If you dig a little deeper, you’ll find this amazing wave of innovation where chefs are combining classic Filipino flavors with modern techniques and unexpected ingredients. One place that has been largely ignored is Davao’s Rekado. A family style Filipino fusion restaurant with a great ambiance and even better food.
Table of Contents:
Filipino Food in Davao Is Fine. But the Recommendations Suck
Where to Stay in Davao
Luxury Accommodations: – Dusit Thani Residence↗ – Dusit Thani Residence Davao redefines luxury accommodation, combining elegance and convenience with full-service amenities and gracious Thai hospitality.
Well located in the city centre, with sweeping views of the Davao Gulf, this luxury hotel in Davao is ideal for business and leisure guests.
Mid-Range Accommodations: – Seda Abreeza Hotel↗ – Seda Abreeza features a fitness center with floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the outdoor pool. It also offers complimentary Wi-Fi access.
Rooms feature a flat-screen TV with cable channels, an iPod dock and a personal safe. Coffee/tea-making amenities and a minibar are included. The private bathroom provides toiletries and a hairdryer.
Budget Accommodations: – Studio1 Apartment Transient House ↗ – Free Wifi is available throughout the property and SM Lanang Premier is a 15-minute walk away.
At $15 and under per night you better not complain
Looking for other great places to stay in Davao? Use the search bar below to find more options!
Read Next: Davao’s Lechon Buwaya
What to Expect at Rekado
There is no grand reveal walking up to Rekado. It sits on a busy road, surrounded by other businesses, with a proper sign out front. That’s it, there’s no flashing lights, no cutesy branding, no photo wall screaming for attention.
The interior is clean and polished without feeling like it’s trying to be upscale. The full bar anchors the center of the room, and the walls are lined with signed plates, mostly from Filipino celebrities. It is certainly not a carinderia, and not so upscale you would feel out of place. It hits that sweet spot of modern comfort.
The price points at Rekado are substantially higher than a Carinderia or street food but that’s to be expected. Main courses will range from 200-800 pesos, but if you compare it to western standards of an equivalent style restaurant it is very inexpensive. Hell, it is inexpensive compared to Manila for the same style resto.
The menu’s full of Filipino classics. All of them recognizable. Then there are a few fusion dishes, but nothing that shows up foamed, deconstructed, or looking like it was extracted from a gangbang at sea. It’s just great food and I guarantee you will be going back again.
Rekado seems to be stuck in that place of obscurity and popularity at the same time, and I have no idea why. But if you ask me and you’re serious about trying Filipino food in Davao, this place should be at the top of your list.
What I Ate at Rekado
I came in expecting at least one plate of overpriced crap wrapped in banana leaves and trauma. But it never happened. Instead, every plate that hit the table was like, “Surprise, bitch. I’m good too.” So if you’ve ever wondered what quiet panic looks like, it’s me realizing I might have to say something nice six times in a row.
Molo Soup
You read that right, molo soup. I know you’re thinking to yourself, what the hell is he smoking? There is no molo soup, it’s pancit molo soup. Well Rekado said hold my beer and watch this. Nary a single noodle to be found in this monster. You get a kettle of piping hot pork and chicken broth and a bowl that includes shredded chicken, whole shrimp, deep fried pork dumplings, garlic, and green onions. Did he just say deep fried dumplings? You’re Goddamn right I did. Not steamed, deep fried crispy pork dumplings. Like a wanton on steroids. With a deep flavorful broth and perfect dumplings, they nailed this one. Expect more of that as we move along.
Mango Kinilaw
This one’s a proper fusion move that doesn’t make you want to punch yourself in the dick. You’ve got tuna with a classic kinilaw set up that’s raw, acidic, and sharp. But it’s mixed with a fresh mango purée that adds another level of flavor. It’s sweet, sour, and spicy all in one bite. And served with chips, because why not? It’s basically a Filipino ceviche wearing its tropical shirt unironically.
