. I think the cook may have underestimated how salty parmesan cheese can be. It was flavorful, though, so if you like this spaghetti, don’t forget to remind them about using less salt in the sauce.

Barrio Bistro is open everyday. They serve breakfast food as well, so I suppose they open early. To get there, drive from McDonald’s in front of Victoria Plaza, straight towards Obrero on Lacson St. You’ll pass two intersections (Porras and Cervantes streets) and you’ll see the bistro on your left.

The place is not very big — to guesstimate, maybe good for a total of 20-25 people, comfortably seated. They have an al fresco area out back (good news for smokers!). The service is pretty good, too. Free wi-fi available.

Tiny Kitchen started out as a small outlet for husband-and-wife team, Vincent & Donna Rodriguez, and their handful of choice delicacies. One of the first that they introduced was the Gourmet Tuyo — dried fish bottled in olive oil and garlic. They also started operating a modest bakery, since Vince is in fact a baker. My mom is a huge fan of their Ciabatta and the Rosemary Focaccia Bread.

Today, despite its small size, Tiny Kitchen is a gastronomic giant in the eyes of their patrons. The dining area can accommodate only about 16 people, but a lot of folks — like Christian (who took the photos here) and myself — often order out. So that means they’ve developed a separate niche clientèle of people who go there to order bring-home items. Another thing my mom often asks me to buy there is pesto cream, which they make without salt, so you can season your dishes to taste.

This mom-and-pop shop offers a mix of Italian, Spanish and Filipino cuisine. They have a fine selection of pastas, such as the Catalonia Penne (₱190), which Vince’s kitchen prepares by cooking the pasta and the sauce separately, then cooking them together once over. There are other pasta dishes that deserve two thumbs up: Chorizo Tomati (₱175); Gourmet Tuyo Pasta (₱140), which is a must-try; Paella Fideos (₱185), which Donna tells me is the pasta version of paella; Verdura (₱185), a vegetarian pasta dish.

Talking about paella, Tiny Kitchen’s Paella Valencia is absolutely delish! I’ve had it and the rice was perfectly steamed and cooked in their secret sauce (Vince has his own recipe). And it’s a complete meal in itself, with generous helpings of fish (malasugui), tangy shrimp, succulent squid, crab, and sweet-tasting red & green bell-peppers. The fish chunks I truly enjoyed because it was moist and tasty — malasugui (black or white marlin) tends to dry out if not cooked well. The small paellera (₱410) is good for 3 people (possibly 4 if you have other orders). They also have Paella Mariscos and Paella Negra.

Eating at Tiny Kitchen gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling that you get only from home-cooked food. Their waitstaff are well-versed in their wares and look like they’re part of a happy household. Many of their dishes do have homemade ingredients. Take their chorizos, for example: they make their own and it’s mouth-watering, I tell you!

Two of my favorites are their Caldereta Español (₱225) and the Salpicao en su Salsa (₱240). The beef caldereta is obviously simmered for hours, because I could even eat the bones they were so tender and crunchy. The salpicao is not as spicy as I normally like it, but its rich sauce offers an undertone of French cuisine — Vince reveals that he cooks it with white wine. The first time I had their delectable salpicao, I couldn’t help but eat more rice than I should have!

They have pizzas, too. What I want to try next time I’m back is their Ming’s Blush Special, because they prepare it with blue cheese from the Malagos Farmhouse.

Let’s hope that Vince & Donna decide to open a more spacious restaurant someday soon. In the meantime, with only 5 tables, I suggest you call ahead to reserve for lunch or dinner. Their landline number is 305-9232.

Tiny Kitchen is open Monday to Saturday, from 10:00am to around 9:00pm (last order at 8pm). On Sundays, the dining area is closed, but their takeout counter for frozen items, bread and pastries is open from 11:00am to 6:30pm.

A few pizzerias have opened up in Davao since last year, and I’ve tried them all, but I’m afraid to say that none of them have made the grade, so to speak. When I ate pizza at those new places, I felt like I should’ve gone to Pizza Hut instead…

But there’s one, which opened only last 11 December 2010, that’s gotten my attention. Together with hubby-and-wife team, Moe & Hannah, and having been told by another friend that the pizza at this newest (so far) place was good, I went to Pizza Pamilya for a taste test.

I loved it!

(Of course, my favorite pizzas are still the ones in Picobello and one or two flavors in Pizzaoilo at the Waterfront Insular Hotel. But I like to think that these are different places that cater to different tastes, so there’s really no need to compare.)

