For this year's Davao Food and Appreciation Tour, the first destination was at RBG Bar and Grill which is the in-house restaurant of one of Davao's top hotels, Park Inn by Radisson. Originally, its concept was to showcase international cuisine but recently, modifications have been made to feature dishes with a touch of local flavor and distinctively Davao. 

We were treated to a sumptuous lunch - from appetizers down to the desserts, every dish was packed with flavor that will leave you asking for more. To give you a glimpse, here's what we had:

APPETIZERS: RBG Mini Burger with Fries and RBG Ceviche

RBG Mini Burger with Fries

Ceviche

In addition to the ordinary ceviche, RBG Bar and Grill's version incorporated fresh pomelo (Chinese grapefruit) strips which added a unique taste and made it even more satisfying. I can truly savor the freshness of the tuna pieces with the added citrusy flavor brought about by the pomelo. 

SOUP: SEAFOOD SINIGANG IN MANGOSTEEN

Known as one of Filipino's favorites, the seafood sinigang was made more exceptional with the flavor of mangosteen. I'm not much a fan of sinigang because of its aftertaste but I wasn't able to resist the seafood loaded in it. 

PASTAS: PASTA DE DAVAO AND LECHON PASTA

Pasta De Davao

Lechon Pasta

Pasta De Davao  is made up of fetuccine in white sauce with imbao (mangrove clam), bagaybay (fish gonad) and bihod (fish roe). If you're familiar with the ingredients, you might think of foregoing a taste but surprisingly, it tasted really really good.  In fact, from among these two, I prefer the Pasta De Davao over the Lechon Pasta which is made up of pasta in red sauce with lechon strips. It was the first time I preferred something over lechon. 

ENTREES:  GRILLED CHICKEN, CRISPY PORK BELLY AND BEEF SALPICAO

Crispy Pork Belly

Grilled Chicken

Beef Salpicao

I was already enjoying the pasta when I realized that I needed to make enough room for the restaurant's main courses. RBG Bar and Grill sampled their Grilled Chicken, Crispy Pork Belly and Beef Salpicao and although these dishes may sound ordinary, the presentation and the flavor were of a higher class. Without a doubt, the Crispy Pork Belly won my heart from among the entrees. 

DESSERTS: MANGOSTEEN AND DURIAN CHEESECAKES

A Davao experience wouldn't be complete without a taste of two of the fruits that the city is well-known for - the Mangosteen and the Durian. But if you're like me who cringe at the thought of eating these fruits fresh from the pulp, then better yet, try first these two cheesecakes from RBG Bar and Grill. The flavors were not too overwhelming and both had just the right amount of sweetness which will truly make you relish the taste of mangosteen and durian. 

It was indeed a pleasant experience to kick off our food tour with these delicious dishes and desserts from RBG Bar and Grill. When in Davao, don't miss to grab a bite at this restaurant as they continue to offer new and exciting flavors every now and then. 

RBG Bar and Grill by Park Inn by Radisson Davao

Ground Floor, Park Inn by Radisson Davao

Lanang, Davao City

Operating Hours: 6:00 AM  - 11:00PM

Contact Information: 082 272 7600

I am not the usual "buffet foodie" but sometimes, stress takes too much toll on me that I succumbed to rewarding myself with good food. And although, there are a lot of buffet restaurants already available in the city, I bet that like me, you're the type who doesn't want to come back and taste the same food again and again, that's why trying out new buffet restaurants won't really hurt. 

For over a month of occupying my news feed in Facebook, I finally got to try the latest addition in the list of buffet restaurants in Davao City - the VIKINGS. Davao City was chosen to have their first branch outside Metro Manila, and take note, this restaurant is proud to be the largest buffet restaurant in the Philippines with a seating capacity of five to six hundred guests.

Photo from Vikings SM Lanang Premier Facebook page

The interiors of their branch in SM Lanang Premier really blew me away making me feel like I was transported to a different location.  The restaurant was indeed really huge and that even though it is jam-packed with customers, it didn't give a claustrophobic feeling. Now, that's one good reason why hotel buffets should be threatened. 

Vikings boasts of seven stations with a full live show kitchen that also provides entertainment as their chefs showcase actual preparation of high-quality and fresh food. Allow me to share with you my latest gastronomic adventure at Vikings wherein I was one of the lucky bloggers invited to enjoy a luxurious buffet experience.

When Davao City got famous again for putting an end to a kidnap situation and was placed under red alert, me, myself and I  braved all the way from my workplace to SM Lanang Premier to attend an exclusive food tasting event by Claw Daddy's. My physiologic need for food outweighed my need for security. Patay gutom lang ang peg! 

Kidding aside, the invitation from Claw Daddy's Great American Picnic was definitely something one cannot resist. Of course, who could resist having a dibs on the delectable offers and dishes provided by Claw Daddy's for their All-You-Can Eat Ribs and Crabs Great Weekend Buffet? Try to take a look at what they served us and let me know if you can resist them or not.

Well, the following are just what's in store for their weekend buffet. Expect that some of these may or may not be available on your time of visit.

APPETIZERS

Seafood Cocktail Salad

Bacon and Spinach Croquettes

Other Appetizers:  Tuna and Penne Salad, Shellfish and Penne Pesto Salad, Tuna and Citrus Salad, Tuna and Cucumber Salad, Roasted Vegetable and Penne Salad

SOUP OF THE DAY

Mushroom Soup (delightfully creamy!)

MIXED GREENS WITH YOUR CHOICE OF TOPPINGS AND SALAD DRESSINGS

My previous post for the DFAT 2013 adventure talked about the sumptuous meal offerings from Lachi's. However, if you're already dining in Lachi's then you should not miss out on their delicious and mouth-watering desserts. To be honest, I am having a hard time coming up with this post because at the same time, I am fighting my cravings. Not now, Lachi's!

I've known Lachi's for their famous and incomparable Sans Rival, hence the name of the restaurant. As years go by, Lachi's has produced more and more delectable desserts that you just can't resist. One good thing I like with Lachi's is that their desserts are way cheaper than most coffee shops around town, and I guess they also supply some coffee shops so in order for you to save a few bucks, then go straight ahead to Lachi's instead.

Just when I thought that their meals were already enough to cap off the 2nd day of our DFAT 2013 adventure, then I was totally wrong. After being served with these desserts, you simply can't close your mouths on these heavenly goodness. Get ready to drool and crave because here's what they served us with:

Assorted Cheesecakes

Assorted Cheesecakes

Assorted Cakes and Tortes

After getting our sunkissed skin and full tummies at Little Boracay Beach Resort, we headed back to Davao for the final pitstop for the 2nd day of our DFAT 2013 Adventure. Our 2nd day was capped off with delicious meals and desserts overload from no other than one of Davao's bests, Lachi's Sans Rival Atbp.

It was not my first time to get a taste of Lachi's. My sweet tooth dragged me to discover this place many years ago and I admit that I will never get enough of their delicious saccharine offerings. Over the years, from what used to be a very small restaurant, Lachi's has expanded their space as well as their offerings, which now include sumptuous meals to enjoy with their noteworthy desserts.

During the 2nd day of our DFAT 2013 adventure, Lachi's treated us to an amazing feast of their tasty meals and their desserts. I'll break down this post in 2 parts - one part will be their meals and the other part to highlight their desserts - because I don't want to be flooding too much pictures in just one post.

So for now, let's focus on the tasty and delicious meals that Lachi's Sans Rival Atbp is currently offering to their diners.

Crispy Lechon Kawali

Crispy Lechon Kawali

Spicy Honey Chicken

Breaded Soft Tofu with Teriyaki Sauce