Penong's - Lanang — Restaurant in Davao City

We ate at Penong's Lanang, first try on a Davao instituted food joint. We were expecting a smorgasbord of different grilled delights but unfortunately was served a foil laden of disappointments. Their Seafood Platter was not the "hot-off-the-grill" viand, but the "Lets-cook-the-seafood-early-so we-won't-toil-that-much-later" kind. I came to wonder then, why our food came in 30 minutes after we ordered, what the hell were they doing inside the kitchen if nothing was being cooked. Some of the shrimps are mush to the taste, squid was like a plastic insole, blue marlin was tough to look at and surprisingly same as the taste. And the black thing in the first picture, yes, that gall bladder looking thingy, thats a clam ladies and gentlemen.

Heard a lot of good things with Penong's. I guess the golden years of the once long lined eatery is long gone. Way...

This is the Penong’s across from SM Lanang. This seemed to be the most popular food chain here because we see Penong’s everywhere we go in Davao City. Even more than Jollibee or Mcdonald’s.

We went for early dinner on a Sunday and there weren’t many diners yet. But it soon filled up and this seemed to be a popular place.

However, over half the menu was unavailable! No pork, no fish, no shellfish or squid! Just chicken!

So we had the bbq chicken (good), ordered chicken sotanghon (vermicelli) saute which looked like bihon (rice noodles) and not like sotanghon but it tasted very good. However, bihon has way more carbs than sotanghon. I didn’t raise the issue because the restaurant had filled up and they seemed to be short staffed. Also ordered the seafood chop suey which also tasted very good.

Will I come back?...

I’ve always been a solid fan of Penong’s, especially their grilled chicken, pork barbecue, and my all-time favorite — the grilled pork belly (Inato #4). The flavors are consistently spot on — smoky, juicy, and satisfying, perfect with rice and their signature sauces.

Back when their branch in Mendiola, Manila was still open, my wife and I would often dine there. Aside from the grilled specialties, we never missed ordering their fresh fruits, which are truly a must-try and a refreshing way to end a meal.

Though it was a sad moment when the Mendiola branch closed a few years ago, I’m beyond happy to be back in Davao, where Penong’s truly feels at home. Nothing beats the authentic Davao vibe and the original taste...