Davao City Food Trip: Halal Food Spots in the City
Halal Dishes at Ante Movina Muslim Eatery
I’m doing a series on my Davao City food trip until the end of April. Today, I’m writing about the halal food in the city.
Compared to Luzon and Visayas (northern and central regions, respectively), the southern region of Mindanao, where Davao City is located, has a higher Muslim population. This is because Muslim traders and missionaries entered the country through the Sulu Archipelago, which is located in the western archipelagic part of Mindanao.
With a high concentration of Muslims in Mindanao, there is an abundance of Halal food and food spots as well. Halal literally means permissible, allowed, or lawful (as opposed to haram, which means forbidden or unlawful) in Arabic. It refers to Islamic dietary practices prescribed by the Quran. For a food to be declared halal, it has to go through a specific permitted process of slaughtering and preparation. Also, there are animals and products that are outrightly considered non-halal, in which pork is the most known one.
So when in Davao City, with the bounty of halal food, it only makes sense to do a halal food crawl. I was inspired by Best Ever Food Review Show’s (BEFRS) Sonny Side. I went to the places he visited and even planned to visit more so I could be more original. LOL. However, a Satti (skewered meat) place that I wanted to try closed for good, and it’s hard to locate good halal food spots primarily because they’re not listed in the Internet. So I gave up on my quest for originality and patterned my crawl after BEFRS. So Sonny and the team, this is for you!
Here are the halal food spots that I visited:
Ante Movina’s Muslim Eatery
This eatery is a Maranao carinderia (eatery) or at least its owner is a Maranao, I was told. So who are the Maranao people? Literally “people of the lake”, they are the largest Muslim group in the country, living around Lake Lanao in Mindanao. Its cuisine makes use of coconut, chilies, and spices, which is similar to Malay cuisine. But its single most important ingredient is the Palapa, a mix of ginger, chilies, and Sakurab, a local scallion found in Lanao province. It’s even used as condiment for meals.
Ante Movina’s Muslim Eatery
Ante Movina’s, like most carinderia, employs a turo-turo (literally “point point”) style of ordering. From fried items to dishes with gata (coconut milk), there are plenty of dishes to choose from.
Dishes at Ante Movina’s
Among my selection are Ginataang Langka (jackfruit curry) and Kinilaw (Filipino ceviche). I love the latter because it’s fish is tender, the vegetables give a nice crunch, and the flavor has a nice kick of spice. It’s also creamy because it has gata, an ingredient sometimes added to kinilaw recipes.
Kinilaw (P40) and Ginataang Langka (P20)
But what impressed me the most is the Piaparan, the most famous of all Maranao dishes. It’s made with a protein (usually chicken, fish, and shrimp) stewed in coconut milk with a base of garlic, onions, red bell peppers, turmeric, and palapa. Then the pieces of protein is transferred to a sautéed sapal ng niyog (coconut pulp), which is flavored with turmeric and palapa.
Chicken Piaparan (P60)
I tried Ante Movina’s Chicken Piaparan because I’m allergic to shrimp. The chicken isn’t tender; I’m not sure if it’s the cooking process or the kind of chicken. But the coconut pulp has an interesting flavor and texture. I definitely tasted the turmeric there. It’s like I’m eating a dry kind of curry. It won my heart; I just hoped the chicken was tender and juicy.
By the way, the food in Ante Movina’s are really affordable!
Address: Quezon Blvd., Poblacion District, Davao City | Operating Hours: TBA
Nanay Rebecca’s Halal BBQ & Restaurant
There are many halal barbecue joints in the city (you’ll find many of them at the Roxas Night Market; check my visit here.) But I think that the most successful of them all is Nanay Rebecca’s Halal BBQ & Restaurant. It was started by Rebecca Diong more than 30 years with the help of the then Vice Mayor of the city and now the President of the Republic, Rodrigo Duterte. Rebecca’s has certainly come a long way, as it recently opened a bigger branch near the airport, specifically the runway part. It’s also the first halal restaurant in the city to have a prayer room for the Muslim faithful.
Nanay Rebecca’s Mamay Road Branch
The al fresco dining area of the Mamay Road Branch
Nanay Rebecca’s (literally “Mother Rebecca”) is known for their chicken barbecue, grilled tuna, and its secret barbecue sauce (more on this later!). They have 2 kinds of chicken: Regular and native. While the latter is more flavorful, it’s has a tougher meat. Since I don’t want to compromise on tenderness, I got the regular instead. It is basted with the secret sauce and is indeed juicy and tender.
Regular Chicken Barbecue (Leg: P100), Chicken Heart (P20), and Chicken Liver (P20)
I also tried their Inihaw na Tuna Panga (grilled tuna jaw/jowl). It’s juicy, tender, and smoky. However, it lacks in flavor when compared to the panga of Dod’s Ihaw-Ihaw and Grill (check it here). I’m sorry; all the panga I try will always be compared to Dod’s, which is the best for me.
Inihaw na Tuna Panga (P450/P550/P650)
Let’s not forget the barbecue sauce, which has a nice caramel flavor. I would describe this concoction as magical! It’s so secret that only 4 persons know about the recipe. Sonny tried to extract such classified information but his mission failed! LOL.
The Magical Secret Barbecue Sauce of Nanay Rebecca’s
Because of the secret sauce (which you can ask for an extra, by the way) applied to its chicken barbecue items, Nanay Rebecca’s food is among my favorite in Davao City.
Magallanes Branch Address: 124 A. Pichon St. (formerly Magallanes St.), Poblacion District, Davao City | Operating Hours: TBA
Mamay Road Branch Address: Mamay Bypass Rd., Buhangin District, Davao City | Operating Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 5PM-3AM
Tinhat Chicken Haus
Tinhat Chicken Haus is an internationally-certified halal restaurant. They are known for their lechon manok, which is rotisserie chicken stuffed with garlic, onion, and, most notably, lemongrass, roasted over charcoal.
Tinhat Chicken Haus
But their chicken isn’t the usual lechon manok that has a sweet marinade. Still, it’s flavorful, juicy, tender, and nicely charred. I got the spicy version and it’s stay-in-the-mouth spicy! I paired it with Basmati Rice, which is long-grain rice that has a nice flavor. The combo made me miss the Biryani in Singapore!
Tinhat Lechon Manok (Whole: P250; Half: P150) over Basmati Rice. Plating is mine.
Aside from chicken, Tinhat serves other halal dishes like Beef Pochero, which is a kind of bone-in beef shank stew. I was saving stomach space so I didn’t get to try it. Man, another food regret!
Address: Artiaga St, Poblacion District, Davao City | Operating Hours: Daily, 9AM-10PM | Facebook
Which of the halal food spots above have you tried or would like to try? What halal food spot in Davao City should I visit next? Comment them below!
Other entries in the Davao City Food Trip series: Food Experience to Try at the King City of the South | The Night (Market) Crawler Goes to Roxas Night Market | The Ultimate Tuna Experience Part 1 (Kinilaw, Pakfry, and Panga) | The Ultimate Tuna Experience Part 2 (Marina Tuna and Yellow Fin) | My Durian State of Mind | Trying Carabao (Water Buffalo) Dishes