Foodtrip at Steak Ni Juan

The Team

Steak Ni Juan is the masterpiece of friends Mon, an IT businessman who migrated from Manila, and Tristan, a Davaoeño. Even though both of them came from different backgrounds, they decided to open a unique, game-changing restaurant focused on an affordable and accessible steak dining experience but with a high quality standards.

The team includes Chef Mike, who also came from Manila, heads the product development. He worked as a sous chef in a well-known cruise ship line before. Eric, a friend of Mon from a previous work, is the Operations Head. With rich experience in the quick service industry, Eric hopes to bring best practices and industry standards to Steak Ni Juan, making it fit and ready for future expansion.

Food Offerings

Steak Ni Juan is a casual dining restaurant, small and no aircon (at the moment) but offers high quality cuts of steaks at a very affordable price. While the food offerings are still limited at the moment, more dishes will be introduced as Steak Ni Juan continues to grow.

The Steaks

The juicy and delicious T-bone steak is priced at 149 pesos which includes a single serving of rice and Steak Ni Juan signature gravy. While the porterhouse steak is differentiated by its marbling and tenderness, it is just priced at 169 pesos. It is also served with single rice and signature gravy.

The gravy is a signature recipe which differentiate Steak Ni Juan from among others. It is specially crafted to compliment the juicy, tender steaks, completing the ultimate Steak Ni Juan experience. Optional side dishes include grilled corn cob and baby potatoes for just 20 pesos each serving.

Their house blend iced tea is brewed with all the natural ingredients and blended with a hint of citrus from fresh lemon grass. No artificial flavor and just 40 pesos per liter!

Try Steak Ni Juan now and experience the juicy and delicious steak in a very affordable price.

Steak Ni Juan is located at V. Mapa cor. Tionko Avenue, Davao City. You can also visit their Facebook page by clicking here.

 

On Healthy Diet: Calorie Counted Meals

I have been into many weight loss attempts like having protein shake as a meal substitute or doing back-to-back yoga and zumba exercises with a little running when there is ample time. Although there is really some pounds off my weight, but I feel like I need a healthy yet effective weight loss regimen to suit my busy schedule. I am quiet busy with so many things that I do not have time to do exercise.

Then a friend told me to try the calorie counted meals by I am Sexy Chef. They offer lunch and dinner delivered at your doorstep from Mondays to Fridays. Lunch and dinner has a total of 700-750 calories.

I was hesitant at first. The food is not as tasty as what I usually eat. The sight of tofu makes me want to quit. But when I finished a week of these low calorie meals, I felt great and I continued. I am now on my 2nd month of eating these healthy meals. I now enjoy vegetables, oats, gluten-free pasta, quinoa grains, brown rice, wheat bread and…tofu!

Since I want to lose weight because I am getting old, my daily activities don’t require much movement and I just want to be healthy, having these calorie counted meals made me more disciplined in terms of food choices. I stopped eating pork since November of 2015 and today, I avoid sweets, too starchy food, coffee, cola and fast foods. Although my other reason for avoiding these food is that I cannot afford to buy them anymore, because I am spending 1,300 pesos a week for these lunch and dinner.

Of course, there was a tremendous change in almost 2 months. I lost 4 kilos. It may seem small, but people really noticed the change in me. I am happy with the results because I am losing weight yet eating healthy.

Try these calorie counted meals and see if it work for you. Check out I am Sexy Chef  on Facebook for their photos, testimonies and contacts.

Great Food, Great Place At Batu Café

Obrero is now a booming area in Davao City where you can find lots of restos, bars and cafés.

In Loyola Street, specifically on the first floor of Las Casitas de Angela Inn II, has a small but comfy and chill café that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with snacks and desserts in between!

Batu Café serves food inspired by different countries and culture. And what’s more exciting is that their food is really affordable with big serving.

These are the food we have tasted and believe me, everything tastes good. I will be visiting Batu Café again.

Taco Salad (139 pesos, serves 2-3) – tacos, lettuce, chili con carne and fresh salsa with cheesy dressing.

Aligue Pasta (189 pesos) – cooked with aligue or crabfat, topped with shrimps.

Brownie Ala Mode (109 pesos) – warm brownie topped with homemade vanilla ice cream and crispy brownie thins.

Ham and Cheese French Toast (139 pesos) – ham and cheese sandwiched in thick slices of freshly baked homemade tasty bread, dipped in butter and pan-grilled. Drizzled with maple syrup and served with orange marmalade butter.

