Tag Archives: filipino food

Lachi's Cheesecake

Cheesecake by Lachi’s and other October 2025 Favorites

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Our October 2025 Favorites. Super late. Oops. But forgive us as we tackle our backlogs. We have pasta, hot pot, desserts, and a refreshing coffee concoction. Our top favorite? The Mixed Berries Cheesecake by Lachi’s. Of course.

Ready? Here are our favorites from February:

  • Garlic Alfredo Pasta by The Secret Garden Cafe
  • Beef Short Ribs with Kimchi Rice by Dulce Desserts
  • Hao Tang Hotpot
  • Cheesecake by Lachi’s Sansrival Atbp
  • Lemon Espresso Tonic by Cafe de Vivre

Garlic Alfredo Pasta

First, a pasta dish: Garlic Chicken Alfredo by The Secret Garden Cafe.

We love all sorts of pasta dishes and this one is definitely one we love. The pasta is al dente. The chicken is juicy and tasty. And nothing is drowing in sauce. The cream sauce is tasty and rich but not too thick nor too much. Just the right texture and amount.

The garlic is the best part of this because it cuts through the sauce and balances the flavor of everything. And the fresh basil on top adds freshness to the dish.

The Secret Garden Cafe is located in SM Village, Bangkal. We recommend calling or sending a message ahead to reserve a spot.

The Secret Garden Cafe
Cafe, Casual Dining
23 Opal Street, SM Village, Bangkal, Davao City, Davao del Sur 8000
09086298694
Social Accounts
Price Range
PhP100.00 - PhP400.00

Beef Short Ribs with Kimchi Rice

Second on this list is Beef Short Ribs with Kimchi Rice by Dulce Desserts.

Dulce Desserts opened at a new location just a stone throw’s away from their old location. Literally just a few meter away. Same street, same building, new and bigger spot. And of course, an expanded menu with savory dishes and more options.

We have tried a few of their savory dishes and the Beef Shortribs with Kimchi Rice is our favorite. Tender and savory beef with a hint of sweetness. Spicy, fluffy Kimchi Rice. Perfect cooked sunny side egg. The mix of flavors and textures is truly delightful.

Dulce Desserts is located at CT Drive in Tulip Drive, Matina.

Featured
Dulce Desserts Davao
Cafe
CT Drive, CVA Avenue, Davao City, Davao del Sur 8000
+639178100260
Social Accounts
Price Range
PhP100.00 - PhP2,000.00

Hao Tang Hotpot

And we were able to finally try Hao Tang Hotpot.

Our friend ordered for us so we do not remember much of what we ordered but a few things stood out. First, the appetizer of Sweet Potato Chips. Thinly sliced, perfectly fried and seasoned sparsely. Second, the expansive sauce bar with way too many options. Our Editor Ria tried making her usual hotpot sauce and they had everything she loves. We also tried their own sauce mix as prepared by their servers and we recommend it to those who do not have their own favorite hotpot sauce mix yet.

We also love the Tomato Broth. Just the right mix of umami and sourness. All the meat we had looked fresh and tasted just right. The vegetables were crisp and fresh. And all the balls and dimsum tasted right. Nothing was frozen or limp in texture.

We recommend ordering the herbal tea. It cleanses the palate and gives a nice balance to the salty, spicy, umami flavors of the hotpot. And it is refreshing.

Hao Tang has a branch at Azuela High Street and at Sion Building in Juna Subdivision, Matina.

Cheesecake by Lachi’s

And we are back at our top favorite and most recommended Davao restaurant, Lachi’s Sans Rival Atbp.

We will probably never get tired of Lachi’s and we will never run out of stuff to recommend. While we love their signature sans rival, our Editor Ria’s first love at Lachi’s are their cheesecakes. It is always a treat to have cheesecake by Lachi’s. In this October trip to Lachi’s they surprised us with one of our favorites, a whole Lachi’s Cheesecake with a mix of berry toppings.

One fourth is Cherry, another fourth is Strawberry, and the half is Blueberry. The Our favorite is Cherry. The tartness is the perfect balance to the rich and creamy cheesecake. But having all three options in one cheesecake is a great idea for a dinner party with family and friends.

Other must-try cheesecakes by Lachi’s are the Triple Chocolate Cheesecake and the Matcha Cheesecake. The Durian Cheesecake is also a great dessert to try, even if you are not a durian lover.

Lachi’s Sans Rival Atbp is located at Poblacion Market Central along Bangoy Street.

