From the same genius who continually helps put Davao on the map in the culinary scene, Chef Jeramie Go and the team behind Pilgrim bring another concept of gastronomic brilliance – Bairrada Churrasqueira. This new restaurant, included in Tatler Best of 2025, offers Portuguese cuisine in Davao City.
From the outskirts of Marilog highlands to the heart of the city, Chef Jeramie Go’s team continues to elevate Davao’s food and beverage landscape. Their journey begins with the creation of Pilgrim, a sought-after restaurant tucked in the foggy hills of Marilog. Known for a thoughtfully curated menu across different cuisines, their restaurant highlights produce sourced locally from farmers. Pilgrim in itself is a destination when visiting Marilog and not just a pitstop. Their second concept, Grateful Bread, brings Canadian baked goods to the neighborhood of Davao.
Their third concept, opened in October 2024, Bairrada Churrasqueira features the taste of Portugal. It is a small and intimate restaurant in The Compound along Tulip Drive in Juna Subdivision. With a short but carefully curated menu, this cozy restaurant celebrates the flavors of Portuguese cuisine. At the heart of their offerings is the signature Frango Piri-Piri, flame-grilled chicken marinated in spices that sends a fiery sensation to both the tongue and the soul. They also serve the beloved Pastel de Nata, Portugal’s iconic egg tart, alongside more adventurous plates like Coelho Estufado, a rich and aromatic braised rabbit dish cooked in wine and herbs.
Bairrada Churrasqueira is more than just a restaurant; it’s an adventure taken through every bite. With each new concept, Chef Jeramie Go and his team continue to bring global tastes to Davao, making the local food scene more diverse and vibrant.
In line with the team’s signature interior design approach, Bairrada Churrasqueira features an open kitchen that invites diners to witness the preparation and people behind each dish.
Menu
Food Review
I’ve always been a fan of Chef Jeramie Go’s culinary creations. Both times we’ve dined at Pilgrim, every dish we tried was absolutely delicious. So whenever I hear about a new food venture from his team, I get excited to try it right away.
Portuguese cuisine is something I hadn’t experienced before, so I was eager to embark on this culinary journey. I was especially interested in their rabbit dish, as I remembered a study from a few years ago suggesting that rabbit could be a good alternative to chicken. Especially during the poultry shortages caused by the avian flu. I’ve always been curious to taste rabbit and compare it to chicken or duck.
Coelho Estufado – 10
This dish features braised rabbit, slowly simmered in a flavorful sauce made with wine, olive oil, black olives, and oregano. I’m pretty sure we were served a whole rabbit. It’s smaller than a chicken. The texture is quite similar to chicken, but without any gamey taste. In fact, the meat is slightly sweeter and lighter. If no one told you it was rabbit, you’d probably think it was just a really good chicken dish.
The meat was juicy and tender, practically falling off the bone. But what really made the dish stand out was the sauce it was rich, well-seasoned, and nicely salted, yet still felt light on the stomach. Even with the different ingredients, the flavor reminded me a bit of chicken adobo. The sauce was well-balanced, and although it had oregano, it didn’t overpower the dish. The red wine added depth without any bitter or boozy aftertaste. The taste is balanced. The only factor that some people might dislike about it is that it is filled with black olives, which I’m okay with it but some might be aversive towards it.
Frango Piri Piri Half Plate – 9.8
It has been a while since I’ve tasted a piri-piri chicken dish, so when I found out they serve this dish, I was excited about it. The Frango Piri-Piri we ordered was half a chicken on one plate. It had big slices of chicken and provided a generous amount. There were around six slices of chicken on the plate, served with rice and beans, smashed potatoes, and tomato salad. It can actually be shared by 2–3 people by just buying additional rice and beans.
Their Frango Piri-Piri can be served mildly spicy or super spicy. We ordered the mildly spicy. It had a tolerable heat and nice flavor. It was not peppery, but rather a little zesty and salty. It’s not just heat—it’s flavor. The chicken was well-coated with the piri-piri oil and added an orange coloration. The chicken absorbed the flavors fully; however, the meat was a little dry.