Korean Pork Spareribs and Chagio (198 pesos) – chagio consists of Vietnamese spring rolls with pork and vermicelli, served with nuoc cham sauce.

Three Cheese Lasagna (169 pesos) – made using homemade lasagna pasta.

Chicago Style Hungarian Sausage Sandwich (198 pesos, with Parmesan Fries +49) – big, spicy Hungarian sausage topped with onions, tomatoes, pickles, drizzled with Mayo and Dijon mustard on homemade freshly baked bun.

Basil Malunggay Pesto Fettucine (139 pesos, with Grilled Rosemary Chicken +60) – paired with 1 piece homemade garlic French bread.

Vietnamese Chicken and Basil Fried Rice (169 pesos) – spicy, saucy sautéed chicken in lemongrass and Asian spices, served with Basil fried rice.

Nachos (189 pesos, serves 2-3) – in 3 different dips.

Pandan Chicken with Thai Bagoong Fried Rice (269 pesos) – pandan-wrapped chicken served with shrimp paste fried rice with 7 kinds of sidings.

Indian Chicken Curry with Samosas (259 pesos) – nutty curried chicken with assorted spices served with 2 pieces Samosas and mango chutney.

Bulalo Steak (280-380 pesos, serves 2-3) – soft beef shanks and beef bone marrow in bones, with creamy mushroom sauce.

The food served to us were all delicious. It was also more appetizing to eat because the staff were accomodating, the interior was great, with decors and paintings soothing to the eyes that created a homey and cozy feel.

Of course, they also serve other desserts like cakes (from Margie’s Bakeshop) and homemade ice cream where the chocolate mint flavor is my favorite. I forgot to take pictures though.

What’s also great in Batu Café is that they have standby generator set incase of brownout, and a WiFi for browsing the internet. They are open from 6AM to 9PM.

So if you want to try something new aside from the usual mall cafés and restos, head on to Batu Café for some great food that’s great to share with great people.

Find Batu Café here.

Chez Nous: Local + International

Chez Nous, from the French word means home, is a new restaurant to go to in Davao City. Chef Chino, also the owner, has a passion in cooking that he went to a culinary school in Canada to hone his skill. Aside from that, he is the son of the owners of Chippens, also known in Davao for their good food, so no wonder that he really makes great and amazing food!

Chez Nous is located at Roxas Avenue corner Padre Gomez Streets, literally in front of Chippens. They serve meals from 9:30 AM to 9:30PM, Mondays to Saturdays.

The food had local ingredients but has an international taste. Chef Chino always see to it that the ingredients are fresh and everything on their menu is available everyday.

The following dishes are their bestsellers.

Cajun Shrimp with Mango Mousse and Salsa. Cajun spiced shrimp sautéed in brown butter, served with mango mousse and salsa for just 135 pesos.

Arancini. Risotto balls with a melted Mozzarella center served with house-made marinara sauce and shaved Parmesan for just 145 pesos.

Poutine. Thrice cooked thick cut fries with beef gravy and melted cheese for just 95 pesos.

Seared Tuna Nicoise Salad. Seared sesame tuna, lettuce, french beans, honey-lemon dressing, deep fried anchovy for just 185 pesos.

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad. Iceberg lettuce, bacon, butter croutons, creamy Caesar dressing, chicken breast from just 175 pesos.

Atlantic Salmon and Cucumber Spaghetti with Mustard Mousse. Pan-baked Atlantic Salmon with cucumber spaghetti, sesame seeds, fennel seeds, citrus vinaigrette and mustard mousse on top for just 185 pesos.

Honey Barbecue Blazed Back Ribs. Fall-off the bone tender pork ribs, glazed with honey barbecue sauce for just 185 pesos.

Malaysian Laksa. Spicy Malaysian chicken curry, coconut milk, savory chicken, lime shrimp, honey crab, rice noodles for just 195 pesos.

Grilled Malasugue with Mango Chutney. Juicy grilled Malasugue served on a potato nest and with Indonesian spiced mango chutney for just 195 pesos.

Tuna Tornado. Juicy tuna belly poached in olive oil finished on the grill and glazed with lemon-soy sauce for just 185 pesos.

Marbled Ribeye Steak with Mushroom Gravy. Locally sourced Australian ribeye steak, cooked to your preferred doneness. Served with mushroom pan gravy and three cooked fries for just 350 pesos.

Beef Bourguignonne. Fork tender beef short ribs with caramelized onions in a rich red wine sauce for just 185.

