Yellow Cab's Charlie Chan Pasta Made at Home

I have always liked Yellow Cab pizzas. But more than that, I also love one of their specialties, the Charlie Chan Pasta. I looked up this name online as I wondered why they would use a guy's name to label a dish. At first I thought maybe Charlie Chan is a chef who created this yummy treat. Or maybe he is the owner of the food chain itself. Turns out, he's none of the above. All that was was returned in my search results was that of a fictional character. And so I thought to myself maybe they named it after him, the character, to give it a Chinese feel because this pasta did after all, have ingredients of that origin.

I found myself wanting to hit the kitchen and see if I can make my own Charlie Chan Chicken Pasta at home. And so looking up the recipe online, I found that I could actually easily find the ingredients at any local mall! I got excited and hit the nearest grocery stacks immediately! I bought all that I needed as listed in the recipe I found at food.com.

Cello's Doughnuts and Dips in SM City Davao

Craving for something sweet doesn't happen to me everyday. But whenever it does, I find that Cello's Doughnuts and Dips is one of the things on my sweet tooth's list. It has been like that ever since I first got a taste of their varieties from the Sales Street branch, which is actually their pioneering one here in the city.

Now, this Quezon City-born brand has taken their Oreo- and cheese-flavored doughnuts and other favorites to SM City Davao where it is accessible to a much larger, sweet toothed-Davaoeño audience. It was silly because I first learned of their SM branch by seeing people in the foodcourt, which is on the 2nd floor, munching over a bunch of mini doughnuts from a very familiar, orange-colored dozen box. I thought to myself,  Cello's has probably branched out here, at SM. Otherwise, they'd have bought those from the Sales Street branch, which is quite far, and brought them all the way to a Quimpo Boulevard foodcourt to finish them off. I didn't think it was possible to bring them all the way from point a to b without emptying the box somewhere in between. And so yes, later on that day, I would find out that Cello's actually IS in SM City Davao already...and situated, ironically so, near the main entrance of the mall. I would've spotted it easily if it weren't for the stairs that was at its opposite.

La Toscana's Buy 1 Take 1 Pizza

What more can a pizza lover like me be ecstatic about than a buy-1-take-1 pizza deal! La Toscana Italian Bar and Restaurant currently offers this every 2-5PM and gives Davao a chance to get more of their finest pizzas. Just like how usual buy 1 take 1 pizzas around town go, you'd get two pizzas and pay for the more expensive one. I've already talked about how I love their place in a previous blog post and now they're making me love them even more.

Oh how awesome La Toscana's pizzas are! As soon as it reaches my table I'd practically swallow it whole. LOL! Okay, that was exaggerating...I'd rather savor in every bite I take of it but I want it hot and fresh so I usually eat it quickly. One could easily finish an entire pie and still want some more. It makes me wanna wish it's 2-5PM all day.

Annipie - More than just a cinnamon haven

Annipie is one of Davao's long-running food establishments. I find every visit to their homey branches very delightful. Even if they're usually famous for their heavenly cinnamon treats of varying flavours, Anniepie's other offerings are quite as mouth-watering. Here are some of which that I've tried..

outside seats at the Malvar Street Branch of Annipie

One of the most recent addition to their menu is the Hickory Smoked Pork Ribs. I'd give it a 10! It is incredibly tender and tasty and unbelievably affordable. Its value is definitely more than it's actual 100Php cost. After my first taste of it earlier today, I think this has become my newest reason to frequent Annipie.

Hickory Smoked Pork Ribs | Annipie

Ranchero at Abreeza

at the old Ranchero branch

Ranchero has been one of Davao's top destinations for grill and steak for as long as I can remember. I have always loved their old location at Tionko Avenue. Even if the place wasn't air conditioned, it was well ventilated and I couldn't help but enjoy the ambiance that perfectly matched their brand name. It was like being in a refreshingly ancient ranch house somewhere.

