Little Nyonya, Authentic Singapore Taste

Yesterday was quite a busy day for me.  After doing a difficult and challenging kidney surgery and seeing patients in the clinic, a fitting end for such a day was in the works.  So, Little Nyonya, a restaurant that recently opened here in Davao, was worth going to.

The place was cozy and inviting.  The staff were pleasant and they knew the food in the menu.  And of course, the food provided a gastronomic experience!

For starters, the roti prata which is flat bread cooked on a grill like a tortilla and served with curry.  The roti prata was light, crispy and not greasy.  This was served with a curry dipping sauce which had a hint of coconut milk then the spicy yet not overpowering taste of the curry explodes in your mouth.

Seafood laksa.  Spicy coconut  based curry soup with thick rice noodles and seafood.  The soup was perfectly made.  A burst of flavors will make your taste buds wanting more. 

For the main course, Shio Bak, the greaseless crispy pork belly...and yes it was crispy yet greaseless.  Skin was crackling and meat was tender.  Perfect with the chicken rice.

And of course, Hainanese chicken, considered the national dish of Singapore.  Steamed chicken with pounded garlic and chili sauce.  Together with the chicken rice, these will put a big smile on anyone who eats these.

It was a very happy dining experience here and will definitely be coming back for more.

Manna Korean Restaurant

Its been quite sometime since I last wrote about food...been busy with work and was not able to explore the food places in Davao...

Then on one Saturday noon, while walking in SM Lanang Sky Garden, one newly opened restaurant was Manna Korean Restaurant.

Banchan,  a variety of refillable appetizers.  Most of these are vegetables but prepared and presented in a different way.  Even if you are not fond of vegetables, you will like these.

 My favorite among the banchan, Kimchi!

The JJampong, its a bright red, spicy seafood stew with lots of noodles, clams, squid, and shrimp.

For the meat dishes, the two of the favorites are:

Samgeopsal, which is grilled pork belly.  The literal meaning of the word is “three (sam; 삼) layered (gyeop; 겹) flesh (sal;살)”, referring to what appears to be three layers that are visible in the meat. One can also find ogyeopsal (오겹살), with o meaning “five”.

Beef bulgogi which is made with grilled marinated meat.

No visit to a Korean restaurant will be complete without this:

Bibimbap which means "mixed rice": white rice with various vegetables, beef, egg and gochujang(red chili paste) as seen below.

I tend to shy away from rice and not really fond of vegetables but with Korean cuisine, the great taste makes me eat rice and vegetables!