Dinuguan
This an easy one for me because it’s one of my favourite Filipino dishes. You get fatty pork chunks, offal, and that slightly sour kick you want from a proper bowl of blood stew. And the presentation is probably one of the better ones I have seen. While I love it, I have to admit a plate or bowl of dinuguan usually resembles a bad case of mud butt. Rekado once again knocks it out of the park. Vinegar is cooked off perfectly so it’s not overly sour and they don’t ruin the blood they are cooking in the vinegar. 9.5/10.
Pinakbet
Rekado’s version leans more ginataang(coconut milk) than Ilocano. you get the usual mix of stewed vegetables, but swimming in coconut milk alongside that deep, salty punch from the bagoong. And just to make sure it doesn’t feel like you’re being punished for eating vegetables, they throw in chunks of lechon kawali. You get that earthy, meaty umami from the shrimp paste and enough richness from the coconut milk to round it all out
Tokwa’t Tenga
This isn’t your usual tokwa’t baboy. Rekado swaps out the lechon kawali for pig ears, fried until they lose that chewiness and turn into something closer to a crispy pork snack. If you’ve only ever had grilled tenga, this’ll catch you off guard, in a good way. The fried tofu balances out the oily pork, and the portion is massive. Easily one of the best palutan-style plates on the menu. Served with sinamak and atchara to cut through the richness, in case the idea of eating pig ears starts to psych you out.
Kalderobo
The name say it al. This fusion dish is equal parts adobo and kaldereta. You’ve got the soy sauce and vinegar notes of adobo baked deep into the beef, but the thick, tomato-heavy kaldereta sauce still dominates. It’s rich, layered, and unapologetically Filipino. The meat’s fall-apart tender, with beef fat that renders into the sauce like it owns the place. If fusion had a warning label, it’d be for cultural appropriation, but this is a Filipino fusing Filipino dishes, so suck a butt. 10/10.
Wondering What to do in Davao? Have a Look at Some of These Tours From Viator:
This Is What Filipino Food Should Look Like
I’m not here to make the argument that classic filipino food should be uprooted. In fact quite the opposite. The classics will always be just that and there is no fear of losing them. But the fusion and/or modern Filipino food movement has it’s place too when done with purpose, not performance.
You don’t need to light your kare-kare on fire or inject your lumpia with squid ink to get attention. Filipino food doesn’t need help, it just needs people to stop screwing it up. Rekado has figured that out. Nothing here feels like a gimmick. The dishes still look like what they are. They taste like what they should. The difference is in the restraint. They don’t need to stack lechon on waffles or drop sinigang in a cocktail glass to feel relevant. They just cook like they give a shit and it shows in everything they do.
Filipino Food in Davao: Final Verdict
Rekado doesn’t play dress-up. The foods fantastic, the ideas make sense, and nothing comes across like a half-assed attempt to go viral. Even the mango kinilaw in a mason jar avoids looking stupid. It’s a place that cooks like it means it. If you’ve already been, drop your favorites in the comments. If not, this is where to start.
You Might Also Like: Paz Eatery: Davao’s Famous Carinderia
Filipino Food in Davao – FAQ:
Rekado is best experienced as a dine-in spot like most sit-down Filipino restaurants in Davao. The foods better when it lands hot on the table. That said, they do offer takeout, and you can find them on Food Panda and Grab.
You’ll find Rekado Davao on J.P. Laurel Avenue in Bajada. It’s right in the city and easy to reach. Here’s the Google Maps link if you need exact directions.
Yes, Rekado Filipino restaurant accepts credit cards and Gcash but if you’re a tourist Gcash doesn’t help you at all. But because this is the Philippines, always carry some cash anyway. You don’t want your meal ruined by a “Ma’am/Sir, the machine is down” situation.
That’s the problem, right? Search “Filipino food in Davao” and you’ll keep tripping over the same list of tourist bait. If you want something that isn’t built for selfies, Rekado is the move. It’s one of those Filipino restaurants that locals actually eat at, with a menu that proves you don’t need a novelty dish to be worth talking about.
Rekado lands in that perfect middle zone. You’re not eating off plastic plates, and you’re not being upsold a ₱600 sizzling sisig just because there’s air conditioning. It’s both classic and modern Filipino food with great service, excellent flavors, and dishes that still feel connected to the culture. If you want more than street food but less than hotel pretension, this is where you go.
