If one surveys the food most associated with Davao, cacao and pomelo/suha will surely come to mind; these are the iconic foodstuffs that the Southern region is known to grow and market. But if one scans the bustling Southern cities, particularly Davao, it becomes clear that local bread – the classic pan de sal, ensaymada,etc. – is enjoyed virtually everywhere and is as much of a staple as rice.

Dotting almost every neighborhood in Davao City are local bakeries and one brand that is close to ubiquity is the Panadero Bakeshop. Its white typography, with the classic toque hat perched on the ‘P’ and resting against a bright red background, can be spotted every few kilometers.

Dafoodgallery Bakery Products Manufacturing, one of the franchisees of Panadero Bakeshop, indeed banked on the brand’s prevalence, leading them to open three branches: two in Davao City and one in Cagayan de Oro.

“We’ve been operating the Damosa branch for four years now. We chose this location because of the surrounding community. There are a lot of different establishments and barangays in this area. Our product, different kinds of breads, are essential sa mga kababayan natin,”  explained Jocelito Campos, Operations Head at Dafoodgallery.

Panadero Bakeshop Damosa is on 24-hour operations, with the first batch of freshly-baked bread already out of the oven at 4AM to cater to early morning employees and mothers prepping their family’s breakfast.

Campos sees their array of breads as an affordable, everyday fare for Filipinos that offer the comfort of home wherever they are, and at any time of the day. While ensaymada and pan de sal are the best-sellers in the morning, come afternoon other breads are in demand: hopia, monay, or the top selling bicho-bicho are perfect painit (light snacks).

“Sa gabi, patapos na ang araw, meron kaming cheese de sal. May mga tao na hindi nagkakanin – baka nag-didiet o kaya yung ibang sobrang late na makauwi sa bahay, baka wala nang nakahanda kaya mas magandang mag tinapay na lang. At P 5, per piece, napaka affordable,” Campos said.

With Converge slowly making inroads in metropolitan areas outside of Luzon, it was only a matter of time before the Dafoodgallery business owner, Dennis Roy Aballe, heard of the broadband provider and made the switch.

“This was recommended by the friends of the owner because we were curious about the speeds being offered. Now we have Converge in all three branches,” noted Campos.

Having made the switch in February 2024, Campos notes how the strong, quality connection has eased communication with suppliers and facilitated inter-branch meetings.

“We’re able to have our weekly and monthly meetings, and the very important annual meeting between and among branches through Zoom, and without interruption. It really helps us in planning and executing our deliverables without the need for face-to-face meetings,” said the Operations head.

With the Damosa branch going strong and the two other branches thriving, Jocelito Campos sees Converge as a reliable connectivity partner in the years of operations to come.

“With the help of Converge, as we grow, kailangan talaga mag-adapt din kami sa new technology. Ngayong may ibang branch na, talagang kailangan ng coordination and with this, we have an easy channel or medium to execute our strategy to continue growing as a business,” he ended.

Tag-init, for many Filipinos, means finding the perfect halo-halo. You can just grab one from those street vendors; almost always, they’re the best. But for those without access to those off-the-street halo-halo vendors, the next best versions would be those from supposed halo-halo specialists… such as Street Halo-Halo Milky Ice, which – like Icebergs and Razon’s – eyes to be known for giving this Pinoy dessert a twist.

@outragemag #LGBT checking a #halohalo ‘specialist’ in #Manila to compare it with #Chowking, #Razons, and those from #streetvendors ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Kumusta naman ang experience sa Street Halo-Halo Milky Ice?

Una, this biz actually has sit-down venues – e.g. the one we checked in Santa Ana in the City of Manila. But exactly because they have to pay for a dining venue, they don’t just offer halo-halo, but also so-so Mexican food. At least the space isn’t bad naman, and allows you to enjoy your halo-halo away from the humidity outside.

Ikalawa, slight maingay ang staff – e.g. when taking orders from foodpanda, or when chatting with each other. Promise, disturbing siya.

