Start 2025 with an island getaway at nearby Samal. Discover Samal. Enjoy the tranquility, sights, and flavors that Discovery Samal Resort has to offer.
Book at Discovery Samal Resort
Have a restful getaway with a comfy bed and a glorious sight.
Discovery Samal has 153 villas and suites. Book a room and wake up to a breathtaking view of the Davao Gulf.
Stroll by the beach. Take a dip in its pristine waters or swim in Discovery’s pool. Relax. Enjoy a massage. Chill. Or take advantage of the resort’s many amenities and have an active and fun-filled stay.
Overnight guests get to enjoy a sumptuous breakfast at The Shoreline restaurant. They also have a 10% discount at the resort’s restaurants and Samal Escape Spa treatments.
Indulge in Discovery’s Dining Delights
Aside from a scrumptuous breakfast at The Shoreline, there are many dining options around the resort.
Your Samal experience is not complete without tasting fresh seafood. Visit Morning Catch and enjoy seafood dishes by the beach club. They have a selection of fresh seafood: shrimps, crabs, scallops, and more. Choose what you like and have it prepared the way you want it.
Hi, Davao girls! Looking to spending the upcoming Valentine’s Day with your girl friends? We have the perfect spots and events for you to spend your Galentines in Davao. So gather your best gals and celebrate the season with good food, great coffee, and some interesting finds. Maybe a glass of wine or two, as well.
What is Galentines? It is an occasion to gather your favorite girl friends (single or otherwise) and celebrate friendship and each other’s successes. Most people celebrate it on February 13. We think you can celebrate it any day this February. Or the rest of the year. Why not?
Galentines in Davao
Here in Davao, we have a few spots which we think would be a great places for you and your gal pals to gather at.
Club’s Bakery North
Koop Cafe
Yesterdays Coffee + Bar
Plus, some events this February that you might be interested in:
Louis Mireille & Friends at Fika Cafe
The Love Club by Little Toast
Club’s Bakery North
One of our favorite food spots we discovered in 2024 is Club’s Bakery. And we are glad they have now expanded to a new branch.
We chose this as our first spot for Galentines because it is cozy and quiet. They have the perfect menu for a brunch date. Or an afternoon coffee date with your gal pals. We love their Sea Salt Cream Latte.
And of course, their various croissants.
Our Editor Ria picks their Double Cookie Croissant, the Lemon Cruffin, the Pain Au Chocolat, and the Strawberry Croissant as her personal picks.
Club’s Bakery North is located at Veloso Street in Obrero.
Koop Cafe
Next on our list is Koop Cafe.
Koop Cafe is another cozy cafe in the Obrero area. They are popular for their sweet crepes. But they also serve savory crepes, pasta and rice dishes. And of course, coffee.
Our favorites are the Tomato and Basil Pasta, the Blueberry and Cream Crepe, and the Mango Crunch Crepe. Their Spanish Latte is also really good.
Koop Cafe is located along Loyola Street in Obrero.
Let us welcome 2025 with our favorite Chicken Biryani by Dani’s Palace and other favorites from January 2025.
Our top picks from what we tried last month are:
Fried Mandu by Chung’s Kimchi,
Spinach Croissant by Dulce Desserts,
Chicken Biryani by Dani’s Palace Shawarma and Grill,
Burnt Basque Cheesecake by Wood and Coffee, and
White Peak by Purge Coffee Roaster.
Fried Mandu by Chung’s Kimchi
First on our list is Fried Mandu.
We have been to Chung’s Kimchi many times and have tried their Steamed Mandu. It was ok for us. Light and a good contrast to their more flavorful and heavy dishes.
This time, we tried their Fried Mandu and we love it even more. The meat filling is flavorful and the dumpling is fried crisp but not greasy. The sauce it comes with is salty and a bit sour and sweet. The Fried Mandu is great on its own but the sauce also complements the flavors well.
Chung’s Kimchi is located along Sobrecary Street in Obrero.
Next on our list is Spinach Croissant by Dulce Desserts.
