We’re totally here for the food and vibes.
POV: You are in the King City of the South for the 38th Kadayawan sa Davao. After celebrating with the locals and joining the #VibrantKadayawan festivities, you are hungry and searching for a good place to eat.
And where are the best places to dine? At SM City Davao and SM Lanang!
Whether it’s your first time visiting the destination or you’ve been here multiple times, there are always new and #AweSM restaurants that are ready to serve you scrumptious dishes. Check them out below:
First stop: SM City Davao
Seafood Paradise
Location: Ground Level, Annex Bldg., SM City Davao and SM Lanang
Seafood lovers, rejoice: This paradise is for you! Prepare for a big feast when you visit Seafood Paradise, a buffet resto that serves fresh-from-the-ocean catches like Tuna Panga in BBQ sauce, scallops, oysters, shrimps, squid, and mussels.
You can eat these as is or have them drenched in sauce. They also have palabok, pansit, and seafood paella if you want some carbs. For dessert, you can choose from their buko pandan, mixed fruits, and other sweet treats to cap off your meal. Have we mentioned that you avail of their unlimited servings for only P499? What a steal!
The Green Bounty Kitchen
2nd Level, Annex Bldg., SM City Davao
Who can say no to delicious food that’s also healthy? At The Green Bounty Kitchen, you can eat sans the guilt since everything is made with locally-sourced and organic ingredients. They have straight-from-the-farm meals that you can expect to be fresh and flavorful, like their Grilled Chicken Salad, Chicken Wrap, Shrimp Veggie Quesadilla, and Mexican Beef Quesadilla.
There are vegan options, too, including the Vegan Lechon Kawali that tastes like the real thing! Our favorite part about The Green Bounty Kitchen aside from their wholesome spread? It’s a pet-friendly resto so you can channel your inner paw parent and bring your fur babies.
The Burp Co.
2nd Level, Main Mall, SM City Davao
The perfect way to end a hearty meal is with dessert…and a burp! You can only find The Burp Co. in Davao, so visiting this quaint café is important during your visit.
Choose from their bestsellers like Buko Pie, Durian Pie, Cheesecake Pie, and Choco Moist Cake which use premium ingredients and are baked fresh daily. Another must-try at The Burp Co. is their Knickerbocker—think of it as our local halo-halo but made better with fresh fruits instead of preserves!
Aside from their luscious pastries, you’ll love the owner’s humble beginnings that started in her garage at home: Catherine Maxey used to be an I.T. professional in Singapore before she decided to bake pies and sell them within their neighborhood. This passion project earned her a lot of loyal customers and soon enough, she set up a physical store that continues to grow.
Tagoro’s Abuhan
2nd Level, Annex Bldg., SM City Davao
After an all-day road trip in the King City of the South, the next best thing to do is head over to an eatery that offers local eats and that’s at Tagoro’s Abuhan!
To start off your meal, order the Pork Pizza or the Rambolito ni Tagor—an appetizer that consists of seven onion rings, seven chicken fillets, and seven potato wedges which is good for sharing. Get the Pomelo Salad next to cleanse your palate, and then savor the flavors of their Manok ni Tagor, Tunasal, and Super Lolo as your main course.
For something sweet, request the Buko Mix that’s both sweet and refreshing plus it’s super “barato” for its generous serving!
BBQ Nation
2nd Level, Main Mall, SM City Davao
If you’re looking for a one-stop haven for anything grilled, BBQ Nation is definitely the best place to go to. Located at the 2nd level of SM City Davao’s Main Mall, this place offers the meatiest barbecues and the juiciest “blackened spare ribs.”
Craving for “Bagnet of the South”? It only takes one bite of their Bagnet and you’ll find yourself coming back for more! But wait there’s more, their Tuna Kinilaw is one of the freshest tuna dishes you’ll ever taste here in Davao mixed with cucumber, raddish, ginger and a lot of vinegar.
Anniepie
2nd Level, Annex Bldg., SM City Davao; 2nd Level, Main Mall, SM Lanang
Treat yourself to something sweet from Anniepie! Experience Kadayawan with these proudly Davao made cinnamon rolls, bar cookies, and cakes that will leave you dreaming for more of their cottony-soft bread and the sublime cinnamon flavor. Visit Anniepie at SM City Davao now!
Purple Yam Homemade Cakes and Pastries
2nd Level, Main Mall, SM City Davao
Purple Yam Homemade Cakes and Pastries serves freshly baked sweets. You won’t be able to find this in Metro Manila so make sure to stop by their takeout counter located at the 2nd level of SM City Davao’s Main Mall too.