Ikatlo, kumusta ang halo-halo and the Mexican snack? More particularly, we tried the ₱150 ube halo-halo and the ₱200 taco?

1. With the halo-halo, the winning element is supposed to be the shaved ice since timplado na, so may additional lasa. However… the shaved ice used here may not be lumpy as the one in Chowking, but it not as smooth as Razon’s either.
2. If eating at Razon’s, you know there’s not a lot of sahog. But here, even if you do get more, nothing was memorable.
3. Lasa-wise, the halo-halo was quite bland… even with all the sahog and all.
4. The three pieces of tacos were so-so, tasting more like some inuman venue’s beef nachos than anything else. Overloaded with fake-tasting cheese, this appears like someone’s false idea of what Mexican food really is.

If, in the past, we craved for halo-halo during summer when the heat becomes intolerable, nowadays, that halo-halo craving is now what’s normal. Climate change is real, for real. So Street Halo-Halo Milky Ice has a captured market na. But if you can find others pa rin… like those selling halo-halo in street corners, try them as well. You’re bound to be pleased more for less the price.

So off we go for more lafang venue search…

Street Halo-Halo Milky Ice is located at 2241 Syquia St., Santa Ana, City of Manila, Metro Manila.

Bulacan may be a big province, but tourists will – admittedly – have a harder time looking for places to visit here. Unless you’re into hard-to-reach natural wonders, or churches, churches, and even more churches.

There’s something surprising in Bulacan, though: that is, there are actually a lot of not-bad dining venues there… which was what led us to discovering Project Steak.

How was the place for us?

@outragemag Lost in #Bulacan and looking for okay #food? We checked the #steak #fishandchips of @projectsteakbaliwag in #baliuagbulacan for this #LGBT ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, Bulacan is a big province, so if you’re nowhere near Baliuag, you may find this place too hard to go to (particularly if you’re not driving). This is over an hour away from the City of Manila, passing through Obando, Bocaue, Guiguinto, Malolos, Pulilan, et cetera… so yeah, this isn’t the most accessible place to go to.

Ikalawa, the actual resto is actually small; seriously small. Luckily, there are two seating areas, so to speak. The resto itself has an airconditioned room that can only seat a handful; and a non-airconditioned area that it shares with Mimi’s, the café beside it. The airconditioning isn’t that cold naman, so staying outside may make sense particularly for those who are claustrophobic.

Ikatlo, keri naman ang personnel, able to explain what’s on the menu.

Ika-apat, how was the food?

• The Fish and Chips (₱300) was actually good, comparative to those from delis in – say – some suburb in Australia. The fish wasn’t malansa, was properly battered, and was well cooked. The chips – or fries – naman were of good quality, not disintegrating to the touch.
• The Meatballs Tomato (₱250) was so-so; that is, the meatballs tasted nice, but the pasta was just too sweet. Ganito: If you added more pasta, the sweetness of the sauce would still overhwlem.
• The Signature Ribeye Steak (₱550) was a bit small, though not surprising considering the asking price. Ordered MR, it was properly done, with the meat still juicy. You don’t get a lot of accompanying veggies; though the eggs we ordered in place of the potatoes were well done.
• The Surf and Turf (₱650) was basically a Ribeye Steak… with grilled shrimps. For both steaks, if there’s a major comment, it’s the lack of seasoning. Yeah, you can just add salt and pepper; but it tastes different when meat is seasoned before or during cooking since nanunuot ang lasa. The mashed potato was too margarine-y, and so was so-so. The shrimps were good even if they were somewhat small.

Is it worth to dayo, to target Project Steak? If you’re nearby and are looking for affordable steaks, perhaps. The ambiance is good, the offerings are presented well (check the plating!), and so on. But if it’s too far for you, and if there are other options for the same price wherever you may be, stay there na lang. That way, walang sisi.

Otherwise, join us as we look for more lafang venues.

Project Steak is located along Doña Remedios Trinidad Hwy, Baliuag, Bulacan. For more information, contact 0939 708 7839 or 0923 631 2559.