Sagay Restaurant @ Casa Leticia

Casa Leticia is a cozy boutique hotel in downtown Davao City. It is situated in the heart of the city and is near a mall, several banks and other business establishments. The hotel is also home to authentic Ilonggo cooking: welcome to Sagay Restaurant!

My personal favorites at Sagay are their Sizzling Sisig and the Kansi, which is akin to sinigang. One order of kansi is good for about 3 people (well, depending on how hungry you and your companions are). The sisig could be good for 2… but it’s so good you won’t want to share!

I’m proud to say I’ve converted quite a few people already: whether living in Davao or coming in from out of town, these friends always look forward to the sizzling sisig at Sagay.

If you’re a fan of soups and seafood, you must try Sagay’s Imbao Soup (”imbao” is how we call clams down South). The thin, garlicky broth can really open up your taste buds. And the boiled clams can provide a rich contrast to other dishes in your meal.

Of course, no self-respecting Ilonggo restaurant can exist without batchoy. Sagay’s own Batchoy is delightfully tasty and its flavor approaches the real thing. I’ve been to La Paz, Iloilo, where this dish originated, so I can say with enough confidence that Sagay’s batchoy is almost as good as the original. (They say that it’s the kind of cooking apparatus needed for batchoy that gives it that distinct La Paz taste.) One order could be good for two, especially if you’re having other items on the menu.

According to the waiters, other popular entrées are the Kare-Kare and the Crispy Tadyang. Either order is good for 2 to 3 people. I must warn you, though: these dishes are not for the faint of heart!

For dessert, don’t miss out on their famous Durian Pie. The owners of Casa Leticia grow their own durian, so you can be sure they don’t sell you short on ingredients. For durian eaters, the Sagay durian pie is a highly-recommended pasalubong.

At Sagay Restaurant, you can expect good, hit-the-spot kind of food. Plus, the service is personalized, courteous and prompt.

Casa Leticia is on J. Camus St., right across from the new People’s Park. Tel.: (82)224-0501. Sagay is a rather small restaurant, so it might be a good idea to call ahead for reservations. They are open all week, from breakfast to dinner, up to 11:00 PM.

Tags: batchoy, Filipino, Ilonggo dishes

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on 13 Jan 2008 at 5:39 am 1) Caloy said …

I’ve stayed in Casa Letecia on my last three trips to Davao — ever since Marco Polo increased their rates rendering it beyond my authrorized per diem for lodging… At any rate, I found Casa Letecia a very good and adequate replacement. It is sooo clean, cozy, and their customer relations is a lot better than Marco Polo.

I agree with your review of Sagay restaurant. My mother is from Negros Occidental and I have lived in Bacolod and stayed in Sagay and in Panay, so I would know good Ilonggo food. Sagay serves decent Ilonggo food. Their Cansi and Batchoy are quite good, and so are the rest of their menu offerings; even the non-Ilonggo dishes like their pastas.

I did not try their sisig, as I usually eat my Sisig in Aling Lucing’s place along the “riles” in Angeles City. Aling Lucing is given the distinction as having invented “sisig”; and she still serves it in the original pwesto in Angeles City. She now has several outlets in SM San Fernando and in Makati (and some other places in Manila) but we still prefer the smokey, gritty, al-fresco place along the “riles”. Aling Lucing is already an institution in Angeles City — with the same status as Luz Kinilaw in Davao and Tatoy’s in Iloilo.

More power to you and your blogs. Hope to meet you during our next trip to our favorite city, Davao.

From one foodie to another — warm regards..