This dessert brand is also known for its soft and creamy cakes made with real ube. The Round Ube cake costs only P430. For barkada celebrations, we would love for you to try their medium square-sized ube cake (P550). If you plan to stroll around the mall while enjoying their ube goodness in a cup, you may purchase the 12oz cup priced at P67 only.
VANDA
Park Inn by Radisson Davao, in front of SM Lanang Premier
For those whose accommodation is at Park Inn by Radisson Davao, you’ll be glad to know that they have an all-day dining restaurant that is only a stone’s throw away from SM Lanang Premier. Although the grub may seem familiar to you, VANDA—which is derived from the orchid specie waling-waling—puts a twist on their local and international cuisines that are both a feast for your eyes and mouth.
And just in time for the festival of festivals, VANDA’s Kadayawan Boodle Fight is now back on its menu. Enjoy a slew of starters, main courses, sides, rice, drinks, and desserts for only P3,950 which is already good for five to six persons. Other Chef’s Recos are Grilled Tanigue Steak, VANDA Salad, and Malagos Ricotta Cheesecake.
Our next stop for more great tasting menus is SM Lanang
Bistro Selera
2nd Level, Main Mall, SM Lanang Premier
One local restaurant that deserves your visit is Selera Bistro. Here, you can taste the unique flavors of Davao on your plate may it be indoors or outdoors. The chef puts a spin on the classic dishes to make sure you treat your taste buds to something delectable—like the Suha Salad, pomelo tossed in locally grown herbs with special fish sauce dressing.
Another must-try is Selera’s Bagaybay, a tuna course wrapped in homemade bacon and drizzled with garlic oil, and Bistek Selera which is a grilled beef tenderloin marinated in herbs and spices and topped with battered onions, before being served with bone marrow gravy. There’s also Torch Eggplant, Seafood Durian Curry, and Chopsuey with Fried Noodles. There’s really food for every mood! Wash these all down with their freshly-squeezed juices and fruit shakes.
Tuna Express Kamayan Grills
Location: 2nd Level, Skygarden, SM Lanang
Davao is known for its ocean-fresh catches, especially the city’s pride, tuna. At Tuna Express Kamayan Grills, you have to try the Grilled Tuna Belly and Grilled Tuna Panga which have a nice char and are best dipped in soy sauce with calamansi.
Other recos are Sizzling Tuna Sisig, Grilled Scallops, Calamares, Tuna Salpicao, and Tuna Kinilaw that you can eat with Guso or Lato on the side. Not a big fan of seafood? Opt for Tuna Express Kamayan Grills’ Bulalo with Bone marrow instead which is equally savory and filling.
The NYC Uptown
Location: SM Lanang 1st Level, North Wing
Welcome to New York, it’s been waiting for you! Feel the vibes of the Big Apple at The NYC Uptown, an aesthetic restaurant located at the North Wing of SM Lanang Premier. The visually-pleasing interiors are nice to look at while you munch on their Unli Chicken Wings with 13 signature flavors, like Hickory BBQ, Lemon Pepper, Garlic Parmesan, Buffalo, and Salted Egg. These best-tasting eat-all-you-can wings in Davao come with cheese, garlic mayo, honey mustard, and ranch dips for only P399, and the promo also includes unlimited rice and unlimited drinks.
Yup, you’ve read that right! You also can’t miss out on their fall-off-the-bone Baby Back Ribs. If you’re visiting The NYC Uptown for some light snacks, take your pick from their New York-style hotdogs and cheesecakes (we can’t stop thinking about their Chelsea Caramel slice!).
Out of nowhere kitchen
SM Lanang 1st Level, North Wing , SM Lanang
Out of Nowhere Kitchen offers a wide array of food choices with generous serving and quality ingredients that’s truly worth your money. For starters, order the Korean fried chicken, a Crispy Fried Chicken with special Korean sweet soy sauce drizzled with cheese. From their grilled selections try their Beef Kebab, ground beef mixture of herbs and spiced Persian style with hummus and yogurt sauce. Each dish is infused with a variety of flavors to complete the unique dining experience. Every bite is definitely a feast!
Roadhouse Cafe
Ground Level, Main Mall, SM City Davao
From its first branch in Bukidnon, Roadhouse Cafe brings in their rustic style and fine dining cuisine to Davao. Take a feast on their premium USDA Rib Eye steaks grown from their local farm and a delectable Seafood Basket- a combination of shrimp, squid, fish fillet, and vegetable will surely please your taste buds when you try some.
For more meaty comfort food, we highly recommend the Kare-Kare, Sinigang Pork Kawali, Steamed Pompano with lime sauce and Musuan Peak Green Salad, to taste the best Davaoeño version of these Filipino foods.
