It’s called Tsatziki — a cucumber-garlic-yogurt dip that’s great with pita bread or even good ol’ Doritos.

Here are the ingredients:

• 2 cups pressed Greek yogurt
• 1 cucumber
• 4 cloves pressed garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• diced dill
• salt & pepper

To my delight, DavaoDeli.com has done rather impressively in its first 12 months. It was the star of the Davao bloggers’ food trips in the summer of this year, and thus became more popular than my other, older blogs. It was hailed as one of the Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs for 2008 by the DigitalFilipino.com Club. And, it holds a place in the Top 100 Philippine Blogs of 2008, as recognized by Ratified.org.

I thought I’d switch to a new WordPress theme to celebrate this blog’s first-year anniversary, but decided against it. While a theme change might be nice, it can be a jolting experience for regular blog readers. I wouldn’t want that — and some of my readers have said that they liked the “homey-ness” of the blog’s current design.

Instead, it’s gotten a brand new header image! I hope you like it; I made it myself. Also, I’m optimizing the site to make it perform better… but I won’t bore you with those geeky technical details.

You can be assured that Davao Delicious has years and years to come. Join me on the quest for more food that’s worth reading about. And eating too, of course!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot! A blogoversary wouldn’t be complete without some sort of gimmick, right? So here goes: The first and the last people to leave comments today will receive gift checks from me. Plus, the one who leaves the best comment will also receive a prize. These gift checks are from my favorite restaurants in Davao City. Have fun and thanks for making Davao Delicious a part of your day!

Thanks to:: Ang Dabawenyo

Khash Persian Kabab Resto Bar, owned and operated by Persians, no less. Iranians, I mean. One of them, Mehdi, hosted a dinner for a small group of bloggers last Thursday: Chattee, Jaime, Andrew, Lyle, Brendel and me.

The food is not on the level of Ziggurat in Makati, but I did come away satisfied.

Andrew and I each had the Soltani (P199), which is grilled skewered beef fillets and a longganiza-like serving of ground beef. I think the other one’s what they call kobideh. As is our habit, we took so much time on foodnography, the kababs were already cool when we finally started eating — but they were still quite tasty. A tad overcooked, I think, but that should be easily fixed. And I could tell that they took care in seasoning the meats. Also, I love the way they cook their regular rice: the consistency was just right and not soggy at all, like sushi rice.

Oh, and I really enjoyed their mashed potatoes. Moist and buttery and chunky, just the way I like it. Too bad it was only a siding on my order. Next time I’m going to ask for a lot more!

Of course, because it was a Mediterranean restaurant, I also had Hummus (P85). Unlike the mashed potatoes, Khash’s hummus is too homogenous, too finely ground. I prefer hummus that’s a bit al dente. The taste was different, too. Not bad, but not what I was expecting. All the same, we finished it all off with their generous portions of pita bread.

Another appetizer that we were served was the Torshi (P25), a mixture of marinated pickled vegetables and spices. It’s so spicy it’s perfect for opening your taste buds! One thing I really like at Khash, when they say it’s spicy, it really is hot!!

Chattee had the Joojeh (P120) — chicken fillets skewered and grilled after being marinated in saffron, lemon juice and olive oil. I’m not much of a chicken guy, but it was surprisingly good… although it tasted a bit like it was fried in margarine.

When you go to Khash, I recommend the Abgosht (P90). When served it looks like a thick brown porridge that doesn’t look very inviting, but once tasted, one order might not be enough. It’s lamb chunks, onion (and I happen to dislike onion), potatoes, chickpeas and red beans, mashed with spices. They serve it with pita bread.

If you’re into truly spicy fare like me, try their Beryani (P199). It’s mostly rice, topped with bits of chicken (or was it lamb?), and it’s actually good for 3 people. I liked it because, even though it was spicy, the flavor was still very unmistakable. Order that, plus hummus and the abgosht, and you’re all set!

That night our bill was P1,117. For a group of six people, that’s a steal. Lyle and Bren even had Doogh (P50), a flavored yoghurt drink that they said was quite good.

The restaurant is huge. There’s an air-conditioned section that could double as a sort of pub; there’s a big al fresco area, perfect for groups of 5 or 6; and there’s a two-table smoking area that’s set apart from the rest. The décor is inspired Persian, which lends more authenticity to the whole dining experience. They even have shisha, if you’re so inclined.

Khash Persian Kabab Resto Bar is located along Quimpo Boulevard (very near K1 Spa), Juna Subdivision. If you’re coming from the downtown area, it’s on the right side of the road, on the way to SM City. Tel. 297-6410. They’re open everyday, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 midnight.

More photos (taken with a Nokia N82):

Can•teen (tagline: hauz of paksiw na buntot ng bariles) prides itself in their piniritong paksiw na buntot ng bariles (P130). Roughly translated, that’s ‘fried stewed tail of tuna’. I’m sure this sounds strange to non-Filipinos. It’s like this: the dish begins as a piece of small tuna (the tail-end half) stewed in vinegar. Once ordered, they flash-fry the tuna and serve it back in the super-sour stew. Don’t miss out on this one!

