7 Best Local Eats and Treats to Try in Davao City

“There is no sincerer love than the love of food.”  – George Bernard Shaw

Filipinos’ love for food is almost universal. No trip around the country is ever complete without a gastronomic tour. It’s no different Davao City. Covering a huge area in the Southern Philippines, there is certainly a lot food to try in Davao, whether you’re a budget traveler or a lover of luxury.

Here’s my Top 7 Eats and Treats in Davao City  for  the travelers on a low (to mid) budget.

Durian

Davao City is the Durian Capital of the Philippines, it’s almost a disservice to the city to miss the “king of fruits.” Once described as the “blue cheese of fruits,” durian may not be everyone’s favorite. It can be described as sweet and creamy or pungent and yucky. The best place to find durian is at Magsaysay Park, Bankerohan, or along Torres St.

If you really can’t stand the other, there are durian-flavored candies, pies, tarts, cheesecakes, ice cream, or coffee sold that you can try, but it doesn’t really compare to the real thing.

Fruits

Hailed as the “Fruit Basket of the Philippines,” Davao is one of the producers of the sweetest fruits in the country. Must-try include pomelo, mangosteen, lanzones, and rambutan. Make sure to stop by Bankerohan / market during your Davao City stay.

Aling Foping’s Halo-halo ATBP

Another must-try in the Davao food is Aling Foping’s Halo-Halo ATBP in Matina Town Square. The stall is well-known for its unique take on the most popular Filipino dessert. Each serving is a heavenly treat of shaved mineral ice, evaporated milk and your personal choice of 6-14 ingredients.

MTS branch is open Monday to Saturday at 1:00 pm to 12:00am and on Sunday at 3:00pm to 12:00am.

Sy Bee Tin

Sy Bee Tin is a homegrown bakeshop and food house that first opened in 2006. To date, Sy Bee Tin has at least 26 franchises throughout the country. While they serve delicious and satisfying food from Filipino, Chinese and Western delicacy, their stuffed garlic bread is definitely a must-try.

Taps 

Taps has quite established itself as the breakfast capital of Davao City. Serving breakfast food all day, with fried rice (sinangag) and egg (itlog), it’s a go-to place for your “silog” cravings.

Taps already has several branches around the city, a testament that it has captured the taste of Davaoenos well.

Colasa’s Barbecue

In the Philippines, almost everything (meat, chicken, chicken feet / head, blood, etc) is marinated, skewered and grilled, barbecue is clearly a Filipino favorite treat. In Davao City, one of the standouts in the barbecue scene is Colasa’s Barbecue.  Located along A. Pichon St. (Magallanes St.), this humble restaurant may not have the best ambiance but the locals swear by the distinct taste of the barbecue sauce.

Dencio’s Kamayan

Dencio’s Kamayan is another home-grown family restaurant that has successfully become a local favorite. It is known for  their affordable Filipino food. Pork / chicken barbecue, grilled spare ribs, grilled panga (tuna jaw), sizzling bangus belly, crispy pata, and kare-kare are a few of the must-try dishes.

This is just a few of the low- to mid-range restaurants / food houses in Davao. There are certainly a lot more worth trying.