Sunday, July 6, 2008

Other Features

Palm Drive and a kitchen
By Stella A. Estremera / Goin' Places

DENGDENG has been telling me about it for months now since they went there some time ago. Our first attempt to visit the place, however, saw us flooded and trapped downtown, unable to breach the floodwaters in Bajada.

And so with the relatively clear sky the other week, matched with other buddy Ikit's rare presence in Davao we went off in search of the paella negra and smoked sashimi-style swordfish hair stylist Allan Alforque has been drooling about on that flooded evening.

The place is small, just a hut, and the short ride going there brought me back to old Davao...

Rewind: Deng has been trying to describe the place (although I knew of its existence but don't know exactly where it was), but all she could come up with was that it was at the corner of Manilabank in Bajada. I say, Manilabank in Bajada isn't really a good landmark.

And so, as she pointed out where it was and I took note of all the landmarks there, I saw one that should have made it most recognizable, but because of its size, was barely visible: the street sign marked, Palm Drive.

A lifetime ago, everyone in Davao knew where Palm Drive was. There was this huge sign that says its Palm Drive such that it by itself was a landmark of sorts. But today when you say Palm Drive, the more knowledgeable will ask if that's the one in Bajada or Obrero (Palm Village) before getting their bearings, the clueless will not know what that is, and my generation will have a memory flash by with that billboard of old but will find it difficult to locate exactly where it is.

But Deng was right, Palm Drive is indeed at the kanto of Manilabank in Bajada and the Lamb of God Sped Center and a vehicle shop. It's at your left if you're coming from downtown. Now that you're in the vicinity, drive or walk in... but don't expect to see any signboards.

What you should watch out for is an open lot with white posts (it's not a fence... just a row of white posts spaced some distance apart, definitely not close enough to keep anything out or in), now that you've seen the white posts, drive in and park and walk toward the kubo.

That is My Brother's Kitchen, an almost private restaurant, which spells food and relaxation.

We ordered the food we have been craving for, paella negra, plus Allan's highly recommended appetizer, the smoked fish served ala sashimi, and the bane of the three buddies -- fried pork belly, plus Ikit's special request (it's not in the menu, but the attendant willingly offered to cook it for us) -- pork sinigang.
The rest is history... Sarap.

As is usually the case though, a stuffed tummy means an early night. Burp!
Although we did find time to play with Sausage while waiting for our bill. Sausage is an old, long-bodied dog. So old, both eyes have cataracts, but he can find his way around. He just doesn't know where to look when he's barking.

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