Just January of this year, Ranchero moved to a new location in Torres corner Jacinto Extension Street, which I still haven't been to yet. What I have been able to visit is their branch in Abreeza Mall, right at the 3rd floor, along those array of restaurants and coffee shops located "outdoors". And yes..I love their new place!

That feeling of being in a ranch house is still there when you're in Ranchero Abreeza. Only it got more modernized and, well, better ventilated. They did very well with the interior designing. And to stay consistent with their brand, the waiters and waitresses dress in cowboy attires complete with cowboy hats.

inside Ranchero in Abreeza

Crepelato - Davao's House of Crepe and Gelato

Gelato is an Italian frozen dessert which has become popular all over the world. In Davao, one of the places to be when craving for this heavenly delight is Crepelato - House of Crepe and Gelato.

Crepalato's branch at Mayon Street, Davao City

The latter takes pride in their homemade recipes that are both visually and gastronomically pleasing. Whenever I go there, I couldn't resist taking a shot of their array of mouth-watering gelato. And I do not get satisfied with just a single serving of it. I usually go for the unlimited package which is 199Php. This is money very well spent, I tell you! Take a look..

Krispy Kreme Donuts: Davao Outlets

More than a month has passed since Abreeza has opened and there still aren't any signs of a Krispy Kreme branch opening in it.

However, I found a couple of Krispy Kreme mini outlets on certain areas in Davao. The ones who want them badly can at least satisfy their cravings temporarily. Here's where you can get Krispy Kreme in Davao:

My G Café experience: the first of many

Whenever I get inside a coffee shop, there's a couple of things I first look for -  an Internet connection, available charging outlets, a couch. Surprisingly, coffee and food isn't necessarily on that list. This is because I don't just eat and drink but I more importantly try to be as productive as I can be while I'm in there. Plus I also just assume that the food is good in semi-expensive establishments such as coffee shops so..

G Cafe counter

Just recently, I found yet another coffee shop in Davao that suits this very qualification - G Cafe, A coffee shop found in Quimpo Blvd. which, I think, has been open for quite some time now.

Red Kimono at Abreeza

This is the first time, and probably not the last, that I'd be writing about a resto and not post photos of the food I ate. My excuse? We had to struggle with parking for about 30 minutes. It had been over 7 hours since my last meal and, as you now would be able to guess, I was so so so hungry that picking up chopsticks instead of spoon and fork was all I could do to prevent myself from engaging in a total pig out.

So, Red Kimono, yes...here are some borrowed shots from their Facebook Page..

 inside Red Kimono (we were seated at the far left area while we dined there)

Home Made Pasta - White Puttanesca

My apartment mate loves to cook. And I can't tell you enough how much compatibility we have considering that I very much love to eat. LOL! A few weeks ago, she found the urge to pick up her magic wand, that is, her cooking spoon, and I thought to myself...yeah..pasta time!

She has an incredibly large pasta cookbook stored in her mind that I didn't quite know what kind would be served this time. She cooked two types of pasta, one red, the other white. While the red one was being prepared, we were verbally daydreaming about other kinds of pasta that could possibly be made and she came to the point where she talked about how anchovies would go really well as an ingredient. I remembered we had anchovies in the fridge and her magic wand simply cast a spell on the other half of the pasta noodles and created what I would like to call - white puttanesca pasta. The lady with the magic spoon didn't actually give it that name, but I went to an Italian restaurant last week and found, on their menu, that puttanesca had similar base ingredients. Olive oil, anchovies, capers, pasta = heaven!

The taste of all these ingredients combined together made the incredibly pale pasta the tastiest I've ever had. Don't judge the pasta by its color, as many would usually do. Thanks to the lady with the magic spoon, now I'm obsessed with any pasta that has capers and anchovies! :)

Get her recipe of 'white puttanesca' from her blog post on Pasta ala Capers and Anchovies from here.

Wanna cook this dish? Here's how to make White Puttanesca from my cooking blog. 