Lachi's Sans Rival Atbp
Casual Dining
Poblacion Market Central C. Bangoy St, Poblacion District, Davao City, 8000
+639169841183
Social Accounts
Price Range
PhP100.00 - PhP550.00

Cafe de Vivre

Finally, our latest recommendation from October 2025 is Lemon Espresso Tonic by Cafe de Vivre.

We tried to accomplish the Davao Coffee Crawl but was just too busy. Luckily, we were able to try three spots and this one was our favorite. It is light and refreshing. It was tangy and a bit sweet. If you are a fan of citrus and coffee concoctions, this is a must-try.

Cafe de Vivre is located at the 3rd Floor of the Expansion Wing of Abreeza Ayala Mall along JP Laurel Avenue.

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Recuerdo Filipino Cuisine

Pancit Molo and other February 2025 Favorites

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We’re back with the best of February 2025. From a savory Pancit Molo by Recuerdo to sweet Bombolini by AB Bakery, we have selected our favorites from the past month.

Ready? Here are our favorites from February:

  • Pancit Molo by Recuerdo Filipino Cuisine,
  • Creamy Truffle Pasta by Paramount Coffee,
  • Kale Ceasar Wrap by Clean Cafe,
  • Biscoff Croffle by Wakeful Coffee, and
  • Bombolini by AB Bakery.

Pancit Molo by Recuerdo

First on our list is Pancit Molo by Recuerdo.

Pancit Molo by Recuerdo Filipino Cuisine
Pancit Molo

We love everything about this. The soup is garlicky and salty with just a hint of sweetness and tang. There is a good amount of dumplings with molo wrapper, tons of garlic bits and green onions. This is a great way to start your meal at Receurdo. We underestimated this and ordered only one cup of rice. But this (and the Inasal Skewers) was so good, we had to order another cup.

Recuerdo is located along Molave Street corner Mangga in Juna Subdivision.

Recuerdo Filipino Cuisine
Casual Dining, Family Style
500 Mangga corner Molave Street, Juna Subdivision, Matina, Davao City, 8000
09951140218
Social Accounts
Price Range
PhP100.00 - PhP1,050.00

Creamy Truffle Pasta by Paramount Coffee

Next on our favorites is Creamy Truffle Pasta by Paramount Coffee.

Creamy Truffle Pasta by Paramount Coffee featured with Pancit Molo as our February 2025 Favorites

This one makes us happy. Most cafes in Davao barely serve savory dishes. So we are glad to see this and other savory dishes on Paramount’s menu. And we are happy to report that this Creamy Truffle Pasta is a must-try. The sauce is smooth and creamy with just the right amount of (what we assume to be) truffle oil. It has a generous amount of fresh mushrooms. All tossed in withproperly cooked pasta. It might not be the most picturesque, but it is definitely one of the best pasta dishes we have tried recently.

Paramount Coffee has branches in Lanang, along Mabini Street in Poblacion, and inside Riverfront Corporate City.

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Davao Desserts

Davao Desserts: Favorites and Recommendations by Davao Bloggers

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Have a sweet tooth? Treat yourself to something delicious. The good news is there are a lot irresistible desserts around Davao. Bakeshops, desserts shops, food entrepreneurs, and home bakers are aplenty. Problem is it can get confusing. So we bring you here our favorites and recommendations so can better choose the best ones to suit your budget and your taste. These may not necessarily be the best Davao Desserts but we can assure you all these are personally picked and endorsed by Davao Bloggers.

Classic Davao Desserts

Let’s start off with two favorites by many who grew up in Davao City.

Davao Desserts: Butter Roll by Bistro Rosario
Butter Roll by Bistro Rosario

Plain and simple. But definitely not boring. We will never get tired of Bistro Rosario’s Butter Roll. This is Miah‘s favorite. And she shares that it is her daughter Miel’s favorite, as well. Miel can even finish off an entire roll on her own. We’re pretty sure Miel is not the only one who can finish this entire roll on their own.

We also love their cakes. We highly recommend their Mango Charlotte Cake and their pretty Ribonette Cake. These are perfect for special occasions. Or to make ordinary days special.

Bistro Rosario is open for dine in and takeout. Contact them at +6382-2217780. Follow them on Facebook at fb.com/bistrorosariodvo.

Cecil’s Bakeshoppe

Another Davao homegrown bakery that we recommend is Cecil’s Bakeshoppe.

