Twenty-five bloggers embarked on a fun-filled gastronomic adventure last June 14-16, 2013 for the Davao Food Appreciation Tour 2013. These bloggers got the chance to try the sumptuous offerings of different local restaurants here in Davao City and I am very grateful that Shutter Cravings got included in this adventure.

Want to know the happenings behind this event? I prepared a teaser for you! The following images are just a few of what we had for the entire #DFAT2013 event!

One of the things I really recommend when you get the chance to dine at Bigby's Cafe & Restaurant is their Blossoming Spinach Dip. It is a delectable blend of creamy mozarella and parmesan cheese mixed with minced spinach and served together with baguette toasts. It is best consumed while it's a bit hot and creamy. One serving is perfect for sharing but with my intense love for cheese, I can consume the entire serving all by myself. Seriously.

Priced at around Php 200, this dish is worth the price. It can truly satisfy a craving palate and a hungry tummy. Ever since I had tried it, it has instantly become a favorite at Bigby's.

One of the things I love the most about Davao City is food. Dining places here in Davao have been so generous with food that almost all places offer unlimited rice. And what could get better than that? Of course, nothing but unlimited BBQ and grilled food for only P200.

So come and join the fun as we grill and dine to our heart's delight on the first ever Dabaw Sinugba Festival. Hope to see you there!

I have always been a fan of burgers. Without a doubt, I would instantly choose to binge over a burger meal than force myself to consume a rice meal. In fact, I am one of those people who are very delighted that Davao City is now embracing more and more burger stores with different offers to lure their costumers. Just last February, another burger joint opened in Davao City with a pleasant surprise to burger aficionados like me. 

Ladies and gentlemen, help me welcome The Metro Burgers!

The Metro Burgers recently opened its doors to the public last February with a lot of choices of delectable burgers to choose from. Burger lovers can get to choose the Regular Burger, Chinese Burger, Mexican Burger, Hawaiian Burger, Bacon and Mushroom Burger and the Double Burger. Every burger comes with a 100% pure beef patty and extraordinary spices that bring out the different flavors depending on the burger variety. With this, each burger variety offers an exciting flavor and ultimate satisfaction for your appetite. 

Know what sets the burgers of  The Metro Burgers apart from the other burger joints in town? Take a look at the pictures closely and try to find out.

Bacon and Mushroom Burger

"Well then, if you don't want to try the real durian fruit, how about some durian in your coffee?" 

Many of my friends from Manila would always cringe to this idea believing that these two aromatic substances can't be mixed together. However, for the past few years, I may have a difficulty of making them taste the real durian fruit but it has always been easy to convince them to try the durian coffee just by bringing them to Blugre Coffee at Matina Town Square. And would you believe there was even a time when I had to hand-carry a cup of the famous Durian Gatchpuccino to Manila so that others can have a taste of it? 

Blugre Coffee is the pioneer coffee shop when it comes to offering the famous durian coffee and still considered to be the best durian coffee in town even though a lot of other coffee shops have replicated the mix. Truly, the original is the best!

Now, the good news is, I will no longer be bringing a cup with me to bring to my Manila friends for Blugre Coffee has been grilling the idea of a very wide expansion of this coffee shop, not only within the Philippines but they are bringing Davao's pride to the world. In a recent meeting with Mr. Benjamin "BMC" Cuaresma and Ms. Joanne Sy, the great minds behind this famous coffee brand confirmed their expansion plans to major cities in the Philippines like Manila, Makati, Cagayan de Oro, Pampanga and Baguio and even to other places like Singapore, Thailand, Kuala Lumpur, Las Vegas and many more.

Of course, the famous Durian Coffee is not what only Blugree Coffee could offer.  They also have a lot of coffee and non-coffee drinks available to choose from. Not only that, to complete your coffee experience, Blugre Coffee has added a lot of exciting and delicious offerings to their cakes, pastas, and even breakfast meals. With a lot of branches to frequent to, you will surely have a very good time at Blugre Coffee.

Still the undeniable King of Coffees, Blugre Coffee's vision of being a global brand and a lifestyle is slowly becoming a reality.

To know more about Blugree Coffee, you can check out their website at http://blugre.com or like their Facebook page at http://facebook.com/officialblugre.


***This entry is also posted on my personal lifestyle blog at http://blog.misslitratista.com.***

Forgive me for not updating my food blog more often but trust me, I got a lot of food posts coming up! But for now, let me share to you one of the latest additions to pump up the milk tea craze here in Davao City - Chatime!