Harley Boulevard Motor Cafe: Not Your Ordinary Burger

Harley Boulevard Motor Cafe. I first heard of this burger house in Juan Luna Street of Davao City from a friend of mine. I was told that they serve the best burger in the city and that it costs less than a hundred pesos. When it comes to food, I don't take anyone's word for anything. I go to the place and see for myself...and that's what I did exactly with Harley Blvd.

I came in there with high expectations and was totally surprised that my friend wasn't kidding about the less-than-a-hundred price. The American owner, who also was the chief cook, welcomed us to the place. He explained that the burgers would take about 20 minutes to cook because he doesn't pre-cook them beforehand. After a little chitchat, we placed our orders and a few minutes later were served with this...and were silent for the next 15 minutes for a couple of reasons..

Harley Boulevard Motor Cafe burgers

Green Coffee: Comfy In and Out

With a coffee shop situated at almost every corner and mall in Davao, one could easily say that this city is in the coffee-shop era. It's not even about the coffee anymore. The things that people do in these cozy shops range from having meetings, dining, socializing, studying(or at least attempting to), launching products, or simply hanging out with friends or a loved one. It just is the place to be nowadays, or so it seems.

The competition is tough for this kind of venture as Davao is filled with coffee shops. It has even become tougher as one prominent brand has had its franchised branch open at the city's newest mall. A recently opened coffee shop in Torres named Green Coffee seems to understand this competition very much as they have built their place like no one else has in town - they air-conditioned both the in and outside of their place keeping 'coffee lovers' comfortable no matter where in the place they're seated.

inside Green Coffee

What I love about coffee shops is being able to have that feel of being away from home yet at the same time being able to bring 'home' with me. I'm not sure if that made any sense at all. Lol! I just love coffee shops that give me that homey feeling even when I know I'm not at my own home. That's what Green Coffee gives me. Good food. Very nice place.

Abreeza Davao List of Food Shops

Just when I have decided to go on a food trip hiatus for a little while, here comes a bunch of food stores opening in the new Abreeza Mall tomorrow...

Here's a list of Abreeza Davao food shops which are new in the city that you guys will be seeing come May 12...

Teriyaki Boy
Wendy's
T.G.I. Fridays
Bread Talk
Starbucks
Max's
Taco Bell
Burger King
Dairy Queen

Talk about food trip hiatus...NOT!


Update: I haven't seen Wendy's, Taco Bell, Burger King, and Dairy Queen up until now(June 2011). There's still a lot of unopened spaces in Abreeza though so there may be a chance of these stores opening later.

La Pizzeria Nel Tralizzio: Home to My Fave Meatlovers Pizza

On this blog's banner, you'd find a pizza. This might just give you the idea that I am a huge fan of it. And YES, more than anything, I am a pizza lover! When I was a kid, my favorite food from the school canteen was, well, for the lack of a better term, the pizza. As I've grown to be an adolescent, more restaurants have opened in Davao and, to my utmost delight, many of them served..wait for it...pizza! And even up to now, you could still bring me to a pizza buffet (if there is any), and I shall not get enough of it. It's my ultimate comfort food. Sometimes, it wouldn't even matter what place you'd take me to, or what kind of pizza they'd serve. I'd take even the simplest type of pizza any day.

  the front counter at La Pizzeria with the brick oven right at the center

La Pizzeria Nel Tralizzio in broad daylight

There is, however, one place that gives me what I like to call pizza nirvana. It's called La Pizzeria Nel Tralizzio, a pizza and pasta house situated right in between Bistro Rosario restaurant and Cups and Lowercase coffee shop at Torres St., Davao City. La Pizzeria's Meatlovers Pizza is simply the most awesome I have ever tasted. Believe it or not, I usually eat half of this entire 15-inch goody all by myself.

