Davao

[quote=goodenough]the notion of "filipino cuisine" is somewhat of an oxymoron as this country has arguably the worst food in asia and (my opinion), some of the worst in the world. filipinos favor lots of sugar added to almost everything and no spices, so almost everything is totally bland, saccharine-sweet, and other than the sugar, utterly tasteless. the food is total crap. having said that, if you're absolutely determined to force the stuff down your throat, there are literally hundreds of "eateries" and ihaw-ihaw (barbecue) places rep001tered all over every city. it doesn't matter much which one you choose as it all tastes the same. disgusting.

ge[/quote]ge,

ths is disappointing news. i knew “filipino cuisine” was not up to the level of thai, indian or the many cuisines of china, but i was looking forward to tasting it anyway. how bad could it be?

sitting here in south florida, planning my trip, the best info i have (beyond the forum) is what i see on the travel network i.e. anthony bordain’s “no reservations”, andrew zimmern’s “bizarre foods”, and occasionally restaurant reviews in unlikely sources like the wall street journal (check out “there, somewhere, is a quality filipino cuisine” by john krich article in wsj 2004)

i respect your opinion and knowledge of the philippines, but it is my nature to dive on in. at least i am forewarned.

thanks

[quote=goodenough]the notion of "filipino cuisine" is somewhat of an oxymoron as this country has arguably the worst food in asia and (my opinion), some of the worst in the world. filipinos favor lots of sugar added to almost everything and no spices, so almost everything is totally bland, saccharine-sweet, and other than the sugar, utterly tasteless. the food is total crap. having said that, if you're absolutely determined to force the stuff down your throat, there are literally hundreds of "eateries" and ihaw-ihaw (barbecue) places rep001tered all over every city. it doesn't matter much which one you choose as it all tastes the same. disgusting.

ge[/quote]ge,

i tend to agree with you as i sample some here in the uae, bland mostly but i think it is ok at tiems. but then i like sausages and mashed potatoe. and i am british and that tends to disqualify me from opinions on food.

but i know the other filipina food. pussy. tastes very sweet and is delicious and plentiful.

Except all the other places mentioned here you could try Gerrys grill in Gaisano mall. Their tuna sisig is decent.

I agree with GE. Maybe not as radical opinions as GE, but it IS hard to find good domestic restaurants in Davao. I had my worst meals ever in Davao. Maybe with the exception of a card board pizza slice in Prague once that. This slice was perceived as a joke by most guest. Hidden camera joke, but no one rushed out to tell us to smile at the camera.

Good thing 99.9% of the pinay girls are 100% food conservative and consider rise with soy sauce a culinary adventure. If not they would all be suicidal from the lack of choices. Or is this perhaps one of those hen and egg problems?

Barba

[QUOTE=Natty Bumpo]GE,

Ths is disappointing news. I knew “Filipino cuisine” was not up to the level of Thai, Indian or the many cuisines of China, but I was looking forward to tasting it anyway. How bad could it be?

Sitting here in south Florida, planning my trip, the best info I have (beyond the forum) is what I see on the Travel Network i.e. Anthony Bordain’s “No Reservations”, Andrew Zimmern’s “Bizarre Foods”, and occasionally restaurant reviews in unlikely sources like the Wall Street Journal (check out “There, Somewhere, Is A Quality Filipino Cuisine” by John Krich article in WSJ 2004)

I respect your opinion and knowledge of the Philippines, but it is my nature to dive on in. At least I am forewarned.

Thanks[/QUOTE]I encourage you to dive in and your opinions may be totally different than mine. I know guys here who love the food. My tastes are, I know, conditioned by living in France and by my love of and admiration for Thai and Vietnamese cuisines. The one dish that is indigenous to the country that I can tolerate and even enjoy is kinilaw, which is sort of a local sashimi--as to the rest: the pancit, adobo, lechon, halo-halo,etc.--it's just tasteless to me, unless overwhelming dosages of sugar count as taste. There's a reason that diabetes is epidemic in this country and getting ever more prevalent.

On to the topic of decent food, last night we went to De Bonte Koe (Henny's) where I had the smoked marlin appetizer followed by a very good steak tartar, and she had the house salad with salsa dressing and a sirloin steak. Both were delicious, and we ate outside with another American whom I had not met before.

After dinner, we strolled over to Claude's (Cafe de Ville) where she had the Pana Cota, and I had a new chocolate and fruit cake combination, a double espresso and a Calvados. The deserts were luscious, delicious, and totally satisfying. Claude's daughter Celina was managing the restaurant last night, and as we were eating outside, she pointed out out to me the Cafe menu, which I had never seen before. I never realized that Claude offers a substantial brunch, including crepes of various kinds (including Suzettes), a raft of salads, sandwiches on baguettes, croque monsieur et madame and hamburger a cheval. We will surely return to sample these offerings, and I'm thinking that I can call ahead to order some of the sandwiches and send my driver over to pick up lunch one or two days a week.