The three of us shared a hefty dish of Spaghetti Meatballs (₱230) and a Pizza Milano (₱350) — the portions are ample, I must say. Since we had pizza as well, the spaghetti was actually good enough for the three of us; and it had plenty of big meatballs, too. The spaghetti was choc-full of garlic chips (which I love) and seasoned just right. They cooked it with fresh tomatoes, and that made it magic! The only thing I didn’t like about it was the bread. It would’ve been perfect with a few slices of buttered french bread instead…

Their pizzas are hand-tossed and brick-oven-baked, as you can see in the photos. Too bad I didn’t have a good photographer with me: I couldn’t take a good photo of the pasta chef throwing the dough. (Ahem! Christian? Rodney? Chattee? Next time, ok?)

All of their pizzas come in one size, 14 inches, and they’re all “semi-thin” crust, as they put it. Just the right size, if you ask me. I think the idea is, since they’re not expensive at all, you can order two different flavors in one go — or three if you’re a big group.

They haven’t perfected the crust yet, though. When Moe, Hannah and I were there, they had to redo the pizza because our pie came out with a whole in the middle. They didn’t serve it that way, no. We only found out because we met the managing owner and he apologized for the delay. We were only too happy to wait, and it didn’t take very long anyway. When we had it, the Pizza Milano was really good, although the crust fell apart on us. I think it was the egg that did it in. Or the generous amount of mozzarella.

Their level of customer service is commendable, I’m happy to report. The waitstaff were all courteous and attentive. Maybe it was because by the time we got there there were only a four or five tables occupied, but it did seem apparent that the owners took care to train their staff.

Pizza Pamilya is open everyday from 11:00am to 10:00pm. The place is quite big (but a tad too brightly lit, in my opinion), and as the name might suggest, perfect for bringing the whole family for lunch, merienda or dinner.

Look for this pizzeria along J.P. Laurel Avenue, corner of Bacaca Road, just shy of Abreeza. They have free wifi, by the way, but only up to 5:00pm. Daniel the manager mentioned that they’re also planning on opening up an al fresco area on the roof deck, hopefully in time for Valentine’s.

Buon appetito!!

The chic yet cozy ambiance, and the Australian-inspired touches… The tasty pasta and waffles (which they call “jaffles”)… The friendly and capable service… The heavenly coffee! All that, and a bit more, in one delightfully inspired package called Jose Rafael Fine Coffee.

The first time — and up to the 4th time so far — that I had their Long Black (₱65 for the single), I was tremendously impressed by the way they brew their coffee. “Long Black” is what Australians call what we commonly know as the Americano blend. Their espresso base is very aromatic, full-bodied, and leaves a chocolatey but clean after-taste, hence the perfection in their various café offerings. I’ve had their latté as well, and it was quite an enjoyable drink!

It is obvious that the proprietors and staff of Jose Rafael take great care in roasting their beans and in brewing their coffee blends, and knowing this adds to the whole experience. Now I have one more in my list of favorite coffee shops in Davao City, and it could very well be #1.

The décor and the furniture, as well as the tableware, are very pleasing at Jose Rafael. The only problem is, the place is rather small, with a comfortable seating capacity of only 20 or so. It’s a plus, though, that they have an al fresco lanai with snug couches, perfect for a group of four or five friends. I also love the big glass windows with wooden frames, which give the place a warm attractiveness.

Looking at the menu, you’ll see the modern Australian influence I’ve mentioned — this is presumably because the owners, who’re Filipino, are living in the land Down Under. They have Sydney-Style Eggs on Toast (₱50 for the 1-egg order; ₱90 for two), which is perfect for breakfast or for an afternoon snack. The scrambled eggs are prepared with cream and herbs, and you absolutely have to try it because this dish goes very well with Long Black coffee.

So far, I’ve been able to try their pasta dishes, which were both lovely: the Creamy Fettuccine with Salad (₱120) and the Puttanesca with Salad (₱120). But there was a nostalgic surprise for me when I found out that they also serve one of my all-time favorite Filipino snacks, lug-lug. They call it Oz Palabok (₱45, petite; ₱100, meal). The staff said that it’s the owner’s favorite, so that even if it’s not really an Australian dish, they decided to include it in their menu. And I’m glad they did! The flavor is reminiscent of good growing-up memories.

Jose Rafael Fine Coffee is open everyday, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 AM. They’re in Lanang, right outside the entrance to Insular Village Phase 1, sandwiched between the Monterey Meat Shop and ChinaBank. Tel. 305-5698.

It’s rather removed from where I usually find myself around town, and very far from where I live, but I’m sure going to make it one of my regular haunts from now on. Of course, they have free wifi.

Finally, one more café in Davao that offers truly fine coffee!