Crème Caramel with Blueberry Coulis. Smooth baked vanilla lemon custard served with warm blueberry coulis for just 145 pesos.

Triple Layer Smooth as Silk Chocolate Mousse with Muscat Strawberries. Three layers of velvety smooth dark, white and milk chocolate mousse with vanilla ice cream and Moscato marinated strawberries.

The servings are big enough for 2 people to share. They also serve coffee, tea, ice blends and fresh fruit juices.

I have tasted all the dishes featured here and everything tastes good. You can really taste the freshness in each ingredients. The price is not that expensive also. Also, the place is accessible so there is no problem if you go out there late, taxis and jeepneys are always available, plus it is so near the Night Market so there are a lot of people in the vicinity.

It was such an experience dining in Chez Nous, food with international taste but made from local ingredients. Made with passion and love.

Heng Kee Dimsum Experience

There’s a new place where you can satisfy your cravings for Chinese food in a very affordable price. It is in Heng Kee Dimsum!

They offer different kinds of dimsum and dumplings where you can feast on anytime, all for a very affordable prize. They also have frozen delights where you can just steam and serve at home.

Here are some of their yummy choices, in pork, chicken, beef and seafoods.

This newly-opened place is located at the Food Court, 4th Floor of Gaisano Mall, Davao.

With the other members of Davao Bloggers Society during the opening, we tasted almost all of their food and all of us agreed that the food were amazing. It tasted so good.

So the next time you want to eat Chinese food, or in a tight budget, go to Heng Kee Dimsum for a satisfying experience.

 

Coffee, Massage and More at Balai

I am sure that Balai Coffee and Spa is already popular to the people of Tagum, but not all have experienced their services.

First, Balai Coffee and Spa is a homey coffee shop that serves hot and cold coffees and teas, juices and shakes paired with sandwiches, pastas or cakes. They also serve lunch and dinner with their variety of sumptuous meals.

Second, they also have massage services. You can choose from Swedish to Shiatsu to Stone Massage in an ordinary room or couple room. Either way, you will be relaxed and de-stressed when massaged. They also had sauna.

Third, they have this service called Ear Candling or, according to Google, is a thermal-auricular therapy, an alternative medicine practice claimed to improve general health and well-being by lighting one end of a hollow candle and placing the other end in the ear canal. Although if you read scientific literature about ear candling, most of it says it is ineffective and dangerous.

Therapeutic or not, effective or not, with scientific proof or not, I tried it for the sake of trying. I just want to try it to know how it feels and I felt good. Good because I was brave enough to have a lighted candle stuck in my ear canal. The experience was worth it.

Balai Coffee and Spa is really a good place to to meet and stay connected with friends, have some relaxation, or just eat good food.

A Garden Called Dreanca

It is not a surprise that establishments like cafes and restaurants will sprout in Tagum City because of its promising modernization and industrialization. Students and workers residing from neighboring municipalities are regular contributors of foot traffic in the city.

Again, another cafe/restaurant has opened to cater the healthy appetite side of Tagumeños, but this time, it is on the other side of the city.

Garden Dreanca is a cafe/restaurant/hang out place for those who want to escape the rush and the stress. It has ornamental plants around that you can rest your eyes to and relax. They also have this indoor waterfalls that its sound make you feel calm.

The food is basically the same with the other restaurants since they also have chicken, pork, beef, salad, soup, sandwich, pasta and value meals. They also serve fruit shakes and juices, coffee and beer.

Outside is a wide area where they have huts if you want to stay outside, especially for those who want to smoke. They have a mini stage for the singers and instruments during nights with live band.

The place can also be reserved for occasions and they offer several packages depending on the number of guests. Although they have corkage for lechon, but you can bring cake and it is free of charge.

There is ample parking space but if you have no ride, commuting is hard especially at night since there are only a few tricycles that roam around Curvada-Magdum area.

This Valentines Day, they will be offering a dinner buffet for 349 pesos for couples only, with complimentary wine, rose and red velvet cupcake.

So if you want to just dine, unwind or hold celebrations, then Garden Dreanca is a new place to consider. They are located at the National Highway, Curvada (going to Magdum, before Merville), Tagum City. You can contact them at 0930-8238-088.

Estrella’s Kitchen & Cafe

A new chic and posh cafe has just recently opened in Tagum City. I believe that they are still on the process of fixing and finalizing things because lighted signage outside the building is still not visible, only a tarpaulin at the outside front that tells you that you are on the right place.