I had never sat outside at Claude's before, and with the music flowing in from Chico's next door, and the upscale crowd flocking to Chico's, to Claude's and to the small Italian place right down the lane from Claude's the ambiance was quite pleasant. I could have sat there for lots longer, enjoying the music, the Calva and the coffee. I guess even after six years here, there's still something about the place for me to learn.

GE

...is Bicol Express. A spicy, stir-fried curry dish. Can be beef or chicken, or even shrimp. Not many restaurants with Filipino specialties on the menu serve it. It's best when you limit the vegetables to stir-fried onions, bell peppers, and/or chili peppers, but that's just my opinion. I do like tocino for breakfast, though.

The food cannot be that bad! Can it!

Are there places where you can get a good chicken noddle soup at 3 am?

Natty Bumpo

Davao is NOT known for food. Has only 5 places I consider decent enough to dine in ever. Two are in the Marco Polo and the others are Claude's, henny's and La Toscana. If you read my Forum regularly you would have noticed I mentioned there are ten or more filipino restaurants around Ground Zero (corner of Illustre and J Camus Sts). Most open at 6 PM but a couple open at Noon now. Many are open until very late night. None have great food.

On Torres St there are a dozen or so more filipino restaurants. I do not eat at any of them.

For the comment regarding me and STD's. Last time I had sex with a pro was two years ago. It was the only time in the last five years. I just do NOT need to pay for it here or in my CIty in USA either. And since being ill 18 months ago I get regular checkups every two months which includies a full blood test.

My recent check up declared me fit and in perfect health. I rarely drink now which has been great. I still want to lose another 30 poinds.

Dragon Slayer

Guys,

I met her in Davao nearly four years ago. SO I will end it here. Jen did text me this morning to inform me that she DID really leave me last September as I had suspected. Kept me "on the leash" just incase she needed someone to fall back on later. Had a new guy and I was just the old boyfriend she was done with forever but did not want to inform.

Just a simple sorry as to why she did this. GE suggested I text back wishing her well and informing her of the site where she can see her nude photos, blowjob and fuck shots and her videos with me sucking my dick eagerly (she knew she was being videoed then and liked it).

I just need to realize that WHEN ITS OVER IT IS OVER!

Dragon Slayer

For the past couple of years, Henny has been operating two restaurants located across the courtyard from each other in Havana Compound. the one: De Bonte Koe, is the best known and serves primarily Dutch and other standard European food. The other, El Toro, specialized in Spanish cuisine and served Paella, Tapas, and other such standard Spanish delicacies. El Toro is now closed, though it's menu has been consolidated with the menu at De Bonte Koe, so all of the dishes are still available.

A new Turkish restaurant will soon open at the prior El Toro site. It will be operated by two partners: one a Turk and the other a Belgian chef whom I have met. I have no idea what the menu will be like, nor do I know anything about the quality of the food or service since the places is not even opened yet.

Still, provided the food is good and the yogurt is authentic, it may be a sixth addition to DS' list of five.

GE

[QUOTE=Dragon Slayer]Natty Bumpo

Davao is NOT known for food. Has only 5 places I consider decent enough to dine in ever. Two are in the Marco Polo and the others are Claude's, henny's and La Toscana. If you read my Forum regularly you would have noticed I mentioned there are ten or more filipino restaurants around Ground Zero (corner of Illustre and J Camus Sts). Most open at 6 PM but a couple open at Noon now. Many are open until very late night. None have great food.

On Torres St there are a dozen or so more filipino restaurants. I do not eat at any of them.

For the comment regarding me and STD's. Last time I had sex with a pro was two years ago. It was the only time in the last five years. I just do NOT need to pay for it here or in my CIty in USA either. And since being ill 18 months ago I get regular checkups every two months which includies a full blood test.

My recent check up declared me fit and in perfect health. I rarely drink now which has been great. I still want to lose another 30 poinds.

Dragon Slayer[/QUOTE]DS,

I appreciate the restaurant info. I think I will have a great time regardless because I am so looking forward to Davao Filipina (professional and amateur). I have never been to the Philippines. I had sex one time with a girl from Manila in Amsterdam. She was very attractive and the sex was good, but the experience was more Amsterdam than Manila if you know what I mean.

For the record, I never made a comment regarding your or anybody else's health on the forum. However, I am glad you are fit.

Natty Bumpo,

Look forward to seeing uou. The Davao Pros are fine. There are plenty of them. Look on corner of Banco Central across te way from Marco Polo. Plenty there nightly. I thought the girls in Peoples Park in the evening on the benches were nice. For girls in the Hot Legs Clubs use the private rooms there and save money. These girls will want to leave after a couple hours if you take them out anyway.