Eclair
Mocha Cake

Nep-C of the Pop Blog picks their Eclair as one of her favorites. And we agree. It is the perfect mix of pastry, cream, and chocolate. This is priced at just P35. And it is easy to find. Just drop by any of their branches. More info below.

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Max's Rice Bowls

Max’s Rice Bowls

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Hungry? You can never go wrong with rice and classic Filipino dishes. Max’s Home of the Filipinos’ beloved fried chicken is adding more dishes to their now popular list of Max’s Rice Bowls. Whatever it is you are craving for, there is a Rice Bowl for you.

Now, you can enjoy your favorite Max’s dish all on your own without ordering an entire ala carte serving.

Max’s Rice Bowls for the Season

Summer also means Lent in the Philippines. So it is only appropriate that Max’s has prepared 4 new Rice Bowls for those observing meat abstinence.

If you are avoiding meat, the Max’s Spicy Tofu Rice Bowl is for you.

Max's Rice Bowls: Spicy Tofu
Max’s Spicy Tofu Rice Bowl has deep fried tofu cubes in a spicy mayo sauce.

Deep fried tofu cubes tossed in a special spicy mayo sauce over a generous mound of rice. It is served with a perfectly cooked fried egg. It might be too spicy if you are not into spice. This is the favorite of most Davao Bloggers. We highly recommend this.

And if you love kare-kare, Max’s has something new for you yo try.

Max's Rice Bowls: Seafood Kare-Kare
Max’s Seafood Kare-Kare Rice Bowl: Fish, Shrimps, and Squid in a creamy Kare-Kare sauce.

This dish has fish, shrimps, and squid with crispy vegetables all in Max’s rich and tasty Kare-Kare sauce. To make the experience even better, eat with their deliciously salty bagoong.

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Mang Inasal Halo-Halo Header

Mang Inasal Halo-Halo is the Creamiest

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If adobo is the Philippines’ national dish, we think Halo-Halo should be declared as the national dessert. Filipinos and tourists love to eat halo-hallo whatever the weather may be. Especially, when the sun is scorching hot. And of all the halo-halo in the entire archipelago, foodies have declared that the creamiest is Mang Inasal Halo-Halo.

Halo-halo is a popular Filipino dessert which is a rich concoction of various ingredients such as nata de coco, ube, leche flan, pinipig rice, etc. mixed with evaporated milk, all topped in crushed ice and with the option to put ube or vanilla ice cream on top. It can be said that halo-halo represents everything deliciously sweet and indulgent in the Philippines. It contains specialties from around the country. And it has many different permutations in every part of the Philippines.

Mang Inasal Halo-Halo is the Creamiest

Almost all Filipino restaurants –here and abroad — have this dessert on their menu. But one known Filipino restaurant has taken their halo halo game to the next level and they are hailed as the creamiest Pinoy Halo Halo of all: Mang Inasal’s Pinoy Halo-Halo.

Pinoy Halo-Halo by Mang Inasal.
Pinoy Halo-Halo by Mang Inasal.

Foodies all over the country agree that the generous creamy milk content of Mang Inasal’s Pinoy Halo-Halo makes it a sweet treat worthy of indulging in. The perfect amount of creamy milk harmonizes all the various ingredients together. It has made the difference and has captured not only the taste buds but also the hearts of the Filipinos and tourists as well.

“We are happy to note that our customers crave for the creaminess of the Mang Inasal Pinoy Halo-Halo,” shares Mang Inasal Marketing Director Mike Dumaual. “This milk was exclusively developed for the MI Pinoy Halo-Halo and is not readily available off the shelf,” Dumaual added.

National Halo-Halo Sarap Day

Actress Angel Locsion admits that she loves the creaminess and overall taste of Mang Inasal’s Pinoy Halo-Halo.

Mang Inasal invites you to experience the creamy goodness of their Pinoy Halo-Halo. National Halo Halo Sarap Day is on March 17.

Mang Inasal Davao stores and all Mang Inasal stores nationwide will be selling their Filipino Halo-Halo for only PhP35 for a small serving. A regular serving is priced at PhP55 only. The promo is valid only on March 17, 2019 and for dine in and take out orders only. Grab this opportunity to have a piece of this heavenly creamy Filipino dessert for a fraction of its original cost.