A few of my friends were there during the soft opening that’s why I heard about this place. The explorer in me was triggered again so I dragged along my daughter and head there.

Estrella’s Kitchen & Cafe is located at the 3rd floor of Reno Building, Osmena Street. Confused? Well, it is across the City Hall, along Goldilocks Bakeshop. The main reference point is the DW Electronics. If you are there, then it is on the third floor. The stairs going to the third floor is beside DW Electronics. Still confused? Well, just ask the security guard at the DW Electronics.

Going to the third floor was not easy especially if you are in high heels. I just got out from the office so I was still in complete uniform, but the delicious food was my motivation to reach there. There was no signage on the sides but when you reach the third floor, you can see the welcome signs and you can smell the aroma of good food being cooked.

It was almost full. We asked for the menu and I was surprised that the prices were quite high compared to other cafes in Tagum City. Honestly, the prices are not student-friendly, but the servings were generous. We ordered pasta, salad, breakfast meal, dessert and drinks. Yes, they have breakfast meal served all day.

Photo grabbed from Estrella’s Kitchen & Cafe’s Facebook Page

Photo grabbed from Estrella’s Kitchen & Cafe’s Facebook Page

The Fruit and Nut salad was colorful and really appetizing. There was a little dressing and the veggies were not really wet, but when you eat it, it was flavorful. Well, when I eat vegetable salad, I want the dressing to be a little soupy. The sauce of their Mushroom and Cream has a right consistency and it tasted perfectly for me. The dessert called Pot De Creme is delicious too, perfect for those with sweet tooth.

Since this is our first time, we will visit again to taste their other food. For my first time visit, I can say that I was really satisfied and I’m craving for more.

If you are planning to visit, they are open from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM and from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM.

Warehaus Cafe

There is another cafe that opened in Tagum City a few days ago. I was not able to visit it immediately because when I asked my friends who went there already if there are pastas or cakes, there is none. The menu has sandwiches and rice meals, and different varieties of drinks. So I hesitated to go.

But time permits me to visit there together with my friends. I am in the mood to eat anything so I gave it a try. We went there and I was amazed that the ambiance was great! The furniture and fixtures were extraordinary and different from other cafes in Tagum. We went there during lunchtime and there were lots of people and it came full house in just a matter of minutes. Luckily, we were there ahead of them so we were able to choose  comfortable seats.

Their rice meals were all sizzling – sizzling pork, chicken, beef and fish. My order was a sizzling fish steak while my friends ordered sizzling seafoods (mandaragat) and sizzling squid (pusit). They also ordered cold drinks called Green Apple Soda and Iced Mocha. I just had water.

The overall experience was good. However, since Warehaus Cafe is located in the business center of Tagum, expect a lot of people that would come by and dine. So I guess you have to come earlier than lunch time or dinner time so that it will not be crowded yet and you can still take pictures of their nice interior.

Warehaus Cafe is located at Bonifacio corner Quezon Streets, across HB1 and along Magnolia Kiosk and Tagum Breadhouse. If you know the location of the old Grande Supermart, then that is the exact spot.

Cupcake Boss

I have visited this place a lot of times already because I like it here, even my husband and my kids agree. Cupcake Boss by Bia and Lia opened last June 5, 2015 and serves cakes, cupcakes, cookies, brownies, drinks, pasta and viands of different kinds. It is just a small place yet so cozy. A little bit far from the city proper since it is located at Purok Senangote, you will not be afraid that the place is always jam-packed with students studying or people just ordering drinks and killing time by scrolling their mobile devices and using the free WiFi. Yes, they have WiFi and a soothing background music.

The owners, Bia and Lia, are good in baking and cooking. They use their talents to put up a business which they really love. Although this place is just establishing its name and reputation, a lot of people have visited already, even prominent people of Tagum.

We have tried many of their food. My favorites are their creamy carbonara, custard cake, blueberry cheesecake, cinnamon mocha latte and fish fillet.  Their serving is generous, the platter for the viands and even the slice of cakes. Of course, my kids love their cupcakes especially those with cute toppings.

Planning to go there? They are open from 9AM to 11PM all through the week. If the place is too unfamiliar for you, just say to the tricycle driver that it is near Iglesia ni Cristo church in Senagote. You will pass Saint Mary’s College and Activo Fitness Gym before arriving there.

(Disclaimer: Some pictures were taken from Cupcake Boss by Bia and Lia’s Facebook Page)