The taste is simply superb. Paksiw by itself, when done properly, can leave you pining for more. But because it’s fried, the crunchiness of the skin is a delightful contrast to the tender, tasty fish meat. Add to that the spicy tanginess of the garlic-and-vinegar mix… heaven on earth!!

I was there this week with two new blogger-friends, Lyle and Brendel, who were also with us at the 2nd Mindanao Bloggers Summit. When we were in General Santos City for the bloggers’ event, I noticed that this couple seemed to be into food (and foodnography) as well, so now I have two new food-tripping comrades.

Can•teen is turo-turo style (for the benefit of those who don’t know, it’s a Filipino style of dining out: the food’s laid out like in a buffet, but you pay only for the items that you point at). The three of us also ordered adobong pusit (P40), beef with ginger (P50), tenderloin strips (P50), sari-sari (P40) and dinuguan (P40).

I normally don’t eat dinuguan except in places that I feel comfortable in, but since this place came highly recommended, I thought it would be worth trying. And I was not disappointed at all. For me, Casa Leticia’s dinuguan is still much better, but I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Can•teen’s.

The place is a simple affair, al fresco, but it’s well-maintained and the service is good. They’re located beside Pryce Gas in Pryce Business Park, J.P. Laurel Ave., Davao City. Tel. 286-1012. They’re open for lunch and dinner everyday.

Here are some food shots I took. I know, I know, they look really oily… but believe me, the paksiw, dinuguan and adobong pusit are really good!

Not all of them have titles / names, so if you’d like to try and guess what they are or where they were taken, have a go at it. These photos are in my Flickr account: click here to leave your mark!

I have a WordPress Flickr plugin installed in AngDabawenyo.com. It’s an awesome piece of programming (courtesy of, curiously enough, TanTan Noodles). All my Flickr albums (sets & collections) appear there, including the one above.

At a friend’s birthday party a few weeks ago, Leandro’s was the caterer, so I made sure to sample almost all the dishes they’d prepared. I’ve already forgotten most of the names of the food, but I’ll try to describe them for this blog’s sake.

It was a sumptuous spread of Filipino and Western fare, as well as delectable desserts. What I enjoyed the most was the spicy beef spare ribs, which had a very tasty thick sauce covered with sesame seeds. The meat was so tender it was so hard not to keep going back for seconds, thirds, and more….

Another item that had me drooling was the fresh lumpia, a mainstay in Filipino parties. Leandro’s fresh lumpia is packed with the freshest ingredients: ubod, ground pork and spices. They appeared smaller than what I’m used to, but the filling was bursting with goodness! It was so tasty I didn’t need to add gravy anymore. Also, you could tell that the fresh lumpia wrapper was made with great care: not thick but not too thin, and had a very pleasing al dente texture.

There was also lengua estofada at the party. For those who don’t know, that’s ox tongue that’s been cooked and simmered for hours, and served in a creamy brown gravy. Leandro’s lengua wiped out long before the party was over! Good thing there was more stashed away, and I was able to take home some.

I was so full after stuffing myself with the main courses that I just couldn’t have dessert anymore… So I can’t tell you about the cakes and fruit salad that were also prepared. Suffice it to say that, with Leandro’s, you can be assured of professional catering for your functions.

Leandro’s has a small restaurant on F. Torres St. (41-A Gahol Bldg., right across from Assumption Church), but I believe their business is mostly from catering. Contact them on 224-0788 or 222-5578.

Thanks to:: Ang Dabawenyo

We had the Samurai Set, which is good for two, but there were freebies plus other items from the menu that we had, so the three of us came away satiated and satisfied. The set includes strips of high-grade beef, pork, chicken wings, skewered scallop stems, tiger prawns, and appetizers. The last is a choice of several items, but what we had were kimchi and guso (a type of seaweed). A dish of very fresh tuna sashimi was also included in the set.

Each of us had a choice of soup stock — Rodney and I each had the Taiwan Mala while Chattee settled for something less spicy. The Samurai Set (as well as the Geisha Set) also comes with two free Shabu-Shabu Solo sets, and it’s a big platter of two types of noodles, vegetables, tofu, corn, fish balls, etc. All of which were tossed into the soup stock to concoct an awesome appetite-opener!

Cooking your own food at a restaurant isn’t normally my idea of fun, but at Tong Yang, where you can be sure the food is good, I enjoyed the whole experience. Of course, Rodney did most of the cooking… He commented that the beef was of a high quality, apparently because of the streaks of interstitial fat — which is what makes beef, well, to die for!

The sauces that they make available to patrons consist of the usual soy-sauce dips, as well as their very own sate mix, which goes really well with the cooked meats. I love it that they provide lots of crushed garlic and chopped chili for those who’re more adventurous with their palates.

Each of us shelled out P400, which wasn’t bad at all, considering we were very happy with the food. All except the California Maki, which wasn’t up to my expectations. Oh, the salads (also included in the Samurai Set) weren’t very good either… but not really bad.