It was a hot Tuesday afternoon when I chanced upon a new purple tea shop at the ground floor of SM Lanang Premier. Who would not notice the long line of customers wanting to have a taste of milkteas? Little did I know that Chatime was actually a popular brand for milk teas not only in Manila but around the world, and before the end of 2012, it  finally opened its doors to Davao's milk tea enthusiasts.

 The first time I fell in love with Cafe France's Beef Lasagna was during my practicum days in UP-PGH barely three years ago. I first had a taste of it when my classmates and I decided to had a late lunch at Podium and oh boy I got so enticed. Ever since then, their beef lasagna has become one of the food that I made sure to eat every time I am in Manila. Ever since then, the same beef lasagna had also become my staple airport food every time I get to fly back to Davao from NAIA Terminal 2.

When I heard about their opening here in Davao, I got so giddy like a little child seeing her favorite candy within her reach again. And just last Tuesday, I was able to visit their branch at The Peak where I had another Tuesdate with the BF. It was my first time to really dine in at their place but I have already been a satisfied customer of their breads, croissants and sandwiches which I usually order for take-out since they opened their doors in this city.

Just a quick trip down memory lane, it was one hot afternoon in August 2012 when le BF and I decided to try Backyard Burgers for the first time. This burger joint is situated just a few walks away from le BF's house so we ordered 1 cheeseburger (for me) and 1 Ha'ang Burger (for him) for take-out because the place was jam-packed. At first try, I wasn't happy with my burger. I found the bun to be stale for my taste, and the patty was a bit burnt and dry. On the other hand, le BF liked his extra spicy burger. Although I was disappointed, my first experience with Backyard Burgers didn't stop me from visiting them for a second try.

Last December 2012, I came back again for another dining experience. This time, my friend, Sarah and I decided to dine in as the place was empty, unlike my first visit. I was eyeing for the customized burger but found it very expensive after the lady at the counter calculated all the ingredients so I settled for the BB Garshroom Bacon Burger instead, while Sarah had her burger customized.

BB Garshroom  Bacon Burger (Php 150 + add-on Php 35)

The BB Garshroom Bacon Burger is made-up of a single beef patty with lettuce, onions, tomatoes, mayonnaise, garlic mushroom fried in butter, bacon and sesame bun. Since I like my burgers with loads of cheese, I opted to add the Cheesy Dip Sauce. 

The first time my curiosity got triggered with Pepper Lunch was during the time that I saw a long line of people in their Greenbelt 5 branch. I thought to myself that definitely, their food must have been very good for people to be patiently waiting to be seated considering that the price is a bit steep to my liking. That same curiosity also wanted me to try their meals at that moment but the impatient me opted to dine in another restaurant.

Then I heard that Pepper Lunch already opened another branch at The Peak in Gaisano Mall. On our first visit, the BF and I backed off because like I said, the price was a bit steep and we weren't that hungry enough to splurge around P300 for every meal. However, on one special day in November (it was in fact our monthsary. Notice how delayed this blog post is?), we finally gave Pepper Lunch a try.

Teriyaki Beef Pepper Rice with Egg

Curry Beef Pepper Rice with Cheese

If you're someone like me who's always scouting for great places to unwind, chill or just be productive with studies and work, then surely the first thing that will pop into your mind is a coffee shop. However, some of the coffee shops I've been too here in Davao, although relaxing, are not that conducive for productivity, at least for me. Others don't have comfortable chairs/couches, many don't have fast Wi-fi and some won't even let you charge your gadget for free. But last Sunday, I was glad to discover one of the newest coffee shops in the metro that made it up to my list of go-to places in terms of relaxation and productivity.

Have you been to Java Jive?

Java Jive: Coffee-Tea-Soda-Music is a home-inspired, Filipino-themed music cafe where one can avail any or all of the following: drink coffee, tea and soda blends, enjoy Davao-produced sweets and savory dishes, and listen to the music of  local homegrown talents from the city. One thing that sets this coffee shop apart from the rest is its music - they only play original Pinoy music (OPM) and on special days, you get to listen to a live band playing their originals and covers. Proudly, it's the first of its kind here in the metro.

Before I get to the heart of this post, I will first let your eyes meet these sweet treats.

One Saturday morning, I stumbled upon a post of one of my friends in Facebook asking what's the best burger in town. People from her list provided variety of answers including Hollywood Burgers, Backyard Burgers and Army Navy. I have already tried the first two, and to be honest, I was more satisfied with the food at Hollywood Burgers than in Backyard Burgers. With regard to the third one mentioned, that is still yet a mystery to me.

