• Menu
• Food Review
  • Gising Gising Pasta – 8.8/10
  • Tuna Piaparan Curry – 9.8/10
  • Bukayo Milkshake – 10/10
  • Honey Calamansi Spritz – 6.5/10
• Restaurant Rating – 4.2/5
• Recommendations
• Information

There are over 110 ethnolinguistic groups spread across the Philippines’ 18 regions. With so many ethnolinguistic groups, one would think that we’d have numerous cultural dishes and restaurants to boast about in the global market. However, it is saddening that our dishes only become mainstream when foreigners acknowledge and promote them. And while I am happy that dishes like Ilocos Empanada are now recognized and spread out across the Philippines, it makes me wonder about the lack of spaces that champion regional and heritage cuisines, especially those rooted in indigenous knowledge and ancestral practices that hold our culinary heritage.

What’s more disheartening is the lack of curiosity and passion for our own regional and cultural dishes, yet we are quick to celebrate and queue for cuisines from abroad. We are often hesitant about our very own dishes or those that represent a specific group in our country because they’re unusual and lack the clicks they can garner on social media.

So when people who champion and represent a regional identity try to preserve or reinterpret culinary traditions, they are met with scepticism and often seen as an afterthought in favor of trends.

Yucca Bakery + Cafe is one good example of a team passionately reintroducing Mindanaoan and regional Filipino dishes in a more modern way in Davao City. It stands out with its bold and carefully curated menu.

They offer dishes that go beyond novelty and spotlight regional flavors. Dishes like their Marang Refresher, Bukayo Milkshake, Beef Riyandang (the Maranaon interpretation or version of the famous Southeast Asian rendang dish), Gising Gising Pasta (a creative twist to the Kapampangan Gising Gising dish), and Tuna Piaparan Curry (a curry dish that draws inspiration from Maranaon’s piaparan, a coconut-based dish that highlights palapa made from a very distinct and important ingredient – the sakurab) are among the few that culturally promote our culinary legacy.

Yucca Bakery + Cafe is also accessible, as it is just located in the expansion wing of SM Ecoland, Davao, on the second floor.

Menu

Food Review

I’ve always put Yucca Bakery + Cafe at the end of my list because I am trying to organise the restaurants to try in alphabetical order. Since ‘Yucca’ is at the end of the alphabet, I’ve always put it on hold. However, when one becomes hungry, all orders aside are disregarded. To be honest, I am so sad to have put this on hold for the longest time and never put it as one of the top priorities to try. This cafe deserves the praise and the hype.

Not only do they champion Mindanao regional dishes, but they also deliver them creatively and deliciously. One that I still think about for days, and one that sparked my curiosity for more Mindanaoan culinary experiences.

Note: There are two individual raters for this, and scores were averaged.

Gising Gising Pasta – 8.8/10

Rating: 9, 8.5

I really enjoy gising-gising as a dish on its own. My first time trying gising-gising was at a restaurant here in Davao that mainly serves Kapampangan dishes. Gising-gising is a vegetable dish that is rich in coconut milk or gata. There are many variations of vegetables used in gising-gising, such as kangkong, green beans, or sigarilyas (winged beans), but it traditionally uses sigarilyas.

It takes an imaginative mind to create a version of gising-gising in pasta form. Truthfully, I was hesitant to try a coconut-based pasta dish because my mind couldn’t wrap itself around how the taste would be, but it is surprisingly enjoyable.

It still retained its gising-gising essence, yet it was creatively made as a pasta. The coconut milk flavors were not overwhelming, and they allowed the Parmesan cheese to carry its pasta allure. It was generously topped with a good ratio of kangkong stalks that were not hard and were easy to chew.

It also has palapa to add richness to the dish. The flavors were enjoyable and not overwhelming. The only downside to it is how dry the dish is. It also has a grainy texture due to the palapa and clumps of Parmesan cheese.

Tuna Piaparan Curry – 9.8/10

Rating: 9.5, 10

I have tried a lot of versions of curry in my life (Japanese, Green Thai, Red Thai, Indian, Filipino, etc), and yet I have not heard of Piaparan, let alone used it as a base for curry. And somehow, it trumps nearly every curry I have tried so far.

Piaparan, without a doubt, sparked my curiosity and deepened my appreciation for Mindanaoan cuisine. Piaparan, which originates in Lanao Del Sur, is a beloved Maranaoan dish that carries not only flavors but memories for many Muslim communities in Mindanao. What makes it distinct is sakurab – it is an underrated ingredient that is native to Maranao communities. This is used as one of the main ingredients in making palapa. Sakurab is a scallion-like herb that is more pungent and has a sharper and savory flavor that packs a flavorful punch.

Yucca Bakery + Cafe reimagined the dish by creating a curry centered on piaparan as a base. The curry flavors are so addictive. It has a certain richness with a more complex punch to every bite. The coconut milk has a distinct flavor profile it being more aromatic with intense smoky and nutty undertones that worked well with the shredded bits of red chilli. Paired with the tuna and their pickled red onions, the dish felt vibrant and dynamic. It felt like the flavors were dancing in your mouth like they were in a disco. There is also a subtle hint of tanglad, which adds a fragrant citrusy undertone to the curry.

The tuna itself was seasoned just enough to allow the piaparan curry to remain the star of the dish, creating a balanced interplay of saltiness, tanginess, spice, and richness.

The only thing that kept it from being a perfect 10/10 for me was that I found myself wanting more of the piaparan curry, while the tuna leaned slightly on the dry side

Bukayo Milkshake – 10/10

Rating: 10, 10

This was the drink that caught my attention first. I have very fond memories of Bukayo. The few times my grandmother or aunt would make it during the Lenten season back when they were still able became memories I deeply cherished. It was also a favorite afternoon snack of mine growing up, especially the one you can put over as a spread, but nowadays, it’s rare to find it being sold.

When I found they sold Bukayo milkshakes, I instantly ordered one without even deciding on my main meal first. I was not disappointed because it is one of the best milkshakes I have had and is proudly Filipino at that. The milkshake carries a strong vanilla flavor and has slight caramel-like notes coming from the bukayo. The bukayo bits were not overly sweet and were incorporated in just the right amount so that you could still enjoy smooth sips of the milkshake and textured bites of bukayo without overpowering one or the other. It’s not overpowering or tiring to chew, unlike the experience of outrageous amounts of pearls in milk tea.

Despite bukayo traditionally being made from coconut and brown sugar, the drink was surprisingly restrained in sweetness. It remained creamy, balanced, and easy to enjoy, making it the perfect counterpart to the spice and richness of the Tuna Piaparan curry.

Honey Calamansi Spritz – 6.5/10

Rating: 5, 8

It’s nothing to write home about. It’s gentle and has enough sweetness. A good refreshment to beat the heat of the summer. I would have easily swapped this with the Marang Refresher if it were only available.

Restaurant Rating – 4.2/5

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