Davao Food Favorites Featured by DBS, According to My Cravings

Living away from Davao has a funny way of making random food cravings hit harder.

There are days when I suddenly remember a specific bowl of ramen, a cake I used to buy before going home to Gensan, or even that one pizza flavor people love to hate but I somehow keep ordering anyway. And because I’m not in Davao all the time anymore, those cravings now come with the extra frustration of knowing I can’t just open an app and order them whenever I want.

Recently, the Davao Bloggers Society featured several restaurants and cafés around the city through Panda Plates with foodpanda, and while going through the list, I realized how many of them I already have personal memories with.

So instead of another “where to eat in Davao” list, here are a few places from the feature that I genuinely enjoy, miss, and would probably order again without thinking twice.

Haveli King

I’ve tried quite a few Indian restaurants through the years, and Haveli King is still easily one of the better ones for me.

One thing I immediately remember is the serving size. The portions are generous, the flavors are strong without being overwhelming, and it is the kind of food that actually feels satisfying after a few bites. Definitely one of my go-to choices whenever I’m craving Indian food in Davao.

Wow Lechon

You’ve got to be kidding me if you think I’ll leave Wow Lechon out.

Lechon will always be a favorite, but what I like here is that you don’t necessarily need an occasion or a huge group just to order one. They have smaller portions that actually work for a regular meal, which is dangerous information for someone like me.

The lechon is consistently good, and even the packaging is something I appreciate because it arrives looking like someone actually cared about how the food was packed.

Mandarin Tea Garden

Mandarin is one of those places I go to when I cannot decide what I want to eat.

There are so many options, but I somehow keep coming back to the same things. Their white chicken with all that garlic is one of my favorites, then pair it with those small siopaos and I’m already happy.

Nothing complicated. Just familiar food that works every time.

Sukidesu Modern Japanese Cuisine

This one is fun for me because I’ve literally watched Sukidesu grow.

I remember when they were still operating from a small stall at Roxas Night Market, and now they have more customers and more branches around the city. Seeing that kind of growth from a local restaurant is always nice.

Their food is affordable, but the ramen still has that thick, satisfying broth I want. The Black Ramen and Tantanmen are always my safest choices. If I have to pick one bowl on a rainy day, probably one of those two.

Alberto’s Pizza

Alberto’s is probably one of the easiest answers when I’m bored, hungry, and just want something random to snack on.

There are a lot of options, it’s easy to order, and then there are the weird flavors.

Yes, I’m talking about the Oreo pizza.

Everyone I know seems to hate it except me, and I honestly don’t understand why because that shit is so good. I don’t even know how many times I’ve ordered it. Sweet, cheesy, weird. Somehow it works for me.

Judge me all you want.

Milky Cakes and Sweets

This one comes with an emotional attachment.

His favorite Cheesecake Bites

A few years ago, my best friend passed away, and Milky Cakes was one of his favorites. Back then, whenever I would travel from Davao to General Santos, I couldn’t leave without bringing one because he would always ask for it.

So every time I see Milky Cakes now, I don’t just think about the cake.

I think about those trips home, remembering that I had to bring one with me, and knowing someone was waiting for it.

It also helps that the cakes are genuinely good, so the memory never feels like something I have to force myself to hold onto. The taste still lives up to what I remember.

Bistro Rosario

Mango Charlotte.

That’s it. That’s the paragraph.

Okay, not really, but if we’re talking about cakes in Davao, Bistro Rosario’s Mango Charlotte is probably still the best one for me.

I’ve tried a lot of cakes since, and none has really topped it yet. It is definitely on the more expensive side, but this is one of those desserts where I don’t mind paying a little more because it actually tastes worth it.

Soft, creamy, not unnecessarily sweet, and one of those cakes I can easily finish more of than I originally planned.

Caitlyn’s Dumpling Bar

Okay, this one is dangerous because I can probably write an entire separate blog just about Caitlyn’s.

You have no idea how much I love this place.

When I was still living in Davao, there was a time when this felt like an almost everyday meal for me. If there’s one restaurant from this entire list that I could eat constantly without getting tired of it, this is probably it.

Salt and pepper riblets? Top tier.

Pork and shrimp siomai? Yes.

Tausi spareribs? Chef’s kiss.

Then seafood fried rice?

Girl, don’t get me started.

There are restaurants you like because the food is good, and then there are restaurants where you already know your order before you even open the menu. Caitlyn’s is definitely the second one for me.

The Convenient Part

What I also like about most of these places is that they’re available on foodpanda.

And yes, I know delivery apps are supposed to be about convenience, but when you’ve lived somewhere long enough, it becomes more than that. Sometimes opening the app and seeing restaurants you’ve been ordering from for years feels like looking at a small map of your old routines.

The places you ordered from after a long workday.

The cake you brought home for someone.

The pizza you randomly ordered at midnight.

The ramen you kept coming back to because you already knew it would be good.

That’s probably why seeing these restaurants featured by DBS felt more personal to me than I expected.

They are not just names on a food list.

I’ve actually eaten there. Ordered from them. Recommended them. Built random memories around them.

And now that I’m living outside Davao, I realize that sometimes what you miss about a city isn’t necessarily the big things.

Sometimes it’s just knowing you can order your usual meal whenever you want.

And apparently, I have a lot of usual meals.