So when the BF asked me to watch Total Recall last Saturday, I asked him if we can have dinner at Army Navy Burger + Burrito in Abreeza before the movie. I know he quickly agreed since like me, he has also heard raves about this new diner in town. After his duty, off we go to Abreeza for our chance to try what this diner has to offer.

When we arrived, the place was packed so the first thought that came into my mind was that food must be really good to have this much number of people. Luckily we managed to find seats for ourselves. The BF placed our orders at the counter and then we waited for around 10-15 minutes before our order arrived.

Army Navy Pork Burrito (P165)

Hurray for another weekend! I'm glad that with my work, I'm able to spend the weekends lounging at home, just chilling, feeling lazy, doing thesis work if I'm feeling motivated, and at times, wandering around town. My schedule for the weekends usually depends on my boyfriend, since at times he is on a 24-hour duty and if I feel lazy to go out without him, I stay at home. But if my parents have other plans, then surely I'm not one to just bum around.

Let me share to you one weekend trip I had. This was actually last Saturday, when I'm still feeling sick and all. But since the BF wants to spend quality time, I compromised. LOL! This time, I gave him the autonomy to decide where to go. When the boyfriend blurted out that he wants to have dinner at Lachi's, all I can say was, "Yahoo, perfect!"

Lachi's Sans Rival Atbp. has been famous in Davao for creating and marketing delightful pastries and delicacies that will surely make a sweet tooth go crazy. I have been an avid fan of Lachi's and every time that  I'm in need of a remedy for my sweet tooth, this place is always the first to pop out of my mind. I'm happy to see that they have been improving, from what used to be a very small restaurant has now occupied a bigger space enough to accommodate hungry costumers. What I just don't like with Lachi's is that their location is not that easily accessible (for me) that I don't even know how to commute to reach the place. And if you're bringing a car, then the parking space is another problem. However, once you get to taste their food, then you'll surely brush these problems away.

Here's what we ordered:

Crispy Lechon Kawali

If there's one common thing between the BF and I that I am very thankful for, it will be our love for Japanese food. Yes, when we were still dating, I was very delighted to know that he too loves Japanese food much as I do. Japanese food has been my kind of comfort food, and I would always find myself craving for them whenever I'm stressed out. Luckily, my boyfriend has always been supportive in my pigging-out sessions and has been devouring them with me all the way!

A few weeks ago, we decided to have another comfort pig-out session at Sushi Dito.

It's not what you think.

It's not my 30th birthday, nor my boyfriend's 30th birthday and not even our 30th monthsary/anniversary. It just happened that this 30th of the month is something that I had waited for so long. LOL! 

It's actually Tsuru's Grand Japanese Buffet which happens every 15th and 30th of the month. Tsuru has always been my top restaurant of choice when it comes to authentic Japanese cuisine. Months ago, le bf promised to treat me to a Japanese buffet dinner when his first paycheck arrives. That's because he knew that I love Japanese food a lot and I also knew that he loves me so much too! Pardon the cheesiness!

So last night, we had a sumptuous buffet at Tsuru. Even though the buffet was pretty expensive at a price of P755.00 per person, the restaurant was jam-packed with Japanese food fanatics like me. Good thing was, the food they served was more than enough to feed hungry tummies like mine. They actually have lots of stuff to offer - from katsudons, tempura to different varieties of maki, and not to mention, the very fresh servings of salmon, tuna and white fish sashimi and loads of delicious desserts. You'll definitely get what you pay for.

Here's what we ate for Round 1. (Taken via Instagram)

I was not able to practice food photography at that moment because I was so busy devouring all the delicious food I had in my plate. Plus, I was also too shy to take pictures since there were a lot of people dining. But because I really wanted to share what's in store for you when you dine at Tsuru, here are some pictures from their online menu.

SOURCE

Aren't these dishes so enticing? I bet you're already drooling right now.

And yes, you can definitely EAT ALL what you see in these photos during their buffet. My top picks are their salmon sashimi, crazy maki, ebi tempura and kani bacon rolls. 

Tsuru has three branches in Davao City - in Damosa, in Abreeza and J. Camus St. The buffet is only available at J. Camus St. every 15th and 30th of the month. Don't forget to call them before going in for lunch and dinner buffet. 

Once again, thank you to my beloved sponsor for this gastronomic treat!

What's your favorite Japanese food? Share your thoughts!