I’ve been to Tong Yang in Davao (a franchise from Manila, I imagine) twice now, and the customer service was very good both times. The wait staff were very helpful and well-informed. (Don’t you appreciate it when the waiters know all about the food that they serve?)

Tong Yang is on Gov. Sales St., beside Chimes and Felicris Superstore. For reservations, please call 225-0270 or text (918)395-6507. They’re open daily, from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM and from 6:00 to 10:00 PM.

The Kopi Roti brand, which is an import from Singapore, is perfect for Davao, where coffee shop habitués are generally price-conscious. I think there will be more branches in the foreseeable future.

Especially that the Davao store on Jacinto Ext. has recently started offering free wifi (but they charge for power — P30/hr), they now have a steady stream of loyal patrons, including blogger cousins, Ria & Drew. Like me, my two friends are always on the look-out for good places to eat, lounge and access the Internet.

The setup at Kopi Roti, however, does not encourage lounging. Judging by their furniture, it is clear that table turnover rates are very important to them. (For those of you who don’t know, the turnover rate is monitored by restaurant owners because they’re concerned about how much they’re earning per table. Ergo, the longer customers remain at a table without ordering, the table’s statistics take a plunge.)

I absolutely love breakfast food, and for me it’s a very civilized thing to have the luxury of being able to get eggs and toast at any time of the day. Kopi Roti is now one of my favorite stops for just that. Currently, I enjoy their Set F (P108): a mug of their signature strong coffee; Kaya toast, which has butter and this coconut paste that makes you beg for more; and a shallow bowl of soft-boiled eggs swimming in soy sauce that’s surprisingly not very salty. (Somehow, though, I think tea might be better than coffee for this set, taste-wise.)

The eggs aren’t really soft-boiled as the English would recognize it. They’re cooked a different way. According to my friend Rodney, in Singapore, they prepare this dish by dipping the eggs into a pot of boiling water for a very short time — like blanching, I guess — then crack them open. (All along I thought they just break the eggs onto a scalding hot dish and voilà!)

Kopi Roti’s coffee… it’s different. It’s very strong, for one. And, it’s served with a generous dollop of condensed milk sitting at the bottom. I don’t stir it at all for fear of making the coffee too sweet. But then, the brew itself is so strong and thick. On a cold, rainy day, though, it’s the perfect beverage!

Here are some more photos I took yesterday:

In Davao City, Kopi Roti is located at the ground floor of LZ Dental Center, Jacinto Extension, past the Bangko Sentral complex if you’re coming from Quirino Avenue. The building is just after the arcade with the Central Convenience Store on the corner. They’re open daily, from breakfast to 1:00 AM.

I don’t think a guest would ever say to a host’s face that he didn’t like the food that was served. But, I think Matt did get to enjoy the food that we had that night. Speaking for myself, though, I’d say my favorite was the Baby Back Ribs. It was very tender, not too salty, and tasted heavenly. Thing is, I don’t know why they serve it with the usual Dabawenyo sawsawan (soy sauce & calamansi); it’s good as is, trust me. And one order is huge! If you’re having other dishes, one order of the ribs could be good for 3 people.

The restaurant itself is very homey, and the setting is certainly conducive for family gatherings and intimate parties with friends. The service is not bad either. It could use a little improvement here and there, but I thought the wait staff were trained well enough.

Another dish that we had was the Kalderetang Kambing, the sauce for which was clearly made from scratch (and not made from any ready-to-cook mix). But the order was disappointingly sparse — the whole time I was trying to get that hit-the-spot feeling while hunting for more meat… but I didn’t get there. Matt had some, too. It was very enjoyable seeing Matt, who comes from Texas and was in the Philippines (and Asia) for the very first time, try all the food laid out before him.

Here are more photos from our food trip with Matt, who took all the food shots here with his awesome Nikon D3 (he gave me permission to use the photos here). Too bad he wasn’t able to take a picture of the Sinubgang Panga (grilled jaw of tuna), which was a delightful treat.

Ranchero’s Grill and Steakhouse is an export of General Santos City. In Davao, it is located on Tionko Ave. corner Arellano St., very near the Bangko Sentral building. They’re open daily for lunch and dinner. Tel.: 225-1199, 226-8679.

Thanks to:: Ang Dabawenyo

To be honest, I’m not such a big fan of fast food, but Chow King’s Lauriat meals are not only tummy-filling, but palate-satisfying as well. It was so good, I thought I’d have seconds… but one was actually quite enough.

The lumpia, though, isn’t my favorite at Chow King. I prefer the Sweet & Sour Pork Lauriat.

But what I truly enjoy at any of their outlets is their Congee. I guess many, many other people do too, because half the time I try to order it, it’s out of stock!

Here are a few photos of the organizers and volunteers of WordCamp Philippines last 6 September 2008, enjoying Chow King.

(This is not a paid post, and neither is this part of the sponsor’s entitlements.)