Tola, Kan-anan sa Balay Oboza — Restaurant in Davao City

Most will be impressed by the lovely interior and exterior (can be a bit intimidating for others but it’s actually cheap) of this Filipino restaurant but their food is definitely the star. Traditional...nothing fancy schmancy. The food tastes like it was cooked by grandma or something.

First thing I consumed is the intriguing Santol Juice and it’s surprisingly good. Their Kinilaw (cubed fresh tuna) is apparently how a Bisaya would prepare it—simple, fresh, lots of ginger, some onions, and cucumber. A must try is their Kansi! Their sisig is authentically cooked Kapampangan-style, exactly how I like it since I hate crunchy sisig. The imbao (local clams) exuded feelings of being home and I am impressed with how fresh the leaves/herbs used are. I normally just order plain rice but I was told that their non-plain ones are good so we decided to try two of them. Some of my friends like the Sinigang rice but I personally prefer the Aligue rice. I ended my meal with a creamy ice buko with munggo on top even though I initially wanted to try the durian cheesecake (next time!). Eating the ice buko was pure nostalgia. If you grew up in the province, you must have tried a similar ice buko as a kid from your neighborhood sari-sari store.

Also went there for dinner and a few drinks and I noticed that the place transforms from homey-casual during the day into something a bit more romantic at night. I tried their gin-based cocktail named “Ligaya” and I actually find it yummy. A plus that it’s only PHP230. Friend prefers the Coco Sangria though.

They have private rooms—if you want to have more intimate gatherings.

P.S. If you are into arts, don’t forget to check out their paintings on display too. Posted a photo of my favorite, guess...

Finally had the chance to visit here when ew offered a promo for cc holders. We immediately went to try. However when we arrived, the staff seems to not know their promo. After he checked my card he said my card is not applicable for the promo. I know I am right because the bank itself posted it, so I had to ask again this but time it was the other staff and he immediately said yes, I can avail the promo. Then after few minutes of their discussion (the cashier, other staff and him) the first staff I asked signaled a thumbs up saying its confirm I can avail.

The food was good but I can’t say its the best in the city, I have seen Tatler featuring the restaurant and that made me curious as to how their food taste but it was just like an ordinary filipino food.

Their food is really expensive, I was expecting their food to at least have some twist of special that only in their restaurant can offer. But I guess that’s just it. I actually have minor comments about their food, the egg in batchoy was not boiled egg, which I didn’t like and the leche flan is not...

If you're not from Davao City and you want to taste Filipino food at an upscale joint, then this is the place to go. The food for me was delicious! Each meal that they served was well marinated causing the food to be packed with flavor! Although, I would recommend not going here if you're already hungry as the serving time took quite a while (almost 30mins) because they cook everything as you order guaranteeing freshly cooked meals.

As for the interior of the place, its a bit cramped for me since the distance between the other tables is not that spaced out so you can easily pick up gossip from the other table. If youre coming in a big group, i would recommend booking their private dining areas for a more intimate and private dining experience and if youre just coming to eat here in general, i would recommend getting a reservation in advance.

Overall, Highly recommended! I cannot wait to go back and taste more of...