Dulce Desserts is one of our go-to cafes for meetups. They have a limited savory menu and this is our favorite from their savory offerings. The spinach filling is creamy but not too rich. It is seasoned lightly and goes well with the croissant shell. The pastry is flaky and buttery. This savory pastry is good as a snack or a light meal.
They are located at CT Drive along Tulip Drive (CVA Avenue) in Matina.
Last month’s absolute favorite is Chicken Biryani.
The Chicken Biryani is sublime. The rice is aromatic, cooked well, and bursting with the flavor of spices. The chicken is juicy and flavorful. It is spicy, salty, a bit tangy, with a hint of smokiness. The chicken and the rice go well with each other. The serving is large for 2-4 persons.
It comes with a Yogurt Sauce and a Spicy Sauce. The Yogurt Sauce is creamy and balances the spice well. But if you love spice, go for their Spicy Sauce to make the Biryani extra spicy.
We recommend ordering an extra side of our favorite Garlic Sauce. It is creamy and flavorful. It gives a different layer of flavor to the dish.
Dani’s Palace Shawarma and Grill is located at Limaria along Maa Road in Maa.
Hello, 2025! Here is another favorites list from 2024. Our December Favorites is here. Mostly, our favorites from the holiday events we attended. And it is longer than usual. Plus, three coffee drinks we love.
December 2024 Favorites
Our top recommendations for December are:
Tomato and Basil Soup by Made Simple,
Kare-Kare by Romualdo’s,
Beef Caldereta by Chippens,
Mango Passion Fruit Kakiguri by Shuga Beibi,
Paris Brest by Dulce Desserts,
Sea Salt Latte by Club’s Bakery,
Spanish Latte by Priore Cafe, and
Kori-Kohi by Beans and Berry.
List is longer than usual and we have 3 coffee drinks on it.
Tomato and Basil Soup by Made Simple
We went back to Made Simple and we tried the soup.
Tomato and Basil Soup by Made Simple
The Tomato and Basil Soup is rich and flavorful. Tangy, a bit salty and creamy. It goes well with their bread. It is a good starter to your meal or could be an entire light meal on its own.
Made Simple is located at CT Drive along Tulip Drive.
Kare-Kare by Romualdo’s
Our next two recommendations are by two of our favorite caterers in Davao.
The Kare-Kare by Romualdo’s is a winner. Tender beef and oxtail and vegetables in a tasty rich peanut sauce. It is apparent that it is cooked with care with homecooked quality to it. Superb.
The team behind Romualdo’s recently opened their first restaurant, Recuerdo in Juna Subdivision.
Beef Caldereta by Chippens
Another favorite from the holiday events we attended is Beef Caldereta by Chippens.
Chippens is undoubtedly the most popular caterer in Davao. Oone of our favorites is their Beef Caldereta. The beef is tender and flavorful and the sauce is rich, savory, sour, and just a bit sweet and spicy. There is a perfect blend of flavors that make any occasion just a little bit more special.
Their Beef Caldereta is also available in their stores freshly cooked or frozen.
Special mention to their Lechon Baka which we also love.
Chippens is located at Roxas Avenue. You may also enjoy their Calderata at Salome’s Garden in Cabantian.
Continuing our monthly favorites series with our top picks from last month. Here are our November Favorites. It is a mix of old and new dishes to try.
November 2024 Favorites
Our top 5 recommendations for November are:
Shawarma by Dani’s Palace,
Piri-Piri Plate by Bairrada,
Combi A Lachi’s, and
Strawberry Cake by Alor’s.
Some are new. Some are old. Everything is a must-try.
Shawarma
We have had many shawarmas in our life but we think Dani’s Palace Shawarma is one of the best.
Chicken and Beef Shawarma by Dani’s Palace
Their Shawarma is filled with tasty and savory beef (or chicken) and fresh vegetables wrapped in a light pita bread. It is served with a spicy sauce and a garlic sauce. We recommend ordering the Single serving. It also comes with sides of fries and coleslaw.
The garlic sauce is sublime. Smooth. Full of umami flavor. The shawarma itself is undoubtedly good but the garlic sauce makes it over the top good. If you have a huge appetite, their Overloaded Shawarma is extra big and comes with your choice of three sauces.