Mang Inasal Davao Stores

In Davao City, Mang Inasal has 11 stores:

  • Abreeza Ayala Mall along J.P. Laurel Avenue, Bajada; Business Hours: 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
  • Bolton Davao located at the corner of Bolton Street and Rizal Street; Business Hours: 7:30 am – 11:00 pm
  • CWC Agdao located at DCWCI Lapu-Lapu Street corner N. Torres Street; Business Hours: 9:00am-8:00pm
  • Felcris Magsaysay at Felcris Supermarket Inc. along Magsaysay Avenue; Business Hours: 10:30 am – 7:30 pm
  • Upper Ground Floor of Gaisano Grand Mall Buhangin, Buhangin Road, Buhangin; Business Hours: 10:00 am – 9:00pm
  • Ground Floor of Gaisano Mall Davao along J.P. Laurel Avenue; Business Hours: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
  • Upper Ground Floor of Gaisano Mall Toril along Lim Street, Toril; Business Hours: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
  • Skylite Arcade along Ilustre Street corner Duterte Street; Business Hours: 8:00 am – 11:00 pm
  • San Pedro Street corner Bangoy Street; Business Hours: 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
  • 2nd Floor of SM City Davao along Quimpo Boulevard, Matina; Business Hours: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
  • 3rd Floor of SM Lanang Premier along J.P. Laurel Avenue, Lanang; Business Hours: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
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Mang Inasal Davao celebrates Pambansang Araw ng Chicken Inasal Header

Mang Inasal Davao Celebrates Pambansang Araw ng Chicken Inasal

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Confession time: Who goes to Mang Inasal for the unli-rice and the chicken oil? Right? But let’s be honest the unli-rice and the awesome oil tastes even better when they are served with the country’s most popular Chicken Inasal. Whether you love Mang Inasal for their chicken or the unli rice and chicken oil, you have even more reasons to eat at Mang Inasal this Saturday. Mang Inasal Davao and Mang Inasal stores nationwide will be celebrating the Pambansang Araw ng Chicken Inasal.

Pambansang Araw ng Chicken Inasal

This Saturday, gather your squad members and celebrate Pambansang Araw ng Chicken Inasal together. On January 26, 2018, Mang Inasal will have a one-day promo.

Mang Inasal Paa Meal
Mang Inasal Paa Meal

Enjoy any Chicken Paborito Value Meal (PVM) with a P15 discount. There are two PMV meals: PM 1 Paa (Chicken Leg) and PM 2 Pecho. All PVM meals come with a cup of rice. And of course, you have the option to have it with unlimited servings of rice.

This promo is available for dine-in and takeout transactions for one day only. You can get the deal at Mang Inasal Davao stores and other Mang Inasal stores nationwide.

Pambansang Araw ng Chicken Inasal Promo of Mang Inasal
Pambansang Araw ng Chicken Inasal Promo of Mang Inasal

Mang Inasal Brand Manager Schubert Quilinquin shares “It’s our way of thanking our customers for their loyal patronage over the last decade and a half, while at the same time, inviting new customers to come to our stores and taste our best-selling grilled chicken.”

Mang Inasal Davao Stores

Pambansang Araw ng Chicken Inasal is part of Mang Inasal’s 15th Anniversary Celebration. Mang Inasal was established in 2003 and no has over 500 stores nationwide.

In Davao City, Mang Inasal has 11 stores:

  • Abreeza Ayala Mall along J.P. Laurel Avenue, Bajada; Business Hours: 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
  • Bolton Davao located at the corner of Bolton Street and Rizal Street; Business Hours: 7:30 am – 11:00 pm
  • CWC Agdao located at DCWCI Lapu-Lapu Street corner N. Torres Street; Business Hours: 9:00am-8:00pm
  • Felcris Magsaysay at Felcris Supermarket Inc. along Magsaysay Avenue; Business Hours: 10:30 am – 7:30 pm
  • Upper Ground Floor of Gaisano Grand Mall Buhangin, Buhangin Road, Buhangin; Business Hours: 10:00 am – 9:00pm
  • Ground Floor of Gaisano Mall Davao along J.P. Laurel Avenue; Business Hours: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
  • Upper Ground Floor of Gaisano Mall Toril along Lim Street, Toril; Business Hours: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
  • Skylite Arcade along Ilustre Street corner Duterte Street; Business Hours: 8:00 am – 11:00 pm
  • San Pedro Street corner Bangoy Street; Business Hours: 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
  • 2nd Floor of SM City Davao along Quimpo Boulevard, Matina; Business Hours: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
  • 3rd Floor of SM Lanang Premier along J.P. Laurel Avenue, Lanang; Business Hours: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
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