What was amazing about this dish is that every side complemented the chicken. It’s like being in an orchestra where everything just fits together. The tomato salad’s acidity, the smashed potatoes’ crunchy yet flavorful texture, along with the rice and beans that balance the saltiness, create a harmony of flavors when eaten together with the chicken in one bite.
Tomato and Greens Salad – 8.2
We ordered their salad as a nice palate cleanser and to add some greens to the meal. The lettuce was fresh and had a good crunch. It wasn’t limp or overly drenched in dressing. The tomatoes were plump and had a light sweetness to them. The salad dressing had an unfamiliar flavor, but it was quite pleasant. I’m not a big fan of their dressings in general, but I still found it enjoyable. It had a tangy, slightly sour taste, possibly balsamic vinegar-based, with a hint of sweetness. The feta cheese and pickled onions were a nice touch and added more depth to the flavor. I also loved how generous they were with the tomatoes. They were fresh, firm, and not mushy at all.
Pastel De Nata – 8
The Pastel de Nata, or their Portuguese egg tart, was really good. The base was buttery and flaky, pulling apart like a croissant. It was more like puff pastry than the typical pie crust texture of regular egg tarts. Though small, it was rich in flavor. It didn’t have an eggy smell and had a smooth, custardy consistency with a rich taste. It actually reminded me a bit of Filipino yema spread, but with a thicker custard consistency. There was also a faint hint of coconut oil in the flavor.
Bolo de bolacha – 11/10
Color me surprised when I discovered this dessert! Bolo de Bolacha is an espresso biscuit cake, and its concept is like a cross between Italian tiramisu and Filipino silvana. Instead of using ladyfingers like in tiramisu, it’s made traditionally with Marie biscuits soaked in espresso, then layered with buttercream.
Their version of Bolo de Bolacha is incredibly decadent. The espresso-soaked biscuits had a soft, spongy, cake-like texture, and the buttercream had a rich coffee flavor with a deep, dark intensity. The sweetness was perfectly balanced; not overly sweet, but just enough to complement the bold espresso flavor. It was so addictive that we almost ordered a whole batch, but had to restrain ourselves. And at only ₱75 for a small piece, it was just the right portion to enjoy and leave you wanting more. If you love tiramisu, you definitely need to try this.
Restaurant Rating
Food:
As expected from the team behind Pilgrim, the food is fresh, delicious, and unique. Any food from Chef Jeramie Go’s team tastes like comfort yet has a level of sophistication. The experience is also good as you can see the food being prepared due to their open kitchen. The food is generous despite its price, and allows you to experience food from different cuisines around the world, and this time they are bringing Portuguese cuisine. You can also tell that the ingredients are of quality. One dish like their Frango Piri-piri can already be shared by 2-3 people.
Value for money:
The main dishes are generally on the mid to high budget range, but you get the value of your money from the volume of its serving, the quality of ingredients, the taste, the uniqueness, and the experience.
Location:
The location is nice because it’s within The Compound in Tulip Drive. It’s a known area and not hard to pinpoint on Google Maps. The aesthetic of the place is also well designed to provide the ambiance of warm hospitality. It’s decorated with low lighting and warm accents of wood. However, it’s a small restaurant and may easily be packed during peak hours. When we dined there, my main issue was that a fly was roaming around. Perhaps it was just a one-off case, but it was a very impressionable experience.
Service:
Despite it being a small place and only a really small but curated list of dishes, they have a hostess to provide you with information on the food selection and wine options you can pair with the food. The food was provided at a fast pace while maintaining the integrity and quality of the food. Their servers were also well-mannered and hospitable. You can also see how the food is prepared.
Variety:
It has a very small but curated menu. The dishes, not including their specials, would not even go beyond 20 selections. Despite it, the dishes they serve are unique and cannot be found in any other restaurants. At the time of writing, this is the only restaurant who is offering Portuguese cuisine.
Recommendations
Recommended Food – Bolo De Balacha (Espresso biscuit cake), Frango Piri Piri, Coelho Estufado
Information
- Payment Method: Cash, Gcash, Credit Card
- Budget: P1,000-P1,500 for 2 pax
- Type: Portuguese
- Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565084172947
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