A Dabawenyo's Guide to Davao City

New to the city? On a weekend trip and don't know where to go? Don't you worry we know all the places but let us recommend you a fine few for starters. (Click the pic to enlarge)

Life and Style with the Councilor: Tausug Cuisine? Yes, Please.

Davao’s Pers Satti Haus

Everyone in my family has caught the ‘healthy living’ bug. Rice is now called carbs and ‘exercise tayo’ is the new motto. We have a small gym in the back that everyone uses (hi Ate Nene), we grow vegetables in the garden (and at one time chickens and goats, free-range kuno) and subscribe to fad diets and workouts that never really last (here’s looking at you zumba and crossfit). One thing’s for sure though we never back out from eating well and eating new. The newest craze in our house is Tausug food. Where do you get Tausug food in Davao, you ask? Pers Satti Restaurant is located in Matina Pangi, near Matina Centerpoint. We went there. It was amazing. They have great mainstream music too courtesy of their banging neighbors. (This is not a joke.)

I have never tried Tausug food before therefore I did not know you could cook rice in a lot more different ways than fried and boiled. I first tried the Satti, a spicy soup with rice and your choice of skewered meat. I like spicy food so this was right up my alley. According to Mads, the owner Satti is common fare in Zamboanga City so opening a restaurant there wouldn’t stand out there as much so she moved to Davao taking her cuisine with her so that Davaoenos can try it too (and love it as much as she did!) We also had the wadjit (brown rice-like dessert), daral which resembled a hotcake and the byaki, which was a corn dessert beautifully served in its husk. There were six of us (Mom, Stella, El-el, Martin and son, Nino) and everyone pretty much had the same reaction about the Pianggang (roast chicken with black coconut). Curious why it looked burnt but happy it didn’t taste like it.

The Pianggang (it's traditionally made for special occasions like weddings.

Try Tausug for all the right reasons 1.) because it’s good and affordable 2.) to support small businesses and 3.) because of the kool-chur, man and 4.) para hindi ka ignorante because you probably haven’t tried it before. They’re open from 8 am to 5 pm on weekdays.