Dani’s Palace recently opened their Maa Branch at Limaria right outside Le Jardin along Maa Road.
Our second recommendation is Frango Piri-Piri Plate by BairradaChurrasqueira.
Piri-Piri PlatePotatoes and Tomato Salad
The Piri-Piri Plate includes half of a chicken, potatoes, tomato salad, and rice. The chicken is wood-charcoal-grilled. It is spicy and salty. This is contrasted well by the tomato salad with its tangy dressing. Our favorite on the plate is the salty, umami-filled potatoes. It seems to be smashed and double-fried. It is crispy with a moist interior. There is a good mix and balance of flavors and textures in one plate. If you love spicy food, give the Piri-Piri plate a try.
Bairrada recently opened at The Compound along Tulip Drive.
Planning your holiday celebrations? Make each party sweeter with a cake from our favorite bakeries and pastry shops. Here is our list of Best Cakes in Davao.
Fortunately, there are now a good variety of bakeries and cake shops in Davao. When choosing or recommending a cake (or cakes) there are many things to consider: budget, occasion or theme, and preferred flavors.
10 Best Cakes in Davao List
For this list, we have selected 10 cakes that would be great to bring to a holiday party to be shared with family and friends. In no particular order.
Ribbonette Cake
Moist Chocolate Cake
Mocha Cake
Cookies and Cream Cake
Creme Brulee Cake
Fruit Fluff Cake
Purple Haze
Matcha Mille Crepe
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Nelusko Cake
This list is based purely on our taste and preferences, limited to cakes we have tried and will continue to order. We have, of course, taken into consideration flavors that might appeal to many people. And the list has cakes at various price points. There are cakes we love but are not easily accessible. We did not include those.
We are also excluding two types of cakes: Sans Rival and Cheesecake. Several shops around Davao serve excellent Sans Rivals and Cheesecakes and we will share our recommendations for those soon.
Ribbonette Cake by Bistro Rosario
Starting with a classic. You can never go wrong with a Bistro Rosario Ribbonette Cake.
Ribbonette Cake by Bistro Rosario
Fluffy, airy, sweet chiffon cake with generous servings of buttercream frosting on top and in between cake layers. The entire cake is also covered and adorned with classic buttercream frosting in your chosen color and design.
This is a cake that many Davaoenos have grown up with. It is usually served on birthdays, but we think this is perfect during the holidays. The Ribbonnette cake is simple done excellently. And it is sure to delight kids and adults alike.
If you’re going for a classic birthday cake, try Bistro Rosario’s Ribbonette Cake. It’s the og Davao Rainbow Cake before Rainbow cake was trendy. Layers of light chiffon cake with boiled icing in between and on top. Nostalgic.
We must also mention another Bistro Rosario classic, Mango Charlotte.
If you are born and raised in Davao, you have probably seen and tasted this at least once. This is a superb mango cake. Soft, pillowy cake with mango frosting in between the two layers and on top. Fresh wedges of mangoes and whipped cream adorn the top of this cake.
Bistro Rosario’s cakes are deceivingly simple. Some people might prefer these for sentimental reasons. But we dare say when it comes to consistency in taste and quality, these are the best cakes for every occasion. And they come in different sizes so you can get one based on your budget and the size of your event.
Moist Chocolate Cake by Joniel’s
And for chocolate lovers, the most popular and often recommended chocolate cake in Davao is Joniel’s.
Moist chocolate cake with a sweet fudgy frosting. Joniel’s Moist Chocolate Cake has been the go-to cake shop for many Davaoenos. Their Moist Chocolate Cakes now come in various sizes at affordable prices. Joniel’s Chocolate Cake is affordable and accessible. Great basic chocolate cake for any occasion.
Another Chocolate Cake that deserve a mention is the Cookie Monster by Margie’s Bakeshop.
Mocha Cake by Cecil’s
Another classic is Mocha Cake by Cecil’s.
Another simple cake that is worth every peso. Cecil’s Mocha Cake is a fluffy mocha chiffon cake with sweet, creamy mocha buttercream. Simply decorated the same way for decades now. Nostalgia aside, this is objectively one of the best cakes in the city. They make it simple yet perfectly sweet every time.