 La Pizzeria's Meatlovers Delight Pizza with extra Mozzarella Cheese

Coco's Grill - One of Davao's Top Food Destinations

Dining at Coco's Grill is always a fulfilling experience. I've dined there a number of times and I haven't tasted anything that I didn't like. The pasta, the pizza, the grilled delights (the ribs), the desserts, everything is really good. The ambiance of the place will make you wanna stay longer too. It doesn't matter if you're with family, friends, co-workers, or a special someone...Coco's will give you the dining experience you always wish to have. Yes, there may be a couple of grumpy waitresses you would encounter and the bathroom isn't that grand, but hey...it doesn't necessarily spoil the great dining experience..haha! I just kinda had to get that in. Lol!

Coco's dining area @ pre-dinner time

Sankai Japanese Restaurant: Japan's fine cuisine right at the heart of Davao

My friend has been telling me how good the food from Sankai is in ages. Sankai is an authentic Japanese Restaurant located in downtown Davao. I didn't get the chance to visit the place until recently. And yes! The food is awesome! Their California Maki, in particular, is my favorite. Among all the Maki's from a couple of restaurants I've tried, they have got the best. Bigger in size. More tender. Tastier. And the mayo...just..yum!

More of Sankai Japanese Restaurant after the jump...

Pepper and Peppers: Home to my fave Beef Salpicao

I love discovering Filipino dishes being served in Davao restaurants. Most of my newly discovered Pinoy specialties usually become my favorite. Like the Beef Salpicao, which was one of the dishes served during a food tasting event at Pepper and Peppers that I was invited to a couple of months back.

Beef Salpicao, Pepper and Peppers

The Beef Salpicao is actually beef tenderloin that are cut into cubes and marinated in oyster or Worcestershire sauce, then stir-fried with lots of garlic in it. Well, I don't exactly know the exact details of how it can be cooked to achieve that incredibly tender and Pinoy flavor to it. But Pepper and Peppers Manager/Chef Chique Aportadera sure as heck does! It became an instant favorite.

Rego's Pasta Express

Just when you think you've had enough pasta, you happen to pass by Rego's Pasta Express...and you think again. Rego's offers a variety of delactable pasta choices as well as rice meals and snacks at very reasonable prices. What you're seeing below is one of their pasta choices and Glazed Chicken Lollipops. 

You would wanna order immediately after being greeted not only by their accommodating staff but also of the mouth-watering aroma of pasta being prepared in their express cooking area situated right at the entrance. As their name would stand for, the pasta gets cooked quickly. The other dishes take a little bit longer than the latter though. But quickly cooked or not, all the food we've tasted we're really good. Check out the pictures and you'll see what I mean.

A-Rego's-pasta-dish-whose-name-i-forgot and Glazed Chicken Lollipops

More photos and more of Rego's goodness after the jump...

Grub Resto Cafe: Southern Fried Chicken at its best

During my previous visits to Grub Resto Cafe, I would order their Cheese Loaf and the Grub Spaghetti and Meatballs. Whenever I'm right on time for their Pastabilities, I would take on the buffet as well. This time, however, I got to try one of the latest addition to their menu, the Southern Fried Chicken. 

Grub's Southern Fried Chicken

You would not believe how crunchy and tasty this fried chicken is! And when I say tasty, I mean tasty right down to the bones!

Krispy Kreme Donuts: the new pasalubong ng bayan

When I was a little kid, the Pasalubong ng Bayan were donuts. Clearly this blog post isn't about the donuts from that brand, which I still appreciate to this day. 

I really hate to say it but Krispy Kreme Donuts HAS sort of become the new pasalubong ng bayan (no pun intended). I hope no donut company would kill me for associating their tagline with another brand. Haha! 

I can't help it though. Among the very few times that I went to Manila, this usually is what the people from Davao expect from me as a pasalubong. And yes, the same thing goes for me when I'm the one who's expecting for a pasalubong from Manila. Hihi! When you're at a Krispy Kreme branch, people would get the damned donuts by dozens. And I even saw one carrying around 10 boxes! He must have been going for the record! 

Krispy Kreme Donuts - Valentine's Day Special