Davao F.A.T. 2009: A Lot of Wonderful Firsts

A couple of days ago, Lyle and I joined the Davao Food Appreciation Tour 2009 which was participated by bloggers from Davao, Manila, Cagayan de Oro, and General Santos City. This year’s food appreciation tour, organized by Davao Delicious and Davao Foodie, not only showcased Davao City’s gastronomic offerings but included side trips to a number of Davao’s tourist destinations.

Davao F.A.T. Day 1, March 14

For Day 1 of Davao F.A.T. 2009, Lyle and I joined bloggers from Manila and Davao for lunch at Tadakuma Japanese Restaurant (Damosa Business Center, Lanang, Davao City). We have been meaning to give Tadakuma a try after reading positive reviews on the restaurant at  Davao Foodie.

Sukiyaki

It was raining when we arrived at Tadakuma so I was more than ready for a hot and delicious Japanese meal. And I was not disappointed as we were served the best of Tadakuma’s offerings: sukiyaki, california maki, chahan, gyoza, mixed sashimi, yakisoba, yasai itame, and atuyaki tofu. Everything was delicious but I especially loved the sukiyaki (beef hot pot) and the yasai itame (stir-fried vegetables).

After our hearty Japanese lunch at Tadakuma, we had a quick tour of Museo Dabawenyo. Honestly, it was my first time to visit the museum so I greatly appreciated the opportunity to “step right into” Davao’s rich history and cultural heritage.

Davao F.A.T. Day 2, March 15

For Day 2, Lyle and I tried the Xcelerator (the longest zipline in Asia, baby!) at Outland Adventure. Our group of Davao and Manila bloggers were joined by Cagayan De Oro’s ChiQ Montes and bloggers from General Santos City, ably headed by Avel Manansala.

Avel and Brendel

While I am certainly adventurous when it comes to food, I don’t like participating in outdoorsy activities so I was hesitant in trying out the Xcelerator. Although I was sort of intrigued by the zipline adventure, I didn’t feel comfortable imagining myself strapped to a harness and soaring high above trees and a body of water. Alas, I threw caution to the wind and made a go for it.

Although I nearly fainted due to exhaustion (I wasn’t prepared for the climb which was, unfortunately, part of the adventure), ziplining at Outland Adventure was fun and memorable. And of course, that rare venture into the great outdoors was even made more memorable by Jay’s proposal to Aileen.

Bloggers at Ranchero's Grill

After braving the Xcelerator, Lyle and I joined ChiQ, Migs, Avel, and the GenSan bloggers for lunch at Ranchero’s Grill (Tionko Avenue, Davao City). It was my first time at Ranchero’s Grill and it was a delightful dining experience for me. I was famished after the zipline adventure so I helped myself to serving after serving of the pochero, mixed seafoods, baby back ribs, and the angus feast. Absolutely delicious!

Sweet and Sour White Marlin

In the afternoon, our group made a short visit to Crocodile Park (yes, I’ve never been to Crocodile Park before) and then had dinner at Ram’s Lechon Manok and Seafood Restaurant (Quimpo Blvd., Davao City). It was very kind of owners Ram and Ruby Magtoto to host our group of bloggers with their mouth-watering specialties like sizzling squid, sinuglaw with lato, and sweet and sour white marlin. Delectable indeed!

My Take on Davao F.A.T. 2009 :

Being relatively new to blogging, I feel lucky to have participated in a well-organized event such as the Davao F.A.T 2009 as it paved the way for a lot of wonderful firsts for me. To everyone who participated in the event, thanks for making Davao F.A.T. 2009 successful!

(Check out DFAT Photos by Kyawster and Davao F.A.T. Day 2 Photos by Leonard Pe)