“Welcome and Madayaw! Welcome to Garden Bay. Welcome Kaayo!”
A flair of enthusiasm is what greets you the moment you step foot at Garden Bay Resort and Restaurant in Maryknoll Drive, Lanang in Davao City. It is one of the restaurants in Davao City that gives you a view of serene and calming sea waters.
The restaurant is close to the docks where people transport from Davao City to the beautiful island of Samal. For those who want a feel of the sea breeze without leaving the city, Garden Bay Resort and Restaurant is a perfect spot for you. It is a nice place to enjoy lunch with your family on Sundays and an ideal place to bring a date for brunches or to enjoy the relaxing view of the ocean sipping mojitos with your friends.
Garden Bay Resort and Restaurant is a large venue with closed-door dining, al fresco dining, and an open veranda with a view of the sea. They also added a specific dining area near the newly built pool for those who want to take a dip. The place is also kid-friendly as they offer a playground area for kids and kids at heart to enjoy. If you are looking for a place to bring a big group of people like business dinners or lunches, this restaurant can cater it.
Garden Bay Resort and Restaurant is by far one of the restaurants in Davao City that provide relaxation and good dining with superb services.
Menu
Food Review
The restaurant has a long list of selections that offer a wide variety of dishes from seafood, salad, chicken, beef, soup, and noodles. Their main focus is Filipino cuisine and all the favorites when going to the beach like sinugba (grilled meat), seafood, and Filipino party favorites.
They have a large variety of desserts, cocktails, and beverages. They also have a specific menu for their breakfast meals and they also give you the discretion to make your own breakfast set.
BREAKFAST MEALS REVIEW
To start, let’s review their breakfast meal. We’ve had the pleasure of enjoying their make-your-own breakfast meal at P299. Their breakfast overload allows you to choose your protein meat, eggs of your desired style, sides, and beverage. Opting for their brewed coffee is the best choice as the coffee is free-flowing. I’d definitely rate their breakfast overload a 7.5/10.
Though the quantity looks small, it’s enough to fill you up. The best choice for meats are their Hungarian sausage and their bacon. For their sides, hashbrowns and French toast are the best unless you like rice. You can opt for an omelette or poached egg but we opted for omelette and sunny side up. Their brewed coffee is really delicious and for me is the best choice.
The price seems a little expensive and choosing the correct combination is important to justify paying for P299. There are other breakfast meals at this price point in cafes and other restaurants that have better presentation and a larger portion. However, the volume of the food is enough to satiate hunger and they do provide a good selection of meat and eggs.
We also ordered their smoked salmon eggs benedict for P265. I love eggs benedict. Though theirs is not the best I’ve had, it passed my delight bar. Their hollandaise is okay and delicious. They also used a good English muffin bread though somehow underwhelming. A high grade of 8 for me.
MAIN MENU/NON-BREAKFAST MEALS
For their non-breakfast meals, we have had the pleasure of trying out the following dishes – Salmon Fried Rice, Mango Salted Egg Salad, Kinilaw with Pork, Crispy Shrimp, Sizzling Beef Bulalo Steak and cocktails. Except for the Kinilaw with Pork and cocktails, all of our orders are one of their best sellers.
Salmon Fried Rice – 7
Their salmon fried rice at P280 provides a generous amount that can be shared between 2-4 people. The good thing about it is it’s not oily which is the case with other fried rice. It has chunks of salted egg to provide an umami flavor and has a hint of salmon. Flavor wise, it is not something spectacular. I do have a feeling they used brined salmon from a can as the salmon taste has this specific canned salmon flavor. Alone, it is underwhelming but it does enhance the flavor paired with other dishes.
Mango Salad with Salted Egg – 7.5
Their mango salad with salted egg is one of the most unique salads I’ve tried and didn’t know paired well together. What I like about it is that it is a very Filipino-themed salad. It’s a nice palate cleanser as it is sweet and sour. The green mango was too sour though and would have been nice if there were more salted egg or they picked a little sweeter green mango (where it is nearing to ripe). The salted egg was just generous but the sourness of the mango is overwhelming. If it had the right balance, it would have scored higher.
Kinilaw with Pork – 10
Being born and raised in General Santos, kinilaw has been a staple in parties and special occasions. Sometimes, it’s just part of our meal as there is abundance in tuna. I am also not a big fan of raw food dishes like kinilaw but personally, Garden Bay has one of the best kinilaw I’ve tried. It has a really great suka mixture, the raw meat is perfectly drenched and sitting on the vinegar to cook. There is a perfect ratio of chilies, chopped aromatics, and vegetables. The cuts were sliced into bite size cubes that are not overwhelming. It allows you to savor a good combination of flavor in every bite. The pork cuts is generous as well.
Crispy Shrimp – 8
Their crispy shrimp is one of the best dishes we ordered other than their Kinilaw with Pork. Though nothing really unique about it, it is flavorful, not oily and had a good crisp. It is not heavy and was served in a good amount. One of the good things about it is that their shrimps are de-veined. This is for people who are particular with shrimp veins. It says something about their culinary practice ensuring the best presentation and preparation of their food.
Sizzling Beef Bulalo Steak – 7.5
Their sizzling bulalo steak is nothing special. The thick and savory broth is drizzled over the steak on a sizzling pan. It has a good balance of taste to it and you can taste a hint of butter. The broth isn’t warm enough that it easily gets cold despite it being drizzled over a sizzling plate. It is good but nothing to rave about.
Cocktails – 7
They offer really cheap cocktails compared to other restaurants we’ve been to in Davao. They offer standard cocktails. The alcohol is strong for their mixture compared to other mixes that are sweeter and almost taste like juices. If you enjoy bitter cocktails mixes, you’ll enjoy their concoction.
Restaurant Rating
Food:
Personally, I find their food overall good. Though not all was special yet it was very enjoyable. Not one dish I had a bad experience with. The serving size I feel justifies the price as well.
Value for money:
I find that their food servings are big. The place is spacious and can accommodate big groups. You have option for your view and seating. Offers great ambiance and good food. Great service.
It is a bit on the expensive side though but personally would recommend to come back as it is a good place and you get the best out of your penny.
Location:
The ambiance is really nice. Though, not entirely accessible for public commuters as it is far from the highway and coming in would require you to take a tricycle or walk. Going out as a commuter from the place may require you to walk to a dark alley during the night. Will also force you to hail a cab. I think they do have tricycles along highway so you need to communicate with their guard.
The place itself is beautiful and provides sea view. Though, your view might be interrupted by big sea vessels as it is close to port. Have areas for kids and a pool side. It is also PWD friendly as they have proper railings and place is spacious for those on wheelchairs.
Service:
Base on personal experience, I had one of the best customer service with their staff. They enthusiastically welcome you. A lot of the staffs are roaming with headpiece on to communicate with each other. Staffs are stationed to individual spots to ensure customers are served. On time serving as well. Area is clean and staffs are attentive to the customer needs.
Variety:
Good selection of food. Offers unique and own twist of salads and Filipino favorites. Have options to not so pricey selection. Wide selection of non-pork and vegetables.
Recommendations
Recommended Food – Kinilaw with Pork, Crispy Shrimp, Eggs Benedict
Fun to try: Make-your-own-breakfast and Mango Salad with Salted Egg
Information
- Payment Method: Cash, Gcash, Credit Card
- Budget: P1,000 to P1,500 for 2 pax
- Type: Filipino Cuisine (Mixed)
- Facebook Page:
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Eats Me, Jax! 