Kadayawan is a whimsical display of Davao’s rich and diverse culture, as well as a thanksgiving celebration for another bountiful harvest. And of course no celebration will ever be complete without indulging in the city’s gastronomic delights. Here are our top recommendations for tourists and balikbayans alike: Ten-way Tuna A local go-to for the freshest catch, Marina Tuna Seafood Restaurant is famous for serving a variety of premium seafood choices in Japanese, Chinese, and Filipino fusion styles. The restaurant is best known for its 10-way tuna menu, offering different parts of the tuna served in various ways: grilled, fried, stewed, raw, on a hot plate, or as soup. Marina Tuna Seafood Restaurant’s main restaurant is located along Km. 8 Barrio Pampanga, J. P. Laurel Avenue.
They also have branches at the 2nd floor of SM Lanang Premier and along Quimpo Blvd, Ecoland. Pakfry A combination of two cooking methods (paksiw and frying), pakfry is a dish made from tuna buntot (tail) simmered in vinegar then deep-fried to a crisp. And in Davao, nobody does this double-cooked dish better than Palovince. So good is Palovince’s pakfry that it earned a most coveted spot in Chef Claude Tayag’s book, Linamnam. Palovince is located along Dacudao Avenue. ImbaoYellow Fin Seafood Restaurant is one of the city’s most popular restos, which serves a wide array of Filipino favorites a la carte and turo-turo style.
One of the stars of its menu is the imbao soup, a classic dish made of large, plump clams in a broth flavored with ginger, tomatoes, and lemon grass. Yellow Fin Seafood Restaurant’s main branch is located along Quimpo Boulevard, Ecoland. They also have branches along Torres Street, J. P. Laurel Avenue (across SM Lanang Premier) and Phoenix Lanang. KinilawWhen it comes to kinilaw (fish ceviche), Luz Kinilaw is the place to be, one of the longest running restaurants in Davao. Rising from the ashes after a fire razed the resto in 2015, this local dining institution is a go-to place for politicians and celebrities.
Who knows, when you eat here, you might be sitting next to the President! Luz Kinilaw is located along Quezon Blvd. (near Magsaysay Park). BarbecueAnother resto that needs no introduction is Colasa’s, also one of Davao’s longest standing restaurants. If you’re looking for anything barbecue, Colasa’s is the perfect place to dine in. Their chicken barbecue is arguably the city’s best. They also have great-tasting pork barbecue and other grilled delicacies. Colasa’s Barbecue is located at A. Pichon St. cor. C. M. Recto St. SutukilSutukil, which is short for sugba (grilled), tola (soup), kilaw (marinated in vinegar), is a Visayan dining concept that allows diners to enjoy fresh seafood, cooked in three different ways. Dimyum X Obrero Paluto brings the sutukil experience to Davao at affordable prices. Dimyum X Obrero Paluto is located at Sobrecary St., Obrero. Stay tuned for the second installment of this article, which features our top dessert picks. For more tips on Davao living, follow our Facebook page and subscribe to our newsletter.
