I Am Blogie

It’s been too long that I’ve kept Davao Delicious wallowing in blog limbo — but that’s partly because of all the travels outside of Davao that I was doing in 2010. So, to get the cooking pot stewing again, I changed the site’s theme once more (with an excellent one called CityGuide by WooThemes) and called up a few friends for dinner out.

It was a Sunday and still in Christmas season (which is unfortunately not as festive as we’d like it to be here in Davao), so a lot of restaurants were closed. Good thing the people at Hola España decided to open its doors to the dining public that day!

Hola España – bodega de vinos y deli, as you might have guessed from the name, is a Spanish restaurant in the city’s north side. It’s been in Davao (originally from Cebu) for a couple of years now, and they’re known mostly for their hams and paella. So, my friends Rodney, Christian & Bhambee and I decided to have us some of their specialties: the Paella Valenciana and Paella Negra (each is about ₱500 for the small serving, good for 2-3 people). And we also had a plate of Croquettas as appetizer. It was very filling and a joy to eat — but it would’ve been much better if served piping hot. But, the star of the feast was the Pompano dish we had.

The paellas, I’m afraid, were not up to par. The Valenciana was OK, not bad… but not exactly something that I’d eagerly recommend. The rice was cooked just right, but the shrimp wasn’t, and I couldn’t detect that wonderful explosion of flavors that I always enjoy in paella. The Negra didn’t impress any of us either. It did taste palatable after being sprinkled with lemon, though. (They gave us a side of aglio e olio for the paella, but that didn’t help. It was just mayonnaise with a little garlic…)

The dish that saved the night was Hola España’s Pompano (about ₱400+). For those who don’t know, the pompano is a marine fish that’s prized for its delicate meat. At Hola España, they serve it steamed and in a tomato-paste- and white-wine-based sauce with flavorful spices that titillated my palate to no end! I almost couldn’t stop myself from drinking the sauce right from the serving dish. This one is most certainly highly recommended.

The restaurant fashions itself as a deli, and they do sell hams and cold cuts. It was where we saw an incredibly humongous leg of ham last Christmas. The Spanish are indeed known for cured meats, so I doubt you could go wrong with Hola España’s delicacies.

They also have a wine cellar — you can see it right in the dining area, a glassed-in set of wine racks in a controlled environment. There is also a bar connected to the restaurant, called La Taverna. If you go for foreign beers (Hoegaarden, Oettinger, etc.), Hola España / La Taverna is the place to go.

The service at Hola España is better than in many other restaurants in Davao, I’m happy to say. The waiters are attentive and very helpful. In fact, it was our waiter who suggested we have the pompano together with the paella. All in all, it was a pleasant dining experience for us, especially because the place is warm and comfortable.