The comments on STDs were in response to some guys unnecessary remarks. Not everyone reading my Forum particularly likes me.

Guys,

Rose is now complaining like wild. Needs a new living environment in line with the new stye in which she feels she needs to be accustomed to as mother of Conor. No telling what she will ask for next. Rest assured she will have all kinds of ideas on this.

Dragon Slayer

[QUOTE=Natty Bumpo]DS,

I think I will have a great time regardless because I am so looking forward to Davao Filipina (professional and amateur). I have never been to the Philippines. [/QUOTE]
Natty, perhaps you will take this advice, which I've proffered many times before and which no one to my knowledge has ever taken.

Try the nursing schools of which there are several in Davao, within a couple of kilometers of each other. If I were "single" here, and interested in meeting reasonably middle class, intelligent young Filipinas, I would take a newspaper and a cup of coffee and just hang out for a while around any of the many campuses, smiling, talking when the occasion permitted, and trying to look pleasant and non-threatening. I think a couple of hours of this kind of behavior would probably result in more phone numbers and contacts than you could follow up in several weeks.

There are literally thousands of women at each of these schools, 90% of whom are hoping to work overseas and many of whom are anxious to meet foreigners. It's almost a captive market and yet so few avail themselves of the opportunities it presents.

GE

[QUOTE=GoodEnough]Natty, perhaps you will take this advice ...

Try the nursing schools of which there are several in Davao, within a couple of kilometers of each other. If I were "single" here, and interested in meeting reasonably middle class, intelligent young Filipinas, I would take a newspaper and a cup of coffee and just hang out for a while around any of the many campuses, smiling, talking when the occasion permitted, and trying to look pleasant and non-threatening. I think a couple of hours of this kind of behavior would probably result in more phone numbers and contacts than you could follow up in several weeks.

There are literally thousands of women at each of these schools, 90% of whom are hoping to work overseas and many of whom are anxious to meet foreigners. It's almost a captive market and yet so few avail themselves of the opportunities it presents.

GE[/QUOTE]Ge,

You guys are too much. I really appreciate the great inside advice I am getting from you and DS.

You read me well. I am single and I am definitely interested in meeting (GOOD LOOKING) middle class and intelligent Filipinas. Having relations with these girls can take the game to a much higher level. Don't get me wrong, I love short term romance (one night liaisons) and the GFE with working girls. It's just that I will never get fooled by it into thinking it is something more that what it is. So IMHO, it is only from the educated middle class segment of society, where one can have even the slightest expectation of finding something more than just a good time playmate. I'm a pretty cynical guy.

Anyway, I think I will try out your idea early in my visit to Davao and see what happens. There will be plenty of time to get wild and crazy with the working girls later in the evening.

Gracias

Guys,

And I am not even close to being out of material to post on here. GoodEnough has received word from his very close personal friend, Mama Brad. As you know Mama looks after her "little boy, Brad (mid forties), using GE as her Point Man here. Sir Brad has returned to Davao City and is residing at a pension house to be named later.

Brad, a Farmboy from Texas, has managed to get himself into every possible precarious situation on his previous trips to Davao City. No telling what will transpire this time. I think I will invite him to Conor's Baptismal Cremony and Reception this Autumn. I will seat him at the same table with the Kid and Barba and Grace. This will be very interesting as he competes with Barba for Grace's affection. Like matching Mike Tyson in his prime with a degenerate street person. But, as GE noted, Brad has his "farmer John hat". This should serve to offset Barba's sophistication, good looks and charm. Who can resist that hat?? 99.999% of normal women on this planet i would think. But this IS Davao City not the Planet Earth. ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN HERE.

Dragon Slayer

[QUOTE=GoodEnough]Natty, perhaps you will take this advice, which I've proffered many times before and which no one to my knowledge has ever taken.

Try the nursing schools of which there are several in Davao, within a couple of kilometers of each other. If I were "single" here, and interested in meeting reasonably middle class, intelligent young Filipinas, I would take a newspaper and a cup of coffee and just hang out for a while around any of the many campuses, smiling, talking when the occasion permitted, and trying to look pleasant and non-threatening. I think a couple of hours of this kind of behavior would probably result in more phone numbers and contacts than you could follow up in several weeks.

There are literally thousands of women at each of these schools, 90% of whom are hoping to work overseas and many of whom are anxious to meet foreigners. It's almost a captive market and yet so few avail themselves of the opportunities it presents.

GE[/QUOTE]GE,

You forgot to mention the dog and how that is a prime attraction as well....ever thought of letting some guys take it for walks....maybe I can borrow when I arrive