Abreeza Mall hosts homegrown restaurants

MANILA, Philippines - He never had a chance to meet him in person, but Michael M. Wee, CEO and president of Grab A Crab Coffee Club 101, was a huge fan of the co-founder and publisher of The Philippine STAR, the late Max Soliven, respected journalist and giant in the newspaper industry. “I admired him for his insightful writings,” Wee says, “not only about the news but also about people. He takes you to many places. His writings widened your horizon.” So, as a participating restaurant in the EAT dining festival at Abreeza Mall in Davao City to celebrate Philippine STAR’s 25th anniversary, he named Grab a Crab’s STAR dish “Fried Shrimp Ball a la Soliven.”

The house specialties are the crabs, the star of which is the Alaskan King Crab. Among the best-sellers are the hot garlic crab, the Shanghai Szechuan crab, and the Hong Kong steam with garlic crab, which we savored with gusto. Simply steamed in garlic, ginger and leeks, there was nothing complicated about the dish. The crab’s freshness and sweetness spoke for itself.

Chef Tristan Encarnacion with Ranchero’s Star Liempo

The first Grab A Crab restaurant can be found in General Santos where Wee is based. He comes to Davao, which is just a two-hour drive away, to check on his restaurant at Abreeza on weekends. “We have an aquarium for the live fish,” Wee remarks. You can order your live lapu-lapu and pampano fresh out of the tank.

 In another part of the restaurant is the coffee shop, which accounts for the other half of the restaurant’s name, Grab A Crab Coffee Club 101. Wee thought that it would be a good idea if the diners at the restaurant did not have to go elsewhere to have their coffee after their meal. Wee is himself a big coffee drinker, consuming at least seven cups a day, the last three before going to bed at night.

Wee started in the hardware business but, he says, he enjoys his restaurants more. He likes meeting and talking with people. “It’s a lot better than counting nuts and bolts at the hardware all day,” he laughs.

Ranchero’s STAR dish is simply named “Star Liempo.” It is an innovation of a traditional Filipino dish. “While liempo is usually grilled, this time, it is deep fried,” Ranchero owner, Paulo Sunglao, explains. The thin slices of crispy liempo dipped in vinegar with chopped onions and ginger is truly appetizing.

Christian de la Paz of Hanoi and Tsuru

Ranchero’s cuisine is described as Filipino ranch-style cooking. “It’s the type of cooking that the locals call ‘kinowboy,’” says the young Sunglao, whose family used to own a ranch in General Santos. Standout dishes at the restaurant are the imported certified US Angus steaks and baby back ribs. And for dessert, must-try are the sticky rice with latik and panucha; maja blanca with corn crean and leche flan.

“We are the only restaurant in Davao City that offers buffet lunch and dinner everyday,” says Enrik Yap, operation manager and owner of Ranch & Reef at the third floor of Abreeza Mall. They also have a salad bar. At the carving station, there’s Peking duck and lechon kawali. “We have roast beef tenderloin for dinner only,” Yap says, “and on weekends, we also offer sushi and maki as appetizers.”

The Star Warm Brownie Cup is Ranch & Reef’s STAR dish, served ala mode. That’s the scoop of the day, a perfect ending to a filling buffet meal.

The Durian Star Suman is Hanoi’s STAR dish. Hanoi operations manager and owner, Christian de la Paz, who was born in Davao, loves durian. Their homemade durian pie is also good. It goes well with the citrus herb juice, which is refreshing. “We grow our own herbs for use in our kitchen,” says De la Paz. “And since Davao is also known for its sweet pomelo, we also have pomelo salad in our menu.”

Enrik Yap of Ranch & Reef

“We are the first and only authentic Vietnamese restaurant in Davao,” says De la Paz, whose family which owns Casa Leticia in Davao City, had always been in the hotel and restaurant business. The best-sellers at Hanoi are the crabs that come in three flavors: garlic and butter, tamarind, and sweet and chili; the phos; and the spring rolls that you roll yourself. Their dishes have authentic Vietnamese names such as cha nuong and hu tieu tam thit. Vietnamese residents in the city have become regular customers, and Koreans who love the soups, as well as Filipinos, residents and tourists alike.

On the same level as Hanoi, on the ground floor of Abreeza Mall, is Tsuru Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar, which is also owned and managed by De la Paz. This is its third branch. Tsuru first opened elsewhere in the city some 21 years ago. After taking a course at the Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in the US, De la Paz introduced a number of new dishes to the menu. “We decided to have a branch here at the mall so we can be known better,” he says. They may eventually open a branch outside Davao City.

Tsuru’s STAR dish is the Karai Maguro Star or spicy tuna sushi. “It’s a well-known 21-year-old dish,” de la Paz says. The fresh tuna comes from the country’s tuna capital, General Santos.

“Our participating merchants were excited about the opportunity to join the food festival and take advantage of a wider reach,” says Gel Ferrer, Abreeza Mall marketing manager. “These are mostly homegrown concepts. It is an advocacy of the Ayala group to help the regional businesses and the community where we are located.”

It’s been four months since Abreeza Mall opened in Davao City in May this year. “People say when Abreeza came, the lifestyle of Davao changed,” Ferrer remarked. “They have become more fashion conscious. They eat out more. They have more choices.”